Toucans

'Welcome to Toucan Class'

Our teacher is Caroline Derbyshire

and our classroom assistants are Mel, Jan & Karen.

We are an ASD specific Early Years and Key Stage 1 class. We operate the TEACCH* system within class. This system was developed by the University of North Carolina and tries to explicitly teach the children the idea of working independently and the beginning and ending of tasks. This system operates alongside a regular classroom curriculum.

*Treatment & Education of Autistic and other related Communication disabled CHildren

Autumn term - 'Home and Away'. We will be looking at the following themes;

History of Guy Fawkes History of the Incas Arts of the carnival

Our homes and homes in South America Music of the carnival

Sound, rocks & soils Barnaby Bear in Brazil/South America

Our RE topic is Harvest and the Nativity story.

In Literacy we looked at the story 'The Little Red Hen'.

As part of the work we went to make our own bread in a professional bakery.

As part of our Science work looking at 'Rocks and Sand' we visited Teesmouth Activity Centre.

We collected different types of rock, made pictures in the sand and made sand castles.

Back at the activity centre we tested the rocks to see how porous they were and rubbed them together to make their own sand.

Spring term - 'What’s for tea?'

We will be looking at the following themes;

History: Great Fire of London Geography: Foods of South America

Art: Arts of the Chinese New Year, Art from recycled food packaging, The Artist Cezanne

Music: Kitchen equipment instruments

Science: Food D&T: Chips with everything

Our RE topic is Easter and How is Jesus special?

The Runaway Pizza

In our literacy lessons we have been reading the story of 'The Runaway Pizza'. As part of the story we visited Sambuccas Italian restaurant and ate pizza for lunch.

Toucan class have been using the apparatus in our PE lessons. The children enjoyed climbing up and down the ladders and balancing on the beams.

Maths - Spring Term

As part of our Maths this term we looked at positional language. The children took part in lots of activities thinking about 'under', 'on top', 'next to' and 'inside'.

They enjoyed using the apparatus in our outside play area, to put into practice the positional language we have learnt about.

We used a teddy bear and placed it inside, on top of, next to and under a box.