Nursery – without words

Theme – What Do I Feel?

HWB 0-01a I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them.

HWB 0-02a I know that we all experience a variety of thoughts and emotions that affect how we feel and behave and I am learning ways of managing them.

HWB 0-04a I understand that my feelings and reactions can change depending upon what is happening within and around me. This helps me to understand my own behaviour and the way others behave.

HWB 0-05a I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others.

HWB 0-06a I understand the importance of mental wellbeing and that this can be fostered and strengthened through personal coping skills and positive relationships. I know that it is not always possible to enjoy good mental health and that if this happens there is support available.

HWB 0-44b I understand positive things about friendships and relationships but when something worries or upsets me I know who I should talk to.

Theme – What Do I Need?

HWB 0-03a I understand that there are people I can talk to and that there are a number of ways in which I can gain access to practical and emotional support to help me and others in a range of circumstances.

HWB 0-05a I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others.

HWB 0-07a I am learning skills and strategies which will support me in challenging times, particularly in relation to change and loss.

HWB 0-16a I am learning to assess and manage risk, to protect myself and others, and to reduce the potential for harm when possible.

HWB 0-19a In everyday activity and play, I explore and make choices to develop my learning and interests. I am encouraged to use and share my experiences.

Theme – What Do I Want?

HWB 0-03a I understand that there are people I can talk to and that there are a number of ways in which I can gain access to practical and emotional support to help me and others in a range of circumstances.

HWB 0-13a Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community.

HWB 0-15a I am developing my understanding of the human body and can use this knowledge to maintain and improve my wellbeing and health.

HWB 0-19a In everyday activity and play, I explore and make choices to develop my learning and interests. I am encouraged to use and share my experiences.

Theme – What Do I Value?

HWB 0-03a I understand that there are people I can talk to and that there are a number of ways in which I can gain access to practical and emotional support to help me and others in a range of circumstances.

HWB 0-05a I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others.

HWB 0-10a I recognise that each individual has a unique blend of abilities and needs. I contribute to making my school community one which values individuals equally and is a welcoming place for all.

HWB 0-44a I am aware of how friendships are formed and that likes, dislikes, special qualities and needs can influence relationships.

Theme – What Do I Think?

HWB 0-02a I know that we all experience a variety of thoughts and emotions that affect how we feel and behave and I am learning ways of managing them.

HWB 0-04a I understand that my feelings and reactions can change depending upon what is happening within and around me. This helps me to understand my own behaviour and the way others behave.

HWB 0-05a I know that friendship, caring, sharing, fairness, equality and love are important in building positive relationships. As I develop and value relationships, I care and show respect for myself and others.

HWB 0-10a I recognise that each individual has a unique blend of abilities and needs. I contribute to making my school community one which values individuals equally and is a welcoming place for all.

HWB 0-45b I am aware of the need to respect personal space and boundaries and can recognise and respond appropriately to verbal and non-verbal communication.

Theme – What Do I Choose to Do and Say?

HWB 0-10a I recognise that each individual has a unique blend of abilities and needs. I contribute to making my school community one which values individuals equally and is a welcoming place for all.

HWB 0-11a I make full use of and value the opportunities I am given to improve and manage my learning and, in turn, I can help to encourage learning and confidence in others.

HWB 0-12a Representing my class, school and/or wider community encourages my self-worth and confidence and allows me to contribute to and participate in society.

HWB 0-13a Through contributing my views, time and talents, I play a part in bringing about positive change in my school and wider community.

HWB 0-14a I value the opportunities I am given to make friends and be part of a group in a range of situations.

HWB 0-19a In everyday activity and play, I explore and make choices to develop my learning and interests. I am encouraged to use and share my experiences.

HWB 0-45b I am aware of the need to respect personal space and boundaries and can recognise and respond appropriately to verbal and non-verbal communication.

Please use the planner provided in both PDF and Word format to record, assess and plan your programme of lessons. The template can be adapted to suit your school planning procedures.

View: Classroom Planner Nursery

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• recognise, express and discuss our feelings
• manage our feelings

Staff can use Circle Time or story/together time for this lesson. Use the Happy and Sad Faces cards provided below. You may wish to photocopy and laminate these for all children to use at the same time, or use one which the children pass around the circle.

Begin by sitting in a circle. Start by explaining: “Different things can make us feel happy or sad.

Today we will think about how we feel at different times.

For example, when I play with my friends, I feel happy, so I will hold up the happy face. When I fall and hurt myself, I feel sad, so I will hold up the sad face.”

Suggest different scenarios to the children using the Emotions scenarios provided below, either asking all children to respond with their happy or sad face, or choosing individual children to select the happy or sad face from the centre of the circle.

When chosen, children can contribute if they wish, or pass if they prefer to do so. Develop the discussion to allow children to explain why they chose the face they did, explore coping with each chosen scenario.

View: Lesson 1: Emotions Scenarios

View: Happy Sad Faces Cards

Ask pupils to make a happy/sad face with platicine or dough. Ask children for suggestions of other things that can make them feel happy in nursery, and other things that can make them feel sad. Discuss the following:

• Do they know what to do to become involved in nursery activities?
• If something upset them at home or on their way to nursery, would they be able to explain this to a member of the nursery team?
• If they see another child in nursery who is upset or sad, would they know what to do about this?
• Who could they talk to?
• Would they invite the person to play with them, or to share a book?
• Who helps them to feel happy when they are sad and crying?

Record children’s contributions and create a display of all the things that make children feel happy or sad in nursery and who they need to talk to, when necessary.

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

 Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• play with others successfully

Support and encourage children to share what they do during the nursery day which includes others. Give positive feedback when children describe situations where they are actively including others in their play.

You may wish to consult with the children about their friends using the Joining in activity below that includes asking the children:

• What do you like to play on your own?
• What do you like to play with others?
• What should you do when you want to join in with others?
• How can you help other people to join in if they would like it?

Develop the theme, by promoting further discussion with the following questions:

• If someone was playing on their own in nursery, and looked sad, what could we do to make them feel better?
• If there was a child in nursery who couldn’t hear, how could we help them to join in with our games?
• If there was a child in nursery who found it difficult to move their legs and used a wheelchair, how could we help them to join in when we are dancing?
• If there was a child in the nursery who could not speak English, how could we show them that you wanted to be their friend?

View: Lesson 2: Joining in – Activity

Additionally, praise these behaviours when staff notice them, or you could support children to engage in role playing inclusive behaviour scenarios, allowing all children, including children with less or no language, to contribute. Some examples of inclusive behaviour that children could role play include:

• Offering a paintbrush to another child to join in at the paint area.
• Offering a brick to a child to welcome them into the construction area.
• Sharing a book with another child.
• Gesturing to another child to sit down beside them on a cushion.

You could also create a photo display of children playing alone and with others which says “sometimes we like to play alone; sometimes we like to play with our friends”. Children can then identify themselves and their friends from the photographs, and talk about remembered experiences.

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand how our feelings are affected by others
• ask for help when necessary

At circle/story/together time, remind the children that they can have more than one friend, and that it is good to play with lots of different people at nursery.

You could create visuals to support this, taking photographs of a child playing with other children in different areas of the nursery.

Use puppets to create a story where one puppet is being left out.

Ask the children:

• How does _______________________feel when he/she is left out?
• What should ____________________ do?
• How would you feel if you were left out at nursery?
• What should you do in nursery if you want to join in?

Ensure that all children are aware of how to seek help from adults in the nursery if they are unable to resolve the situation themselves by role playing or modelling how to do this.

Note: You may wish to use the lesson below with individual children or a small group of children when you have observed a child who is being excluded by others, or if a child approaches an adult for support because others are excluding him/her or have said they are not his/her friend.

Approach the children who are not including others and ask them the following questions:

• Do you know that ______________________________ would like to play with you?
• How do you feel when people play with you?
• Will you let _________________ play so that he/she feels___________________ just like you?

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand the needs of babies
• recognise what might happen if these needs are not met

You may wish to use this lesson with individual children or a small group of children when you have observed a child who is looking after a baby doll in the house corner, or talking about a baby in the family.

Promote discussion by using the What do babies need? questions below including:

• What can you do that babies can’t?
• What do babies need?
• What helps babies to grow?
• Do babies need to sleep?
• Do babies go to the toilet like you?
• What do parents do to look after babies?
• Do babies need to be looked after? Why?
• Do babies need toys?

View: Lesson 1: What do babies need? Questions

Extend children’s thinking by asking them to predict what would happen if a baby’s needs were not met.

What would happen if . . . ?

Extend the learning by inviting a mum or dad with a baby to visit the nursery to tell the children about the baby’s needs – for example by demonstrating how to give the baby a bath.

You may also wish to create a visual display to answer the question: What do babies need?

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand the needs of plants
• recognise what might happen if these needs are not met

You may wish to use this lesson with individual children or a small group of children when you have observed a child showing interest in a plant in the nursery. Alternatively, you may wish to use this lesson as a whole class lesson as part of a nursery topic.

Ask the children:

• What do plants need?
  

If children are unsure, support them in finding answers using a display, book or computer in the nursery. When the children understand what plants need, ask the question: Who gives plants what they need?

Establish that nature provides what most plants need but some need people e.g. farmers and gardeners in order for them to fully develop. If possible involve the children in the care of nursery plants, setting up a watering rota or having children measure the progress of various plants in nursery.

A taking care of our plants Watering Timetable provided below if you wish to use it.

View: Lesson 2: Watering Timetable

Ask the children what would happen to a plant if some of its needs were not met:

What would happen if . . . ?

Create a visual display to answer the question: “What do plants need?” Extend the learning with a “Growing Things” project, growing a selection of plants from seeds/bulbs, or experimenting with growing several similar plants, changing different factors such as more water/less water, sunny spot/shady spot, indoors/outdoors to see the difference over time.

Adapt the lesson to outdoor learning if the school environment is suitable. Ask children to identify and list what they see as they walk through the school garden including, birds, ants, etc. Alternatively, visit a local farm or garden centre.

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand the needs of pets
• recognise what might happen if these needs are not met

You may wish to use this lesson with individual children or a small group of children when you have observed a child who has shown an interest in a nursery pet, or has been talking about pets at home.

Ask the child or children: What do pets need?

If children are unsure, support them in finding answers using a book in the nursery.

Ask the child or children: Who gives pets what they need?

If possible, involve the children in the care of nursery pets by setting up a feeding or cleaning timetable.

Use the Feeding/Cleaning Timetable provided below if you wish.

Ask children to predict what would happen if a pet’s needs were not met: What would happen if . . . ?

View: Lesson 3: Feeding/Cleaning Timetable 

Ask children to predict what would happen if a pet’s needs were not met:

What would happen if . . . ?

Create a visual display which answers the question: “What do pets need?” Extend the learning with a “Pets” project, gathering data on how many pets the children have, and the different needs of each pet.

You may be able to visit a local animal farm. The keepers may offer to talk to the children about the animals they look after and the kind of things they need. On returning to the nursery children could record what they learned and share this with others.

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand our needs
• recognise what might happen if these needs are not met

Use this lesson as a follow up to any or all of the previous activities, building on prior learning and extending children’s thinking.

Remind children of the needs of babies/plants/pets as discussed in previous activities. Explain to the children that now you would like them to think about themselves, and what their needs are.

Refer to any visual displays created through the previous activities to support discussions.

With reference to babies:

• Do children need food and drink?
• Do children eat and drink the same things as babies? Why?
• What do parents do to look after babies?
• Do they need to do the same things for children? Why?
• Do children need to be looked after? Why?

With reference to plants:

• Do children need water, sunshine and somewhere to grow, like plants?
  

With reference to pets:

• Do children need food, drink, sleep, exercise, fun, love, and care, like pets?
  

Develop the lesson by asking children to offer suggestions of other things which children need in different contexts, for example, at home and in nursery.

Discuss why they need to:

• feel safe, be healthy, have a sense of achievement, feel cared for, feel and show respect, be actively involved, develop responsibility and feel included

Reflect on previous lessons and discuss why they need to:

• respect other children’s work in the nursery
• respect other people’s gardens, the nursery or school garden or the local park
• respect their own and other people’s pets, gardens, birds and other animals
  

Using age appropriate scenarios to which they can relate, discuss the notion of accepting and moving on from change e.g. loss of a pet, moving house, a friend moving house, a friend moving to another nursery, the arrival of a new baby.

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experince.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand what we and others prefer to eat and that it is alright to like different foods

You may wish to use this lesson after snack time with individual children or with a small group of children when they are likely to talk about any food allergy, likes, dislikes, or other reasons why they do not eat certain food e.g. food allergies, religious or cultural reasons.

Discuss with the children the reason why some people do not eat a  particular food, and use this as an example to illustrate that everyone is different.

Promote discussion on the theme of difference by asking the following questions about any given food:

• Do you like this food?
• Does anyone have an allergy to this food?
• What are your favourite foods?
• Do we all have the same favourite food? (Use this to highlight that we all like different things and that this is okay.)
• Do we all need to eat food?
• Why do we all need to eat food?
• What would happen to our bodies if we did not eat food?
• Do we all need to eat the same food?
• Do you enjoy being allowed to choose which food to eat?
• Why don’t you like . . . ?
• Have you tried . . . ? If not, why not?

Establish the differences between what we need and what we want. Discuss healthy eating and what we mean by this.

Ask children to:

• identify foods that help them to stay healthy e.g. milk for healthy teeth and bones
• identify foods that are not good for them and how these can affect their bodies e.g. too much sugar
• discuss why some children say they don’t like something when they have never tried it
• explore the difference between disliking a food and having a medical, cultural or religious reason for not eating certain foods
• make predictions about what would happen if they ate a food to which they were allergic, and what would happen if they ate a food they disliked

Develop the theme, consulting each child about their food preferences and using the responses to create a display entitled “everyone likes different food” with children’s photographs next to a drawing of their favourite food. This visual display will promote discussion about difference and personal choice, as well as highlighting similarities between children.

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand that everyone likes to do different activities
• experience new activities

To prepare for this lesson, take pictures or make visual representations of the different activities which are offered during the nursery day, including choices during free play and structured play activities.

Ask the group of children to sit in a circle. Show the pictures of the various nursery activities one at a time, asking children to raise their hands to identify the activities.

Once all the activities have been identified, place the pictures face up in the centre of the circle.

Ask each child to take a turn choosing their favourite activity from the pictures. If the child wishes to do so they may speak about the activity and why they like it, before returning the card to the centre of the circle.

Once all children have participated, summarise by explaining that we are all different and like to do different things which is okay.

Highlight the fact that, in nursery, some of the time we can make choices about what we do, while at other times we need to do certain things. Explore the things they need to do e.g. eat, drink, communicate, go to the toilet and show respect.

Move onto things they want – this involves making a choice that is the difference between needing and wanting something e.g. they may want a new game but it is not something they need. Discuss the things they identify and confirm if these are things they really need.

Ask children to suggest any activities that they don’t like, and encourage them to consider trying these with the following questions:

• Why don’t you like . . . ?
• Have you tried . . . ?
• Should you give it a try because you might like it?
• What would happen if . . . ?

Extend the learning by gathering and recording pupil responses, within the whole nursery class, then creating a chart to illustrate the popularity of activities. This could also indicate the differences in what children enjoy doing, as well as the choices which are available to children in nursery

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• ask for what we want using the correct language
• understand why we need to make good choices

Use this lesson with individual children or a small group of children when you have observed a child who is using inappropriate methods to get something that they want.

Bring the children around an area where inappropriate methods have been used (for example, the play dough table).

Ask the children to imagine that they want something which another child is using (for example, a rolling pin).

Ask the children the following questions:

• Is it okay to take something from another child while they are using it?
• Is it okay to take something if no one is using it?
• How could you get something if it is already being used by another child?
• How could you ask for something that you want?
• What could you do if another child will not share with you?

Remind the children of the previous lesson using happy and sad faces, and ask children to think about what actions would make everyone feel happy in the nursery.

Through discussion or role play, reach a consensus on appropriate behaviour for each area. Puppets could be used to display appropriate and inappropriate behaviours.

Extend learning by explaining that our health and wellbeing are affected by choices. Create a visual display recording the appropriate behaviour which the children have agreed above and support other children to adopt this approach.

• What things must I do to maintain a healthy body?
• In everyday activities, what are the positive choices I can make? (in relation to food, exercise, friendships and learning)
• What are the most appropriate ways to ask for things I want or things I would like to do?

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• understand that unique means one of a kind
• recognise the good things about our own and others’ artwork

Ask children to complete a piece of artwork, take time to gather the children back together to look at the different pieces of art they have created. Explain that being positive about our artwork is a way of showing that you value it.

By comparing it with other people’s artwork you will be able to see that each is different (unique).

Ask the children the following questions:

• What do you like about your artwork?
• What do you like about another child’s artwork?
• Are all of the artworks different from each other?

Explain that it is good that children can all create things which are different, and introduce the word unique as meaning one of a kind.

Emphasise, to the children, that each of them is unique, one of a kind, just like their artwork.

Extend this lesson by leading another art lesson, such as making snowflakes. Discuss snowflakes with the children, perhaps looking at images of snowflakes, if you have these, focus on the fact that every snowflake is unique, or one of a kind.

Ask the children to predict whether or not the snowflakes they make will be the same or different from one another. Make paper snowflakes, by folding white paper circles in half, then in quarters, then in eighths, before cutting into the paper using scissors.

Unfold the paper to see the finished snowflakes, and review the children’s predictions by comparing the snowflakes to see if they are all unique. Create a display entitled “We are all unique like snowflakes” and encourage the children to think about ways in which they are different from others, reiterating that it is good to be unique.

Draw a picture entitled “Myself” to explain to your nursery class the things that make us unique (hair, eyes, height, good singer, good at sport, good at helping others, good at including others, being helpful and friendly, etc.) Ask the children to draw ‘Myself’ with all the things that make them unique.

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• recognise similarities and differences

The underlying aim of this game is for children to be more aware of similarities between apparently different objects. This Just the Same card game is suitable for playing with a group of two to four children.

Lay all of the Just the Same cards on a table, face up. Explain to the children that there are many things which are ‘just the same’ about the cards – some are the same shape, some are the same colour, and some are the same kind of object – a face, a clock, a present or a window.

Each child should be encouraged to take a take a turn choosing two cards that have something in common – the shape, colour or object, and to say what is just the same about the cards.

At the end of the game, when there are no cards left, the person with the most cards collected is the winner.

Introduce the term similarities and explain the difference between identical and similar. Provide a selection of everyday objects (12 – 20) which allow children to explore similarities and differences then ask them to explain what these are.

View: Just the Same Cards

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• value our friends
• recognise how they influence us

Read the “Maisie B, Mojo and Betty Boo” story about valuing friendships from the Mojo and Friends Storybook then discuss the related questions.

• Are Maisie B, Mojo and Betty Boo good friends?
• How do you know?
• Do friends help one another?
• Can you remember what Mojo did for Maisie B?
• Do you have a special friend in nursery?
• What do you like most about your special friend?
• What do you think your friend likes most about you?
• If someone in nursery did not have a special friend, how do you think you could include them in your play
• What did the animals like (admire) about each other? e.g. Maisie B wanted to be able to run fast like Betty Boo

View: Maisie B, Mojo and Betty Boo Story

Discuss this scenario: A new child has just arrived at nursery. His name is Ben and he is very shy.

• What could you do to help Ben feel welcome?
• How could you find out what activities Ben might like to do?
• How should you go about introducing Ben to your other friends in the nursery?
• How would Ben feel if you did these things?

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

 Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• identify our differences in a variety of ways

Once a week over a number of weeks, staff can develop understanding about disability and difference using the Mojo and Friends storybook and appropriate puppets or soft toys. Introduce animal characters to the children and use these to cover topics of help, difference, friendship and disability.

In addition to asking the children questions after a story or puppet show, encourage them to ask questions using puppet characters.

Alternatively, you may wish to vary the weekly lesson by creating your own stories, using puppets/soft toys you already have in nursery, or by reading from the story texts and asking the children:

• How did the animals help each other?
• What differences were there between the animals?
• What made the animals good friends with one another?

Read A Fish Out Of Water from the Mojo and Friends Storybook then discuss the related questions.

View: A Fish Out Of Water Story

Discuss how Fred the fish coped without his fins and how he developed a new way/skill to allow him to overcome his situation. Explain in simple terms and discuss how we often compensate for things we are not able to do by developing new skills or using other senses e.g.

• blind people are often very good at hearing
• people with no hands can paint with their feet
• people who cannot talk can use other ways to communicate e.g. sign language, pictures or symbols
  

Ask children to think of any other examples.

• How would they would cope if they only had one leg.
  
• Had to learn to write with their other hand or use sign language to communicate? What would be the most important sign they would need to know?

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• develop a positive attitude about difference

Read Tina, The One Eyed Tiger from the Mojo and Friends Storybook then discuss the related questions.

View:  Tina The One Eyed Tiger Story

Remind children of the other characters in the story book and how they coped with their disability.

• Steven the Snake who cannot speak.
• Lissa the Loud Llama who cannot hear properly.
• The Fish who only has one fin.
• Eddie the elephant who cannot remember anything.
• Matthew the Monkey who, unlike the other monkeys, doesn’t have strong arms to swing through the jungle.

Discuss the different types of disability each character has. Ask the children if they know anyone with this kind of disability.

Ask the children if they have seen people with disabilities participating in sport or in films. Can they name any characters/personalities they have seen?

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• manage our feelings and behaviour in an appropriate manner

Read Lissa The Loud Llama from the Mojo and Friends Storybook then discuss the related questions.

View: Lissa the Loud Llama Story

Discuss, with the children, a time when they felt annoyed with someone either at home or in the nursery.

• How did they express their annoyance?
• What is the right way to let someone know that you are not happy about something?
• You may consider introducing the term ‘assertive’.

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• recognise different ways to communicate

Read Steven the Snake Who Couldn’t Speak from the Mojo and Friends Storybook then discuss the related questions.

View: Steven the Snake Who Couldn’t Speak Story

Discuss ways of communicating a message by asking the following questions.

• If you couldn’t understand what someone was saying to you. What should you do?
• Can you think of any signs you could make with your hands that people would understand?
• When do you use signs instead of words?

Invite someone who works with children who find it hard to hear to visit the nursery. Ask them to teach the children some simple common signs or a poem or song. Alternatively, source a television programme which features an interpreter using signing for hearing impaired viewers.

Discuss the Traffic Crossing Officer (Lolly Pop Lady/Man). What signs does she/he give the drivers to stop? What signs does she/he give the children when it is safe to cross?

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• find new ways of helping others in the nursery

During group time/together time, ask children to suggest ways in which they could choose to help other children in different areas of the nursery.

For example:

• at the coat pegs
• at the snack table
• at the paint tray
• during outside play
• at the sand tray

Suggest an example:

“At the coat pegs, I could help other children by _________________________”

Show the children the Happy and Sad Faces that you have used before.

Ask the children: “If someone was feeling sad, how could we turn their sad face into a happy face?”

View: Happy Sad Faces

Extend children’s thinking by asking the following questions:

• how could you help if someone couldn’t hear and you wanted to tell them something?
• how could you help if someone was hurt in nursery?
• how could you help if a child who couldn’t see well was trying to find a particular toy?

Take a note of children’s responses to:

• how can I help others in the nursery?
• what kind of help do I get?
• who helps me?

Emphasise that there are many things which children can do to help others in nursery, making it clear to the children that there are some kinds of help that adults need to provide, and remind them of how to ask and seek adult help when necessary.

Remind children of their need/right to feel and be included, respected, etc.

Extend the learning by involving them in creating visual displays or role plays of ways to help in various areas of the nursery.

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• recognise when adults may need help

During group time/together time, ask children to raise their hands to suggest ways in which they could help the adults in nursery.

For example:

• at tidy up time
• at snack time
• at the play dough
• at story time
• at singing time

Suggest some examples:

“I could help by.” ____________________________

“A job I could do is” __________________________

Ask the children to complete the following statement:

“When someone new comes to nursery, I could help by.”

Encourage children to recognise that through helping others they are being responsible, respectful, included and inclusive etc, adapting language as appropriate.

We make choices all the time – it is part of how we behave – how we express and react to situations – what we choose to do and say impacts on others as well as ourselves.

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

Learning Intention: We are learning to:

• recognise the help we need and how to ask for help

Read The Elephant Who Forgot from the Mojo and Friends Storybook and discuss the related questions.

View: The Elephant Who Forgot Story

Ask children these additional questions:

• Eddie needed some help to remember things. Do you need extra help for some things?
• What kind of help do you get?
• Who helps you?
• Do you ask for help? How?

Extend the learning by inviting a specialist who works with children into the nursery. Ask them to speak to the children for ten minutes about their job – for example, the Speech and Language Therapist, Educational Psychologist or the Health Officer.

During the visit, the specialist could:

• show games or activities which they use in their job
• show photographs of what they do at work
• talk about what they do to help children during their working day
• explain where they work within the community, and how others help them

Note: Once the visit is over, allow children time to consolidate by discussing what they learned from the specialist, and asking them questions about the visit to promote thinking. You may also wish to provide props for the house corner, where the children may wish to act out what they have learned.

Ask the children to draw/write a story about the kind of things they choose to do in nursery to help the teacher. Or work in groups to produce a poster about all the good things they helped to do in the nursery entitled “I help others every day.”

Discuss:

• How will they express themselves in nursery when they are asked to take part in an activity they don’t like or when they are asked to stop doing an activity they are enjoying?
• What things do they like doing best?
• How do they tell their teachers and how do they tell their parents?
• How do they tell their friends when their friends are doing something they don’t like?
  
• Do they always have a choice?

Refer to the Nursery Lesson Plan that includes ideas and prompts to develop the learning experience.

View: Different Emotion Cards

View: Different Emotions Cards in colour

Mojo and Friends Storybook