Dear Mattingley families and friends,
What a wonderful first week back we have had
together. Unfortunately Mrs Rocca has been unwell this week, however we were
lucky enough to see her Thursday morning when she helped us bring the clay into
our classroom. Before we started exploring we thought very carefully about what
we though the clay might be like. We started by thinking about what it might
feel like.
Soggy- Lochlann
S
Hard- Felix
Gooey- Chloe
We then began to think about what it might
look like.
Grey- Leo
Orange- Sammy
Red- Marcel
We then thought about where it might come
from and what we might be able to do with the clay.
It’s dirt- Felix
It come from the garden- Sammy
We can make it into something so we can
keep it forever- Felix
Keep it for 100 days- Leo
You can put it in the oven then it will be
frozen so you can play with it- Sammy
You can squeeze it- Chloe
You can put in on your shoes- Edward
Poke it with your thumbs- Lochlann S
Put it in a pot- Fred
I make a ball- Roy
Roll into snake- Jed
Race it down- Josh
Squash it- Ashton
Together we cut the clay into large chunks
and began to investigate using our senses.
It sticky- Josh S
Squashy- Lachlan B
Feels good- Sammy
It’s cold- Marcel
Smells like clay- Lochlann S
We have offered the clay to the children this term as it is an outstanding
sensory development activity for their hands, especially their fingers. At
three we are all still working on our fine motor skills and dexterity. The acts
of rolling, squeezing and forming the clay help them to further develop their
fine motor skills. We will be focusing on the fine motor development of our
hands and fingers this term, working towards holding pencils and the pincer
grip getting ready to begin more meaningful mark making and letter formation.
Please feel free to spend some time with your child exploring the clay. Simply the act of molding clay in one's
hands whether you're a child or an adult can be extremely calming.
We hope that Mrs Rocca is beginning to feel much better over the weekend.
We have missed her very much and are looking forward to having her back in the
classroom next week.
Kimberley Mason
and Coney Rocca
