Literacy

To recognise and write the letters ‘i’ and ‘n.’

To say the letter sounds

• Watch the YouTube clip to say them correctly.

i – is a bouncy sound.

n – is a stretchy sound.

Rhymes to help your child remember how to write the letters correctly

• Use the letter sound mat below

i – down the body and dot for the head.

n – down Nobby and over his net.

Activities to help recognise the letters

• Hide the letters in the garden and go on a letter sound hunt. Your child could move in different ways e.g. jump to the letter ‘i.’
• Hunt for miniature letters hidden in the garden/ around the lounge. They could use a magnifying glass if you have one.
• Spot letters in the story books you share together.
• Spot letters around the house on food packets, tv programmes, word art.
• Spot letters when you are out walking.
• Watch the alphablocks ‘i’ and ‘n’ episodes.
• Make the alphablocks ‘i’ and ‘n’ character using the printable sheet to colour and stick onto a tube.

Activities to support sound skills

• Give the children a collection of items and sort them into objects that begin with ‘i’, ‘n’ and other letters your child has previously learnt but may need more practise.
• Collect items from around the house that start with the letter sound ‘i’ and ‘n.’
• Play games such as ‘I spy’ to practise hearing the initial sounds in words.

Activities to help write the letters

• Practise mark making the letters using cars dipped in paint. Move the cars to write the letter, forming it correctly.
• Mark make in sand/ porridge oats/ flour/ salt/ sugar etc writing the letters using their finger.
• Mark make with magic water – water and glitter.
• Write the letters with chalk or with a paintbrush and water.
• Write the letters in play dough using a pencil.
• Write the letters using finger paints.
• Make dens using any large boxes you have and practise writing the letters in the boxes.
• Write on different surfaces e.g. in the mud, on foil, roll of old wallpaper, whiteboard, play dough etc.
• Sellotape pens to cars and move the cars to form the letters.

Maths

To count objects to 10 and beginning to count beyond.

• Place some of your child’s favourite smaller toys in front of them (no more than 10 objects). Show them how to line them up so they can count them accurately. Encourage them to point to each object and touch count, to work out how many objects there are altogether. Repeat with different amounts to 10.
• Bury toys, plastic coins or anything similar in mud or sand. Encourage your child to hunt for the treasure and then count how many objects there are altogether.
• Go on a nature hunt and collect different items that you find. Support your child to count how many leaves they have found. Repeat for the different items they have found on their hunt.  
• At lunchtime or dinnertime, encourage your child to count the different items of food on their plate. For example, they could count how many carrots are on their plate.
• Use one of the counting to 10 sheets attached below. Your child can touch count the images to work out how many there are altogether. Then support them to write the correct number in the box.

Topic

Please look at the document 'Additional activities to support your child's learning in 40-60 months' and the new document 'parent support activities 40-60 months Summer 2' for more ideas how to support your child in the different areas of learning.