What is the EYFS
The EYFS Statutory Framework sets the standards for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to 5 years old. All schools and Ofsted-registered early years providers must follow the EYFS, including childminders, preschools, nurseries, and school reception classes.
There are four guiding principles in the EYFS. These are: every child is unique; every child can learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships; that children learn and develop best in enabling environments; and that children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates.
The 7 areas of Learning & Development
Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development.
There are three prime areas, and these are essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning.
They are communication and language; physical development; and personal, social and emotional development.
These three prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 specific areas.
These are literacy; mathematics; understanding the world; and expressive arts and design.
How does this help your child?
These 7 areas of learning development are used to plan your child’s learning and activities. I will ensure that activities are suited to your child’s unique needs. This is a little bit like a curriculum in schools, but it’s suitable for very young children, and it’s designed to be flexible so that we can follow your child’s unique needs and interests. Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring, being active, and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside. I will make regular observations which will help to plan future activities that your child will find both, fun and beneficial.
What resources do you have that will support this?
Here are a few examples of ways I will use the 7 areas of learning.
CHARACTERISTIC OF LEARNING
PLAYING & EXPLORING: Children investigate and experience things and “have a go”.
ACTIVE LEARNING: Children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements.
CREATING & THINKING CRITICALLY: Children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things.
PERSONAL, SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
- Puppets
- Mystery boxes & treasure baskets
- Playgroups & activity centers
- Roleplay
- Finger painting
The Goal Is
- Try new activities and talking about them
- Confidence to speak in groups & talk about ideas
- Making choices – choosing resources & asking for help if needed
- Talking about feelings and behaviors
- Playing in groups, following rules and taking turns
- Adjusting to situations and different routines
- Organizing activities and using each other ideas
- Showing sensitivity to needs and feelings of others
- Forming Positive relationships
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Activities
- Baking
- Playdough
- Outdoor activities
- Dressing up
- Climbing
- Creative Play
To focus on
- Good control and coordination
- Large and small movements
- Safely negotiating space
- Good handling of equipment and tools
- Good health of physical exercise
- A healthy diet, talking about keeping healthy and safe
- Managing basic hygiene
- Dressing themselves
- Going to the toilet independently
COMMUNICATION & LANGUAGE
Activities
- Routines
- Asking questions, thinking, listening and understanding,
- Books & Games
- Stories & Memory Games
- Songs / Nursery rhymes
- Speech and Language development
Consider
- Listening to stories
- Accurately anticipating key events
- Comments, questions or actions
- Attention to other speaking
- Responding when engaged in an activity
- Following instructions
- Giving ideas or actions
- Short sentences
- Talking about the past, present or future
- Explanations by connecting ideas or events
LITERACY
Activities
- Letters & alphabet
- Numbers
- Drawing
- Writing
- Painting & mark making
- Labels
- Books / Reading / Poems / Nursery Rhymes / Phonics
Exposure to
- Reading and understanding simple sentences
- Using phonics to decode regular words
- Understanding what they have read
- Using phonics to write words
- Writing simple sentences
EXPRESS ARTS & DESIGN
Activities
- Imagination – dressing up
- Arts
- Crafts
- Roleplay
- Songs / Dance
- Sticking & Cutting
Have a go at
- Singing songs
- Making music and dances
- Exploring a variety of materials, tools, and techniques
- Experimenting with color, design, texture
- Being imaginative – when using media and materials to represent their own ideas, thoughts, and feelings
MATHEMATICS
Activities
- Counting
- Numbers
- Lego
- Building Blocks
- Measuring – water and sand play
- Money – shop play
- Shapes
Guidelines
- Counting from 1-10 in order
- Counting from 1-20 in order
- One more and one less
- Quantities
- Adding and subtracting
- Solving problems
- Creating and designing patterns
- Exploring everyday objects
UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD
Activities
- Role Play
- Outings – parks, farms, garden play to look at animals, nature, plants, mini beasts, manmade and natural things
- Theme days
- Dressing up
- Computers & ICT
- Diversity – other cultures, race, religions, celebrations, countries of the world
Looking at
- Talking about past and present events
- Talking about family members
- Similarities and differences between themselves and others
- Differences in communities and traditions
- Differences in places and living things
- Observations of animals and plants
- Talking about changes
- Recognizing a range of technologies
- How they are used for different purposes