The early years foundation stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to 5 years old. This stage of learning is throughout their Pre-School and Reception years.
There are seven areas of learning and development that shape the Early Years Curriculum. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected:
-communication and language
-physical development
-personal, social and emotional development
-literacy
-mathematics
-understanding the world
-expressive arts and design
In planning and guiding children’s activities, we reflect on the different ways that children learn and build these into our practice. Three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are:
• playing and 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 and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things