EYFS

The areas of learning and development

During the children's time with us they will be gaining an understanding of the Early Learning Goals across the seven areas of learning. They are all important and inter-connected. These seven areas are as follows:

Prime Areas:

·        Communication and Language (listening, attention and understanding and speaking).

·        Personal, social, emotional development (self-regulation, managing self, building relationships).

·        Physical development (gross motor skills and fine motor skills).

Specific Areas:

·        Literacy (comprehension, word reading and writing).

·        Mathematics (number and numerical patterns).

·        Understanding the World (past and present, people, culture and communities, and the natural world).

·        Expressive Arts and Design (creating with materials, being imaginative and expressive).

Characteristics of effective learning: 

The characteristics of effective teaching and learning describe the behaviours children use in order to learn.  Effective teaching will enable children to engage in learning and become confident and enthusiastic learners for life.

·        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 achievement.

·        Creating and Thinking Critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Together with the Prime and Specific Areas, these compromise the knowledge, skills and experiences that are developmentally appropriate for children from birth to 5 years.