The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) begins from birth to the age of five. The last year of the EYFS is often described as the reception year. This prepares children for learning in key stage 1 and is consistent with the national curriculum.
The curriculum for the EYFS underpins all future learning by supporting, fostering, promoting and developing children in many ways.
In Reception children's learning is governed by 6 areas of learning.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Successful personal, social and emotional development is critical for young children in all aspects of their lives and gives them the best opportunity for success in all other areas of learning. Children need to develop a positive sense of themselves. This area of learning is about emotional well-being, knowing who you are and where you fit in and feeling good about yourself. It is also about developing respect for others, social competence and a positive disposition to learn.
Communication, Language and Literacy
Communication, Language and Literacy is at the heart of young children's learning. They need to be competent in a number of key skills, together with having the confidence, opportunity, encouragement, support and disposition to use them. Children learn to express their needs and feelings, interact with others and establish their own identities and personalities. This area of learning includes communication, speaking and listening in different situations and for different purposes, being read a range of books and reading simple texts and writing for a variety purposes.
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
Mathematical development depends on becoming confident and competent in learning and using key skills. This area of learning includes counting, sorting, matching, seeking patterns, making connections, recognizing relationships and working with numbers, shapes, space and measures. This is developed through stories, songs, games and imaginative play.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
In this area of learning, children are developing the crucial knowledge, skills and understanding that help them to make sense of the world. This forms the foundation for later work in science, design and technology, history, geography and information and communication technology.
Physical Development
Physical development in the EYFS is about improving skills of coordination, control, manipulation and movement. Physical development has two other very important aspects. It helps children gain in confidence in what they can do and enables them to feel the positive benefits of being healthy and active. Effective physical development helps children develop a positive sense of well-being.
Creative Development
Creativity is fundamental to successful learning. Being creative enables children to make connections between one area of learning and another and so extend their understanding. This area of learning includes art, music, dance, role play and imaginative play.
The 6 areas of learning help us to plan the learning environment, activities and experiences and provide a framework for the early years curriculum.
