Planning a Text-led Curriculum in EYFS - Understanding the World: History

The curriculum guidance for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) on 'Understanding the World: History' provides a structured approach to help children aged 3 to reception make sense of their personal histories and the larger world. It outlines activities and learning sequences that encourage children to explore their own life stories and family histories. The guidance suggests using a variety of texts with a proven track record to support learning and offers ideas for focused activities that link to these texts. It also recommends the development of continuous provision to reinforce learning in each aspect of the curriculum. Key to this approach is the introduction of vocabulary related to the past, such as 'very old', 'before', 'long ago', and 'yesterday', which enables children to begin constructing a timeline of their own lives and the world around them.

For reception-aged children, the curriculum expands to include comparing and contrasting characters from stories, including historical figures. This involves reading a range of stories and discussing the lives of people from the past, their roles in society, and the ways in which they may have influenced change. Children are encouraged to appreciate that many stories are set in times gone by and to understand the past through settings, characters, and events within books. The curriculum supports children in organising artefacts by age and in discussing changes they observe in photographs or stories. Continuous provision ideas include role-playing with historical toys, creating timelines, and discussing famous individuals who have made significant contributions to society. The aim is to help children recognise the passage of time and understand the concept of history through engaging, age-appropriate activities.