Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of childrenâ€™s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them â€“ from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening childrenâ€™s vocabulary will support later reading comprehension. 

Monitoring the quality of education in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) involves a careful examination of how children are developing their understanding of the world around them. This aspect of the curriculum is pivotal as it lays the foundation for children's later learning in science, geography, history, and technology. Effective monitoring ensures that educational practices are nurturing a child's curiosity, helping them make sense of their physical world, and fostering an appreciation of different communities and cultures. It also involves assessing how well children are being supported in their explorations and in making connections between different areas of learning and their own experiences.

In assessing the quality of education in this domain, educators look at the opportunities provided to children for observing, predicting, and interacting with both living things and the environment. This includes evaluating the resources made available to the children—such as books, tools, and technology—and how effectively these resources are integrated into play and structured learning. Another key component is the role of the practitioner in guiding and extending children's knowledge through questioning and discussion. Observing how children engage with the world, ask questions, and express their understanding is crucial in ensuring the EYFS provision is supporting them in becoming competent learners who are confident to explore and eager to discover more about their world.

- ;This publication has been written primarily for school leaders, especially headteachers and principles of primary and infant schools. - ;Leaders of early years should also find the publication useful to help them check coverage and sequences of learning in both nursery and reception classes. - ;The vast majority of pages are set out as in Appendix 1 on the next page of this introductory section. - ;Firstly, the book is sectioned into the three prime areas and four specific areas as in the framework for early years. - ;For each section there is a focus on 3 and 4 year olds (effectively nursery) and for reception-aged children. - ;For each section and age group a number of tables have been created (as shown in Appendix 1), which starts with the break down outlined in Development Matters. - ;Appendix 1 shows that the first columns (marked with &lsquo;a&rsquo;) show that this information is taken from Development Matters. - ;To the right is a &lsquo;proposed learning sequence&rsquo; which has four parts following on from each other as indicated by the arrows. - ;To the bottom right is either an end of nursery expectation for the area of learning or an early learning goal, this is marked with a &lsquo;c&rsquo;. The part coloured in red is specific to the activity being suggested. - ;In addition, on the bottom left, marked &lsquo;d&rsquo;, there is a set of six key vocabulary words of phrases for each aspect. - ;The last section provides you with a breakdown to help with the monitoring.

Introduction

Monitoring the Quality of Education in EYFS - Introduction

TheÂ development of childrenâ€™s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development. Childrenâ€™s back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the foundations for language and cognitive development. The number and quality of the conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing, and echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added, practitioners will build childrenâ€™s language effectively.

Communication and Language

Monitoring the Quality of Education in EYFS - Communication and Language

Childrenâ€™s personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives, and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others.

Personal, Social and Emotional Education

Monitoring the Quality of Education in EYFS - Personal, Social and Emotional Education

Physical activity is vital in childrenâ€™s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a childâ€™s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through tummy time, crawling and play movement with both objects and adults.

Physical Development

Monitoring the Quality of Education in EYFS - Physical Development

It isÂ crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about theÂ world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together. Skilled word reading, taught later, involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech,Â before writing).

Literacy

Monitoring the Quality of Education in EYFS - Literacy

Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, theÂ relationships between them and the patterns withinÂ those numbers.

Mathematics

Monitoring the Quality of Education in EYFS - Mathematics

The development of childrenâ€™s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. The frequency, repetition and depth of their experiences are fundamental to their progress in interpreting and appreciating what they hear, respond to and observe.

Expressive Arts and Design

Monitoring the Quality of Education in EYFS - Expressive Arts and Design

A set of monitoring tables for: - ;Communication and Language - ;Personal, Social and Emotional Developments - ;Physical Development - ;Literacy - ;Mathematics - ;Understanding the World - ;Expressive Arts and Design And a monitoring and action plan. This resource contains separate monitoring tables and action plans for Nursery and Reception

Monitoring Guide

Monitoring the Quality of Education in EYFS - Monitoring Guide

This publication has been written primarily for school leaders, especially headteachers and principles of primary and infant schools. Leaders of early years should also find the publication useful to help them check coverage and sequences of learning in both nursery and reception classes. Firstly, the book is sectioned into the three prime areas and four specific areas as in the framework for early years. For each section there is a focus on 3 and 4 year olds (effectively nursery) and for reception-aged children. For each section and age group a number of tables have been created, which starts with the break down outlined in Development Matters. To the right is a ‘proposed learning sequence’ which has four parts following on from each other as indicated by the arrows. To the bottom right is either an end of nursery expectation for the area of learning or an early learning goal, this is marked with a ‘c’. The part coloured in red is specific to the activity being suggested. In addition, on the bottom left, marked ‘d’, there is a set of six key vocabulary words of phrases for each aspect. The last section provides you with a breakdown to help with the monitoring.

Monitoring the Quality of Education in EYFS

Reception

Monitoring the Quality of Education in EYFS - Understanding the World

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