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: Creating with Materials covers EYFS learning sequences for Nursery and Reception. It includes: - ;Taking part in simple, pretend play, using and object to represent something else even though they are not similar - ;Beginning to develop complex stories using small world equipment - ;Making imaginative and complex 'small worlds' - ;Exploring different materials freely - ;Developing their own ideas - ;Exploring different materials and textures - ;Creating closed shapes with continuous lines - ;Drawing with increasing complexity and detail, such as representing faces with circles - ;Showing different emotions in their drawings and paintings - ;Exploring colour and colour mixing - ;Exploring, using and refining a variety of artistic effects - ;Listening with increased attention to sounds and responding appropriately

When planning a text-led curriculum in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), a key focus area is 'Understanding the World: Creating with Materials'. This involves using literature as a springboard to explore and interact with various materials, encouraging children to engage with their environment creatively. Through carefully selected texts, children are inspired to experiment with textures, shapes, and forms, fostering their natural curiosity and developing their sensory experiences. This approach not only enriches their literary understanding but also enhances their knowledge of the physical world around them by making tangible connections between stories and real-life applications.

The curriculum is designed to support children in expressing their ideas and thoughts using a variety of materials and tools. As they listen to and discuss stories, they are prompted to use different mediums to create art and craft projects that reflect themes and elements from the narratives. This interactive process helps to develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and the ability to interpret and represent the world in unique ways. The emphasis on creativity and material exploration within the EYFS framework ensures that children are not just passive listeners but active learners, using texts as a catalyst for imaginative play and creation.

- ;The aim of this publication is to provide ideas for early years staff in respect of delivering a stimulating and effective early years curriculum. - ;It looks at two main areas from the seven areas of learning but inevitably draws on each of the other five. The two areas focused on are: - ;Understanding the world, and - ;Expressive arts and design - ;The sequence of the learning is drawn from &lsquo;Development Matters&rsquo;. It looks at the provision for 3 and 4 year olds as well as reception. - ;For the &lsquo;Understanding the world&rsquo; section, there is a focus on the three main aspects of: - ;History - ;Geography and community, and - ;Science - ;Each aspect starts with the statement from &lsquo;Development Matters&rsquo; . A four-point sequence has then been created from each before creating a learning journey which looks at both focused learning and continuous provision. - ;For each aspect a number of texts have been suggested which should help to create a strong link with aspects such as literacy and communication and language. - ;This publication is closely linked to another Focus Education publication, &lsquo;Monitoring the Quality of Education in Early Years&rsquo;. - ;It is envisaged that the two publication would provide guidance and support for early years practitioners as well as school leaders.

Introduction

Planning a Text-led Curriculum in EYFS - Introduction

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. This guidance considers each aspect outlined in Development Matters for 3 and 4 year olds as well as reception aged children. It links each aspect with a number of texts which have a proven track record and provides guidance for focused activities. In addition, it makes suggestions about the development of continuous provision for each aspect. Understanding the World: History covers EYFS learning sequences for Nursery and Reception. It includes: - ;Children making sense of their own life-story and family's history - ;Commenting on images of familiar situations in the past - ;Consider whether toys have always been the same - ;Compare and contrast characters from stories, including figures from the past - ;Think about famous people (fiction and non-fiction)

Understanding the World: History

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

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. This guidance considers each aspect outlined in Development Matters for 3 and 4 year olds as well as reception aged children. It links each aspect with a number of texts which have a proven track record and provides guidance for focused activities. In addition, it makes suggestions about the development of continuous provision for each aspect. Understanding the World: Geography covers EYFS learning sequences for Nursery and Reception. It includes: - ;Showing interest in different occupations - ;Considering the people who help us - ;Developing positive attitudes about the differences between people - ;Knowing that there are different countries in the world

Understanding the World: Geography

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

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. This guidance considers each aspect outlined in Development Matters for 3 and 4 year olds as well as reception aged children. It links each aspect with a number of texts which have a proven track record and provides guidance for focused activities. In addition, it makes suggestions about the development of continuous provision for each aspect. Understanding the World: Communities covers EYFS learning sequences for Nursery and Reception. It includes: - ;Talking about members of their immediate family or community - ;Recognising and celebrating differences in beliefs - ;Understanding that some places are special to members of their community - ;Naming and describing people who are familiar to them

Understanding the World: Communities

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

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. This guidance considers each aspect outlined in Development Matters for 3 and 4 year olds as well as reception aged children. It links each aspect with a number of texts which have a proven track record and provides guidance for focused activities. In addition, it makes suggestions about the development of continuous provision for each aspect. Understanding the World: Geography continued covers EYFS learning sequences for Nursery and Reception. It includes: - ;Recognising some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries - ;Recognising some environments that are different from the one in which they live

Understanding the World: Geography (continued)

Planning a Text-led Curriculum in EYFS - Understanding the World: Geography (continued)

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. This guidance considers each aspect outlined in Development Matters for 3 and 4 year olds as well as reception aged children. It links each aspect with a number of texts which have a proven track record and provides guidance for focused activities. In addition, it makes suggestions about the development of continuous provision for each aspect. Understanding the World: Science covers EYFS learning sequences for Nursery and Reception. It includes: - ;Using their senses in hands-on exploration of natural materials - ;Exploring collections of materials with similar and/or different properties - ;Exploring how things work - ;Planting seeds and caring for growing plants - ;Understanding the key features of the life cycle of a plant and an animal - ;Exploring and talking about different forces they can feel - ;Exploring the natural world around them - ;Describing what they see, hear and feel whilst outside - ;Understanding the effects of the changing seasons on the natural world around them

Understanding the World: Science

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

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: Being Imaginative and Expressive covers EYFS learning sequences for Nursery and Reception. It includes: - ;Remembering and singing entire songs - ;Matching the pitch sung by another person - ;Creating their own songs or improvising around a song they know - ;Playing instruments with increasing control to express their feelings and ideas - ;Listening attentively, moving to and talking about music - ;Watching and talking about dance and performance - ;Increasingly matching pitch and following melody - ;Developing story lines in their pretend play - ;Exploring and engaging in music making, performing solo or in groups - ;Exploring and engaging in dance, performing solo or in groups

Understanding the World: Being Imaginative and Expressive

Planning a Text-led Curriculum in EYFS - Understanding the World: Being Imaginative and Expressive

This document offers an example of a year-long overview of delivering learning units which focuses on â€˜Understanding the Worldâ€™ and combines it with â€˜Expressive Arts and Designâ€™. It is â€˜an exampleâ€™ of what is to be covered and not a guide as to how to deliver it. You will need to consider carefully childrenâ€™s starting points as well as the Key Stage 1 curriculum you are preparing them for.

Planning a Text-led Curriculum

Planning a Text-led Curriculum in EYFS - Planning a Text-led Curriculum

The aim of this publication is to provide ideas for early years staff in respect of delivering a stimulating and effective early years curriculum. It looks at two main areas from the seven areas of learning but inevitably draws on each of the other five. The two areas focused on are: 
&bull;Understanding the world, and 
&bull;Expressive arts and design 
The sequence of the learning is drawn from ‘Development Matters’. It looks at the provision for 3 and 4 year olds as well as reception. For the ‘Understanding the world’ section, there is a focus on the three main aspects of: 
&bull;History
 &bull;Geography and community, and
 &bull;Science 
Each aspect starts with the statement from ‘Development Matters’ . A four-point sequence has then been created from each before creating a learning journey which looks at both focused learning and continuous provision. For each aspect a number of texts have been suggested which should help to create a strong link with aspects such as literacy and communication and language. This publication is closely linked to another Focus Education publication, ‘Monitoring the Quality of Education in Early Years’. It is envisaged that the two publication would provide guidance and support for early years practitioners as well as school leaders.

Planning a Text-led Curriculum in EYFS

Reception

Planning a Text-led Curriculum in EYFS - Understanding the World: Creating with Materials

Awarded an OBE for Services to Education, Clive Davies has designed and built these schemes around progression and enquiry. Focus Education resources are of the highest educational quality.