Planning a Text-led Curriculum in EYFS
•Understanding the world, and
•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:
•History
•Geography and community, and
•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.
- ;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 ‘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:
- ;History
- ;Geography and community, and
- ;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.
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 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 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 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 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
The development of children’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
The development of children’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
- ;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 ‘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:
- ;History
- ;Geography and community, and
- ;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.
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 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 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 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 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
The development of children’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
The development of children’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