EYFS Curriculum
Teaching and Learning in EYFS
The EYFS framework includes seven areas of learning and development, all of which are seen as important and interconnected but three areas are seen as particularly important for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, for building their capacity to learn and form relationships and thrive. They support children’s learning in all other areas and they are known as the prime areas.
PRIME AREAS
Prime areas are fundamental, work together, and move through to support development in all other areas.
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
SPECIFIC AREAS
The four pecific areas include essential skills and knowledge for children to participate successfully in society.
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING
The ways in which the child engages with other people and their environment – playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically – underpin learning and development across all areas and are known as the ‘Characteristics of Effective Learning’. The Characteristics of Effective Learning inform staff of children’s preferred learning styles. We often use these to plan effective next step learning opportunities matched to the children’s interests and abilities.
The three characteristics of effective learning are:
- Playing and exploring: Finding out and exploring, Playing with what they know, Being willing to ‘have a go’
- Active learning: Being involved and concentrating, keeping trying, enjoying achieving what they set out to do
- Creating and thinking critically: Having their own ideas, making links, choosing ways to do things.