EARLY YEARS FOUNDATION STAGE (E.Y.F.S)

The early years foundation stage set standards for learning and development and care of your child from birth to 5 years.

The areas of learning are:

Communication and language

It's important for children to develop their language skills in their early years because it underpins all areas of learning. Children who have good communication and language skills are better able to build relationships, communicate their feelings, read and sing. 

Each prime area is divided into early learning goals for communication and language. These are: listening, attention and understanding.

At Teddies, we offer a rich environment to help develop a child's communication and language. We create a positive environment for conversation and ensure we model good communication skills. Each member of staff gets to know the children well and will make time to sit and talk together.

We follow the E.C.A.T (Every child is a talker). This is a programme that helps your child develop their language and communication skills. There is also a little links programme. This is a programme for 3 to 5year-olds to help boost children's language development.

 

Personal, social and emotional development.

Personal, social and emotional development (P.S.E.D) helps children to learn to get on with others and make friends, understand and talk about feelings, learn about right and wrong, develop independence and ultimately feel good about themselves. P.S.ED is a key area of learning in children's development for children in their early years as it's a building block for a child's well-being and is linked to good mental health and future success.

PSED is broken down into 3 areas of learning, which are self-confidence and self awareness, managing feelings and behaviour and making relationships.

At Teddies, we encourage children to make their own choices, and we encourage children to feel good about themselves and the choices that they make, as this will increase confidence. We promote independence at Teddies as much as possible by encouraging independence skills around the setting, from cutting their own snacks, washing their own utensils, preparing themselves for home time. Children have lots of opportunities to play games and this encourages friendships, sharing and turn taking.

 

Physical development

Physical development is vital in a child's all round development as it enables them to pursue a happy and healthy, active life. The E.Y.F.S states that we should provide opportunities for young people to be active and develop their coordination, coordination control and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy food choices.

Physical development is broken down into 3 areas. Fine motor skills, gross motor skills and self-care.

Here at Teddies we give children lots of opportunities for children to move around the setting freely both inside and out. We are very lucky to be able to use Ospringe school field, where children have extra space to move around with not too many obstacles. We create an environment to encourage fine motor skills, whether it is mark making, scissors skills or threading.

 

Literacy

Literacy in the early years improves young children's knowledge and understanding related to reading or writing. It helps children to develop a rich vocabulary, self-expression, reading and comprehension.

Literacy is broken down into two areas. Reading and writing

At Teddies, we have a vast selection of books where we encourage the children to look at and enjoy books, whether independently, one on one or as a group. We have an inviting, comfortable reading area where the children can sit in comfort and look at books. Children get lots of opportunities to look at pictures around different topics and 

 

Mathematics

Mathematics is a vital part of a child's development as it can provide vital life skills. Maths in the early years can help children to problem-solve, measure and develop their own spatial awareness along with how to use and understand shapes.

There are lots of opportunities here at Teddies for children to develop their maths skills. We have a vast amount of resources to support maths in the setting. We have a variety of mathematical books, puzzle sorting games and mathematical pattern resources. Children have lots of opportunities to participate in counting and number games.

 

Understanding the world 

Understanding the world is an important area of learning and development for children in their early years because it helps them make sense of their physical world and community.

Children start to have a sense of things like where they live and what is significant in their lives. They learn about their surrounding community. They learn about differences, similarities, cultures and people.

Understanding the world builds vocabulary, it helps them to learn new words, observe, experiment and solve problems.

Understanding the world covers four areas: people, cultures and communities, the natural world and technology. Teddies children have lots of opportunities to discover and learn about the world they live in. We have outside visitors come in to help develop their learning. We celebrate different festivals and cultural celebrations; Chinese New year, Eid, birthdays and days that are significant to our Teddies children.

We have lots of opportunities for children to explore technology in the setting. We have lots of mechanical toys for the children. 

Expressive arts and designs

Expressive arts and design is a key area of learning as it helps children to develop their creativity, imagination and ability to communicate and express themselves.

Children who can explore a variety of materials and medicare can develop their artistic and cultural awareness.  Expressive arts and design provides children with a vital avenue to express their thoughts and their feelings. Expressive arts and design can also be used to support. 'cultural capital' 

Expressive arts and designs is broken down into two areas, which are creating with materials and being imaginative and expressive.

Here at Teddies we give children plenty of opportunities to express themselves through music and dance. Every day, the children participate in wake up and shake up and this helps the children get ready for their day ahead. Childre often participate in singing and dancing and are provided with lots of opportunities to experiment with colour mixing and different textures, creating models, for example, junk modelling, small world toys, building and construction and roleplay.  We provide lots of opportunities for children to be involved in roleplay. Our role-play area could become a shop, a Chinese restaurant, a space station, a builders' yard or even a vet. We support the cultural capital by providing educational visits. The children enjoyed a mini-beast visit and had great fun when a fire engine came to visit.

All these areas are critical for the development of young people and their learning.

Your child will be learning through play-based activities. They will also be learning about routines and developing early maths and literacy skills, learning about the world around them and social skills.

At Teddies, we teach independence. Independence in children is about trying new things, taking on responsibility, making decisions by themselves and working out what they want to be.

Achieving independence is an essential part of growing up.

 At Teddies, we follow a termly curriculum but key workers will plan for the individual needs of their own children.