EYFS Curriculum

EYFS Curriculum Map

In the Early Years Foundation Stage there are 7 areas of learning; 3 of which are deemed the Prime Areas and the 4 Specific Areas. Each area is split into their separate Early Learning Goals, which is what your child will be working towards, and assessed against, at the end of Reception. Within Reception we will also focus on developing the Characteristics of Effective Learning within your child. These characteristics focus on how children learn; therefore they run through and underpin all seven areas of learning and development. As enduring characteristics, pertaining to lifelong learning, they need to be continuously observed and fostered but cannot be described in a developmental sequence.

PRIME AREAS of LEARNING
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE (CL)
Listening and Attention	Children listen attentively in a range of situations. They listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately, while engaged in another activity.
Understanding	Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events.
Speaking	Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of the listeners’ needs. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT (PD)
Moving and Handling	Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.
Health and Self-Care	Children know the importance of physical exercise, and a healthy diet has on good health. They can talk about ways to keep healthy and safe. They manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs successfully, including dressing and going to the toilet independently.
PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT (PSED)
Self-confidence and Self-awareness	Children are confident to try new activities, and say why they like some activities more than others. They are confident to speak in a familiar group, will talk about their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities. They say when they do or don’t need help.
Managing Feelings and Behaviour	Children can talk about how they and others show their feelings. They can talk about their own and others’ behaviour, and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is unacceptable. They work as part of a group or class, and understand and follow the rules. They adjust their behaviour to different situations, and take changes of routine in their stride.
Making Relationships	Children play co-operatively, taking turns with others. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. They show sensitivity to other children’s needs and feelings, and form positive relationships with adults and other children.
SPECIFIC AREAS of LEARNING
LITERACY (L)
Reading	Children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.
Writing	Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. They also write some irregular common words. They write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.
MATHEMATICS (M)
Numbers	Children count reliably with numbers from one to 20, placing them in order and saying which number is one more or one less than a given number. They can use quantities and objects to add and subtract two single-digit numbers. Children can count on or back to find an answer. They solve problems, including doubling, halving and sharing.
Shape, Space and Measures	Children use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money to compare quantities and objects and to solve problems. They recognise, create and describe patterns. They explore characteristics of everyday objects and shapes and use mathematical language to describe them.
UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD (UW)
People and Communities	Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. They know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions.
The World	Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another. They make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes.
Technology	Children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools. They select and use technology for particular purposes.
EXPRESSIVE ARTS AND DESIGN (EAD)
Exploring and using media and materials	Children sing songs, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them. They safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
Being Imaginative	Children use what they have learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes. They represent their own ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role play and stories.
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING
Playing and Exploring – Engagement strong
Finding out and exploring	Showing curiosity about objects, events and people Using senses to explore the world around them Engaging in open-ended activity Showing particular interests
Playing with what they know	Pretending objects are things from their experience Representing their experiences in play Taking on a role in their play Acting out experiences with other people
Being willing to ‘have a go’	Initiating activities Seeking challenge Showing a ‘can do’ attitude Taking a risk, engaging in new experiences, and learning by trial and error
Active Learning - Motivation
Being involved and concentrating	Maintaining focus on their activity for a period of time Showing high levels of energy, fascination Not easily distracted Paying attention to details
Keeping on trying	Persisting with activity when challenges occur Showing a belief that more effort or a different approach will pay off Bouncing back after difficulties
Enjoying achieving what they set out to do	Showing satisfaction in meeting their own goals Being proud of how they accomplished something – not just the end result Enjoying meeting challenges for their own sake rather than external rewards or praise
Creating and Thinking Critically- Thinking
Having their own ideas	Thinking of ideas Finding ways to solve problems Finding new ways to do things
Making links	Making links and noticing patterns in their experience Making predictions Testing their ideas Developing ideas of grouping, sequences, cause and effect
Choosing ways to do things	Planning, making decisions about how to approach a task, solve a problem and reach a goal Checking how well their activities are going Changing strategy as needed Reviewing how well the approach worked