One of the questions parents often ask is about the curriculum for early years and reception class. The first thing to say is that children at nursery and in reception are following the same curriculum - the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The government recognises that play-based learning is key for this stage of children’s development, and their website even states: “Your child will mostly be taught through games and play”.
The Early Years Foundation Stage
The EYFS has seven areas of learning. They are split into two groups - the prime areas and the specific areas. The prime areas are those that children need for a firm foundation: Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Communication and Language; and Physical Development. The specific areas are Literacy; Mathematics; Understanding the World; and Expressive Arts and Design.
The EYFS contains a set of ‘goals’ which children are supported to meet by the end of their reception year in school. It is important to say that children aren’t expected to be able to read, write or do formal maths activities by the time they start school!
key skills for starting school
Teachers are there to support children’s learning. If your child isn’t confident with letters and numbers, their teacher will help them learn everything they need to know. If you want to help their child be ready for school, there are some key things to focus on:
Independence and self-care
Social skills
Love of, and attitudes to learning
Emotional resilience
If a child starts school and is able to navigate their day independently and confidently, this will help to reduce anxiety, build self-esteem and enable them to focus on learning. If you are thinking of activities to do at home to support your child when they start school, have a look at these ideas…
Independence and Self-Care
Show your child how to use the toilet - can they wipe by themselves? Do they know how to flush the toilet and wash their hands? Can they pull trousers or tights up and down independently?
Gently remind your child how to eat at the table with cutlery and how to carry a plate or glass around. Helping them to feel like this is a ‘grown up’ thing to learn makes it a fun challenge!
A fun activity is to show your child how to put their coat on the floor, with the lining facing upwards and the hood (or where the hood would be) facing towards them. They can put their arms into the arm holes and flip it over their head, learning how to easily put their coat on independently.
Try setting up a table with a box of tissues and a mirror. You can show your child how to look in the mirror, wipe their nose for themselves, and put the tissue in the bin. Practice makes perfect, so if things are a bit messy to start with, just explain you will help them finish off while they are still learning.
Social skills
One of the challenges in lockdown for families with more than one child is sibling relationships - but this is actually a great opportunity to focus on supporting social skills. When children struggle with their relationships this is the perfect time to teach mediation skills and help them learn how to communicate effectively.
It’s possible for the whole family of adults and children to use little group activities to discuss and practice social skills. Try sitting down and practising ‘manners’ in a fun way - you can practice asking for something politely, asking someone to join a game, saying no assertively, saying thank you...the list is endless!
Love of Learning: Characteristics of Effective Learning
We want to support children to become confident, independent learners who can persevere, problem-solve, concentrate and be creative in their thinking.
Here are some top tips for supporting children in developing a love of learning and positive attitudes to learning:
1. Make sure learning is integrated into activities children already enjoy. Following a child’s interests is key, and so is having fun. The aim is for children to want to have a go and believe that learning is enjoyable, so they want to keep learning in the future.
2. Capitalise on ‘fascinated attention’. This is when children become fascinated by something that catches their attention. Ironically we often interrupt them for something ‘more important’, and then try to get them to ‘concentrate’! Making the most of children’s fascinations is the best way to build concentration.
3. Children often give up when they are afraid of failure. To help children persevere, encourage them to see mistakes as a positive thing that will help them learn. Give them plenty of time to achieve a task or solve a problem with minimal ‘help’ from an adult. When they do get stuck, instead of giving them the answer, sit down and brainstorm a solution with them. This teaches communication and problem-solving skills!
book ideas
Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg shows how every mistake is an opportunity!
What do you do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada looks at how important ideas are.
The Lost Words by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris is a stunning book containing pictures and poems relating to words describing the natural world that have been removed from the children’s dictionary.
EEBoo What Do I Do? Conversation Flash Cards are a fun way to discuss ‘manners’.
Stay tuned…
In Part 3 we will look at how to support children’s emotional resilience. Please look out for activities, stories and songs from our kindergarten managers on our facebook page!