1. The Early Years Curriculum

2. What is the Early Years? The Early Years are from 0-5years.
When children reach the age of three they might attend a nursery setting.
The children continue with the Early years curriculum until they enter year 1 in school.
This is where we lay the foundations for learning.

3. Learning through play
Children are born with a natural desire to explore and learn. We support this by creating an enabling environment (both physical and emotional) and through the relationships and interactions that the children experience.
Every child is different and has different interests. Staff will continually review and reflect on our provision and practice to ensure we provide the right level of stimulation and challenge whereby children can thrive and achieve their best.

4. Areas of learning… The Early Years Curriculum (Development Matters) is split into seven areas with each area providing a list of age related expectations…
Prime Areas
Personal, social and emotional development
Communication and Language
Physical Development
The specific areas
Literacy
Mathematical development
Understanding of the world
Creative Development

5. Characteristics of effective learning
Active learning
-Being involved and concentrating
-Keeping trying
-Enjoying achieving what they set out to do
Playing and Exploring
-Finding out and exploring
-Playing with what they know
-Being willing to ‘have a go’
Creating and Thinking Critically
-Having their own ideas
-Making links
-Choosing ways to do things

6. Personal, Social and Emotional Development (Making relationships, Self confidence and self awareness, Managing feelings and behaviour)
In this area children are learning and developing….
Independence and interaction with other children and adults.
Confidence, basic safety, security and a readiness to learn from new experiences.

9. Communication and Language (Listening and Attention, Understanding and Speaking)
In this area children are learning and developing…
Conversational skills.
Listening and concentration skills.
Understanding why and how questions.

12. Physical Development (Health and Self Care and Moving and Handling)
In this area children are learning and developing….
Awareness of how to be healthy.
Ability to use a range of large and small equipment.
A sense of space around themselves and others.
Balancing skills.
Practical skills such as dressing, undressing etc

16. Literacy (Reading and Writing)
In this area children are learning and developing….
The ability to hear rhyming words, sounds in words and link these sounds to letters.
Pencil control and controlled mark making on paper.
The ability to read individual letters, words and eventually, simple stories independently.

19. Mathematical Development (Number and Shape space and measure)
In this area children are learning and developing….
Counting skills up to ten and beyond.
Mathematical words such as bigger, smaller, heavy, light, more, less etc
Comparing and sorting skills.
Understanding of shape and size including 2D and 3D shapes.

22. Understanding of the World (World, People and the community and Technology)
In this area children are learning and developing….
Understanding of their world (Geography)
Awareness of changes over time (History)
Explorative and investigate skills (Science)
Designing and making skills (D&T)
Understanding of the use of information and communication technology (ICT).

25. Expressive Art and Design Exploring media and materials, Being imaginative)
In this area children are learning and developing….
Exploration of colour and colour changes.
Exploration of shape and texture using all of their senses.
An interest in music, singing and music-making.
Confidence and imagination.

29. A meaningful and enriched curriculum
Seasonal walks
Trips – Waitrose, Caversham Library
Living eggs
Visitors – people from the local community like a dentist or a parent to talk about a religious festival.
Yoga
Parents helpers
Cooking

30. What can you do to help your child’s transition and learning journey?
Talk about nursery in a positive way.
Ask questions like; ‘Did you do some painting today?’ ‘Who played with you?’
Spend time in the playground at New Bridge or arrange play dates to help your child make friends.
Try new games, activities so your child feels confident when experiencing things for the first time.
Play games and role play together modelling turn taking and positive behaviour and choices.