Areas of Learning

• The characteristics of effective learning focus on how your child is learning rather than what they are learning.  They are divided into three areas:

  Playing and exploring

  Active learning

  Creating and thinking critically

   

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  The Early Years curriculum is organised into 7 areas of learning:
   
• Communication and Language - this area underpins all the other areas of learning. Reading frequently to children gives them the opportunity to thrive.  Communication and language involves helping children to develop their confidence and skills to express themselves effectively; to experience a language-rich environment where they interact and hold conversations; and to engage in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems to embed new words.
   
•  Personal, Social and Emotional Development - this involves helping children lead happy and healthy lives.  Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others.  Children are supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary. They will learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating and managing personal needs independently.
   
   
   
• Physical Development - Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. We support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination which is later linked to early literacy.
   
•  Literacy - It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books they read with them.  Skilled word reading, taught through phonics, involves both the speedy working out of printed words and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Writing involves spelling and handwriting and articulating ideas and structuring them in speech, before writing.
   
•  Maths - This involves developing a strong grounding in number which is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers.
• Understanding the World - Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. We aim to provide a range of personal experiences for the children such as school trips to museums and parks, and inviting members of the society in to school, such as police officers and firefighters.  Listening to a broad selection of stories and books helps children to understand our diverse world.
   
•  Expressive Arts and Design - The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials. The quality and variety of what children see, hear and participate in is crucial for developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts. 

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