top of page

Parent's guide to nursery curriculum - EYFS explained

Updated: Jul 19, 2022



Are you about to register your little one for a nursery space but aren’t sure what to expect?


Or maybe you’re already registered but are unsure about what we do in the nursery or how your little one is learning?


Over the next 5 weeks, we will be doing a deep dive into everything you need to know about the EYFS, development matters and more to help you better understand our nursery’s curriculum!


In this section, we will introduce you to the Early Years Foundation Stage, giving you a better idea of what learning areas we focus on and how your little one develops.


Let's dive straight in!


The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)


The EYFS outlines what our practitioners have to do to help children learn and develop whilst staying healthy and safe.


The EYFS includes seven areas of learning and development. We’ve split the seven areas into the following age bands in this guide to help:


· Birth to three

· 3-4

· 4-5 (reception year in school)


In each band (coming in future guides), we’ll suggest what your little one could be doing, and how you and the nursery practitioners can help them to develop further.


*It’s important to remember that children develop in different ways, at different rates.



The seven areas of learning and development in the EYFS


The three prime areas are important as they increase children’s curiosity as well as their eagerness to learn:


· Physical Development

· Communication and Language

· Personal, Social and Emotional Development


These three ‘key areas’ are reinforced through the following four specific areas:


· Mathematics

· Literacy

· Understanding the World

· Expressive Arts and Design


You can find out more about each of these and the EYFS by clicking here.



Understanding your child’s development


Children develop at different rates and in all different ways, their development is never neat and tidy.


This is why, the government’s guidance document, ‘Development Matters’ (which we follow here at The Butterfly Patch), sets out children’s learning in quite broad age ranges.


It’s there to really demonstrate how different experiences in the first three years of your child’s life will help them learn.


Development Matters includes ‘checkpoints’. These are there to help you and your key person have a conversation about your little one’s development, encouraging you to discuss any concerns you may have.


You will then work together to decide on the next steps.


But it’s important to remember that these ‘checkpoints’ are not a tick list that we use for every child.


Sometimes children may have early difficulties in development. But with the right help, they can quickly grow out of these difficulties.

For instance, 70% of little ones with delayed communication in early years don’t have problems later in school.


These ‘late talkers’ just need more opportunities to play, chat and read!


Some children will have long-term difficulties, so it’s vital to recognise their needs and make sure they get the support they need.


With the right support from the nursery and parent/s or carers, every child can progress their development.


We will continue the guide next week (out Thursday) with the impact of learning in early years and the importance of nursery partnerships with parents.


--


Thanks for reading! Don't forget to check out our nurseries by clicking here.


OR... why not visit us in person, click here to book a show-around now!




Comentarios


bottom of page