EYFS
7 EYFS Areas of Learning and Development
1. Communication and language: The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development. Children’s back-and-forth interactions from an early age form the foundations for language and cognitive development.
2. Physical development: Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness through tummy time, crawling and play movement with both objects and adults. By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults can support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility.
3. Personal, social, and emotional development: Children’s personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives; and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world.
4. 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 (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth.
5. Mathematics: 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.
6. Understanding the world: The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them – from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of
society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters.
7. Expressive arts and design: It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, dance,
role play, music and technology as these topics enable them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials.