Building Together

In The

Foundation Stage

CASS

Early Years Team

Building Together in the Foundation Building Together in the Foundation Stage Stage

Information for Parents/CarersInformation for Parents/Carers

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Aims for the SessionAims for the Session• To provide information on the

Foundation Stage Curriculum• To enrich understanding of how

children learn through play• To advise parents/carers of ways

to support children’s learning through play at home

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Why do children spend so much time playing in their

early years at school?

What kind of memories of playdo you have of your own childhood?

Do you still ‘play’ now?

The Foundations of The Foundations of LearningLearning

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Foundation Stage Curriculum Foundation Stage Curriculum Key FeaturesKey Features

Developmentally-appropriate provisionChild-centred approach – focus on

children’s social and emotional development

Experiential/play-based learningEmphasis on oral activitiesCreativity celebratedPhysical activities ~ structured

& regular

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Assessment in the Foundation Assessment in the Foundation StageStage

Emphasis on ‘Assessment for Learning’~ ‘Plan – Do – Review~ ObservationUse of pupil profile Reporting to parents

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Thinking Skills & Personal Thinking Skills & Personal CapabilitiesCapabilities

Managing InformationThinking, problem-solving and decision-makingBeing creativeWorking with others; co-operating and collaboratingSelf-management; taking responsibility for own learning

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Cross-Curricular SkillsCross-Curricular Skills

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Using ICT

CommunicationNumerac

y

Foundation Stage Foundation Stage CurriculumCurriculum

• Language and Literacy• Mathematics and Numeracy• The Arts• Personal Development & Mutual

Understanding• Physical Development & Movement• The World Around Us• RE

It is only when the curriculum evolves from the needs of the children that it can be viewed as

effective in promoting learning. Nursery Guidelines, NICC 1989

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Language and LiteracyLanguage and LiteracyListening & TalkingListening & Talking

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NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Language and LiteracyLanguage and LiteracyReadingReading

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NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Language and LiteracyLanguage and LiteracyWritingWriting

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Mathematics and Mathematics and NumeracyNumeracy

Shape & Space

Measures

Sorting

Patterns &Relationships

Number

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

The Arts The Arts

Drama

Art & Design

Music

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

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Personal Development and Personal Development and Mutual UnderstandingMutual Understanding

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Physical Development and Physical Development and MovementMovement

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NEELB Early Years Team 2007

The World Around UsThe World Around Us

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NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Play – a child’s work!Play – a child’s work!“The best way to prepare children for their adult life is to give them the things they need as children.” Tina Bruce, 1987

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

Play WorkshopPlay WorkshopWhat do children

learn through play?

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

How can I help my child learn through How can I help my child learn through play?play?

• Have fun – be an ‘eejit’!• Encourage all kinds of play.• Talk to your child.• Read and ‘rhyme’ with your child every day.• Remember daily routines are loaded with learning

potential.• Reinforce turn-taking /sharing, etc.• Place emphasis on process NOT end product.

TAKE TIME OUT – enjoy spending time with your child

NEELB Early Years Team 2007

“Since we cannot know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to teach it in advance. Instead we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and who learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learned.” John Holt, 1965