From September 2008 all childminders, pre-schools, nurseries and reception classes in schools will be required to follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), and will be inspected under this framework by OfSTED. The EYFS has been designed to provide support and guidance to all those working with children up to the age of 5 in how best to enable children to feel safe and supported and to extend their learning and development. There's a crisp and quite tough exterior to get through as you peel or prepare an onion for slicing. A little like my attitude towards the above and the new Early Years Foundation Stage pack when it arrived. As a committed but exhausted practitioner whose time was incredibly precious, the last thing I needed was a huge and heavy pack to read through when I'd rather be channelling that time and energy into preparing exciting resources and activities to stimulate the children in my setting. I am sure there will be a few sympathetic practitioners reading this now who are perhaps feeling rather frosty towards it. It may well make your eyes water at first - however, I personally promise you that if you stick with it, your attitude will soften. You will see that each layer is filled with flavours which delight on their way to a core where children are exactly where they should be - at the very centre. The statutory framework, practice guidance, principles into practice cards, wall poster and CD-ROM can daunt you at first but if you look at them as a protective and supportive package helping to secure a child's right to experience the very highest standards of care and education, you cannot help but feel relieved that the EYFS has arrived. Not least because it is filled with research, video clips, planning materials, resources and plenty of ideas for overcoming challenges and dilemmas in a variety of settings. It recognises that one size does not fit all and oozes flexibility in a very practical and accessible way. For example, in Physical Development, to help children achieve 'combine and repeat a range of movements' the look listen and note, effective practice and planning and resource sections give not one but several highly user friendly practical tips; 'How children respond to different types of music.'; 'Encourage body tension activities such as stretching, reaching, curling, twisting and turning.'; 'Provide CD and tape players, scarves, streamers and musical instruments so that children can respond spontaneously to music.' Far from being a burden, I feel it could well become an effective practitioner's Bible. Throughout the EYFS, stress is placed upon understanding that each child and their family are unique, with different needs and concerns. Effective practitioners should be asking themselves 'What sort of child is this and how am I going to support their development and learning?' The EYFS has rightly set the relationship between practitioner and child at its core because we have a very special, influential and vitally important role as we support, facilitate, model, reflect, evaluate and engage with children along their learning journey. Children's learning and development is presented in 6 areas (personal social & emotional development; communication, language and literacy; problem solving, reasoning and numeracy; knowledge and understanding of the world; creative development; physical development) which bring together the skills, knowledge and experiences appropriate for babies and children as they grow, learn and develop. Children's development is presented under six overlapping phases (birth - 11 months, 8 - 20 months, 16 - 26 months, 22 - 36 months, 30 - 50 months and 40 - 60 months). This overlap is intended to emphasise the fact that there can be big differences between the development of children in different areas of learning, and between children of similar ages. I particularly like this fact as it reinforces the important principle that children learn and develop in different ways and at varying rates but also that all areas of learning and development are equally important and inextricably interconnected. Lev Vygotsky developed a theory known as the 'Zone of Proximal Development' which he defined as: '...the distance between the most difficult task a child can do alone and the most difficult task a child can do with help.' Vygotsky felt that a child could be supported to attain higher levels than may have been anticipated by being 'scaffolded' by those around them, children and adults who may already have that skill. However, for this to happen it is crucial that adults foster positive relationships, observe children and really get to know them as individuals. Observation, assessment and planning are key commitments in the EYFS stressing under the theme 'Enabling Environments' that effective practice acknowledges the interconnectedness of all three. A point of celebration must be the fact that spontaneous events '-such as a fall of snow' are formally acknowledged in the EYFS as being effective vehicles through which children can learn in a highly motivated, powerful and memorable way. Planning to observe as part of the daily routine, analysing the plans for 'next steps', developing records of learning development and ensuring parents have regular opportunities to contribute to these records all ensure knowledge of the child is shared in an holistic way, thus helping facilitators to fine tune challenges and learning experiences in Vygotsky's 'Zone of Proximal Development.' The 'Look, listen and note' sections in the guidance are particularly user friendly in helping practitioners collect and tune into what constitutes a relevant and meaningful observation. For instance, a practitioner may well ask 'How do I know if a baby has "become aware of themselves as separate from others"?' The practitioner would 'Look, Listen and Note' for "Babies' playing with their own feet, fingers and toys placed near them." There are also helpful hints in the effective practice section "Playfully help babies to recognise that they are separate and different from others, for example, pointing to own and babies nose, eyes and fingers." And as if this wasn't enough, in 'Planning and resourcing' it advises "Place mirrors where babies can see their own reflection. Talk to them about what they see." These are not exhaustive but serve as a good guide and starting point that practitioners can refer to in order to make sure they are 'tuning in' and thinking along the right lines in terms of providing the right kinds of provision to best help children achieve. In many cases the guidance will reassure practitioners and settings that they are doing the right kinds of things but the opportunity to reflect on and evaluate practice in light of the guidance can only produce great things for our children. There are fears that the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework will formalize learning for pre-school children but these are unfounded according to Professor John Oates, one of the authors of the framework. He believes that the framework is primarily about learning through play, being creative, having fun experiencing warm and supportive relationships with family, friends and adults. He says, "It's about understanding the milestones that children achieve in development and how best to give them the sorts of environments and experiences in which they can thrive." The guidance states that "Play underpins the delivery of all the EYFS" and there are constant reminders throughout the guidance for practitioners to facilitate child initiated learning through play. As the keystone to being an effective practitioner is tuning into children's interests and thoughts so that we can tap into what they know and love to stimulate and inspire, play is also at the heart of the EYFS's delivery and can be so motivational for everyone involved. Just as an onion adds essential flavour to hundreds of recipes, so too can the EYFS. By using it, delving deep into the many layers and learning from all of the supporting materials we can enrich young childrens' lives by being reflective and well equipped facilitators enjoying the learning journey with them! There is no doubt that you could choose to interpret the guidance like the Australian educational psychologist Mr. Biddulph "Forcing learning destroys that learning. It makes children go backwards. The harm may well be lifelong". Alternatively, you could use and apply it in the spirit in which it was intended by the multitude of highly qualified and experienced professionals who contributed and were the authors of it. There is nothing in the Early Years Foundation Stage to suggest practitioners should 'force learning', but you will find plenty of evidence to suggest child-initiated learning where practitioners are encouraged to take their lead from the children in their care and to plan next steps and experiential learning through play, based on these child-led observations. It is perfectly acceptable for example for a child to enjoy chilling out in front of the television with their childminder parent or guardian after a busy day. In doing so, a child's physical well-being is being taken care of (unique child 1.4) in that they are allowed to rest and relax as they watch television, maybe they have chosen their own programme and in doing so the adult has respected their choice (positive relationships 2.1) thus meeting the needs of their emotional well-being (unique child 1.4). If they are sharing the experience with their 'key person', perhaps snuggled up on the couch, warm and trusting relationships are being built and the child is reassured that they are loved, safe and cared for (positive relationships 2.3 and 2.4). Maybe they are enjoying a healthy snack (unique child 1.4) as they watch one of the fun-filled educational programmes such as 'Something Special' and 'Number jacks' (learning and development 4.4) on Ceebeebies. Education and care will only ever be as good as those delivering it. There is a huge responsibility on us to interpret the guidance in the spirit it is meant. The Rose 'root and branch' review of primary education is imminent and it is an exciting time to be involved in early years education. 2008 is the year in which the Rose Review's endorsement of high quality phonics will increasingly impact on schools and settings. In turn primary schools should also be experiencing the benefit of young children already joining them, well supported in language skills through the emphasis on Phase 1 activities in pre-school settings and a growing acknowledgement of the importance of communication. Just such dovetailing makes the EYFS a crucial document, not merely for the early years sector, but also for key stage 1 teachers wishing to be sensitive to the learning and development that children have already experienced by the time they arrive in year 1, and all those needing guidance on how best to plan the next steps for the children in their care. Although some are worried about the high standards expected in the 'Communication Language and Literacy reading and writing early learning goals, I am personally reassured because the 'ages and phases' layout emphasises learning at a child's own pace so a child can achieve a 'development matters' point in the age range of 8-20 months in one area of the curriculum whilst performing at 40-60 months in another area. Children will achieve in their own time, when they are developmentally ready, so practitioners should not put pressure on them to achieve goals which they are not ready for through developmentally inappropriate activities. I think part of the problem is that the language used for the goals sounds so complex - but when it is broken down in the highly accessible and user friendly columns of 'look, listen and note' 'effective practice' and 'planning and resourcing', suddenly they do not seem so unachievable and are easier to identify in our own everyday practice as we think of the children we care for and teach. For example, in communication, language and literacy under the strand of reading, an early learning goal is 'Explore and experiment with sounds, words and texts.' It is not expected for a child to achieve this until they are 40-60+ months but you can't help but feel reassured when each of the next three columns breaks this goal down so that you can see and feel what achieving this should and could look like e.g. In the 'look, listen and note section' it says 'Children's understanding of stories, for example, "Mehmet refers to the 'beginning' and the 'end' of a story. He says, "I don't like that ending I should've run away and been happy ever after"'. In the 'Effective practice' section it advises 'Explain to parents the importance of reading to children, ask about favourite books, and offer book loans.' Finally in the 'Planning and resourcing' section there is practical support 'Provide story boards and props which encourage children to talk about the sequence of events and characters in a story.' Thus what seems a high unachievable ideal, is actually very achievable at the developmentally appropriate time for the child if facilitated well by a sensitive and capable practitioner. It is our responsibility to do and provide the very best for our children in their earliest, most impressionable important and formative years. We should be looking to tap into what they know, love and are interested in to so that we can respect and stimulate their learning journey in the best possible ways.
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