The plans outlined in this section take full account of the expectations, as set out in the 'Development Matters' document, and focus on the Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design sections.
They link directly to the other units in the Learning Challenge in as much as we identify the composite and components in the first instance and then provide ideas on how best to develop these with young children.
Each unit has some suggested continuous play activities and makes links with a range of texts that would support each aspect of work. There is also an assessment section which outlines the things to look out for.
However, it is important the plans do not try to reflect a specific way of working. These are merely suggestions that may be covered to support a child's development. They are not intended as half-termly units, although this could be one way of delivering the plans. The focus should be on letting the children lead the learning and see how this goes. However, the plans could be used to create a variety of prompts that would help children who may be unsure how to proceed.
What is important is that we are not recommending a specific method of organisation or learning, but instead are providing an approach to the coverage expected. It is therefore our hope that the plans save you some time and provide some direction.
The aim is to provide ideas for early years staff regarding the delivery of a stimulating and effective early years curriculum. As mentioned earlier, the sequence of learning is drawn from 'Development Matters'. It looks at the provision for 3 and 4-year-olds as well as Reception.
For the 'Understanding the World' section, there is a focus on the three main aspects:
- History
- Geography and community, and
- Science
Each aspect starts with the statement from 'Development Matters'. A four-point sequence has been created from each before adding a learning journey which looks at both focused learning and continuous provision.
For each aspect, texts have been suggested that should help to create a strong link with aspects such as communication and language, and literacy.
