Module 3 – Understanding the EYFS Framework
Understanding the EYFS Framework
Summary/What you will learn
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The rationale behind the EYFS framework
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Prime and specific areas of learning, as well as early learning goals
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How to complete assessments and progress checks of the children in your care
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Health and safety requirements
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The three main methods of instruction and teaching tips
3.1 Module Introduction
We gave a brief introduction to the EYFS and its framework in the first module, but this one goes into more depth about the theory behind it, as well as a few of the most important aspects.
Children develop rapidly between the ages of birth and five, mentally, emotionally and physically. Providing a safe, nurturing and encouraging learning atmosphere gives children the best possible foundation for the rest of their lives.
The overarching point of the EYFS is to ensure that all children in England have access to enriched learning environments at a young age, to enable them to fulfil their potential later on in life.
This module goes into detail about the EYFS framework, including the rationale behind its development. We discuss the prime and specific areas of learning, along with the main early learning goals. In addition, we talk about the completion of assessments, health and safety requirements and the three main methods of instruction. Finally, we give you a few tips to keep in mind if you encounter a difficult teaching situation.
The EYFS Framework can be found here: www.gov.uk
3.2 About the EYFS Framework
Before 2008, there were three different frameworks applicable to early years providers: Birth to Three Matters, Foundation Stage and National Standards for Under 8’s Day Care and Childminding. As a result of the multiple frameworks in use, there was no single standard for early years education in England.
Those three frameworks were brought together under the EYFS umbrella, ensuring that children in England receive a standardised level of care, regardless of which facility they attend.
Understanding more about the framework helps early years educators to develop more suitable and effective materials, lesson plans and activities. It also helps you to identify children who are at risk of developmental delays, leading to early intervention and treatment where appropriate.
Who Does the EYFS Cover?
As discussed in prior modules, the EYFS applies to all early years providers in England working with children from birth to age five. This includes those employed in public schools and private schools, as well as all providers on the Early Years Register. Schools, educators and early years providers in Scotland and Wales are covered by a separate document.
What Are the Main Goals Behind the EYFS?
Noticing flaws in the way the early years education system was set up, the developers of the EYFS had four main goals in mind when creating the current framework.
First, they wanted to make sure that they found a framework which established quality and consistency in all early years environments. They wanted to make sure there was a way in which to help each child progress well, whilst also giving early years providers the tools to identify children who are at risk.
The second goal was to establish a secure learning and development foundation, giving multiple opportunities for growth. This foundation must be catered to the needs, interests, strengths and weaknesses of each individual child in your care. Providers do this by completing assessments and reviews and by meeting with the child’s parents as often as necessary.
This ties into the third goal, which is to ensure that there is a partnership between the early years provider and the child’s parents.
Finally, the EYFS established equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory guidelines, making sure that every child is supported.
Whether or not the EYFS meets these goals is often up to the early years provider in question. Those who know the framework well excel at their jobs and those who work in supportive environments are almost always able to deliver the EYFS in a way that meets those standards.
3.3 The Guiding Principles of the EYFS
A greater understanding of these principles shapes how you approach early years education, making you a more effective EYFS teacher. Make sure you keep them in mind as you develop lesson plans, games, activities and even assessments for the children in your care.
Unique Child
This principle states that every child is unique, coming from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and learning profiles. Despite their differences, each one has the capacity for constant learning, resilience and confidence.
Positive Relationships
Children develop better coping mechanisms and learning strategies through positive relationships. Qualities such as strength and independence depend on the nature of the relationships in a child’s life.
Enabling Environments
An “enabling environment” is one that supports a child’s ability to learn and develop. These are learning atmospheres that respond to a child’s unique needs, involving a partnership between the early years providers and the child’s parents or carers.
Children Develop in Different Ways and at Different Rates.
Early years settings must support the education and care of all children, including those with disabilities and special educational needs. They must also develop tools for identifying and assessing children who are at risk for learning or developmental delays, to ensure early intervention and treatment.
3.4 Areas of Learning and Early Learning Goals
The first section of the EYFS focuses on learning and developmental requirements, including the areas of learning. Fulfilling these requirements ensures that the children in your care are prepared to begin primary school, as well as giving them the building blocks for all future learning opportunities.
Children receive instruction in each of these areas of learning through play.
Research shows that play-based learning is the best way in which to help children from birth to age five meet developmental milestones.
The role of an EYFS teacher is to help children achieve in each of the seven areas of learning using lesson plans that rely on different types of play, including child-led activities, adult-led activities, group games and individual play.
Early years providers who work with the younger side of the spectrum should concentrate on the three prime areas of learning (communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development). These areas give children the foundations they need to acquire skills in the other four specific areas of learning. As children age, the focus of their learning shifts to include a balance between both the prime areas of learning and the more specific ones.
3.5 Communication and Language
This area of learning also covers social skills, including how to regulate voice volume and how to become a good listener. There are three main goals under this prime area of learning that EYFS teachers must help the children in their care reach.
Listening and Attention
Children in your care must develop the ability to listen closely and carefully in a variety of circumstances. They need to be able to pay attention when required, responding with questions or relevant thoughts. In addition, children must have the ability to listen to stories, accurately identifying key plot events.
Understanding
The children in your care must be able to comprehend and follow multi-step directions. They also need to know how to respond to “how” and “why” questions about lived experiences or familiar stories.
Speaking
Children need to express themselves clearly and effectively, using past, present and future forms and respond to the cues of their listener. For example, if a listener demonstrates or indicates confusion, the child must be able to alter their retelling so their audience can understand.
3.6 Physical Development
Physical activity helps children to improve coordination, control, balance and movement. EYFS teachers must stress the importance of ongoing physical activity, not only when the child is in school, encouraging healthy life and food choices. Physical development involves two primary learning goals.
Moving and Handling
Children should show age-appropriate levels of physical control and coordination, with strong fine and gross motor skills. They need to demonstrate an awareness of space, as well as confidence in movement.
Health and Self-Care
To achieve this goal, children must know how important it is to exercise, maintain a healthy diet and how to navigate the world around them in the safest way possible. They can use the toilet, dress independently and manage basic hygiene tasks, such as washing their hands.
3.7 Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Their ability to form relationships and respect for other people depends on this area of early learning. EYFS teachers need to do everything they can to instil social skills, confidence and an understanding of appropriate behaviour in all children under their care. They must also help children learn how to effectively manage their emotions, giving them positive coping mechanisms to reduce negative behaviours. EYFS teachers must help children in their care achieve the following personal, social and emotional development goals.
Self-Confidence and Self-Awareness
Children must demonstrate confidence when trying new activities and when asserting their own opinions with adults and other children. They must feel comfortable speaking and sharing their ideas in a familiar group.
Managing feelings and behaviour
EYFS teachers need to give children opportunities to talk about feelings – both their own and those of others. They need to know that there are consequences for unacceptable behaviour and actions and must be able to identify examples of that type of behaviour. Adapting behaviour to different social situations is another key part of this last prime area of learning.
Making relationships
Children must develop good social skills, learning how to play and cooperate with others. To achieve this goal, children must show empathy, taking the feelings of others into consideration and showing sensitivity when others are hurt or sad.
3.8 Literacy
Literacy is tied to strong language development, the ability to express yourself in healthy ways later on in life and the development of empathy. EYFS teachers must provide a wide range of reading materials to all children in their care. There are two main literacy goals EYFS teachers must help the children in their care reach.
Reading
Being able to read and understand simple sentences is a requirement for Year 1. EYFS teachers can help their children to reach this goal by providing phonics-based lessons and games and reading aloud often. Children must be able to read simple, regular words, speaking them aloud as well as reading quietly to themselves. The children in your care need to have the skills required to talk with others about what they have read, answering basic comprehension questions accurately.
Writing
Children must be able to write words that match verbal sounds, using phonetic knowledge. They need to be able to write simple sentences, which are legible to themselves and others. Accurate spelling is not required 100% of the time, though the words must always be phonetically plausible.
3.9 Mathematics
Children need to develop skills such as counting, simple addition and subtraction and how to identify patterns and shapes. The maths goals children must meet before progressing to Year 1 include the following:
Numbers
Children must demonstrate the ability to count to 20, put the numbers in order and identify which number is one more or one less than any given digit. Knowledge of simple addition, subtraction, doubling, halving and sharing is required.
Shape, Space and Measures
Using everyday language, children must be able to talk about size, capacity, position, distance, weight, money and time to talk about problems. It is important that they can identify and create patterns, as well as using mathematical language to describe them.
3.10 Understanding the World
Learning about people, locations, technology and simple facts about the environment helps children to develop a better understanding of the world. There are three main goals this specific area of learning focuses on:
People and Communities
EYFS teachers must give children the skills to talk about past and present events, both in their own lives and those of family members. They know how to relate to other people, respecting the fact that they may have different tastes and preferences. Children should also demonstrate an understanding of community and cultural events, as well as local and familial traditions.
The World
Children must demonstrate an understanding of their own environment, as well as how it may differ from others across the globe. They observe and discuss changes in nature, making efforts to explain how and why certain events happen.
Technology
At this age, children should recognise that there is a range of technology in use almost everywhere they go, including their home and school. They should understand which technology is used for which purpose. In addition, they understand to stay away from technology that could be harmful.
3.11 Expressive Arts and Design
This helps them find ways to express themselves through art, music, movement, dance, role-play, design and/or technology. Not only does this give children healthy methods of expression, but it also gives them a chance to further develop fine motor skills. There are two main goals children are expected to achieve in this final specific area of learning:
Exploring and using media and materials
Children should show a range of expressive actions and abilities, including singing, making music, dancing and experimenting with various forms of movement. EYFS teachers need to demonstrate safe and fun uses for a variety of materials, exploring colour, design, texture and form.
Being Imaginative
Children must be able to use the knowledge acquired in new and interesting ways. They can clearly express their thoughts and feelings through a variety of mediums.
Activity 1 – Thinking About Learning
Estimated time: 10 to 15 minutes
Select one of the seven areas of learning set out above and review its description, as well as the associated learning goals.
Focusing on lessons that are strongly based on play, come up with a short activity you could try that would help the children in your care reach those learning goals. Be thorough and include details such as the length of time of the activity, appropriate age ranges, materials needed and whether it is best inside or outside.
3.12 Assessment, Progression and Expected Outcomes
They guide the teaching process, helping parents, carers and teachers to understand and adapt to a particular child’s learning profile.
The EYFS framework requires teachers to complete two mandatory assessments – one at age two and the other at age five when the child leaves the programme.
However, you can complete assessments at any time. They are useful tools to help identify areas of excellence or weakness, giving you the tools you need to provide the child with additional support.
When you complete an assessment, make sure you do so whilst spending as much time with the child as possible. If you find that you need to take long breaks from interaction and excessive paperwork, you may want to revisit your assessment technique. Your report does not need to be lengthy, nor do you need to include any superfluous information. Most EYFS teachers make brief comments about their concerns, backing them up with observed behaviour and providing a few suggestions for moving forward.
Formative or Ongoing Assessment
Formative assessment, sometimes referred to as ongoing assessment, plays an important role in identifying potential learning or developmental delays. EYFS teachers conduct these assessments primarily through observation, learning more about the child’s interests, strengths and weaknesses. They then use this information to amend their lesson plan, helping to give the child additional support where it is most needed.
These assessments do not need to be formal, nor do you need to complete an elaborate report. However, you should discuss concerns with parents immediately, to expedite any required referrals.
Age Two Progress Check
Under the EYFS, early years providers must complete a progress check for all children in their care between the ages of two and three.
During this, EYFS teachers review the progress made in each prime area of learning, noting strengths or areas of concern. This report must be in writing, with a copy delivered to the parents or carers upon completion.
Beyond commentary on the three prime areas of learning, the report must also discuss any activities, games, or efforts tried to address this area of concern, as well as its level of success. You also need to include a specific action plan, clearly identifying who is responsible for completing each step.
The Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP)
At the end of a child’s time in the EYFS, teachers must prepare an EYFSP.
The EYFSP profile must be completed before 30 June in the term the child reaches age five.
It gives parents, carers and future teachers information about the child’s abilities, developmental milestones and whether or not they are ready to enter Year 1. When you complete the EYFSP, you need to review all prior notes, assessments and progress checks conducted for that particular child.
The EYFSP discusses a child’s progress in each area of learning, with the author of the report indicating whether the children are exceeding, meeting, or failing to meet expected levels. This report should also include commentary on the child’s strengths and weaknesses in each area of learning, as well as a discussion of the way in which they learn best.
3.13 Health and Safety Requirements
Familiarity with these sections of the EYFS framework goes a long way to providing a healthy learning environment for all children in your care. Whilst we discuss the promotion of early childhood welfare in a later module, it is a good idea to go over the health and safety requirements when reviewing the rest of the EYFS.
Health
Early years providers are responsible for promoting the good health of children in their care.
All EYFS organisations are required to have detailed policies regarding the distribution of medicine, dealing with food-related allergies and what to do in the event of an accident, sudden illness, or injury.
Each facility must be equipped with enough room to prepare nutritious meals, with fresh drinking water readily available at all times.
EYFS teachers must also ensure that their workplaces have an adequate number of health and safety representatives, including someone trained in paediatric first aid. Early years providers must also ensure that corporal punishment is never given as a consequence of poor behaviour, taking steps to report any concerns immediately.
Safety
All early years facilities must be suitable for children, complying with local fire safety and hygiene legislation. Make sure you have adequate space in your facility to meet your needs, as well as regular access to an outdoor area. The framework requires all providers to check on sleeping children frequently, with separate napping areas in larger facilities.
Your workplace should also have a private room away from the children where staff can discuss concerns with parents in private, or to take breaks throughout the working day. This can be the same room in smaller organisations, though most divide them into two rooms – a meeting room and a staff room.
Fact
Ofsted has the legal right to carry out an inspection of any early years facility without notice.
Source: Ofsted
3.14 Three Ways Children Learn
Not all children comprehend material in the same way, making it important for all early years educators to understand the different methods of instruction. Effective EYFS teachers are able to create lesson plans that touch on each one.
Playing and Exploring
Children who learn by exploring or experiencing things first-hand learn best using a “play and explore” approach to education. Field trips, tactile play and free play are all ways you can appeal to play and explore learners. Babies and younger children almost always show signs of playing and exploring, especially those who have recently become mobile.
Active Learning
Some children prefer to focus on one game, task, or activity, trying it repeatedly until they get it right. These children are considered “active learners”. Whilst it is not uncommon to see signs of active learning in younger children, most of them are aged four to five.
Creating and Thinking Critically
Children who learn by creating and thinking critically are those who come up with their own answers to questions they have about the world. They make links between concepts and ideas and start to develop multi-step strategies for completing tasks. As children age, they think creatively and critically more often, combining it with the two other methods of learning.
Activity 2 – Go Back to School
Estimated time: 10 to 15 minutes
Take a few moments and think about your childhood, specifically your memories of school. What kind of learner do you think you were? Which type of learning did you have the most trouble with? Have things changed, or do you still struggle with the same learning methods whilst exhibiting the same learning strengths?
Think about any strategies or techniques that may help you adapt to different learning methods, as well as ones that would have helped you when you were a child.
3.15 EYFS Teaching Tips and Dealing with Troublesome Situations
As a result, not all children progress at the same rate, or in the same areas. Encouraging the children in your care to thrive involves finding ways in which to help them address or overcome those challenges.
Coping with a Reluctant Reader
Whilst most children are eager to become engaged with books, not all are that interested in developing literacy skills on their own. Trying to cope with a reluctant reader can be challenging, especially given how many areas of learning are affected by literacy skills that lag behind the child’s peers.
Weak literacy skills mean a child is not developing in all areas of learning.
As a result, EYFS teachers should consider conducting an assessment or review of the child, to gather information they can present to parents or carers when discussing their concerns.
You can try to put into practice a few strategies that help encourage children to read, whilst waiting to complete your assessment and meet with parents/carers. First, look for simple books with bright, appealing pictures on a topic of interest to the child.
For example
Children who constantly play with cars may find a picture book about a bright car appealing.
You should also search for stories that have very few words, with the picture taking up the whole page. When reading to the child, do not force them to sit and listen to the whole story, especially if the words are too complex. Instead, talk about the picture on the page, creating your own simple story as you go. When you talk about your concerns with the child’s parents/carers, ask about their experience with books at home and collaborate on methods that work for both school and home.
Children Who Fail to Progress in Prime Areas
In some cases, there may be a child in your care who fails to progress in the prime areas of learning, or who has lost skills they once possessed. If this happens to you, it is important that you communicate your concerns to the child’s parents or carers as soon as possible. If you have the time, try to gather as much data together before speaking with a parent. You may need to involve other members of the community, such as physicians, speech-language pathologists, or an occupational therapist.
If you suspect that a referral to one of these agencies or individuals is required, try to have all of the contact information on hand when you arrange your meeting.
Make sure you communicate your concerns clearly, giving parents or carers the opportunity to seek clarification if necessary. Even if you and the child’s parents decide to refer to a specialist for assistance, you should still try to develop ways in which to help the child succeed in those areas of learning in the meantime, such as additional support at school.
English as a Second Language
As an EYFS teacher, you need to take steps to incorporate a child’s home language in play whilst under your care. This helps to support the development of their home language during formative years. It is also important that you give the child a chance to learn and play in English, exposing them to as much of both languages as possible. Children need to have a solid grasp of the English language before entering Year 1.
If you notice that a child in your care does not seem to understand English well, or refuses to communicate, you must arrange a meeting with their family. It is important for EYFS teachers to reach out to parents and carers, inquiring about the child’s communication strengths in their home language. Addressing a potential speech or language delay as soon as possible reduces the impact it has on the child’s life.
Fact
If a bilingual child has speech or language concerns, they will appear in both languages.
Source: British Council
Assignment
Understanding the EYFS Framework
Time: 30+ minutes
Hopefully, you took in as much of the information in this module as possible. To find out how well you have done, complete the following worksheet.
Download the worksheet below and complete.
Module Summary
This is the end of the third module in the EYFS teacher course. Be sure to keep this information about the legislative framework behind the EYFS in mind, as we move forward.
We began by talking about the rationale behind the framework and moved on to cover the seven areas of learning, including a discussion of the various learning goals.
Assessment is another important aspect of this framework and we gave you information on how to assess your students.
We also talked about the health and safety requirements of EYFS teachers under the framework.
Finally, we covered the main ways in which children learn and gave you a few tips on dealing with difficult situations.
The next module covers the promotion of learning and development in the early years.
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