The Early Years Foundation Stage is organised into 7 areas of learning.
There are 3 Prime areas that underpin everything in the Early Years:
- Communication and Language
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Physical Development
There are 4 Specific areas which help to strengthen and apply the prime areas:
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
All of the areas are connected together and the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning weave through them all.
The 3 Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning are:
- Playing and Exploring - Children investigate and experience things, and 'have a go'
- Active Learning - Children concentrate keep on trying and enjoy achievements
- Creating and Thinking Critically - Children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things