Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Introduced in 2008, it is specifically for children aged between 0-5 and covers the time they spend in any early years education and childcare setting finishing at the end of their reception class in infant or primary school.

The EYFS is currently under going review and refinement by the coalition government. In a recent review report of the EYFS Dame Claire Tickell has made recommendations to consolidate three prime areas of the new EYFS as opposed to the current six. Within these three prime areas, four specific areas of learning will be covered all of which share similarities to the current six areas.

"3.6 The evidence shows that the areas of personal, social and emotional development, communication and language, and physical development are the essential foundations for healthy development, for positive attitudes to relationships and learning, and for progress in key skills such as reading and writing. They also cover early development of physical movement and dexterity, as well as healthy eating and exercise, the key starting point for their understanding of how to remain healthy in later life…
…Therefore, I recommend that personal, social and emotional development, communication and language and physical development are identified as prime areas of learning in the EYFS.

…The areas of learning

3.28 By identifying three prime areas, my proposal for a reconfigured model of learning and development offers renewed focus on the earliest experiences which are the foundations for life, learning and success. Alongside the three prime areas of personal, social and emotional development, communication and language and physical development, I propose four specific areas in which the prime skills are applied: literacy, mathematics, expressive arts and design, and understanding the world."


Dame C. Tickell
The Early Years: Foundations for life, health and learning
An Independent Report on the Early Years Foundation Stage to Her Majesty's Government
pp 20 - 21 & 27(2011)


You can read the full review at http://www.education.gov.uk/tickellreview

At Wigglephonics we are naturally pleased with the core emphasis being placed on Communication and Language and Physical development.

How Wigglephonics relates to the current EYFS

Quotations from the EYFS

Personal, social and emotional development

"Your child will learn to be self-confident, take an interest in things, know what their needs are, tell the difference between right and wrong, and be able to dress and undress."

Communication, language and literacy

"Your child will learn to talk confidently and clearly, enjoy stories, songs and poems, hearing and saying sounds and linking them to the alphabet. They will read and write some familiar words and learn to use a pencil."

Mathematical development

"Your child will develop an understanding of maths through stories, songs, games and imaginative play. They will become comfortable with numbers and with ideas such as 'heavier than' or 'bigger'. They will be aware of shapes and space."

Knowledge and understanding of the world

"Your child will explore and find out about the world around them, asking questions about it. They will build with different materials, know about everyday technology and learn what it is used for. They will find out about past events in their lives and their families' lives. They will find out about different cultures and beliefs."

Physical development

"Your child will learn to move confidently, controlling their body and handle equipment."

Creative development

"Your child will explore colours and shapes, trying out dance, making things, telling stories and making music."

Wigglephonics Inclusion of EYFS
  • Your child will be able to share and explore their ideas and abilities when working with letters and sounds.
  • We at Wigglephonics believe there is never a right or wrong when it comes to movement ideas and creativity, so encourage unconventional ideas whenever possible. (However we will stop potentially dangerous manoeuvres such as head spins!)
  • Lots of encouragement will be given to all children so your child will begin to build self-confidence.
  • The structure of the classes gives children clear boundaries for behavior.
  • Wigglephonics incorporates language and literacy thorough physical activity.
  • Your child will hear and say letter sounds (phonemes), linking them to letter shapes and learn letter formation.
  • Wigglephonics instructors will also display flashcards and you will have the opportunity to purchase colouring worksheets and packs.
  • The use of music, rhythm and song is used extensively in the a-b-c-dabra programmes.
  • Instructors will ask children to count out-loud when setting out props, handing out and collecting small items (such as scarves) and how many claps/walks they do in certain dances.
  • Spatial awareness will be developed.
  • The broad range of animals and verbs used to communicate the phoneme of the class, (for example: acrobatic ant or spinning spider) will give children knowledge of different animals, along with a wide spectrum of descriptive and action words.
  • Use of various types of multi-cultural music will also add to awareness of different cultures.
  • The Physibets programmes used at Wigglephonics are fundamentally about getting children active and participating in physical activity.
  • Your child will learn about the ways their body can move and gain confidence in their ability.
  • Your child will develop body control through, balances, jumps, stillness and making shapes.
  • Your child will learn why exercise is good for them.
  • The a-b-c-dabra classes include a time for children to be creative, exploring movement in their own time and space while creating characters and actions.
  • The worksheets provide them a time to explore colour and let their imaginations run freely… hopefully you may see some pink spiders or rainbow kangaroos!

 

 

This page will be updated once the new EYFS is published.