Within the nursery, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, which recognises that children learn best through play and active learning. The children learn skills, acquire new knowledge and demonstrate their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development. These are divided into three prime areas and four specific areas. 

 The three prime areas are: 

 · Communication and Language 

· Personal, Social and Emotional Development 

· Physical Development 

 

These are then supported by specific areas that strengthen the prime areas. The specific areas are: 

· Literacy 

· Mathematics 

· Understanding the World 

· Expressive Arts and Design 

 

Characteristics of effective learning 

The characteristics of effective learning underpin achievement of these prime and specific areas of learning. They describe factors which play a central role in a child’s learning and in becoming an effective learner. The characteristics represent processes rather than outcomes and describe how the child is learning. They highlight key skills that children must begin to develop in order to become successful and independent learners throughout their school life and beyond. The characteristics of effective learning are categorised as:

Playing and exploring – engagement 

• Finding out and exploring 
• Playing with what they know 
• Being willing to ‘have a go’ 

Active learning – motivation 

• Being involved and concentrating 
• Keeping trying 
• Enjoying achieving what they set out to do 

Creating and thinking critically – thinking 

• Having their own ideas  
• Making links  
• Choosing ways to do things