Nursery Areas of Learning

There are three prime areas of learning and four specific areas of learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum…..

Prime Area: Communication and Language

Communication and language development involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

It is extremely important that children develop their communication skills and are encouraged to speak and listen in a range of situations. Children are given the opportunity to communicate with each other and with adults.

Do you encourage your child to talk at home?

Prime Area: Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Personal, social and emotional development involves helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups and to have confidence in their own abilities.

At Ling Bob we work hard to ensure that the children have respect for one another and that they develop their PSE skills throughout all of their play and development.

Can you think of some activities that you do at home that help your child develop PSHE skills?

Prime Area: Physical Development

Physical development involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their coordination, control and movement. Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity and to make healthy choices in relation to food.

At Ling Bob we value outdoor play and all of the children have the opportunity to play outside each day. The activities that the children do outside work towards the children’s physical development.

Does your child like doing lots of physical activity at home?

Specific Area: Literacy

Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems and other written materials) to ignite their interest.

The children need to see us reading and writing, they need to be given lots of opportunity to read and write themselves. Their writing may not be recognisable to you but they should be able to tell you what it says!

Do you have lots of things for your child to write with at home?

Specific Area: Mathematics

Mathematics involves providing children with the opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems and to describe shapes, spaces and measures.

The children need to become aware of things in the environment such as numbers and shapes and this helps them mathematically. Mathematics should be fun and at Ling Bob we play lots of games to develop the children’s understanding of number. The children are encouraged to talk about what they have learnt and explain how they have got an answer.

Does your child count objects accurately? (pointing to each one individually)

Specific Area: Understanding of the World

Understanding of the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places technology and the environment.

The environment that we provide for the children is intended to stimulate the children’s interest and curiosity. It encourages the children to solve problems, make decisions and it promotes discussion amongst peers. Children are given the opportunity to explore different cultures, religions and look at disabilities.

Does your child like to find out at home?

Specific Area: Expressive Arts and Design

Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role play and design and technology. At Ling Bob, children are given activities that they can respond to by using all of their senses. Children are encouraged to look at cultural resources that stimulate their thinking. They express their ideas and make their own representations using a range of different resources.

Does your child play imaginatively at home?