Development Matters 2021
How my child will be learning?
Your child will be learning skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through 7 areas of learning and development.
Children should mostly develop the 3 prime areas first. These are:
• Communication and language;
• Physical development; and
• Personal, social and emotional development.
These prime areas are those most essential for your child’s healthy development and future learning.
As children grow, the prime areas will help them to develop skills in 4 specific areas. These are:
• Literacy;
• Mathematics;
• Understanding the world; and
• Expressive arts and design.
These 7 areas are used to plan your child’s learning. The professionals teaching and supporting your child will make sure that the activities are suited to your child’s unique needs.
Children in the EYFS learn by playing and exploring. Being active, being creative and critical thinking take place both indoors and outside. Teachers plan from the children’s interests to ensure a full coverage of the above areas of learning.
How can I help at home?
All the fun activities that you do with your child at home are important in supporting their learning and development, and have a really long lasting effect on your child’s learning as they progress through school. Here are just a few ideas of things you and your child might enjoy.
Ideas for developing gross and fine motor control:
• Give children time to run, jump, climb and PLAY OUTDOORS!
• Encourage children in building, drawing and threading beads.
• Let children explore water and sand, filling and emptying containers and introduce language such as full and empty.
• Work on puzzles together.
• Painting, finger painting and making big patterns on differently shaped paper - talking about the patterns they have made.
• Painting with water on a wall or a fence.
• Encourage children to strengthen their fingers by using clay, play dough or Plasticine for modelling.
• Playing and sorting using tweezers to pick up sequins, buttons or small beads.
• Sprinkling coloured sand, glitter or salt to make pictures.
Ideas for helping socially:
• Encourage your child to use the toilet independently, wash their hands and get dressed themselves especially fastening their coats.
• Play games that encourage sharing and taking turns, help your child to lose!
Ideas for helping with mathematics:
• Talk about shapes you see in and around the house.
• Compare weights when picking things up and model the language heavier/lighter.
• Point out numbers you see in the local environment.
• Play board games that involve moving a certain amount of steps on, and play with dice and dominoes.
• Sing counting rhymes.
• Handle real coins and play shop.
Ideas for helping with language and literacy:
• Sing songs and nursery rhymes.
• Read regularly to your child and share books together, let your child choose the books, talk about the books and find a great place to snuggle up.
• Allow your child to see you reading for pleasure or writing for a purpose such as making shopping lists or writing birthday cards.
Ideas for helping with Understanding of the World:
• Plant seeds or bulbs in a pot or garden patch.
• Cook / bake together.
• Use the weather – shadows, rain puddles, snow, wind, mist and sun – to extend your child’s vocabulary.
• Explore the park at a different time of the year – go off the beaten track!
How can I find out how my child is getting on?
It is important that we work together. You need to feel comfortable about exchanging information and discussing things that will benefit your child.
• Tapestry online learning journal provides parents with real time access to observations teachers have taken in class.
• When your child is 5 (At the end of the EYFS) – in the summer term of the reception year in school, teachers complete an assessment which is known as the EYFS Profile. This assessment is carried out by the reception teacher and is based on what they, and other staff caring for your child, have observed over a period of time. This will come home to you in the form of a written report and opportunities are given for you to come in and discuss this with the class teacher.
• In the Autumn and Spring term, you will be invited to discuss your child’s progress.
A summary of their development will be discussed with you and how you can support their learning at home.
• Throughout your time at Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, a link to our website and newsletter will be emailed to you via SchoolSpider. This is our main form of communication about activities in class and whole school events and information.