This guide outlines the different areas of learning in the Foundation Stage as well as suggesting some ideas for

you to help your child at home.Most importantly you should have fun and play

together!!!!!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask one of our Foundation Stage Team.

Parent’s guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage

What is the Early Years Foundation Stage?

• The Foundation Stage is from Birth to Five years. “Every child deserves to best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and five have a major impact on their future life chances. The Early years Foundation Stage seeks to provide a secure foundation, partnership working, quality and consistency and equality of opportunity” (Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage 2012)

• At Timberley your child will be within this stage when they join us in Playgroup, Nursery and/or Reception.

• There are 7 areas of learning. These are Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language, Physical Development, Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Interacts with others

Deals with their emotions

Looks after their personal hygiene

Views their behaviour and it’s consequences

Play games to encourage sharing and turn taking

Talk about how things make both you and your child feel

Encourage your child to wash their hands after going to the toilet

Encourage your child to ‘have a go’ at dressing themselves

When your child does something they shouldn’t have, encourage

them to think about what they did and why it was wrong

This area of learning relates to how your child:

Activities at home

Communication and Language

Talks and listens to others

Understands others

Asks questions

Recognises and responds to sounds

Read stories

Talk about the stories

Listen to sounds in the environment

Chat, talk, speak to, whisper and sing with

your child

This area of learning relates to how your child:

Activities at home

Physical Development

Moves using large movements; running, jumping and climbing

Manipulates objects using small scale movements; cutting, drawing,

threading and writing

Looks after their own health and hygiene

Handles toys and equipment safely and sensibly

Play ball games

Talk about how your body feels after running and

jumping (hot, heart beating faster?)

Make some playdough (we can give you a recipe)

Cut pictures out of old magazines and newspapers

This area of learning relates to how your child:

Activities at home

Literacy

Explores books

Makes up stories and retells them

Learns phonemes (sounds) to enable them to read by

decoding texts

Writes for different purposes

Act out a story for others in your family to watch

Reading different types of materials; newspapers, magazines and comics

Read poems and rhymes

Write shopping lists, poems or short stories

This area of learning relates to how your child:

Activities at home

Mathematics

Solves problems using their own ideas and by working

with others

Sings number rhymes and counting (in 1’s, 2’s and 5’s)

Explores patterns and shapes

Identifies and recognises number

Play board games like snakes and ladders to practise counting

When sorting socks after washing, talk about pairs and

patterns you can see

Ask your child when you have a problem, e.g. I only have 2 apples but there are 4 of us. What shall

we do?

Sing some number rhymes, e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, once I caught a fish

alive

This area of learning relates to how your child:

Activities at home

Understanding the World

Explores the World around them

Uses computers, phones, calculators, MP3’s, stereos, TVs and other electrical equipment

Enjoys and participates in festivals relating to their own

and others cultures

Talk to your child about your family, culture and where you

live

Talk about what you see, hear, smell, taste and touch

Ask your child what buttons they think you should press and why when using electrical equipment

Look at similarities and differences when walking, in the

car or on the bus or train

This area of learning relates to how your child:

Activities at home

Expressive Arts and Design

Enjoys messy activities

Pretends and role plays things they have seen and experienced

Participates in musical and dance activities

Talks about models they have made and the reasons behind different parts of the model

Let your child help you when you are tidying up

Be prepared for your child to act as ‘Miss, Mr or Mrs’ in a game of

teachers. Or maybe become a passenger on your child’s train,

bus or aeroplane.

Use old boxes to make a model – you’ll be surprised what you child

will turn into!

Keep some of your old clothes, shoes, hats, gloves and bags to

make an exciting dressing up box

This area of learning relates to how your child:

Activities at home

What will Timberley do?• Throughout your child’s time in the Foundation Stage at

Timberley, they will be given lots of opportunities to play and explore in a safe and secure learning environment. Staff will plan activities/opportunities around the needs and interests of the children.

• Parents will be informed of their child’s progress formally (at parent consultations/evenings) and informally.

• During their time in Playgroup, between the ages of 2 and 3, you will receive a progress summary about how your child is developing, giving you information about their Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and their Physical Development.

• At the end of Nursery and Reception you will receive a full written report informing you of your child’s progress in all areas of learning.

What will Timberley do?

• In the Summer term, at the end of Reception, staff will complete the EYFS Profile for each child. The profile provides parents/carers and staff with a well rounded picture of a child’s knowledge, understanding and abilities, how they learn and their progress against expected levels. Each child’s level of development will be assessed against the Early Learning Goals. Please click on link below to view these goals http://www.primarytools.co.uk/files/app%20on%20one%20sheet/Early_Learning_Goals_2012_On_One_A4_Sheet_bw.pdf

What can you do?

• Please look at your child’s learning journal. This gives you a snapshot of what your child can do.

• Please tell us about any ‘WOW’ moments your child has shown at home, e.g. writing their name independently, doing their own zip up or sleeping through the night. Remember you are your child’s first teacher!

• Please talk to your key worker, family group leader or class teacher about how you feel your child is learning and developing.

• We want to work in partnership with you!

Come and visit us!

Timberley AcademyBradley Road

Shard EndBirmingham

B34 7RL

Tel: 0121 464 2002