1.1 An explanation of each of the areas of learning and development and how these are interdependent

The EYFS is a framework for children up to the of five, it sets out the six key areas of learning which activities that are planned for children should be based upon. It also sets the learning and development requirements that practitioners must follow for children below the age of five. The EYFS

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the statutory framework that sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children are ready for school and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills t hat provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life. The Early years foundation stage was introduced in 2008 and sets out one standard framework for learning, development and care for all children from birth to the foundation year.

Social and Emotional Development: Developing sense of own identity and wanting to do things for their selves, demanding of adults attention and being jealous of adults attention being shred, reluctant to share play things, acts impulsively, requiring needs to be met instantly, prone to burst of emotion tantrums, enjoys playing with adults or older child who will give attention, beginning to play with others of own age for short periods of time.

Understanding the EYFS is essential as my observations and reports about children have to be accurate and objective to avoid bias and show a full ‘map’ of child’s development in all the different areas. I have to make sure that my observations are always a true record of what is taking place (e.g. tempting to add something what may make more

Physical development is physical movements of all areas of the body. This may include fine motor skills, gross motor skills and hand eye co-ordination. Fine motor skills may be for e.g. threading a bead on to a piece of string, gross motor skills are for e.g. star jumps and hand eye co-ordination is for e.g. throwing a ball and catching it. These activities can be done indoors and outdoors.

Theories of development and frameworks to support development are incredibly important to us working with children and young people. They help us to understand children, how they react to things/situations, their behaviour and the ways they learn. Different theories and ways of working with children have come together to provide frameworks for children’s care, such as Early year’s foundation stage (EYFS) which is used within all child care settings. This encourages us to work together, help and check the development of babies, children and young people, to keep them healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to

Social and emotional development: this refers to the development of the child's own identity and self image. Some may want to start doing things for themselves and become more independent. They will develop a sense of their own identity. Learning to live in a family unit and with others in society is a vital part of development in which will be contributed by friends and family.

2. EYFS The Childcare Act provides for the EYFS which is mandatory for all Early Years Settings. The EYFS statutory framework sets both learning and development requirements, and safeguarding and welfare requirements. It fully supports equality, diversity and inclusion.

These involve the small muscles of the body used for hand –eye co-ordination, writing and grasping of small objects.

Children’s development can be grouped into four different aspects: physical, social and emotional, intellectual and language.

The purpose of the EYFS is to ensure that all children have access to quality early years education. To measure this and to ensure practitioners have a focus for their work a series of outcomes is given for each area of learning, these are the early learning goals.

The aim of the EYFS is to help young children achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes of staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, and achieving economic well-being by:

Personal, social and emotional development: How they feel about themselves and helping them to develop a sense of self and how to respect others. Other social skills include getting dressed and undressed, washing themselves. Also wanting to learn and getting excited when learning.

The legal status and principles of the Early Years Foundation stage is used with children aged from birth to five years. The Government have outlined three primary and four specific areas and seventeen early learning goals that they think are important to a child’s development and planning is used to meet a child’s individual needs.

Every child who on the term commencing after their 3rd Birthday is entitled to a free part time place in early years education. This was formed as part of the Every Child Matters agenda. From 0-5 years the framework of learning, development & care forms the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which follows the following principles: