Creating your own Early Years Curriculum
Ofsted Guidance - EYFS Curriculum
This article will discuss the steps in creating your own Early Years Curriculum.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework establishes the standards for children’s care, development, and learning in England from birth to five years old.
As an early years provider, creating a curriculum that fulfils the EYFS requirements and provides children with excellent learning experiences is vital. Developing your curriculum may appear intimidating, particularly with the changing demands and updates to the framework.
Step 1: Understand the EYFS Curriculum
The EYFS curriculum consists of seven areas of learning and development that contribute to a child’s overall growth. These areas include:
- communication and language,
- physical,
- personal, social & emotional,
- literacy,
- mathematics,
- understanding the world,
- and expressive arts and design.
Each area of learning and development has early learning goals that describe the knowledge, skills, and understanding children should acquire by the end of the EYFS.
Understanding the EYFS curriculum is fundamental to creating your early years curriculum. It establishes a basis for planning and ensures that you adhere to the framework’s requirements.
Step 2: Plan Your Curriculum
Planning your own early years’ curriculum is the next step in creating it. After understanding the EYFS curriculum, you must determine the focus and objectives of your curriculum. Start by examining what you want and how you will achieve it.
A well-designed curriculum guarantees that children are engaged, stimulated, and challenged.
One approach to planning your curriculum is to use the EYFS framework as a guide. Consider the seven areas of learning and development and how to incorporate them into your curriculum. Establish the learning outcomes you want to attain and how to measure children’s progress.
Other official guidance has also been given to help you to plan your EYFS curriculum. This includes:
You should also consider the particular needs of the children in your environment. Each child is unique and has distinct interests, abilities, and backgrounds. Tailor your curriculum to satisfy their needs and interests.
Also look at the resources and facilities available to you. Determine whether you need to adjust your curriculum to take advantage of any opportunities for outdoor learning or if you require additional resources to support specific learning outcomes.
Step 3: Consider Your Setting
You must adapt your curriculum to meet the needs of the children in your setting. Consider their age, interests, abilities, and cultural backgrounds. This ensures that your curriculum is meaningful, engaging, and relevant to the children.
It is crucial to consider the resources and facilities available to you. For example, if you have ample outdoor space, you should integrate more outdoor learning into your curriculum. It could involve developing activities that use the natural environment, such as nature walks, bug hunts, and outdoor art projects.
On the other hand, if you have limited space, you need to be creative in using the available space. You might need to adapt activities to suit the size of the room or find ways to use other areas of the setting, such as corridors or outdoor spaces.
It is vital to consider the specific needs and demands of every child in your environment. If a child has a disability, you may need to adapt your curriculum to ensure they can participate fully in learning activities.
Step 4: Develop Early Years Learning Outcomes
Establishing learning outcomes is the fourth step in creating your early years’ curriculum.
These statements define what children should know, comprehend, and accomplish at the end of a particular activity or learning experience. Creating clear and specific learning outcomes guarantees that your curriculum is focused and effectively supports children’s development.
You can use the EYFS framework as a guide to setting learning outcomes too. The framework provides a clear set of learning goals for each area of learning and development, which you can use to establish specific learning outcomes for your curriculum.
Your learning outcomes should be SMART:
- Specific,
- Measurable,
- Achievable,
- Relevant,
- and Time-bound.
This means that your learning outcomes should be well-defined, and progress toward achieving them can be evaluated and measured. They should be attainable and pertinent to the needs and interests of the children in your setting and have a specific timeframe within which somebody will accomplish them.
Step 5: Create Activities and Experiences
The next step in creating your own early years’ curriculum is to design activities and experiences that will aid children in achieving the learning outcomes you have set.
These activities and experiences should be engaging, challenging, and customized to the needs and interests of the children. Creating stimulating learning experiences can promote a love of learning and support children’s holistic development.
When devising activities and experiences, consider how you will assess children’s progress. You may use observations, photos, or other evidence to monitor children’s development and identify areas requiring additional support.
You should consider how you will adapt your activities to meet the needs of different children, including those with additional needs or those learning English as an additional language.
It is helpful to involve children in the planning process as much as possible. It can increase their motivation and engagement in the activities. You may ask them about their interests, what they want to learn, or what to do. It can ensure that your activities and experiences are meaningful and relevant to the children.
Examples of Early Years Curriculums
The EYFS framework provides a solid foundation for creating an early years curriculum, but it can also be helpful to explore examples of existing curriculums for inspiration. Here are some examples of early years curriculums in 2023:
Montessori-inspired curriculum:
This learning approach is rooted in the educational philosophy of Maria Montessori, emphasizing child-led learning and independence. This curriculum encourages children to explore and learn independently, with teachers as facilitators instead of instructors.
The Montessori-inspired curriculum promotes independence, creativity, and a love of learning in children. It typically involves hands-on, experiential learning activities and materials tailored to foster development in various areas.
In a Montessori-inspired curriculum, children can choose their activities and work independently or in small groups. The teacher’s role is to observe, guide, and support the children as they explore and learn. The flexible curriculum enables children to learn independently and pursue their interests.
Reggio Emilia-inspired curriculum:
This learning approach is based on the educational philosophy of the Reggio Emilia region in Italy, emphasising creativity, imagination, and self-expression in learning. In this curriculum, children actively participate in learning and are seen as competent learners.
The Reggio Emilia-inspired curriculum values the idea that children have vast potential and creativity and supports holistic physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. It typically involves project-based learning, where children explore their interests and passions through hands-on, experiential learning activities.
Children are co-constructors of their learning, with teachers as facilitators instead of instructors. The curriculum values self-expression, communication, and collaboration, providing resources to support children’s learning.
Forest School-inspired curriculum:
This approach focuses on outdoor education and aims to develop children’s confidence, independence, and love for nature. This curriculum encourages children to explore the natural environment and learn through hands-on, experiential learning activities.
The Forest School-inspired curriculum typically involves visiting local woodlands or other natural spaces regularly. Children engage in outdoor learning activities like den-building, fire-making, and nature walks. The curriculum fosters a connection with nature and supports children’s physical, emotional, and social development.
Children are motivated to venture into the natural world and take calculated risks in a secure and guided atmosphere. The curriculum values child-led learning, with teachers as facilitators instead of instructors. It emphasises learning through play and exploration, fostering a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world.
Phonics-based curriculum:
This approach focuses on developing early reading and writing skills through phonics activities and games. In this curriculum, children engage in various activities and games that promote phonemic awareness and letter recognition.
The phonics-based curriculum aims to support children’s early reading and writing skills, helping them develop a strong foundation for literacy. Teachers provide a range of activities that cater to different learning styles, enabling children to learn at their own pace.
STEM-based curriculum:
This approach focuses on developing children’s knowledge and understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This curriculum teaches children through hands-on, experiential activities that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.
The STEM-based curriculum involves various activities and projects supporting children’s learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. For instance, children can investigate the properties of materials by building structures with blocks, explore the properties of water by conducting experiments, or learn coding principles through simple programming tasks.
In the learning process, teachers act as facilitators, encouraging children to take an active role rather than simply instructing them. The curriculum values the importance of child-led learning, and children are encouraged to ask questions, explore their interests, and collaborate with others.
Conclusion
Developing your own early years’ curriculum can seem daunting, but proper planning and preparation can be a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. Remember to customise your curriculum to the specific needs and interests of the children in your setting and use the EYFS framework as a guide. Creating learning outcomes and providing engaging activities and experiences can offer a high-quality learning experience for young children.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Why should I create my own early years’ curriculum?
A: Creating your own early years’ curriculum allows you to tailor your approach to meet the specific needs and interests of the children in your setting. It also provides an opportunity to integrate your values, beliefs, and teaching style into your approach to early years education.
Q: How can I create my own early years’ curriculum?
A: To create your own early years curriculum, you should start by understanding the EYFS framework and considering the needs and interests of the children in your setting. Plan your curriculum around specific learning outcomes that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Develop activities and experiences that support these learning outcomes, and regularly evaluate and adapt your approach based on children’s progress and evolving needs.
Q: What are some examples of early years curriculum approaches?
A: Some examples of early years curriculum approaches include Montessori-inspired, Reggio Emilia-inspired, Forest School-inspired, and phonics-based curricula. These approaches highlight different aspects of early years education, such as child-led learning, creativity, outdoor education, and literacy development.
Q: How can I determine if my early years’ curriculum is effective?
A: Regular evaluation and assessment of children’s progress towards specific learning outcomes are vital to determine the effectiveness of your early years’ curriculum. You can also solicit feedback from parents, colleagues, and other stakeholders to gauge the impact of your approach. Additionally, staying current with early years education’s latest practices and research can ensure your approach is evidence-based and effective.
