The strongest of castles have arisen from the most solid of foundations. If we translate this into the world of childcare, it is clear to see that behaviours at a very young age will inevitably impact how a child interacts with the outside world as he or she begins to grow up. Some will even argue that these formative years will have a massive impact upon the child upon reaching adulthood. The age group associated with these early stages is commonly referred to by the acronym EYFS. It is a good idea to take a closer look at this concept as well as what children will learn. We will then move on to discuss some powerful assessment strategies that are now employed.
What Ages are Associated with the EYFS Group?
EYFS is an abbreviation for "Early Years Foundation Stage". While the exact ages may differ slightly, they are generally categorised between zero and five years. As you may have already guessed, this is when a child will learn the basic fundamentals of life. Important skill sets will likewise be developed during this time frame. So, how does a child acquire such knowledge when we consider the fact that he or she is very young?
Games, Play and More
Many of the skills which a child will acquire during these years are the results of simple games and playing with others. However, there is a bit more than meets the eye in this respect. Within educational settings, children will also be taught a handful of additional fundamentals including:
Language and communication.
Interpersonal and social development.
Physical development.
Basic maths.
Personal expression and the arts.
So, we now come to the next relevant question. How will childcare professionals monitor these metrics in order to better determine how a child is developing?
Observational Techniques
It is first important to mention that children will not be tested during the EYFS years. Instead, professionals will assess their development through passive forms of monitoring. The behaviour of the child will therefore not be altered during the process. One of the most common ways involves tracking observation (taking notes and recording details that can be used to understand behavioural patterns). As technology now comes into play, tools such as those developed by www.tinytracker.co.uk have become extremely useful. Some other options which will often be used by childcare experts include time tracking and narrative stories.
We can think of the EYFS years as the time in the life of a child when he or she develops the fundamentals required in order to interact with the world. Of course, every child tends to develop at a different pace. This is why observing this stage is important when determining if any extra guidance may be required. During this formative time period, the very ways in which a child views the world are inextricably shaped. So, appreciating how this child is coping is obviously crucial in regards to long-term development.
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