How we learn and grow..

Children at Beechdale Nursery will learn by playing and exploring, being active and through creative and critical thinking which takes place both indoors and outside.

All aspects of children’s growth and development are woven together but they can be separated into 7 different educational programmes.  These areas are consistent with the Early Learning Goals within the Early Years Foundation Stage for 0 to 5 year olds.   The 7 areas are split into 3 prime areas (these are the areas the children should mostly develop first) and 4 specific areas (these will develop as the child grows).  Below you can see a breakdown of each area of learning and development.

The Prime Areas:

1. Communication and Language: Involves giving children opportunities to experience a rich language environment; to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves; and to speak and listen in a range of situations.

2. Physical development: Involves providing opportunities for young children to be active and interactive; and to develop their co-ordination, control and movement.  Children must also be helped to understand the importance of physical activity, and to make healthy choices in relation to food.

3. Personal, social and emotional development: Involves  helping children to develop a positive  sense  of  themselves  and  to others;  to  form  positive  relationships  and  develop  respect  for  others;  to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.

The Specific areas:

4. Literacy: Involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write.  Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books,   poems   and   other   written materials) to ignite their interests

5. Mathematics: Involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their social skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces and measures.

6. Understanding the World: Involves  guiding  children  to  make  sense  of  their  physical  world  and  their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.

7. Expressive arts and design: Involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role play and design and technology.
These  seven  areas  are  used  to  plan  your child’s learning and activities.  We make sure  that  the  activities  are  suited  to your child’s unique needs.  This is a bit like a curriculum in Primary and Secondary schools, but its suitable for very young children, and its designed to be really flexible so that we can follow your child’s unique needs and interests.