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). 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 it is suitable for very young children, and it is designed to be really flexible so that we can follow your child’s unique needs and interests.

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 are also 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 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 are given access to a wide range of reading 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.