EYFS Best Practice: All about ... UW: People & Communities

A great deal of excitement was generated about the revision of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and its implementation in September 2012. With the reduction in the early learning goals from 69 to 17, and the focus on ensuring that children are 'school ready', the breadth and content of each of the areas of learning was reduced. This permitted all of us to breathe a sigh of relief because a reduction in the curriculum would allow practitioners more time to focus on how children learn and on how we can improve our interactions with them to promote learning.

However, we need to ask whether children have lost out in any way from the reorganisation of any of the previous six areas of learning to the three Prime and the additional four Specific areas. In particular, has the slimlining of 'Knowledge and Understanding of the World', which became 'Understanding the World', meant that we have made less effort in the past two years to teach children essential knowledge and skills? These are questions that we need to pose about our ongoing practice and thereby review the quality of experiences and teaching that we offer children.

WHAT IS 'UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD'?

The definition of this area of learning in the latest framework for the EYFS published in 2014 states that: '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.'

In its revised format, Understanding the World is subdivided into three strands.

People and communities: children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. They know that other children don't always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions.

The world: children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate environment and how environments might vary from one another. They make observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes.

Technology: children recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools. They select and use technology for particular purposes.

THE PURPOSE

The purpose of this area of learning in the guidance is to promote 'teaching and learning to ensure children's "school readiness"' and give children 'the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide the right foundation for good future progress through school and life'. It is also expected that this area of learning provides a smooth transition for children accessing Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. As children move into Year 1, the relevant programmes of study broaden into science, geography, history, computing and design and technology.

In principle, the change from the previous EYFS to the revised version represents a reduction of 11 early learning goals to three for this area of learning. Re-reading the guidance that accompanied the previous curriculum, there was a great deal more reference in it to specific aims for the goals, such as early learning goals for 'exploration and investigation', 'designing and making', and a sense of 'time' and 'place'.

Therefore, the previous guidance aimed to focus practitioners' attention on planning teaching for a wide range of scientific and experiential activities, and thereby on developing children's skills in preparation for the school subjects of science, history and geography.

The question is whether the breadth of this area of learning has been diminished by the revised curriculum guidance and whether children are now being given insufficient challenges and aptitudes to prepare them for the transition to National Curriculum subjects.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING

In addition to the changes to this area of learning in the revised EYFS, the Government has brought renewed focus to the 'characteristics of effective learning'. These are:

Playing and exploring — children investigate and experience things, and 'have a go'

Active learning — children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements

Creating and thinking critically — children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Clearly, these characteristics of learning are very useful for reinforcing practice across all the areas and, in particular, they apply effectively to activities that promote the early learning goals in Understanding the World. But are they used consistently by practitioners and so ensure that children are still developing this knowledge and skills through a wide range of challenging experiences?

Additionally, has the removal of 'knowledge' from 'Knowledge and Understanding the World' given practitioners licence to reduce the need to teach children how to research and gain knowledge? This then poses the philosophical question: is it possible to encourage active learning or critical thinking without introducing facts and consequences in the exploration of the natural and man-made world?

As children's brains make positive connections from what they know and learn through the use of their senses, they need the stimulation, practice and supportive feedback to ensure that they learn to scaffold these experiences to root and build knowledge and skills. Is it not our role as adults to maximise the quality of what we offer children in helping them understand the world?

PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES

Let's look now look at how practitioners should approach the first aspect of UW: People and Communities. This is an over-arching goal (highlighted above) that introduces a set of specific ideas and opportunities for practitioners.

1 To teach children to learn about their immediate and wider family and community, and their past and present experiences in their own lives.

2 To encourage children to think about their individuality and therefore to be sensitive to the individuality of others.

3 To observe the similarities and differences of the people in their family and their community and to learn about their traditions.

Taken at face value, the questions that present themselves are:

• Is there sufficient guidance in this early learning goal to ensure that children have the challenge to learn about their immediate family and the people who make up their community?
• Is there enough encouragement for practitioners to make best use of the school or nursery community to teach children about roles of the people they encounter in their home, street or town?
• Do children learn about the culture of the children and families who inhabit their world, as well as the physical differences that they observe on a daily basis?
• And how is that communicated to them to help them become more tolerant and less judgemental?

First theme

Children learn about their immediate and wider family and community, and past and present experiences in their own lives

This theme prompts practitioners to focus on children's early experiences of their lives as babies and young children. It clearly indicates a child-centred approach to history, and therefore sets boundaries to the sorts of topics that may be covered.

It presupposes that children will be specifically interested in learning about what affects them directly, and their family and community could or should be all that they want to know about. However, is this truly the case? Does it mean, for instance, that studying the time that dinosaurs roamed the earth is no longer a worthy topic because it does not touch the lives of young children?

Indeed, in response to the narrowing of the scope of this area of learning, some nurseries and pre-schools have removed topic-based work from their curriculum altogether. They do this in favour of following primarily the interests that children bring in day by day. This may work well for those practitioners with children with full and busy lives, but what happens to those children who come from less stimulating homes? Do they have their horizons broadened predominantly by the events in the lives of the children around them? Or will they, in consequence, have less stimulating activities offered by the adults who care for them?

Anecdotal evidence from providers, consultants and inspectors indicates that the switch to a non-topic based curriculum has narrowed the range of experiences that children are offered. However, although the use of topics is not sufficient to cover all areas of learning, topics implemented effectively can help children concentrate and learn in-depth language and concepts that spark memories and stimulate conversation.

Possible topics

To plan for this theme, consider the following topics.

Birth, babies and how to care for them will not only touch the memories and emotions of many children in the group, it will also prepare those who have not yet experienced having a younger brother or sister in the family. Therefore, sharing this topic will extend the knowledge and skills of all children. It also provides all parents with the opportunity to share photos and objects of the children as babies.

People who help us similarly touches the lives of all children because the social fabric of society is based on a structure of services that are available to all of us. Children are naturally very observant and want to understand why people do what they do and how they are distinguished by the uniforms they wear and the jobs they perform.

Transitions in our lives are particularly important for children to learn about because they help prepare them for changes to their routine. A topic on starting school, moving house or making friends enables children to think about special events and learn through research and investigation what they may feel about these events. They develop the confidence to deal with the emotions that might arise for them or their family members through discussing or play acting these scenarios.

Second theme

Children know that other children don't always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this

This is clearly a reference to the need to teach children empathy and enable them to understand other children's lifestyles and points of view. This can be done through daily opportunities to help resolve disagreements as well as by studying topics that enable children to learn the habits of children and families across the world.

Possible topics

To plan for this theme, consider the following topics.

Traditional tales Many traditional stories are based on examining emotions, and thereby provide children with the opportunities to question what it feels like from the different points of view of the characters in them. The feelings of interest and fear that Goldilocks expresses in the house of the Three Bears are mirrored by the baby bear when the bears return from their walk. Children can be encouraged through a range of activities to investigate what it feels like to be Goldilocks invading the home of the bears and what baby bear must be thinking when he comes home with his parents to find a stranger who has broken his chair, eaten his porridge and is sleeping in his bed. Similarly, Little Red Riding Hood's wish to be inquisitive overrules her mother's warnings about the forest and puts her grandmother in danger. Children can attempt to see it from the mother's and grandmother's points of view and see the foolhardiness of Red Riding Hood's actions, despite the fact that the day is saved by the woodcutter.

Roles and responsibilities

Giving children roles and responsibilities in the classroom is another way of helping build community and of ensuring that children learn the skills to care for themselves and each other.

Having high expectations of children to develop skills in preparing for break or lunch, in sweeping the floor, wiping the tables and cutting food to share will help them become more aware of the valuable contributions they can make. Also, as they practise these skills they become more proficient and can enjoy teaching them to younger children.

Third theme

They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions

This is about broadening children's horizons to value cultural and religious diversity. Inclusion is best served by opening children's eyes to human variety from the earliest age and by encouraging them to participate in learning to be respectful of differences and similarities. Whether children are living in multiracial societies or not, it is the duty of adults to help prepare children for the future as well as the present.

Possible topics

To plan for this theme, consider the following topics.

Festivals Celebrating religious festivals helps children learn about the beliefs and values of different cultures and races. The majority of religious festivals are celebrations to commemorate specific events in life's yearly cycle. Winter festivals help break up the long winter, while other festivals celebrate the harvest and its associated effect on providing food and prosperity to the community. Explained to children in this context, they will understand how significant festivals affect different cultures. They can dress up in clothes and taste the foods that feature during these specific events.

Ancestry and origins From a practical point of view, adults should teach children about communities and traditions by exploring their ancestry and their origins on a map of the world. Britain is now a multiracial society, so show children you respect their family and background and they will learn to respect each other.

INSPIRING PARENTS

Harnessing the interest of parents is crucial for this strand of Understanding the World because children are profoundly influenced by their first carers, their parents and family.

If parents receive the information and explanation from early years practitioners about what they are trying to achieve with this area of learning, they will be much more likely to achieve positive outcomes for children's learning.

Parents also need to feel that they and their contributions are valued by the setting. If practitioners encourage parents to feel part of a partnership in supporting their children, they will work as hard as practitioners to bring their knowledge and expertise to share with all the children. It is by empowering parents to feel involved and to value each other and all the children at the setting that you will enrich the cultural diversity of the curriculum and honour the diversity of people that make up our society.

 CONCLUSIONS

People and communities is a complicated strand in the EYFS. Practitioners need to feel comfortable with their role inspiring children to feel confident about themselves and encourage them to be sympathetic to the feelings and life styles of others.

Many aspects of this strand relate directly to promoting children's personal, social and emotional development. In fact, a range of activities and topics should inspire children to develop good skills in knowing more about themselves, as well as the knowledge and insight that teach them about their families and the wider world.

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