Nursery World - In good time

For young children, 'history' will only mean the sequence of changes in their own lifetimes, says Jane Drake It is understandable that in their planning, early years practitioners view the sprawling area of learning that is 'knowledge and understanding of the world' in terms of its related national curriculum subjects: science, design and technology, ICT, geography and history. Yet these convenient subdivisions can be misleading, and none more so than in 'history'.

It is understandable that in their planning, early years practitioners view the sprawling area of learning that is 'knowledge and understanding of the world' in terms of its related national curriculum subjects: science, design and technology, ICT, geography and history. Yet these convenient subdivisions can be misleading, and none more so than in 'history'.

'History' is covered by the early learning goal: 'Find out about past and present events in their own lives, and in those of their families and other people they know' (Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage, page 94).

As with all other parts of the Foundation Stage curriculum, the focus, therefore, needs to be children's own experiences, rather than any great historical events and changes. A more convenient shorthand for this element of the early years curriculum could be helping children to develop a sense, not of 'history', but of 'time'.

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