Children's longing for their families and for friendship emerged strongly in research that explored children's experiences of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which will be fed into the EYFS review.
Carried out by Sheffield Hallam University, the research assessed children's play experiences, physical activity, input into planning and the extent to which their experiences met their individual needs and interests.
The study covered 146 children in 15 settings, ranging from children's centres and reception classes to a Steiner Kindergarten and childminders, across four local authorities.
Children's relationships permeated the findings on how well their experiences met their needs and interests.
FAMILIES AND FRIENDS
'Children's play and talk was often dominated by references to parents, carers, families and homes,' notes the report, Children's Experiences of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Families, especially mothers, 'were often missed' and 'children talked about brothers and sisters as well as parents'.
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