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'.
Time is a difficult concept for young children. It is only meaningful when measured by significant events in their lives or in 'units' that they understand. So, when anticipating a holiday, for example, children will ask questions such as 'How many more sleeps before we go?' But even before this stage, they will have developed an awareness of time through talking about events that are important to them, such as visits to grandparents, and will have begun to understand the difference between past and present.
Children's own development from babyhood is a good starting point, and the birth of a sibling is an opportunity for comparison. Older family members can share their own childhood experiences, so bringing another historical dimension to children's learning. Growing activities help children make observations about time and the seasons. Daily time slots and routines at home and at nursery can also help them to develop a sense of time and understand the pattern of their day.
Of course, children's understanding of time will develop in response to a wide range of experiences throughout their childhood and learning will take place in many different contexts. However, the home corner can be a particularly rich area in which to develop their sense of time through role-play and the representation of personal experiences.
Learning opportunities
With appropriate resources and adult support, children can:
* explore the concept of time through imaginative and role-play
* represent and talk about past and present events in their own lives
* sequence significant events
* show interest in and find out about events in the lives of others
* learn about their own development from birth
* observe and comment on changes that occur over time in the world around them
* compare artefacts and aspects of life from the past and present.
Resources and activities
Below are some general suggestions from which practitioners will be able to respond in a more specific way to significant events in the lives of individual children. Provide:
* Basic home corner furniture and equipment. If space limits what you can offer permanently, provide room settings on a rotational basis. Kitchens, sitting rooms and bedrooms are popular choices. Make the rooms mirror, as far as possible, children's own homes.
* Calendars, diaries and equipment for mark-making. Encourage children to talk about important dates and events (such as visits to the dentist and family parties) and to record their appointments.
* Greetings cards, cakes, parcels and paper plates. Children love to relive birthdays and other celebrations.
* A shelf for children to display cards from home, such as new baby cards and wedding invitations. The cards will provide a stimulus for discussing past, present and future events in individual children's lives.
* A magazine rack containing newspapers, TV listings, baby/children's wear catalogues, holiday brochures, etc.
* A noticeboard where children and staff can display their holiday photographs or postcards.
* Luggage, sunglasses, beach towels, swimsuits. Encourage children to engage in holiday role play and to talk about their holidays.
* Photograph albums or home-made books recording interesting events in the setting, such as visitors to the nursery or a teddy bears picnic. Involve the children in deciding which events to record and let them take photographs. You could also include photographs of the outdoor area at different times of the year.
* Photograph frames (unbreakable!) with pictures of the children as babies.
Encourage children to guess which photograph belongs to which child and to talk about how they have changed. Also display family photographs showing several generations.
* A full-length mirror so children can look at themselves and consider how they have changed from babyhood.
* Mementoes from members of the children's families. Encourage parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents to come and play alongside children and talk about their experiences as children.
* Baby dolls, nappies, bottles, etc. Playing with the dolls will help children to understand stages of development and consolidate their knowledge of babies.
* Clothing for different weather conditions such as scarves and gloves, shorts and sun hats. Encourage children to talk about seasonal changes.
* A window box on the inside windowsill or other secure ledge. Support the children in growing plants and discuss the plants' growth. You could also include real house plants in the home corner.
* Different kinds of clocks and watches.
* Clockwork egg timers and sand timers to be used while cooking or to time other activities.
Organisation
* As a team, talk about children's developing sense of time and how this can be supported through home corner play. Plan time for adults to work with children in the area.
* If possible, position the area near a low window so that children can observe, for example, seasonal changes, building work and plant growth over time.
* Contact local museum loans services and borrow suitable artefacts such as old toys or books.
* Invite visitors, who have lived locally for a long time, into the setting for the children to 'interview' about changes in the area.
Adult role
* Model the use of 'time' language such as 'then', 'yesterday', 'Monday', 'last week', 'a long time ago'.
* Encourage children to tell each other about events in their lives.
* Encourage children to make comparisons between the past and present. Ask questions, such as 'How have you changed since you were a baby?' 'What did our seedlings look like before the weekend? What do they look like now?'
* Listen to and scribe children's accounts of important happenings in their lives. Compile a nursery diary to be kept in the home corner.
* Document events and sequences of events using a camera. Display photographs on boards or in books.
* Encourage parents and carers to support children's learning by bringing in relevant items such as photographs and spending time talking to their children about past and present events.