The thinking behind the introduction of the foundation stage is explained by Lesley Staggs, the QCA Principal Manager, Early Years
September marks an important moment for early years practitioners as the foundation stage for children aged three to the end of the reception year is introduced.
The new foundation stage and the early learning goals clearly acknowledge the importance of practitioners at this crucial time in children's education. Together they lay a secure basis for future achievement. Early years practitioners make a difference to children, not just to their future but to their present - by helping them to develop their curiosity, their playfulness, their need to know about and feel part of a world they are learning more about each day.
The challenge for all early years practitioners is to establish good relationships with children and parents, plan a high quality learning environment and curriculum, support and extend children's play and assess their achievements and planning their next steps.
Making the foundation stage work for children depends on practitioners understanding how children develop during the early years. Practitioners must have a clear awareness of the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes to learning that children need to develop as they move towards the early learning goals.
To help with this, the QCA has worked in close collaboration with early years experts, researchers and practitioners to produce Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage.
The principles outlined in the foundation stage are not new and will be familiar to many practitioners. The difference is that for the first time, they are set out in this nationally agreed document, signalling a new era of early years learning. This will enable practitioners to build on and develop their existing skills and to draw on, celebrate and share existing good and effective practice in the foundation stage.
In developing this new guidance document, QCA recognised that the needs of the practitioner will vary depending on their experience, training and qualifications. Some will need more support than others as they work their way through the foundation stage to successfully implement a curriculum that will help children make progress towards, or beyond the early learning goals.
Stepping stones Practitioners asked for examples of effective learning and teaching. They also asked for examples of children throughout the foundation stage at different stages of progress towards, and, where appropriate, beyond, the early learning goals. This idea is set out in the guidance document as 'stepping stones'.
The 'stepping stones' theme will help practitioners set out ways in which children develop knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes to their learning as they develop throughout the foundation stage. It will help practitioners who perhaps work with only three- and four-year-olds to see what the early learning goals mean for younger or older children in the foundation stage. It shows how each small step plays an important part in the broader picture of children's progress throughout the foundation stage towards the early learning goals.
There are six areas of learning identified by the foundation stage curriculum. This doesn't mean that all of children's learning is divided up into areas, but they will provide a framework for the curriculum and help practitioners plan the learning environ- ment, activities and experiences.
One experience may give a child the opportunity to develop a variety of skills across several areas of learning. For example, children playing with building blocks may work together in carrying the larger and lighter blocks, negotiate the best place to put them, compare the weight and dimensions of the different blocks and act out an imaginary scene. This would develop language, mathematical, physical, personal and social skills throughout the one activity.
Building up trust
One of the principles of the foundation stage is that children should feel included, secure and valued. Practitioners can build up this trust by responding promptly and with genuine interest to children's shared discoveries, ideas and information. They can provide time, space and materials for children to interact with one another in different ways, for example solving problems and sharing confidences.
There also needs to be a relationship based on mutual respect between parents and practitioners to promote that feeling of confidence and security.
Practitioners can do this by working in partnership with parents to support each child and to ensure that no child is disadvantaged or excluded.
Practitioners should take an interest in a child's ethnic, religious and cultural background and home experiences, so that familiar experiences and interests can be used as starting points for teaching and learning.
A good example of this would be a setting which drew on support to ensure that information is available in the child's home language. Providing support of this kind would ensure that families knew about the services available and act as a link between the families, key staff and other agencies.
Monitoring progress
Practitioners need to observe children and respond appropriately to help them make progress. Systematic observations and assessments of each child's achievements, interests and learning styles are used to identify learning priorities and to plan for relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child.
An example of this used in the curriculum guidance is where practitioners made detailed observations of the children, to help them see how children interacted with adults and each other, what their interests were and how learning could be extended. Individual notes were kept for each child which were used in discussions between practitioners with parents and children. Notes were then used when planning activities for the child.
Monitoring of each child's progress throughout the foundation stage is essential to ensure they are making good progress and that any difficulties, whatever the cause, are identified and addressed. This process needs to begin before the child joins the setting, with practitioners talking to parents about their child's development and noting any concerns. Quick and appropriate action from practitioners at this stage could help prevent children having learning difficulties later in their school life.
Not least, monitoring of each child's progress throughout the foundation stage will make sure that their achievements are celebrated.
Special needs
There will be a small number of children in the foundation stage with educational needs or disabilities that require specific provision, such as specialist teaching, adapted equipment or support from an adult, for certain activities. It is vital that these children are identified as soon as possible.
An example of this, used in the curriculum guidance, came from a group situation where one child's hearing was impaired. The child watched other children in the group acting out a story and, by making eye contact with the practitioner, showed that he would like to be involved in the role play. The practitioner responded by coming to sit beside the child and suggested he become one of the actors. By doing so the practitioner encouraged the child to see adults as a resource and ensured that the child was able to participate fully in the activity.
Celebrating diversity
Children are individuals, with individual needs and approaches to their learning. Practitioners can respond to this by taking account of the differing needs of children, their families and their community. They can provide appropriate learning and development opportunities and set realistic and challenging expectations that meet their varied needs, so that most children achieve the early learning goals and some go beyond them by the end of the foundation stage.
Seeing children as individuals is an important part of the foundation stage. The term 'stepping stones' was chosen for the curriculum guidance to describe children's progress towards the early learning goals to avoid the picture of learning that is linear. The 'stepping stones' are not age-related and recognise that children develop in different ways and at their own pace. What is crucial is that practitioners support and extend their learning effectively in ways that are equally diverse to meet those differing needs.
Through the principles set out in the foundation stage practitioners will indeed be able to develop, celebrate and share good and effective practice.
QCA/DfEE(2000), Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage - QCA Publications, Ref: QCA/00/587. To obtain a copy please contact QCA publications on 01787 884444.