Nursery Topics - Pattern covers all six areas of learning in the English early years curriculum, but it can be adapted easily to suit the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish curricula. The areas of learning are indicated as follows: *Personal, social and emotional development *Communication, language and literacy *Mathematical development *Knowledge and understanding of the world *Physical development *Creative development THEMES AND ACTIVITIES
The QCA Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage is very clear that good practice involves a balance between adult-led and child-initiated play and activities, stating that 'children should notmake a distinction between "play"and "work" and neither should practitioners'. Each of the four themes within Pattern likewise includes a balance between adult-led activities, with a planned learning outcome, and suggestions for child-initiated play that will reinforce learning and allow wider exploration of the skills, knowledge and attitudes that the topic hopes to foster. The four parts are: Part 1 In print
A-L *Sort wallpaper and fabrics with repeating patterns
C-I *Set up a nursery 'factory' for exploring and making patterns
Part 2 Hold the line
A-L *Set out lines of animals using repeating patterns
C-I *Create patterns using different kinds of shells
Part 3 Take wing
A-L *Focus on the symmetrical patterns on butterfly wings
C-I *Explore the changing patterns made by kaleidoscopes
Part 4 Get weaving
A-L *Explore the 'over and under' pattern of weaving
C-I *Design and experiment with printing blocks
C-I *Use finger painting to create a range of patterns
STEPPING STONES.
'Stepping stones', giving informationon how children may proceed toward a given goal, follow each adult-led activity and aim to develop practitioners' understanding of how children learn. They are set out according to a child's experience, but being 'inexperienced' should not be seen as a deficit. The information is intended only as a guide. The Foundation Stage guidance reminds us that children in early years settings have varying levels of experience, regardless of their chronological age, that they will work towards a goal in different ways and that their learning is not always linear.
POSSIBLE LEARNING OUTCOMES.
The child-initiated suggestions include a list of possible learning outcomes to encourage practitioners to reflect on the holistic nature of children's learning. Observing possible, rather than merely planned, learning outcomes provides a much wider understanding of a child's learning.
TOPIC WEB.
The topic web overleaf gives relevant key principles from the Foundation Stage guidance, as these have a greater bearing on the aims and planning of the topic than individual early learning goals. Only the most relevant goals and stepping stones from the QCA Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage are then listed, though the majority of them may apply given the holistic nature of children's learning. Page references to the Foundation Stage guidance are also provided.