Child Development

 

At Ladymount Pre-School we strive to provide a nurturing, challenging and emotionally supportive environment in which children can thrive and develop. Parents and Carers are valued partners in learning and we encourage participation in this process through Tapestry, our online observation and sharing tool. Parents add photographs, home experiences and comments, which helps us build a holistic picture of the child. We also build strong and trusting relationships with families, which enables us to have positive conversations about all aspects of their child’s care and needs.

Children in our care are offered a wide range of activities and experiences, which enriches their learning and we welcome all input from parents and carers that can support this.

We provide a good balance of child-led and adult led activities, understanding the importance of a play based curriculum. We support children’s social and independent skills and teach children to be tolerant, kind and respectful to others. We are an inclusive setting and we aim to help every child to fulfill their potential through provision of an enabling environment, positive relationships, and recognition of each child being unique.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework

Prime Areas:

Personal, Social & Emotional Development

This area of development includes:

  • Supporting children in having confidence in exploring, engaging and ‘having a go’, taking pride in their own achievements and perseverance.

  • Becoming aware of the needs of others as well as themselves and building friendships based on this.

  • Following routines and respecting boundaries,

  • Supporting independent skills in dressing and personal hygiene

  • Developing respect for others and the understanding and acceptance that not everyone will agree with them

Communication & Language Development

This area of development includes:

  • Being able to listen when someone else is talking

  • Extending their vocabulary by gaining understanding of the meaning of new words and being able to use them in context

  • Supporting children in talking about their experiences and scribing words for them when relaying stories

  • Being able to follow a simple one part or two part instruction

Physical development OF CHILDREN

This area of development includes:

Gaining control over large body movements that children are able to  make with their arms, legs and bodies, so that they can run, jump, hop, skip, roll, balance climb and lift. This includes developing the muscles from shoulder to wrist by providing activities to support each step.

  • Gaining control over fine motor movements they make with their arms, wrists and hands, so that they can manipulate objects, tools and materials effectively and safely

  •  Learning about our bodies and how a healthy diet, exercise and sleep can contribute to good health

Specific Areas

Literacy

This area of development includes:

  • Gaining a love of stories and books

  • Talking about familiar stories and joining in with songs and rhymes

  • Being able to handle books and turn pages, knowing that in English, print is read from left to right

  • Become aware of print in the environment

  • Ascribe meaning to marks they make

  • Form letters in their name

Understanding of the World

This area of development includes:

  • Exploring their natural world and ask questions about how it works

  • Investigating man-made objects and showing curiosity

  • Show awareness of technology in their environment and know how some works and what it is for

  • Be able to use some technology equipment independently

  • Explore and talk about the local environment and their own experiences, both past and present.

  • Explore other cultures as well as their own, celebrating differences and talking about special family events.

Mathematical Development

This area of development includes:

  • Understanding the concept of number and counting rather than just rote counting in sequence.

  • Introducing mathematical ideas such as ‘how many, how big, how small?’

  • Exploring pattern, shape and the space that is taken up by objects

  • Becoming aware of weight, length and volume through experimentation with a wide range of objects

Expressive Arts and Design

This area of development includes:

  • Supporting children in exploring a range of media and materials to express themselves visually, verbally, through music and through dance.

  • Join in with group play, bringing in a storyline.

  • Developing imaginative skills that enable children to fully engage in play and use objects around them to support this.