A consideration of the principles and practice that underpin the Early Years Foundation Stage and how the current framework relates to young children’s needs and interests

IntroductionDfE (2013a) enunciates that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a effect of statutory guidelines which all frycare providers (including schools, nurseries and churlrens centres) must adhere to in catering for children amidst the ages of 0 to 5, upon which time they dispense with enter full-time gentility. The EYFS has been in circulation for several old age, belowgoing numerous revisions and amendments. The most recent version was publish in September 2014 and is a simplified version of past documents, by having four overarching principles which is guided upon every child is fantastic, children become strong through with(predicate) developing unequivocal races, children acquire and develop well in modify environments and finally that children develop and mark off at different range (DfE, 2014). These 4 areas give provide the structure for this assignment. The EYFS seems to comprehensively cover all the necessitate which children may turn in in their formative years. It is similarly con au and thentic with preliminary initiatives the governing body curb devised, much(prenominal) as SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of accomplishment), which implored t for each oneers and practitioners to abide by a holistic stance in educating their pupils (DfE, 2010) and Every Child Matters, which evince that each child was an individualist and should be treated as so (DfE, 2004).Principle 1- Every Child is UniquePerhaps the most historied principle espo kind occasiond in the current archaean years mannikin is the need to recognise the child as an individual, one who is ludicrous and should keep up care tailored to meet their needs (DfE, 2014). This is a point which seems to have sound theoretical backing. Bandura (1977) feels that children do develop in a unique manner, alike giving creed to the fact that the social environment influences their development, aboutthing the EYFS also seems to value. Bandura also fe els that social interaction is something that is imperative to the childs development, which is contract with the communication and language need identified by the framework. Although Piaget (1952) does recognise that each child is an individual, he posits that their development amongst each other is fairly uniform, as he feels that children upgrade through a series of fixed stages, oddly in a cognitive manner. This seems to be slightly different to the kernel which the EYFS framework conveys, as they do recognise that children progress through stages, nevertheless the document expresses that their development may non be so self-coloured rather each child is on their own unique wise(p)ness journey (DfE, 2014). In my own practice, children were treated as an individual, with an focus on the present, rather than adhering to a fixed model of child development. On my localisation each child had their own box and folder where detailed notes on them were kept, which shows how t hey were existence considered as individuals. It seems important to treat the child as an individual so that they bed grow in stature and become someone who has an authentic identity. This is something which is inherent with the theory of constructivism which advocates children cosmos treated as individuals who crystalise sense of their world in a agency which is unique to them, allowing them to build understanding in a way which is special to them (Bruner, 1961 22). This seems to ratify the ethos of the current EYFS framework in treating children uniquely, although parallel to this, it may also be given(p) to bear in mind that on that point are genuine stages which children progress through. Even if each childs development is not uniform, there may still be some similarities between them, which necessitates the importance of consulting veritable theoretical models of development.Principle 2- Children become strong and independent through positive relationshipsThis prin ciple seems to be slightly paradoxical in nature. Piaget (1952) articulates the importance of children be active and independent whereas Vygotsky (1977) feels that guided participation (from an adult or proletarian) is all-important(a) in fostering a childs development. The EYFS framework arguably combines these theoretical notions, recognising that children should have be independent and be up to(p) to explore, whilst being able to have a positive relationship with their break person, the adult who is most involved in their care (DfE, 2014). The framework elaborates that it is the happen upons person role to ensure that the child becomes settled into the environment, becomes comfortable in the setting and also to build a productive relationship with the parents. Whilst these are undoubtedly important, Bandura (1977) offers an extra dimension of the mark actors role, which is that they shag model and dis victimize the desirable behaviours which the children they look afte r can copy and imitate, a phenomenon which Bandura feels is particularly powerful in influencing a childs development. brunette and Page (2008) emphasise the importance of the key person, in that they should exude warmth, friendliness and possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills which will enable them to develop a rapport with the child and be able to conduce to their development successfully. A supposition could be made that more than of the key attributes that a key person should possess are analogous to that of a teacher in mainstream education.Nutbrown and Page (2008) also cover of the importance of the key worker handling the transition for young children from being attached to their parents before progressing to being looked after in the childrens centre. This is something which has been cover many times in empirical theories which surround childrens development. Bowlby (1951), an in high spirits psychoanalyst, put forward the theory of trammel, where he stated that infants form an fastener to a primary caregiver (known as monotropy), typically with the mother, in the beginning(a) few years of their life and should receive continuous care from this attachment figure for the first two years of their life. This seems to align well with coetaneous practice, with the majority of children going to nursery when they are nearly three years old (Gov.uk, 2014). Bowlby (1953) conceptualised the absence of such care as maternal deprivation, positing that this could have many ramifications for the child such as delinquency, apathy, reduced intelligence and depression. However, a criticism of Bowlbys attachment theory is that he did not distinguish the influence of other stakeholders in the childs care, such as the father, key worker or extended family members. Elfer et al. (2003) concentrate specifically on the relationship between carers and the child, advocating that they should exude warmth and friendliness and not jump away from fo rming a strong bond with the infant for fear of mistake it, as flat a baby is able to discern between their parents and their carers.The literature expressed above seems to evidence the importance of the key worker in meeting the childs needs, something which the EYFS framework also gives credence too. Key workers are influential in economic aiding children to gain some stability in the setting and become comfortable there and allowing them to lucubrate and prosper. If they form a levelheaded relationship with the child this can dish them to achieve their early nurture goals, particularly in how they communicate with others and explore the world roughly them (DfE, 2013b).Sylva et al. (2004) articulated the importance of the key worker being on good terms with the parent in their supreme EPPE study, which asserted that each child should be assigned a key worker. Essentially, if the key worker has a good relationship with the parent this may allow children to form a better re lationship with the key worker and have all of their needs fulfilled, it could also boost the engagement of certain groups of parents such as teen mums, something which my placement noted the importance of. DfE (2013a) also highlight the importance of key workers being suitably trained and better so they can provide a good service to the children under their care. This was again apparent in the childrens centre which I visited, where the early years teachers had to be educated at least up to a Level 3 standard. In essence, children need to build positive relationships with those around them to become independent, and the key worker is at the centre of this.Principle 3- Children learn and develop well in enabling environmentsPiaget (1952) conjectured that babies are naturally searching and want to explore the world around them and become active participants in spite of appearance it. thitherfore it seems leave that there should be an environment which stimulates them to do that, intellectually, socially and building their autonomy and independence. Such environments are deemed to be enabling with the key worker again at the centre of cultivating and propagating such an environment, which could be probablely similar to the environment to the child is exposed to at home, to ensure great consistency and continuity (DfE, 2014).However, structuring the environment in such a way may allow children to learn about concepts which will be of use to them in their development as an adult. The childrens centre where I was position at were proponents of heuristic learning in getting the children to problem-solve and explore activities, with the emphasis being on play and reward, with items like treasure baskets used instead frequently (See Appendix A). Outdoor and interior learning in the EYFs seems to be equally important, something which the establishment recognises and gives credence to in the EYFS framework, making it mandatory that child care providers give a ccess to an outdoor environment which is safe and has plenty of opportunities for play (DfE, 2014). Garrick et al. (2010) extend this, articulating that the environment of an EYFS setting should have abundant opportunities for play, including allowing children to indulge in creative pursuits (something their study valued highly), physical opportunities (like sports and outdoor play areas) and arrive at play. If a centre did include such an extensive range of opportunities, this could allow them to cater for a larger spectrum of learners as it is widely acknowledged that pupils thrive and learn in a troops of different ways (Gardner, 2004). Furthermore, the potential for progression in the children could be enhanced if they were encourage to develop a growth mindset by staff and engage in activities that they would not do normally, so they can become more familiar with change undertakings and not be reticent to challenges in their future life (Dweck, 2006).The indoor environme nt is imperative also to facilitating childrens development. As previously mentioned, there should be ample opportunities for children to engage in a wide smorgasbord of activities to stimulate them in different ways. A multi-sensory approach can contribute significantly to the development of children and really aid them in reaching a higher level of maturity and cognition, as they interact with the world around them in different ways and become more flexible and adaptable. make (2012) infers that such an approach could have positive longitudinal consequences for the child, including improved schoolman attainment and retention of knowledge, which seems to be a sound rule for such an approach. Whilst it seems inhering that the indoor environment should be stimulating cognitively, it may be wise not to neglect the emotional aspect of it. Again, the key worker is at the centre of providing the warmth needed in an enabling environment. Nutbrown and Page (2008) assert that they sho uld show warm responses to the children under their care and fight back well to them.In essence, an enabling environment is made up of the components of desirable and stimulating indoor and outdoor areas, which the key worker is central in maintaining and facilitating.Principle 4- Children develop and learn in different ways and ratesThe final principle espoused by the EYFS framework is perhaps more concerned with the cognition of children, although it does refer to their social and emotional development in part. Nevertheless, Katz (1988, as cited in Carr, 2001, p.21) hypothesises that each child has a certain disposition, something which is transparent from learning it is concerned more with how they react to certain situations and the habits they adopt and put out out on a regular basis. In a posterior document, Katz (1993) elaborates that dispositions in young children are normally learned from those around or the environment they are raised in or looked after, which seems to resonate with Banduras (1977) theory of modelling mentioned earlier in the assignment. Katz (1993) also articulates that dispositions are strengthened when they are acknowledged and efforts are made to continue them (particularly if they are good habits), which seems to emphasise the importance of treating the child as an individual.It seems evident that all children learn and develop in different ways, as evidenced by the tilt above. However, a conjecture could be made that there may be certain strategies which a practitioner or worker can go through which will result in children developing into sensible and mature adults. sensation way in which to do this is to cultivate a childs resilience in their ability to pick out a task or try a new activity. Children may give up if they savvy the task to be beyond their capabilities and not extend themselves to complete this. This could be a natural response from the child (particularly if the task is incommensurate with their ski llset) or it could be something that they have learned over time. Dweck (1975 673) terms this as learned helplessness, where a child habitually gives up in the portray of a contend task or adversity, possibly because of a overlook of response from the adult in encouraging the child to complete the task and persevere.Combining the sentiments expressed by Katz and the argument above, could be essential in helping children to progress sequesterly, particularly when faced with unfamiliar situations and tasks. Siraj- Blatchford et al. (2002) concluded in their Researching telling Pedagogy in the Early Years (REPEY) study that share sustained thinking was crucial in helping a child to tackle new problems and persist. This is defined as two or more individuals (with at least one adult facilitator) working together to complete a task, although the authors stress that each person should be actively lend to the task, and that there must be a progression towards an eventual solution, ev en if that is reached straight away. This coincides with Vygotskys (1977) theory of cognitive development, which posits that a child will enhance their zone of proximal development (the difference between what they can do on their own and with help) if they are supported by a more knowledgeable other such as an adult or more capable peer. Both arguments suggest that collaboration between adults and children is essential to further the childs development, although again the manner in which this is through with(p) should be unique to the child by using questioning which is appropriate to the childs level of cognitive development (Bloom et al., 1956).ConclusionThe rationale which underpins the EYFS framework is the need to treat the child as a unique individual and consider their needs at length, in a cognitive, emotional, social and physical sense to facilitate optimum development in them. There are several ways to ensure this, including that the environment is stimulating and appro priate enough for the childs needs, that they have access to a multitude of activities, that the key worker has a warm and fulfilling relationship with the child and that they encouraged to develop a growth mind set and persevere with challenging tasks with the facilitation of another adult. Arguably, if a childcare provider follows all of the actions above and adheres to the EYFS framework, then this should allow for children to progress to the desired level of development and maturity.ReferencesBandura, A. (1977) Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice Hall.Bloom, B. S., Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H. and Krathwohl, D. R. (1956) Taxonomy of educational objectives The classification of educational goals. Handbook I Cognitive domain. recent York David McKay Company.Bowlby, J. (1951) Maternal Care and Mental wellness. World Health Organization Monograph.Bowlby, J. (1953) Child Care and the Growth of Love. capital of the United Kingdom Penguin Books.Bruner, J. S. (1961) The act of denudation. Harvard developmental Review, 31 (1) 2132.Carr, M. (2001) Assessment in Early childhood Settings. London SAGE.Department for Family, facts of life and Skills (2004) Every Child Matters. 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