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November 4, 2025The Pop-up Nursery Team5 min read

EYFS Explained: What Your Child Should Be Learning (And How to Support It)

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As early years professionals and parents ourselves, we understand that the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) can feel overwhelming at first glance. We often hear parents asking what their children should be learning and how they can help at home. The good news is that the EYFS is designed around how children naturally learn and develop – through play, exploration, and meaningful experiences.

What Is the EYFS?

The Early Years Foundation Stage is the statutory framework that sets standards for learning, development, and care for children from birth to five years old in England. Rather than being a rigid curriculum, it's a framework that recognises how young children learn best and provides guidance for supporting their development across key areas.

The Seven Areas of Learning

Prime Areas (Foundation for Learning)

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

  • What this means: Building confidence, managing feelings, and learning to play and work with others
  • At home: Encourage independence with dressing, help them name emotions, provide opportunities to play with others

Communication and Language

  • What this means: Listening, understanding, and speaking skills
  • At home: Read together daily, have conversations during daily activities, listen to their ideas and respond thoughtfully

Physical Development

  • What this means: Moving, handling objects safely, and understanding healthy choices
  • At home: Provide opportunities for active play, practice using scissors and pencils, involve them in preparing healthy snacks

Specific Areas (Built on Prime Areas)

Literacy

  • What this means: Linking sounds and letters, reading, and writing
  • At home: Share stories, point out print in the environment, encourage mark-making and early writing attempts

Mathematics

  • What this means: Numbers, shape, space, and measure
  • At home: Count during everyday activities, explore shapes and patterns, compare sizes when cooking or playing

Understanding the World

  • What this means: People and communities, the world, and technology
  • At home: Explore nature together, talk about family traditions, safely explore simple technology

Expressive Arts and Design

  • What this means: Exploring media, materials, and being imaginative
  • At home: Provide art materials, encourage music and movement, support role-play and creative storytelling

Age-Appropriate Expectations

Birth to 2 Years

  • Building secure attachments with key people
  • Exploring through senses and movement
  • Beginning to communicate needs and interests
  • Developing basic self-care skills

2-3 Years

  • Growing independence and confidence
  • Playing alongside others
  • Extending vocabulary and language skills
  • Beginning to understand rules and boundaries

3-4 Years

  • Playing cooperatively with others
  • Following multi-step instructions
  • Beginning to recognise letters and numbers
  • Developing fine motor skills for writing

4-5 Years

  • Playing in groups and sharing resources
  • Understanding more complex stories
  • Beginning to read simple words
  • Writing letters and simple words

How to Support Learning at Home

Create Learning Opportunities

Daily Routines as Learning

  • Count steps as you walk upstairs
  • Talk about colours and shapes during meals
  • Practice letter sounds while out and about
  • Discuss weather and seasons during outdoor time

Play-Based Learning

  • Use household items for imaginative play
  • Create obstacles courses for physical development
  • Sort and categorise toys for mathematical thinking
  • Make up stories together for language development

Follow Their Interests

Observe and Extend

  • Notice what captures their attention
  • Provide related books, activities, or experiences
  • Ask open-ended questions about their interests
  • Connect their interests to different learning areas

Supporting Different Learning Styles

Visual Learners

  • Use pictures, books, and visual displays
  • Create charts and simple maps
  • Draw pictures to accompany stories
  • Use colours to organise and categorise

Auditory Learners

  • Sing songs and nursery rhymes regularly
  • Tell stories and encourage storytelling
  • Use rhythm and rhyme for learning
  • Discuss and verbalise thinking processes

Kinaesthetic Learners

  • Provide hands-on activities and experiments
  • Use movement to support learning
  • Encourage building and constructing
  • Practice skills through active play

What Quality EYFS Provision Looks Like

Environment

  • Rich, varied resources that support all learning areas
  • Spaces that can be adapted for different activities
  • Natural materials alongside manufactured toys
  • Books and literacy materials easily accessible

Adult Support

  • Practitioners who understand child development
  • Observation-based planning that builds on children's interests
  • Balance of child-initiated and adult-guided activities
  • Clear understanding of how play supports learning

Assessment and Progress

  • Regular observation of children's learning
  • Documentation that captures learning moments
  • Planning based on individual children's needs and interests
  • Partnership with families in supporting development

Common Misconceptions About EYFS

"It's Too Play-Based for School Preparation"

Research consistently shows that children who experience quality EYFS provision are better prepared for formal learning. They develop crucial skills like concentration, perseverance, and problem-solving.

"Children Should Be Reading and Writing by Age 4"

The EYFS recognises that children develop at different rates. Some children will be reading fluently by 4, while others may not be ready until 6 or 7. Both are perfectly normal.

"Academic Skills Don't Matter in Early Years"

The EYFS absolutely supports academic development – it just does so through developmentally appropriate methods that respect how young children learn best.

Supporting Your Child's Unique Journey

Individual Development

  • Every child develops at their own pace
  • Celebrate small steps and progress
  • Don't compare your child to others
  • Focus on effort rather than achievement

Building Confidence

  • Provide achievable challenges
  • Encourage independence in age-appropriate ways
  • Acknowledge their interests and strengths
  • Create opportunities for success

Our EYFS Approach

We're committed to implementing the EYFS in a way that truly supports each child's individual development while ensuring they're well-prepared for their next steps in learning.

Our approach includes:

  • Play-based learning that covers all EYFS areas naturally
  • Observation and planning based on individual children's interests
  • Partnership with families to support learning at home
  • Celebration of each child's unique journey and achievements

What this means for your child:

  • Learning experiences that feel meaningful and enjoyable
  • Development that respects their individual pace and interests
  • Strong foundation skills for future learning
  • Confidence and enthusiasm for discovery and growth

Want to see the EYFS in action? Join our waiting list to learn more about how we're planning to bring this framework to life when we open in 2026.