The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum in England differs greatly in structure and content to the Te Whariki curriculum in New Zealand; this therefore makes for an interesting comparison. The EYFS was introduced in England, in 2008, by the DfE as a framework that ‘sets the standards for learning, development and care of children from birth to five’ (DfE, 2012). Alternatively, Te Whariki was founded in New Zealand, in 1996, based on the aspirations for children ‘to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society’ (Ministry of Education, 1996). Throughout this essay, the EYFS and Te Whariki curriculums will be compared and contrasted to give a greater understanding of the similarities and differences between England and New Zealand regarding their beliefs about young children’s needs. As previously mentioned, the EYFS and Te Whariki differ in their curriculum styles. The EYFS is significantly more explicit and detailed in its framework compared with the Te Whariki curriculum, making it clearer for practitioners to follow and to use effectively during practice. There are many additional resources available to EYFS practitioners to assist in the provision of appropriate literacy experiences for children, for instance; a CD rom is included in the EYFS teaching pack showing useful video clips of teachers engaging in effective activities, which can further promote successful teaching in England (DCSF, 2008a). In contrast, however, the Te Whariki curriculum has minimal guidance on how teachers plan and assess their pupils, they are advised to ‘develop their own distinctive... ... middle of paper ... ...n, 1996. Te Whãriki: He whãriki mãtauranga mõ ngã mokopuna o Aotearoa. Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. National Early Literacy Panel, 2008. Developing early literacy. Report of the National Early Literacy Panel. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy. Palaiologou, I., 2013. The Early Years Foundation Stage: Theory and Practice. 2nd ed. London: Sage. Soler, J., & Miller, L., 2010. The Struggle for Early Childhood Curricula: A comparison of the English Foundation Stage Curriculum, Te Whariki and Reggio Emilia. International Journal of Early Years Education. London: Routledge. Tickell, C., 2011. The Early Years: Foundations for life, health and learning. An independent report on the Early Years Foundation Stage to Her Majesty’s Government. London: HMG Vygotsky, L.S., 1978. Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was implemented in England in 2008 and applies to all children aged 0-5. This new curriculum combined existing government ideas regarding the care of under 5s including the 'Every Child Matters' (ECM) policy: children's services have to respond to 5 outcomes for all children from birth to 18: being healthy, being protected from harm and neglect, being enabled to enjoy and achieve, making a positive contribution to society, and contributing to economic well-being. The statutory EYFS document stated a need for a 'coherent and flexible approach to care and learning' (DfES - Department for Education and Skills 2007; cited in Palaiologou, 2010, p.11 ), and ensures a quality experience for children regardless of the pre-school setting. EYFS and its direct predecessors were introduced based on the realisation that quality of teaching and management of schools play a central role in children's quality of learning, not socio-economic and educational background, as was previously thought. Pre-school education was seen as a method of helping children 'break the cycle of deprivation' (Baldock, 2009, p.20). However, research by Potter immediately prior to the inception of the EYFS concluded that due to 'insufficiently rigorous conceptual underpinnings, particularly in the area of language and communicatio...
Stewart, Stacy D. "United Way's Focus on Early Grade Reading." National Civic Review 100 (2011): 37. Print.
Lee, B. G. (2008). Early Childhood Education: The Early Years. California : National Social Science Press .
Doherty, J & Hughes M. (2009). Introducing Child Development. In: Child Development Theory and Practice 0-11. England: Pearson Education Limited. p6.
Early years frameworks have an emphasis on a personal approach to learning and development as due to socio-economic changes children are having to spend longer periods away from their carers and therefore need extra care to support their emotional well being. There is also an emphasis on the needs of individual children. This is because children all develop at different rates, are unique and come from a range of backgrounds. All of this means that they will have different needs and will be interested in different things so in order to thrive will need a range of different
Robins, A. and Callan, S. (2010). Managing Early Years Settings: Supporting and Learning Teams. London: Sage.
Early childhood education is a very important step during a child’s educational career. This is the level where the entire framework is laid. The four major areas of development are further defined ...
Te Whᾱriki is the New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum, which was developed in 1996. Compared with Reggio Emilia Approach, they have similarities as focus on children’s interests; develop children’s learning though interacting in relationship with others, emphasise the importance of environment and adults’ active responding. They also differ in many ways, such as teacher’s role, culture background and documentation and Assessment.
Shala, Merita et al. "Early Learning Development Standards for Children Age 0-6." www.masht-gov.net. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. .
From the perspective I have at this stage in my journey in the early childhood education field, I would like to share what I have come to value and believe in regards to early learning and care by looking at my philosophy statement. To begin we will look at the statement and highlight three key features and find out why they are important to me, then we will see what they will look like in my practice, and lastly we will examine these ideas closely by looking at where they originated. By taking an in-depth look at my philosophy statement we will better understand the motivation behind my practice which I hope to continue to refine and refresh as I gain more knowledge and experience.
McDevitt, Teresa M., and Ormrod Jeanne Ellis. Child Development and Curriculum. New York: Pearson, 2009
Veale, F. (2013). Early years for Level 4 & 5 and the Foundation Degree. London: Hodder Education.
In order to promote the best outcome from the curriculum we must consider that each child is an individual in their own right. Tricia David (2001: 55) states that early childhood should be a time of “spontaneity and of exploration according to individual interests”. Thus accounting for the child’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as their likes and dislikes, provides a curriculum, which will promote optimum development. This is also known as a ...
Linda, M. & Linda, P. (2011). Theories and approaches to learning in the early years.
Soler, J. and Miller, L. (2003). The Struggle for Early Childhood Curricula: A comparison of the English Foundation Stage Curriculum, Te Wha¨riki and Reggio Emilia. International Journal of Early Years Education, 11(1), pp.57–68.