In Reception we observe and assess children’s learning in seven areas. These are: communication and language; personal, social and emotional development; physical development; literacy; maths; knowledge of the world and expressive arts and design. Alongside these we observe children’s characteristics of effective learning.
These characteristics and the areas of learning and development are all interconnected.
‘The ways in which the child engages with other people and their environment – playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically – underpin learning and development across all areas and support the child to remain an effective and motivated learner.”
The characteristics of effective learning are:
Playing and exploring – engagement
- Finding out and exploring
- Playing with what they know
- Being willing to ‘have a go’
Active learning – motivation
- Being involved and concentrating
- Keeping trying
- Enjoying achieving what they set out to do
Creating and thinking critically – thinking
- Having their own ideas
- Making links
- Choosing ways to do things