7 Areas of Development

What Are The 7 Areas Of Learning?

So, what are the 7 areas of learning in EYFS? Within the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, there are 7 areas of learning and development.

All of the areas are important as they are all interconnected. These 7 areas are used by early years settings to shape their education programmes and to determine what children should learn and how children’s learning and development will be supported through each of these 7 areas.

The 7 areas are split into two categories: the prime areas and the specific areas

The Prime Areas

The prime areas lay the foundations upon which all further learning can develop. The prime areas are also extremely important for ‘igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving’, as stated in the statutory framework for the early years foundation stage.

The three prime areas are:

Communication and Language

There are two different aspects for the early learning goals for communication and language:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

There are three different aspects for the early learning goals for personal, social and emotional
development:

Physical Development

There are two different aspects for the early learning goals for physical development:

The Specific Areas

Early years settings must also support children’s learning and development in the specific areas. The four specific areas are intended to also strengthen learning and development within the prime areas, hence why the 7 areas are seen as being interconnected. The four specific areas are:

Literacy

There are three different aspects for the early learning goals for literacy:

Mathematics

There are two different aspects for the early learning goals for mathematics:

Understanding the World

There are three different aspects for the early learning goals for understanding the world:

Expressive Arts and Design

There are two different aspects for the early learning goals for expressive arts and design:

Within the early learning goals, the 7 areas of learning and development are broken down further into
different aspects. It is these aspects that form the 17 different early learning goals that are reported in the
EYFSP.

Although Development Matters – Non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage
(publishing.service.gov.uk) is not a statutory document, it can be a very useful tool for children’s learning and
development because it gives examples of how practitioners can support in each of the 7 EYFS areas.

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