Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS)

If we look at each of the learning areas in the Foundation Stage we can see how Click IT's programme incorporates the Early Learning Goals.

Personal, social and emotional development:

Within a Click IT lesson the children are expected to:-

* Work within a group environment.
* Share with others.
* Take turns in speaking and listening.
* Sit quietly and behave in an appropriate way.
* Develop a relationship with their ICT tutor/peers.
* Be aware of the feelings, views and ideas of the others in the group.
* Think independently.
* Communicate in a small group.
* Take turns in conversation.

Communication, Language and Literacy:

* Understand that written text has meaning
* The sounds and names of letters of the alphabet
* Listening and speaking,
* Experience different forms of text i.e poems, rhymes, stories and lists.

Most of the software that we use will have areas that deal with language and literacy. We use interactive story books. Here the child is learning that text is read from left to right and top to bottom, that text has meaning that relates to the drawing, and also about rhyming words. We use phonics in all our software. Our designed projects also allow the children to experiment with stories and other meaningful text such as using words to describe their pictures and using the keyboard to type in their name.

Problem Solving, Numeracy and Reasoning:

Our activities specifically incorporate mathematical concepts such as:-

* Completing patterns
* Recognising shapes
* Quantity with numbers
* Opportunities to count to 20.
* Recognise shapes and size using words such as bigger, smaller, circle and square.
* Spatial awareness.
* Simple adding and subtracting.

Knowledge and understanding of the world:

* Asking questions.
* Projects such as 'Where we live' and 'All about me'
* Concept of time and past and present.
* Patterns.

Within our termly plan we try to allow the children to discuss and choose, from a familiar piece of software, the programmes they like and dislike. Within each session we try where possible to allow for free choice. The children are allowed to make mistakes and to repeat activities, if they so wish.

Physical development:

Spatial awareness is encouraged by working in a group situation. Working with computers on a regular basis and in a controlled, educational environment helps children to appreciate them as a tool for learning and as they continue to use them they gain more control and become more efficient at a very young age. Fine motor skills are required for using the mouse.

Creative development:

Our projects give children a chance to be creative and to use their imagination. The computer is used as a medium with which to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas. Our specially designed projects allow them to use the computer as a graphics tool. At the end of each session we usually have finger rhymes and singing. We also have some fantastic music activities where the children can experiment with musical sounds, melodies and tempo.

All our activities and projects cover some or all of the development areas and help us to develop an ICT curriculum that encompasses all of the Early Learning Goals.