The Foundation Phase

'Most children do three extraordinary things in the first two years of brain development. They begin to think, walk and pretend.' [1](Dfes 2008)

The Foundation Phase is the curriculum for children ages 3 to 7 based in Wales. It is a combination of the Early Years Education and Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. It largely emphasizes and encourages the ability for children to learn through play and active involvement, by giving them more opportunities to explore the world around them and learn from real experiences, and also to enable a sense of continuity throughout a child's learning and development. Pritchard supports the encouragement of active involvement towards children saying,

 “We have seen that without engagement with the content of an activity, effective learning is far less likely to be the result of anything that teachers ask children to do.” [2] (Pritchard, 2005:39)

http://www.torfaenfis.org.uk/default.asp?page=5&menu=1&fsize=1&lang=e

The principles of the Foundation Phase are:

• Empowerment

(The curriculum of the Foundation Phase should encourage and empower all children in their motivation and ability to learn as well as grow)

• Family & Community

(Family and community should be an essential part of the Foundation Phase)

• Holistic Development

(The curriculum should reflect the integrated way all children learn)

• Relationships 

(Reflection on the responsive and reciprocal way of children learning) 

A very important factor in the Foundation Phase is to help children to gain knowledge and understanding of the world. This area of the Foundation Phase encourages children to develop independently in their understanding of the environment and to explore their own surroundings. Children are able to learn about the concerns of the environment and what they can do to help as they research into the wider world, developing on their own opinions and feelings on the topic. Children need to learn from real experiences to understand how to react to certain situations.

Well-being, cultural diversity and personal and social development are key areas of learning to the Foundation Phase. Children need to be aware of the fact they can feel accepted in a class environment and be given the opportunity to gain full confidence in their work and their own thinking. They also need to know the importance of personal safety and health and nutrition, understanding where to go when feeling unsafe and the fact that food and water are necessities in life as they develop their health.

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[1] (Dfes 2008)

[2] Pritchard, A. (2005) Ways of Learning: Learning Theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom. London: David Fulton Publishers.