Nursery World - A Guide to the Revised EYFS: Part 2

Observation provides a lens through which to view the child's world, so it needs to remain at the heart of a setting's planning cycle under the revised EYFS if practitioners are to meet the developmental and learning needs of every child, says Ann Langston.

I listened recently to a practitioner telling a story about her own learning. She had noted that one boy in her group, unlike his peers, was building a long, low structure of blocks. The boy selected block after block, creating a 3m by 0.5m structure, until finally he ran out of floor space when his construction reached a wall.

The practitioner was amazed to note the care with which the boy fitted smaller blocks against the wall so that no gaps were left between the wall and what she assumed was his 'path'. He then began to walk carefully along the 'path', stopping from time to time to stamp his heels firmly on certain blocks. Interested in the boy's imagination and concentration, the practitioner discussed his 'path' with him, photographed the construction and made a note about his precision and attention to detail.

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