Early Years Advisory Team

‘Children are born ready, able and eager to learn.

They actively reach out to interact with other

people, and in the world around them.

Development is not an automatic process,

however. It depends on each unique child having

opportunities to interact in positive

relationships and enabling environments.’ EYFS 2012

3

‘In planning and guiding children’s activities, practitioners

must reflect on the different ways that children learn and

reflect these in their practice. Three characteristics of

effective learning are:

• playing and exploring – children investigate and

experience things and ‘have a go’

• active learning – children concentrate and keep on

trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy

achievements

• creating and thinking critically – children have and

develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and

develop strategies for doing things.’

EYFS 2012

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Characteristics of Effective Learning

The adult role affects both how and what a child

learns.

The adult role

Ready, willing and able to learn

Finding out and exploring

Playing with what they know

Being willing to ‘have a go’

Playing and exploring

Being involved and concentrating

Keeping on trying

Enjoying achieving what they set out to do

Active Learning

Creating and thinking critically

Having their own ideas

Making links

Choosing ways to do things

Talking, thinking, sharing

• Allow children sufficient time to play and explore

with materials before using them in planned

activities

• Establish enabling conditions for learning

• Develop a learning culture which focuses on

how and not just what we are learning

• Model being a thinker

Key messages