Understanding the World

Understanding the world is one of the four specific areas within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This area Involves supporting children in making sense of the world around them and their community by providing opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.

The key areas within Understanding the world are: Past and Present, People Culture and Communities and The Natural World

Past and Present

Children at the expected level of development will:

– Talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society;

– Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;

– Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling;

People Culture and Communities

Children at the expected level of development will:

– Describe their immediate environment using knowledge from observation, discussion, stories, non-fiction texts and maps;

– Know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;

– Explain some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries, drawing on knowledge from stories, non-fiction texts and – when appropriate – maps.

The Natural World

Children at the expected level of development will:

– Explore the natural world around them, making observations and drawing pictures of animals and plants;

– Know some similarities and differences between the natural world around them and contrasting environments, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;

– Understand some important processes and changes in the natural world around them, including the seasons and changing states of matter.