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I've been thinking a lot about why I'm so uncomfortable with the idea of a ' #curriculum progression model' in #EYFS. (In fact, I woke up in the middle of the night pondering this very question.) Here are some of my initial thoughts. #thread 1/n
Firstly I worry about the unique child. How can we say we are treating the children as unique if we've decided ahead of time what they 'must learn' in order to 'progress' through our #curriculum? #EYFS 2/n
If we use a #curriculum progression model, it becomes more about what the settings need or want from the children, rather than what the children need or want from the settings. That's not right, especially in a non compulsory phase. #EYFS 3/n
Inevitably, the approach has to become more adult directed, and some of the children might not be interested in what you planned for them to learn in your #curriculum. What if they say 'no thanks'? #EYFS 4/n
I'm also bothered by the idea that settings take credit for 'progression' in something the child learned to do elsewhere. I taught both my own kids to ride a bike (as I suspect lots of parents did). #EYFS #curriculum 5/n
On a similar note, how do these models fit with the idea of challenge and of children arriving with 'funds of knowledge' that the setting builds on? What if our plans include things they know or can already do? #EYFS #curriculum 6/n
It also seems to me likely to lose the personalisation that is such a unique part of the #EYFS. Our high ratios allow us to plan a carefully personalised set of next steps for each child. That's very special. #curriculum 7/n
I also worry about the idea that we only focus on a small group of children, and the rest just 'progress' through our planned #curriculum. Our parents rightly expect that their children are treated as special and unique. #EYFS 8/n
I'm very worried about the level of workload being generated in some of the #curriculum progression documents I've seen. I thought this stuff was meant to reduce workload? Practitioners have enough on their plates already. #EYFS 9/n
I'm also troubled by the cost of some of the ideas. We've got a £10k hole in our budget this year. Where do we get the money for extra CPD? Where do we get the money for trips? We don't have a handy museum or beach nearby. #EYFS #curriculum 10/n
And then finally (for now) the model seems to assume that children learn in a linear way. In my experience that just isn't true. What if they want to challenge themselves by doing something that comes later in the #curriculum plan? What then? #EYFS /Ends
