Introduction to ‘Finding Out’
Finding out is all about a child’s knowledge and understanding of their world. It can include exploring, investigating, designing and making; using computers, discovering the living world, people and nature around them, experiencing other cultures and beliefs and thinking about different life events.
Children start learning right from birth, if not sooner! Their learning may not be as obvious at first but babies gather knowledge at an astonishing rate. All children are individuals and some may learn things later than others. Understanding the reasons why things happen comes a bit later, and is helped a great deal by talking with adults to answer any questions.
At CBeebies, we have linked our 7 learning areas with the EYFS curriculum. ‘Finding Out’ closely matches the EYFS curriculum area of Knowledge and Understanding of the World/ Understanding of the World.
What is the EYFS?
The Early Years Foundation Stage is a curriculum used by all care and education providers working with children from birth to the age of five (or the end of your child’s reception year).
It describes how adults working with young children can support the development of a child’s existing knowledge, skills and understanding in all areas of their learning.
The EYFS recognises that all children are individual and will learn and make progress at their own pace, aiming to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of their reception year.
The EYFS curriculum is delivered through a play-based approach to learning, offering fun and practical activities and hands-on experience. As a parent or carer, you will know your child best and it’s important that you share your knowledge of your child’s achievements with the adults they are working with.
The EYFS is currently divided into 6 areas of learning. These areas are:
Ideas for finding out with CBeebies
The games, songs and stories across CBeebies relate to all areas of learning from the EYFS curriculum. Use them as a ‘starting point’ to inspire your child to want to find out more about a whole range of topics and interests.
Here are a few ideas for games you can do at home to support Knowledge and Understanding of the World:
Play Mr Bloom’s ‘Guess the Veg’ game and listen to Mr Bloom’s descriptive clues. If there’s a vegetable that you’re child hasn’t eaten before, why not take a trip to the shops to buy it? Talk about how it feels and smells and tastes. You might even feel inspired to have a go at growing some vegetables of your own!
Dance together to the Boogie Beebies Weather Song. Talk to your child about what the weather is like today, asking lots of questions to find out their thinking and understanding. What sort of clothes do you choose to wear when you’re going out and about? Why do we wear wellies when it rains or woolly hats when it’s cold?
Enjoy PC Plum’s’ Nature Trail’ and click on the different creatures as you spot them. Armed with a magnifying glass or binoculars, and maybe a camera, you could go on a ‘bug hunt’ of your own.
Play Green Balloon Club’s ‘What’s That Noise’ game. Does your child recognise which animals make each sound? Think of other animal sounds together and teach your child some sounds of animals they may not have heard before. Your child can find out about characteristics of living things, and explain their own knowledge and understanding, which forms part of the EYFS curriculum.
