The document discusses different approaches to early childhood education for ages 3-7 in Wales. It describes the foundation phase framework, which focuses on learning through play rather than traditional classroom activities. Forest schools and Montessori schools are also summarized. Forest schools take place outdoors in forests and allow independent learning. Montessori schools were created in the 1900s to educate poorer children and emphasize child-led learning using hands-on materials. The document stresses that learning through play is vital for early childhood development as it stimulates social, physical, creative and emotional skills.

1. Foundation Phase
Forest schools
Montesorri schools
Learning through play

2. Foundation phase is aimed at children age 3 to 7 in Wales in both maintained
and un-maintained settings. The foundation phase is based so that children get
to learn through play and involvement rather than constantly writing on paper.
It is based on these 7 sections below
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Physical development
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Personal and Social Wellbeing and Cultural Diversity
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Creative development
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Language, Literacy and Communication Skills
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Welsh language development
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Mathematical development
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Knowledge and Understanding of the world

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Forest schools are increasingly becoming more popular and are a type of
outdoor education in which children go with their teachers to learn
Forest schools are used to teach children about the natural world. Usually
the schools have their own forest close by so they can visit it as much as
they want.
Forest schools allow children to do things outside of the classroom that
they thought they would never be able to do.
The children work independently and it lets them make their own
decisions and challenges. It is essential for the children to learn in the
forest because it keeps them mentally active.
. Forest school is process that inspires young children the opportunity to
develop their hands on skills inside a woodland area.
. Some children may think that going into the forest is a treat for them for
being inside a classroom so they will enjoy it more, and when they enjoy
it more they will learn better.

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Montesorri schools were invented by a woman named Maria Montesorri in
the 1900s and it was aimed to teach the poorer children. Since the 1900s it
has become so popular and more and more parents are sending their
children to them.
There are more than 5000 Montesorri schools in the USA and around 600
in the UK. The approach for Montesorri is for children to learn on their
own while being guided by a teacher. Montesorri schools are all about the
children learning in their own way.
The teacher does not mark any of the child’s work or gives back feedback,
they just asses what the child has learnt.
Montesorri schools are designed spectacularly with different work areas
placed around the room. The children know where all the materials are and
they are easy to access at their height level.
By the teacher not being the main person inside the classroom and the
children deciding what they want to do throughout the day, this gives them
a good chance to learn how to work together and improve their team work
skills.

5. Learning through play is vital in education for early year’s children, it
stimulates and develops their social, physical, creative and emotional skills
from an early age and takes it through to their adult life. While children
learning through play they learn about themselves and everything else around
them, this giving the opportunity for self-learning to take place. These are a
few different types of play:
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Dramatic play
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Physical play
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Fantasy Play
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Manipulative Play
A child can use more than one type of play at the same time. For example a
child might be running round which is “physical play” but at the same time
they have dressed up into a football player which is “Dramatic play”