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Alignment with UK Curriculum Framework
Alignment of LIFE’s (Learning Integration for Education) Offerings with UK Curriculum
Purpose of the Framework
This framework is mandatory for all early years providers in England from 1 September 2021.
Ofsted and inspectorates of independent schools have regard to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in carrying out inspections and report on the quality and standards of provision. Ofsted publishes inspection reports at www.gov.uk/ofsted. Ofsted may issue actions (in respect of any failure to meet a requirement in the document) and/or may issue a welfare requirements notice (in respect of Section 3). It is an offence for a provider to fail to comply with a welfare requirements notice. Early years childminder agencies are also under a duty to have regard to the EYFS in the exercise of their functions.
The learning and development requirements in sections 1 and 2 of this framework, and the safeguarding and welfare requirements in section 3 of this framework, are indicated by the use of the word “must”. Additionally, early years providers must “have regard” to other provisions in these sections. These provisions are indicated by the use of the word “should”. “Having regard” to these provisions means that early years providers must take them into account when providing early years provision and should not depart from them unless there is good reason for doing so.
Introduction
Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the support that enables them to fulfil their potential. Children develop quickly in the early years and a child’s experiences between birth and age five have a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right. Good parenting and high quality early learning together provide the foundation children need to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards that all early years
providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept
healthy and safe. It promotes teaching and learning to ensure children’s ‘school
readiness’ and gives children the broad range of knowledge and skills that provide
the right foundation for good future progress through school and life.
The EYFS seeks to provide:
A Secure Foundation
through planning for the learning and development of each individual child, and assessing and reviewing what they have learned regularly
Quality & Consistency
in all early years settings, so that every child makes good progress and no child gets left behind
Working Partnership
between practitioners and with parents and/or carers
Equality of Opportunity
and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported
The EYFS Framework Requirements
The EYFS specifies requirements for learning and development and for safeguarding children and promoting their welfare. The learning and development requirements cover:
• the seven areas of learning and development which must shape activities and experiences (educational programmes) for children in all early years settings
• the early learning goals that providers must help children work towards (the knowledge, skills and understanding children should have at the end of the academic year in which they turn five)
• assessment arrangements for measuring progress (and requirements for reporting to parents and/or caretakers)
Overarching Principles
Four guiding principles should shape practice in early years settings. These are:
• every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured
• children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
• children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults, who respond to their individual interests and needs and help them to build their learning over time. Children benefit from a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and/or caretakers.
• importance of learning and development. Children develop and learn at different rates. (See “the characteristics of effective teaching and learning” at paragraph 1.15). The framework covers the education and care of all children in early years provision, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The 7 Areas of
Learning & Development
Communication & Language
Personal, Social & Emotional Development
Physical
Development
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts & Design
Communication & Language
ELG: Listening, Attention and Understanding
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions, comments and actions when being read to and during whole class discussions and small group interactions;
– Make comments about what they have heard and ask questions to clarify their understanding;
– Hold conversation when engaged in back-and-forth exchanges with their teacher and peers.
ELG: Speaking
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Participate in small group, class and one-to-one discussions, offering their own ideas, using recently introduced vocabulary;
– Offer explanations for why things might happen, making use of recently introduced vocabulary from stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems when appropriate;
– Express their ideas and feelings about their experiences using full sentences, including use of past, present and future tenses and making use of conjunctions, with modelling and support from their teacher.
How We Align
Our Augmented Reality activities include story telling sessions in which children have to listen and repeat what they hear. These sessions involve the entire classroom in each activity.
The story telling sessions are followed by a craft activity in which children listen to instructions, clarify by asking questions and follow the instructions given by the teacher.
Example: http://ilifelearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/UK-example-2-Listening-Attention-Understanding.pdf
Learning about “A Cold Bear” story on i-Life Toggle app: https://youtu.be/SjGF4IMS420
Example of a child listening attentively and responding while using our app: https://youtube.com/shorts/UtlabJrdolA
i-Life DIY App User Interface:
Personal, Social & Emotional Development
ELG: Self-Regulation
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Show an understanding of their own feelings and those of others, and begin to regulate their behaviour accordingly;
ELG: Managing Self
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Be confident to try new activities and show independence, resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge;
– Explain the reasons for rules, know right from wrong and try to behave accordingly;
– Manage their own basic hygiene and personal needs, including dressing, going to the toilet and understanding the importance of healthy food choices.
How We Align
Our collection of self-checking worksheets, which work with our i-Life app, encourage children to try new and challenging activities independently and use the mobile app to validate their answers on their own.
Here’s a video showcasing our self-checking worksheets in action: https://youtube.com/shorts/fYHpqsr4xR0
ELG: Building Relationships
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Work and play cooperatively and take turns with others;
– Form positive attachments to adults and friendships with peers;
– Show sensitivity to their own and to others’ needs.
How We Align
Our program’s activities encourage children to play in groups and build working relationships. Here’s a brief section from a video taken at a school during a recent implementation at Creative Learning Academy, Sugar Land, Texas.
Physical Development
ELG: Gross Motor Skills
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Negotiate space and obstacles safely, with consideration for themselves and others;
– Demonstrate strength, balance and coordination when playing;
– Move energetically, such as running, jumping, dancing, hopping, skipping and climbing.
How We Align
Example of detailed lesson plan embedded with AR / VR activities and worksheets: http://ilifelearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/UK-example-3-Gross-motor-skills.pdf
ELG: Fine Motor Skills
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing
– using the tripod grip in almost all cases;
– Use a range of small tools, including scissors, paint brushes and cutlery;
– Begin to show accuracy and care when drawing.
How We Align
We have a vast collection of writing and tracing worksheets designed by our academic team on our CMS platform aimed at developing fine motor skills: https://teach.ilifelearn.com
Literacy
ELG: Comprehension
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Demonstrate understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narratives using their own words and recently introduced vocabulary;
– Anticipate – where appropriate – key events in stories;
– Use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems and during role-play.
ELG: Word Reading
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Say a sound for each letter in the alphabet and at least 10 digraphs;
– Read words consistent with their phonic knowledge by sound-blending;
– Read aloud simple sentences and books that are consistent with their phonic knowledge, including some common exception words.
How We Align
Our “Love to Read” app and stories therein are specially designed to build vocabulary and reading & comprehension skills. Children also learn digraphs and blends and read aloud sentences in the process.
Here’s a screen recording of the app: https://youtu.be/I9u197Fkw_I
We have a collection of games created by us that help children learn words in a gamified manner. These games can be scaled up for any level (grade). For example: https://phonic-game.web.app/
ELG: Writing
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed;
– Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters;
– Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others.
How We Align
Our worksheets for learning phonics, blends and digraphs help children write recognisable letters, spell words and write simple phrases and sentences.
Here are some example worksheets:
Tracing Sheet – W for Walrus
Blends – “sw” and “sk”
Identifying Digraphs
Mathematics
ELG: Number
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Have a deep understanding of numbers up to 10, including the composition of each number;
– Subitise (recognise quantities without counting) up to 5;
– Automatically recall (without reference to rhymes, counting or other aids) number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including double facts.
ELG: Numerical Patterns
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system;
– Compare quantities up to 10 in different contexts, recognising when one quantity is greater than, less than or the same as the other quantity;
– Explore and represent patterns within numbers up to 10, including evens and odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally.
How We Align
We have worksheets and games to help children learn numbers and numerical patterns. Here are some examples of games created by us:
https://number-10-game.web.app
https://number-puzzle-901f1.web.app/
https://counting-seeds.web.app/
Examples of worksheets designed by us:
Count the shapes and circle correct number
Write the missing numbers
Write the numbers from 1 to 50
i-Life Toggle video for Number 8: https://youtu.be/2_OLxEcP_d4
Single Digit Equation Game: https://single-digit-equation.web.app/
Understanding the World
ELG: 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.
How We Align
Our worksheets include topics to teach children about people around us and their roles in society. Here are some examples:
Community Helpers Explanatory Pages
ELG: 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.
How We Align
Our i-Life Themes program is specially designed to educate children about important events and historical figures of a country. Our offering for US market covers important days like Presidents Day, Black History Month, 4th of July, Memorial Day amongst others. It teaches children about historical figures like Martin Luther King, Bessie Coleman, Rosa Parks and more.
We propose to create a similar offering for UK covering important events and people from UK.
We advocate teaching children about important festivals of a country by incorporating a series of “Celebrations” Lesson Plans in the curriculum. This approach teaches children about people, culture and communities. Here’s an example of Gandhi Jayanti Celebrations Lesson Plan from India:
Gandhi Jayanti Celebrations Lesson Plan
We propose creating a similar series of Celebrations Plans suited for UK, so that children can learn about the importance of certain eventful dates and historical figures associated with them.
ELG: 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.
How We Align
Our i-Life Program includes topics on the Natural World. Some examples are given below:
My Green Friends – Explanatory Pages
Expressive Arts & Design
ELG: Creating with Materials
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function;
– Share their creations, explaining the process they have used;
– Make use of props and materials when role playing characters in narratives and stories.
ELG: Being Imaginative and Expressive
Children at the expected level of development will:
– Invent, adapt and recount narratives and stories with peers and their teacher;
– Sing a range of well-known nursery rhymes and songs;
– Perform songs, rhymes, poems and stories with others, and – when appropriate – try to move in time with music.
How We Align
i-Life Program incorporates poems, rhymes, stories and songs. Some examples below from our i-Life app:
I Hear Thunder: https://youtu.be/jsAz0ULl-P4
Incy Wincy Spider: https://youtu.be/OvC1-WD9AwA
Samples & Tables of Content
Want to know what other worksheets we have apart from what’s available in the i-Life Learn & Love to Read offerings? Here are some samples for your consideration.
Technology Aligned Structure
Numbers &
Surroundings
Stories
Level 2 & 3
Educational Games
"Think and Do" (Non-Technology) Aligned Structure
Level 1
Literacy & Numeracy
For Level 1, since the children are too small, we do not provide worksheets. Instead, we provide planned activities through our LMS platform (https://lifedflix.com) which can be used by teachers to conduct classroom activities for the children.
