Your guide to the EYFS & your child’s
learning journey at KKPS
Characteristics of Effective Learning
The ways in which the child engages with other people and the environment— playing and exploring, active learning, and creating and thinking critically—underpin learning and development across all areas and support the child to remain an effective and motivated learner.
Playing and Exploring (Engagement)
This characteristic of effective learning involves:
- Finding out and exploring
- Showing curiosity
- Using senses to explore
- Engaging in open ended activities
- showing particular interests
- Playing with what they know Pretending with objects
- Representing experiences
- Role play
- Acting out experiences
- Being willing to have a go
- Initiating activities
- Seeking challenge
- Showing a ‘can do’ attitude
- Taking risks
Creating and Thinking Critically
This characteristic of effective learning involves:
- Having their own ideas
- Thinking of ideas
- Finding ways to solve problems
- Finding new ways to do things
- Making links
- Noticing patterns in their experience
- Making predictions
- Testing their ideas
- Developing ideas of cause and effect
- Choosing ways to do things
- Planning, making decisions, solving problems and reaching a goal
- Checking how well their activity is going
- Changing strategy when needed
- Reviewing how well their approach has gone
Active Learning (Motivation)
This characteristic of effective learning involves:
- Being involved and concentrating
- Maintaining focus for a period of time
- Showing high levels of energy or fascination, paying attention to details
- Keeping on trying
- Persisting with challenges
- Showing belief that more effort or a different approach will help
- Bouncing back after difficulties
- Enjoying achieving what they set out to do
- Showing satisfaction
- Being proud of their effort, not just the result
- Enjoying challenge for its own sake, not for rewards
