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In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), children typically explore concepts of length, height, and time through hands-on experiences and provision. Here’s what you would expect EYFS pupils to learn about length, height and time.
1. **Length**:
– Understanding that length refers to how long something is.
– Comparing lengths of objects using non-standard units (e.g., blocks, hands).
– Ordering objects by length from shortest to longest or vice versa.
– Exploring and describing the length of everyday objects in their environment (e.g., a table, a pencil, a shoe).
– Using language to describe length attributes (e.g., “short,” “long,” “tall,” “tiny”).
2. **Height**:
– Understanding that height refers to how tall something is, often in relation to oneself.
– Comparing heights of objects using non-standard units (e.g., standing blocks, body parts).
– Exploring and describing the height of living things (e.g., people, animals, plants).
– Ordering objects by height from shortest to tallest or vice versa.
– Using language to describe height attributes (e.g., “tall,” “short,” “high,” “low”).
3. **Time**:
– Understanding that time refers to the sequence of events and the measurement of durations.
– Recognising and sequencing daily routines (e.g., waking up, meal times, bedtime).
– Identifying common units of time (e.g., morning, afternoon, evening, night).
– Exploring simple concepts of time measurement (e.g., using timers, hourglasses, or clocks with movable hands).
– Beginning to understand concepts like past, present, and future in relation to events and activities.
– Using language related to time (e.g., “now,” “later,” “before,” “after”).
Overall, the focus in the EYFS is on building foundational understanding through practical experiences, exploration, and play. These concepts are introduced gradually and in ways that are developmentally appropriate for young children, laying the groundwork for more complex mathematical understanding in later years.
