16: ELDA Focus: Well-being – Fostering Healthy Development from Birth to Four

The first Early Learning and Development Area (ELDA) in the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) is Well-being. This area is foundational, addressing a child's physical, emotional, and social health, which are crucial for all other aspects of development and learning.

Aims of the Well-being ELDA: The primary aims of the Well-being ELDA are to enable children to:

• Develop positive self-esteem and emotional regulation.
• Acquire gross and fine motor skills necessary for physical independence.
• Understand and practice healthy habits, including nutrition and hygiene.
• Learn about personal safety and boundaries.
• Develop resilience and coping mechanisms.

Developmental Guidelines (Examples - this would be expanded for all stages):

• Babies (0-12 months):
  • Beginning: Respond to comforting touch and sounds, begin to explore their own bodies.
  • Moving On: Start reaching for objects, roll over, begin to sit with support.
  • Advancing further: Crawl, pull themselves up to stand, show preferences for certain people, begin to self-feed with fingers.
• Toddlers (1-2 years):
  • Beginning: Walk independently, show growing independence in self-care (e.g., trying to put on shoes).
  • Moving On: Explore environment actively, develop more refined fine motor skills like stacking blocks, begin to express emotions like joy or frustration.
  • Advancing further: Run, jump, show preferences for certain foods, begin to understand simple safety rules.
• Young Children (2-3 years):
  • Beginning: Master basic gross motor skills (e.g., climbing, throwing), show increased independence in dressing/undressing.
  • Moving On: Participate in simple group games, show empathy towards others, manage small fasteners (buttons).
  • Advancing further: Understand personal space, express a wider range of emotions appropriately, develop more complex fine motor control for drawing or cutting.
• Towards Grade R (3-4 years/ages 4-6 if this is the focus for Khula):
  • Physical Development: Demonstrate good balance and coordination in running, hopping, skipping. Fine motor skills enable drawing recognizable shapes and using scissors effectively.
  • Emotional Development: Express feelings verbally, begin to understand others' emotions, show empathy. They can self-regulate during play and manage minor frustrations.
  • Social Development: Participate actively in cooperative play, share toys, take turns, understand basic social rules, form friendships.
  • Health and Safety: Understand the importance of hygiene (washing hands), identify healthy foods, know basic safety rules (e.g., road safety, stranger danger).

Examples of Activities for Adults to Promote Well-being:

• Provide opportunities for active physical play outdoors (running, climbing, balancing).
• Encourage self-care routines (handwashing, eating independently, dressing).
• Talk about emotions, helping children identify and express their feelings in healthy ways.
• Read stories about friendship, feelings, and healthy living.
• Create a safe and nurturing environment where children feel secure to explore.
• Involve children in preparing healthy snacks.