Launched in January, the Shaping Us Framework is a long-term campaign highlighting the critical importance of early years
Launched by the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in January, the Shaping Us Framework seeks to improve understanding about the importance of the early years (0-5) in shaping the people we become. It was launched by The Princess of Wales – who has maintained a close interest in issues affecting families and early years development over many years.
There is good reason for this focus. As she notes in the Framework foreword: “These are the most preventative years. By focusing our collective time, energy, and resources to build a supportive, nurturing world around the youngest members of our society and those caring for them, we can make a huge difference to the health and happiness of generations to come”.
“The Centre for Early Childhood released new data suggesting that more than a third of adults know little or nothing about early years development”
It has become clear that many adults have had too little accessible information about the period from pram to primary school. The Centre for Early Childhood released new data to coincide with the launch of the Framework, suggesting that more than a third of adults (36%) know little or nothing about early years development. This follows on from findings last year revealing that very few people recognise the unique importance of the 0-5 stage in setting foundations for later phases of childhood.
The Framework, then, seeks to take early years understanding out of the realms of scientific and educational discourse and place it at the heart of public debate. One of the key aims is to deliver a common language, providing understanding and context for the critical social and emotional awakening as babies grow. The Framework uses six key headings to describe developmental stages, also indicating where we might expect a five-year-old to be.
1. Know ourselves
Sitting at the centre of the Framework, this describes how very young children start to understand their own thoughts, feelings and beliefs so that they are able to start taking charge of their life and also develop individual hopes and dreams.
2. Manage our emotions
This details how children begin to process emotions and manage them – also starting to understand how others are feeling and reacting. It notes that, while regulating emotions can be difficult for all ages, by age five a child will start to notice how certain things negatively or positively affect how they feel. They may also be able to find strategies to calm themselves and access adult comfort and encouragement to help them manage difficult or overwhelming emotions.
3. Focus our thoughts
Critical to learning and social development, this relates to how children become aware of and direct their thoughts, focusing their attention and weighing up information in a way that enables them to make decisions. It also relates to skills such as problem solving and impulse control, persistence and resilience. As children grow, this focus helps with prioritising and organisation and staying flexible when plans change.
4. Communicate with others
Sharing and communicating is a critical life skill developed in the earliest years. It relates to children’s listening skills, their understanding of others and their developing ability to express their own thoughts and feelings. These skills support them in building friendships, playing and learning, also enabling them to judge when to go to adults for support.
5. Nurture our relationships
Building relationships with others includes the development of understanding that we accept others for who they are – also setting and respecting boundaries and managing conflict. Values such as kindness, generosity and empathy for others help children develop positive loving relationships and cooperative working relationships.
6. Explore the world
The final part of the Shaping Us Framework considers how children learn to explore and discover the wider world, also considering the development of creativity, curiosity and the ability to feel joy. While some factors, including neurodivergence and cultural attitudes, may impact this, the Framework adds that it remains a critical skill for early development noting: “Expanding our capacity for joy allows us to find moments of joy in all aspects of our lives”.
Behind the clear explanations in the Shaping Us Framework is a whole body of evidence, gathered over more than a year and bringing together a diverse team of expert advisors in academic fields such as neuroscience, psychiatry and emotional intelligence, alongside early childhood studies. Particular emphasis was placed on widening the net geographically and culturally to ensure inclusivity.
As part of this quest for inclusivity, the Centre for Early Childhood has made the Framework accessible as a whole report, technical report and short-form version – so parents and those with a professional interest can work with a common language. Perhaps the most encouraging thing for parents is the public acknowledgement of their critical role from such an influential group of people – including, of course, The Princess of Wales.
Raising a child is never easy, and at a time of seismic change, with increased pressure on household time and resources and widespread concern over children’s mental health, many would argue that families need all the help and information they can get – and a much broader debate about wider society’s role in raising happy, healthy and confident children.
* To read more about the Shaping Us Framework and access further resources, visit centreforearlychildhood.org
Further reading: Tune in, turn on – the amazing power of subtitles to boost literacy
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