Launched just before Christmas, the month-long consultation asks for views to revisions made to some of the early learning goals, which have been drawn up following feedback from more than 2,300 responses to the revised draft of the EYFS framework.
Alongside the consultation, the department has also published a formal Government response to the EYFS, Reforming the Early Years Foundation Stage, which includes a detailed breakdown showing the number of responses agreeing or disagreeing with the questions set out in the Government's consultation on plans for the revised EYFS.
It includes all areas under review, including learning and development, assessment, and safeguarding and welfare (see box).
The consultation found that 61 per cent of respondents agreed that there should be three prime areas of development, defined as personal, social and emotional development; physical development; and communication and language.
Fifty-one per cent were in favour of four specific areas of development: literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design.
The DfE says it has made 'substantive changes' to the early learning goals relating to mathematics and literacy. There have also been minor changes to communication and language, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design.
While the consultation said that these results showed 'broad agreement with the areas of learning and most of the early learning goals', those relating to mathematics and literacy raised concern, the consultation said.
'As a result we have undertaken further work on the goals with officials, practitioners, child development experts, academics and national curriculum subject experts in order to ensure the goals provide the right amount of stretch, are age-appropriate and provide an adequate baseline for the start of Year 1,' the consultation document said.
The goals having the most revision are in mathematics.
According to the response, 50 per cent of 2,085 respondents to the question on the early learning goals for mathematics 'agreed' with the goals, 15 per cent did not, and 31 per cent 'partly' agreed.
The goals have been changed to include problem-solving and application of number. Children will also now be expected to be able to count up to 20, instead of ten, as in the previous goal. The DfE said it has been advised by experts that this was more developmentally appropriate.
Time and money have also been added to the shapes, spaces and measures goal, as terms that children should be able to describe in everyday language. Children will also now be expected to be able to use mathematical language to describe everyday objects.
Judith Stevens, independent early years consultant and a maths specialist, said, 'While welcoming consultation on the proposed revised ELGs for mathematics, I do have some concerns that the terminology lacks clarity.
'We know that problem-solving is at the heart of maths, but the inclusion of "doubling, halving and sharing" in the same sentence may lead to much confusion among non-maths specialists.
'We really need to think about children's depth of knowledge around number and be very certain about the purpose of adding content which could detract from necessary teaching and learning.'
According to the Government, the main changes to the literacy goals have been made in response to comments that some goals were 'too stretching'.
This means, for example, that children will now be expected to write simple sentences, rather than writing stories and captions.
However, in revising the goal, children will also now be expected to 'read and write some common phonically irregular words'.
Also removed from the literacy goals is the need for children to demonstrate understanding of what has been read to them, because this requirement already exists in goals relating to communication and language, the DfE response said.
