The Early Years Foundation Stage: Setting the Standards for Learning, Development and Care for children from birth to five

• Expresses affection to familiar carers.
• Likes to be close to adult and may cry and try to follow (by looking, reaching or crawling) when familiar adult leaves room.
• Looks back to familiar adult to check if not sure about something (for example, looks back to check your reaction if a stranger tries to pick them up).
• Explores new toys and environments, but looks back to you regularly to 'check in'.
• Needs reassurance from you when in a social situation with strangers.
• May become distressed and anxious if left somewhere without their familiar adult.
• Clings to adult and hides face when feeling scared or overwhelmed.
• Uses familiar adult for 'emotional refuelling' when feeling tired, stressed or frustrated, for example, stops playing to have a cuddle or sits quietly snuggled in on your lap for a few minutes.
• Takes favourite comfort toy or other object with them when has a nap.
• Uses comfort toy or object to calm self when in an unfamiliar environment.
• Prefers to be with familiar people.
• Enjoys sharing new experiences.
• Points to draw other people's attention to things of interest.

• How babies show they like being close to adults.
• How babies express affection.
• How babies look at you to check your reaction when they are not sure of something.
• How babies seek emotional reassurance when they are tired, stressed or frustrated.
• How babies identify a favourite toy and use it to comfort themselves.
• How babies show they prefer to be with familiar rather than unfamiliar people.

• Makes use of special people for comfort and security.
• Shows stranger anxiety.
• Reacts to an audience, for example, repeats any activity or action which is received positively by a smile, or that is laughed at, applauded or cheered.
• Shows delight at active play, for example, rough and tumble or tickling.
• Laughs with favourite people.
• Laughs during games.
• Laughs at discrepancies, for example, putting shoe on head.
• Laughs in anticipation, for example, waiting for tickle in 'Round and Round the Garden'.
• Shows more differentiated feelings and emotions, for example, joy, fear, anger or surprise.
• Makes requests.
• Makes body stiff and vocalises when protesting.
• Becomes distressed if intended action is thwarted, for example, reaches towards an unsafe object which is removed by an adult.
• Seeks to repeat enjoyable social activity.
• Shows interest in the activities of others and responds differently to children and adults, for example, may be more interested in watching children than adults or may pay more attention when children talk to them.
• Simple conversations take place between adult and child mainly focusing on the here and now.
• Initiates interaction with other children.
• Is aware of others' feelings, for example, looks concerned if hears crying or looks excited if hears a familiar happy voice.
• Uses other person to help achieve a goal, for example, get an object out of reach or activate a wind-up toy.

• How babies react to an audience.
• How babies express a range of emotions.
• Babies' responses to other people's feelings, for example, looking concerned if they hear crying or looking excited if they hear a familiar happy voice.
• In what circumstances babies become distressed.
• How and when babies express awareness or interest in what other people are doing.

• Watch and respond to any attempt by babies to communicate with you, using voice, facial expression or gesture.
• When having a 'conversation', give babies plenty of time to 'reply'.
• When you come into a room, call the baby's name and give them time to respond by stopping and listening, turning towards you or vocalising. Reward them with your attention when they respond.
• Play 'give and take' games where toys or objects are exchanged – ask babies to pass you objects and then give praise when they do so.
• Join in and repeat the games babies 'ask' for.
• Try to focus on the same thing as babies and talk about what they're attending to.
• Look at children when they're talking to you.
• Watch and wait for children to pause and then use the opportunity to comment.
• This is the stage when children start to become wary of strangers and anxious if separated from familiar carers. This is a positive sign that children are developing secure relationships with key adults in their lives. Help children to feel secure with a number of adults by giving them the opportunity to be held and cared for by a number of different people.
• When you leave, tell a child that you're going out but will be back later and give them a warm greeting and hug when you return.
• Wave children's hands for "Bye bye" when someone is leaving the setting and ask the person to wave from a distance as they go out.

Dressing:

• Cooperates in dressing.
• Removes socks.
• Removes unfastened shoes.
• Removes loose hat.

Dressing:

• Tell babies that you are about to dress or undress them using words and actions before you start.
• Name body parts, for example, as you gently bend a leg to go into trousers or as you put an arm into a sleeve.
• Sit babies on your knees and use words such as "push" as you put their arm through a sleeve or leg into trousers. Say "pull" when you pull on a hat. They will feel the movement that your body is making and this will help them to understand how they have to move when they begin to take a more active role in dressing.
• When changing nappies, give babies something in their hands to play with, or hang a mobile over the changing surface to discourage rolling.
• Children can usually undress themselves long before they can put clothes on. Encourage them to take part in undressing by partially removing items such as socks so they are just dangling off the toes and supporting them to give the final tug. Give lots of praise and extend this to other simple items such as hats.
• Ask babies to help by saying "Lift your legs" and then lift their legs to indicate what you want them to do. After a while they'll start to react to your instructions.
• Make dressing activities playful, by calling "Boo" up a sleeve to encourage children to put their arm in clothing. Say "Where's that wriggly worm?" as a foot is pushed down into trousers.
• Use a reverse chaining technique to continue work on skills to take clothes off. This means that you do all but the last step to begin with, and expect the children to complete the job. Gradually increase the number of steps they have to do, for example, they have to pull a sock off their toes, and then pull it over their heel. Expect children to do a little more each time. Start with activities that can be done when sitting on a stable base like the floor.

• Looks at the person speaking.
• Watches and follows adult movements.
• Follows with gaze when an adult directs attention to near objects by looking and pointing, for example, when an adult points to a dog and says "Look at the dog" and the child looks at the dog.
• Waits for speaker to finish before taking their turn.
• Follows with eyes when others point to distant objects.
• Attends to an object when you draw their attention to it, by looking and pointing (joint attention).
• Looks at an object and then back to you, or points, to direct your attention to it.
• Concentrates intently on an object or activity of own choosing for short periods.
• Watches and listens to others, copying some behaviour in own play.
• Attends to pictures for a short time, labelling and making a comment, either with adult guidance or independently.
• Recognises and responds to own name, for example, by turning or looking up in response to their name being called.
• Recognises some family names such as Mummy, Daddy or names of siblings.
• Stops what they are doing in response to "No".
• Shows understanding of familiar objects by actions, for example, pretends to drink from an empty cup or uses a brush on their hair.
• Responds to simple familiar language in context, for example, runs to the door when an adult holds their keys and says "It's time to go". At this stage, the child is mainly responding to the tone of voice and situational cues in a particular well–known routine.
• Understands names of some common objects, for example, picks up or points to a toy when it is named.
• Responds to keywords in play so that when you ask "Where's the ball?" they look to find the ball.
• Points to named items in picture books.
• Shows understanding of at least 15 words, for example, looks at a named person and points to or finds an object when asked to (such as, "Where are your shoes?").
• Uses voice or gesture to:
  – attract attention (for example, holding up objects, waving arms);
  – ask for things (for example, reaching, opening and shutting hands);
  – refuse (for example, pushing objects away, shaking head).
• Uses voice, gestures or actions to join in with a familiar rhyme or game.
• Uses gesture or voice to direct attention to objects and people, as well as self.
• Makes it clear through gesture or voice when they want something to happen again, for example, to play a game again or more to eat.
• Copies gestures as part of games and familiar routines, such as clapping hands, waving 'bye', blowing kisses, open hands for 'where is it' or 'all gone'.
• Begins to point to objects, self and others close by, using index finger.
• Initiates give and take games by offering objects.
• Looks towards place where you are looking.
• Communicates for a range of different purposes including to greet, to request, to protest, to label objects and people.
• Waves 'bye-bye' through imitation, copying when other people wave and later waving 'bye–bye' when asked.
• Simple conversations take place between adult and child, mainly focusing on the here and now.
• Points to objects in the environment to direct adult attention and share interest and may vocalise while pointing.
• Points towards objects that are out of reach to request them.
• Asks for favourite games using words or gestures, for example, playing peek-a-boo, saying "Boo" or hiding face in hands.
• Plays vocal games with you, copying noises you make.
• Uses approximately five words without prompting.
• Speaks to name favourite items such as "bubbles", "ball" or "cat".
• Speaks to make requests such as "drink" or "more".
• Waves 'bye-bye' spontaneously.

• Where babies look when you speak to them about objects and people nearby and when you point at the things and people you are talking about.
• Examples of babies learning to play their part in a conversation. Do they stop vocalising when you are talking and wait for their 'turn'?
• How babies watch and listen to other people who are talking.
• How babies react when their name is called.
• The different ways babies let you know that they understand what you say to them.
• The ways in which babies respond when you look at a picture book together and you talk about the items on the page.
• How babies use voice, gesture and words to attract attention, ask for things and refuse things.
• Occasions when babies begin to point.
• How babies participate in simple routines such as waving 'bye bye'.

• Watch children and think about how they tell you what they want, for example by cuddling in when they want more cuddles, wriggling their fingers when they want to be picked up and crying to show they are uncomfortable or wet.
• Respond to children's attempts to communicate so they know they have succeeded.
• Put into words what you think children are trying to tell you.
• Play games such as peek-a-boo and recite rhymes such as 'Pat-a-cake' and 'Round and Round the Garden', using associated actions and gestures.
• Play give-and-take games where toys and objects are exchanged.
• Share books to promote shared attention - books help you to know you are focused on the same things as you talk about them.
• Tell children the names of the things and people they see in books and all around them.
• Recast what children are trying to communicate by taking their incomplete utterances and giving them back the language they need. When a child pushes something away you might say "You don't like that, do you?".
• Copy the first attempts at words that children make so that they can see and hear the full version. When a child says "mo" you might say "More? You want more?".

• Turns immediately to familiar voices across a room.
• Responds to music by swaying, bouncing and so on.
• Locates the direction sounds come from by looking appropriately in the direction of the sound.
• Recognises the voices of key people in their life.
• Associates meaning with some environmental sounds, for example, hears a telephone and immediately looks at it.
• Enjoys singing or rhyme games.
• Anticipates actions, tickles and so on from sounds and tunes of songs and rhymes, for example, giggles at the end of 'Round and Round the Garden' waiting for the tickle to come.
• Bounces rhythmically when being sung to or when listening to music.
• Begins to imitate the voices of others, especially the vowels and 'ups and downs' of speech (intonation).
• Begins to imitate sounds and may copy you if you copy the child's sounds first.
• Voice starts to have the tone and rhythm (patterns and stresses of familiar phrases) of the language spoken at home.
• Imitates and joins in babble of others.
• Babbles, using consonants and vowels such as 'baba', 'gaga'.
• Tries lots of ways of making consonants in babble:
  - most common 'b', 'p', 'd', 't', 'g', 'k' are called stops;
  - 'm', 'n', 'ng' are called nasals.
• Produces and copies mouth movements for speech sounds, for example, putting lips together for 'm' and rounding lips for 'oo'.
• Begins to use varied double syllable sounds, for example, "Dadi", "Babu" or uses a variety of syllables in continued babbling, such as "Badago" (variegated babble).
• Copies and uses voice spontaneously as part of games or familiar routines, for example, "Bye-bye" or "All gone".
• Copies symbolic noises and parts of words (for example, "Chooo") and later produces them spontaneously (for example, "Aaah!" when cuddling toy).
• Uses a range of vowels from the language heard at home, such as 'i' as in bit, 'a' as in bat, 'e' as in bet and 'u' as in but.
• Imitates familiar consonants and vowel sounds associated with frequently-used toys and or pictures (for example "Baa-baa" for a sheep, "Moo-moo" for a cow).
• Babbles freely when alone or playing.
• Uses a wide range of consonants and vowels in babble or jargon.
• Own vocalisations sound more like speech and are recognised as 'words': you may say "That's his word for... ".
• Vocalises as attempts to copy words and later tries to imitate familiar spoken words.

• The ways in which babies show they are learning to locate the direction from which sounds and voices are coming.
• How babies respond when they hear a familiar voice or when their name is called.
• Examples of how babies respond to singing and rhymes.
• How babies imitate the sounds and intonation patterns of speech they hear around them.
• The range of speech sounds used by babies as they begin to babble.

• Watch and interpret children's behaviour and praise word-like sounds.
• Play peek-a-boo and action games to support babies' attention, sometimes over long periods of time. They also help to develop anticipation and offer children many opportunities to imitate and join in, which they will now do increasingly.
• Imitate the noises babies make, such as laughter and other vocalisations.
• Use bubbles to encourage repetition of the 'pop, pop, pop' sound you make as the bubble bursts.
• Don't correct children's attempts at words, but simply repeat what they are trying to say correctly.
• Respond to children's attempts at words by commenting on them, for example, when a child says "dogon", you say "Yes, the dog's gone home. He might come back later".

• Intensely curious.
• Actively explores objects using all senses, for example, links together different ways of handling objects: shaking, hitting, looking, feeling, tasting, mouthing, pulling, turning and poking.
• Watches people and events for an increasingly long time.
• Begins to explore new objects systematically, for example, first banging, then mouthing, then turning over to investigate cause and effect.
• Eventually begins to experiment, tries something, then reflects on it, and then tries something else (for example, if a puzzle piece doesn't fit, tries it in the other holes).
• Demonstrates increasingly persistent search for objects, even when hidden.
• Looks towards the floor when object is dropped by other people and later looks for objects they drop themselves.
• Eventually looks in right place for toys that fall out of sight.
• Struggles to get objects that are out of reach and later may pull a mat towards them to make a toy or object come closer.
• Watches toy being hidden under a cloth or container and finds it increasingly quickly.
• Drops toys deliberately and repeatedly and watches them fall to the ground.
• Anticipates movement of objects or persons in space (for example, if a ball rolls behind the couch, looks to the other side of the couch expecting it to reappear).
• Begins to understand cause and effect and will repeat actions in order to repeat the effects.
• Watches own hand movements intently.
• Stares with increased interest when a new object is shown to them.
• Gazes at a picture of self.
• Uses objects to make sound, bangs them together, hits toys with hammer, shakes rattle and so on.
• Knows there are different ways to play with different toys, for example, that a ball is for rolling or throwing, a car is for pushing and blocks are for posting.
• Interested in things that go together, for example, cup and saucer or parts of a puzzle.
• Realises one object can act as a container for another, for example, puts smaller objects inside bigger ones.
• Looks at pictures in books with interest without needing adult input.
• Anticipates what will happen next, for example, expects to be fed if placed in high chair and may become distressed if the expected routine doesn't happen.
• Imitates actions they see performed by others that are already in their repertoire, for example, if they know how to bang their hands on the table they will copy another person doing this.
• Later, can imitate sounds or gestures that are not part of their repertoire, for example, a child watches an adult carefully and then imitates something they have not done before.
• Can imitate using an object, for example, holds beater and bangs drum, pushes button on a toy and so on, after seeing adult do it.
• Can imitate clapping hands.
• Remembers faces of people seen regularly.
• Recognises favourite toys, games and activities, for example, sees character in favourite book and brings same toy for you to play with.
• Recognises familiar programmes on TV.
• Enjoys listening to the same story over and over again.
• Shows excitement during turn-taking games such as peek-a-boo, for example, claps hands, giggles as turn gets closer.
• Reaches out for mirror image, or plays with reflection in mirror, but still does not realise this image is self.
• Anticipates body movements that go with rhymes, for example, bringing hands together for 'Clap Hands'.
• Interactive turn-taking games with adults quite often involve toys and other objects, for example, fetching games, feeding dolly, waving 'bye-bye' to each other.
• Accepts adult varying a game and imitates and joins in with new actions or routines.
• Rolls ball or toy car to others.
• Enjoys knocking down towers built by adult.
• Enjoys putting objects in and out of containers.
• Enjoys picture books and simple stories.
• Engages in simple pretend play with soft toys, for example, hugs and kisses teddy or pretends to be asleep (covers self with a blanket and closes eyes).
• Play demonstrates understanding of use of objects, may put telephone to ear, turn the pages of a book or stir a spoon in a cup.
• Demonstrates early pretend behaviours, for example, copies the actions and activities of others as part of their play.
• Uses 'symbolic sounds' for objects and animals in pretend play.
• Begins to link ideas in play in simple combinations, for example, puts doll in car then pushes car along.

• The strategies babies use to explore objects using all their senses, such as shaking, hitting, looking, feeling, tasting, mouthing, pulling, turning and poking. Is their approach systematic?
• How a baby indicates they are beginning to understand cause and effect, for example, by repeating actions to make things happen again.
• How babies use objects to make noise.
• How children react when a new toy is introduced to them.
• How babies show they are beginning to understand that some objects belong together or can be put inside one another.
• How a baby responds to pictures in books.
• The different ways babies show they are learning to anticipate what might happen next.
• Strategies babies use to look for objects that have fallen out of sight.
• Strategies babies use as they begin to experiment such as trying something, reflecting on it and then trying something else.
• Indications that babies recognise objects and toys.
• How babies respond when they see an image in a mirror.
• The different ways babies show that they are beginning to understand what objects are used for, for example, by putting a toy telephone to their ear.

• Play visual tracking games, such as "Wheeee!" games with aeroplanes, or spoons as they go into mouths. Play with moving toys in front of children to encourage them to follow the movement.
• Provide babies with a range of toys that they can handle in several different ways. Talk about how toys look, feel, smell and taste. This helps babies to begin to compare and notice differences.
• Pull funny faces and comment on the faces babies pull in response.
• Play 'dropping' games, asking "Where's it gone?".
• Use cause and effect toys that have a hidden surprise, such as a Jack-in-the-box. Talk about what babies see using exaggerated intonation and exclamations to reinforce the element of surprise.
• Link actions such as bouncing babies on your knee to nursery rhymes and action rhymes.
• Imitate babies' actions to help them become more aware of the effect of their actions on other people.
• Make the language and actions you use in interactive play very repetitive. This will help babies to develop a sense of the sequence of actions and sounds.
• Begin to push a car, roll or throw a ball, sharing with the babies the pushing, rolling and throwing.
• Introduce variations to games, for example, roll a ball to a doll or another child instead of to the baby.
• Stay close to babies as they play. This gives them the opportunity to explore things for themselves but means you can also show them different ways of playing with a toy.
• Give opportunities for babies to play on their own and to work things out for themselves.
• Continue to use rhymes and songs. Use simple, familiar tunes and words relating to people, objects and actions with which a baby is familiar. Make rhymes and songs more interesting to listen to by using a strong beat, rhythm and lots of repetition.

• Sits alone without support with a straight back.
• Can lean forward when sitting.
• Can move from a sitting position to hands and knees (crawl position).
• Crawls, bottom shuffles or rolls continuously to move around.
• Pulls self up to standing but cannot lower self down again (falls backward with a bump).
• Supports whole weight on legs if holding on to support.
• Can rise to sitting position from lying down.
• Crawls on hands and knees or shuffles on bottom.
• Kneels up against furniture.
• Pulls self up to standing against furniture and can lower self back down again.
• Walks around furniture lifting one foot and stepping sideways (cruising).
• Walks with one or both hands held by adult.
• Stands by themselves for a few seconds.
• Takes first few steps: feet wide apart, uneven steps, arms raised for balance.
• Can stand up alone, without holding on to anything.
• Sits down from standing with a bump.
• Crawls upstairs.
• Comes downstairs backwards on knees (crawling).
• Sits and manipulates toys with hands.
• When sitting, can pick up a toy without losing balance.
• Bends to pick up a toy from the floor when standing up holding onto furniture.
• Throws toys or objects deliberately.
• Carries large toy, or several toys while walking.
• Pulls toy on string along behind while walking.

• The skills babies build up as they learn to crawl and then pull themselves up to a standing position from sitting. What motivates them to want to move?
• How babies use furniture and other objects to support their first steps and what encourages them to become more confident walkers.
• Examples of why children begin to carry things with them as they walk.
• How babies begin to explore stairs and what motivates them to want to go up or down.

• Babies love rough and tumble play, such as bouncing, rocking and swinging. Movement through space helps them establish balance and trunk control.
• When babies are lying on their tummies, encourage them to lift their heads and support their trunks on their elbows by talking to them or interesting them with a toy. Use a firm surface to give a good base to push against and support the movement effectively.
• Once babies can sit on your lap with minimal support, sit them on one knee while holding them with both hands around the hips and then lower down. Rock them gently from side to side to help them practise keeping their bodies straight. Do the same thing with them sitting along your thigh facing your other leg and rock them gently forwards and backwards. Gradually increase the size of the rock as their trunk control improves.
• Encourage babies to kick their legs by placing a sound-making toy at the base of their cot or under their legs.
• Many babies enjoy motion in an appropriate swing from the age of about six months.
• Put a few toys like sound balls on a mat with the babies. This encourages them to wriggle and move to pat the toys.
• To encourage rolling, place babies on their sides on a comfortable surface and encourage them to follow your voice, your face or a toy as it moves in the direction you want them to roll. Show them what you want them to do by gently rolling them so that they learn the pattern of movements required. Make sure they're helped and rewarded with a cuddle or the toy to play with. Repeat this with them lying on their back.
• Place babies in a sitting position on a firm surface, propped up with pillows. Show them how to support themselves using their hands and arms as props on the floor in front of them.
• Encourage babies to reach out for a toy or biscuit with one hand while sitting propped.
• Sit on the floor with a baby between your legs. Rock them gently from side to side (maybe singing a 'seesaw' song) and taking their hands to the floor to the side to show them how to save themselves.
• Begin to use action words to relate to body parts and actions. Say "Bend your legs" and "Push your arms". Say these words as you help babies use particular parts of their body, for example, when they're trying to crawl. With regular repetition, children begin to understand.
• Encourage children to begin to move around the room, rolling, bottom shuffling or commando crawling.
• To help with crawling, put babies into a crawling position so that their arms are straight and legs bent. Hold them round the middle and gently rock them from side to side and front to back to give the experience of the movement required and to develop balance.
• Once babies can support their weight on their arms and knees in a crawling position, encourage them to reach out with one hand and then the other. It takes most children several weeks from weight-bearing to mobility. Be aware that some children skip the crawling stage completely!
• Try placing children's legs in a crawling position and put your hands against the bottom of their feet. Their reaction will be to push against your hands and this will result in movement.

Feeding:

• Grasps finger foods and brings them to mouth.
• Opens mouth for spoon.
• Accepts range of tastes.
• Accepts range of consistency (runny, thick, paste) and range of texture (smooth purée, chopped food, small soft lumps).
• Starts to show own food preferences.
• Tries to grasp spoon when being fed.
• Holds own bottle or sipper cup.
• Drinks from feeder cup with help and later drinks from feeder cup independently.
• Attempts to use spoon: can guide towards mouth but food often falls off; moves on, with time, to try to use spoon to feed self.
• Bites finger foods.
• Eats lumps (for example, in yoghurt or semi-puréed food).
• Chews lumpy food.

Sleeping:

• Only having one nap during the day.

Washing:

• Enjoys splashing water when being washed.
• Tolerates face and hair washing with appropriate soap and shampoo.
• Tolerates gum stimulation and teeth cleaning routines as teeth emerge and later, cooperates with teeth brushing.
• Plays with a range of bath toys.
• Begins to participate in bathing, offers or lifts body part ready for washing and later uses sponge on arms and legs.
• Cooperates with drying hands.

Toileting:

• Actively cooperates with nappy changing (lies still, helps hold legs up).
• Starts to communicate urination, bowel movement.