Gain physical, psychological and emotional comfort from 'snuggling in'.
Makes sounds and movements to initiate social interaction.
Uses vocalisations to communicate needs and discomfort.
Plays active role in conversation-like exchanges.
Recognises and is most responsive to prime carer's voice: face brightens, activity increases when familiar carer appears.
Prefers particular people, for example, is happier and more settled with preferred carers and is unsettled or distressed with less familiar people.
Snuggles into your body when held.
Shows affection.
Is wary of unfamiliar events.
Gets upset if toy is taken away.
Calms from being upset when held, rocked, spoken or sung to with soothing voice.
Shows pleasure at being tickled and other physical games.
Enjoys playing with hands, fingers, feet and toes.
Being close - In a nursery, a baby and her key person share a quiet moment. [transcript]
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How young babies respond to attention, such as making eye contact or vocalising.
Young babies' body language when their needs have been met.
The circumstances in which babies will play by themselves when people are nearby to watch over them.
The people babies like to be with.
How babies respond to strangers and unfamiliar events.
How and when babies make eye contact with you.
The ways in which babies show they like to be with particular people.
How babies behave when their parent leaves at the beginning of a session and when they return.
Recognise that young babies will find comfort from 'snuggling in' with a variety of objects and people.
Talk to a young baby when you cannot give them your direct attention, so that they are aware of your interest and your presence nearby.
Provide a sofa or comfy chair so that parents, practitioners and young babies can sit together.
Have special toys for babies to hold while you are preparing their food, or gathering materials for a nappy change.
Plan to have times when babies and older siblings or friends can be together.
Ensure that babies feel safe and loved even when they are not the centre of adult attention.
Talking at the table - In a childminder's home, the childminder supports a small group of children, including a baby's non-verbal communication, at a shared snack time. [transcript]
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8-20 Months
Feel safe and secure within healthy relationships with key people.
Sustain healthy emotional attachments through familiar, trusting, safe and secure relationships.
Express their feelings within warm, mutual, affirmative relationships.
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.
The sounds, words and actions that babies use to show feelings such as pleasure, excitement, frustration or anger.
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.
Round and round the garden - In a childminder's home, the childminder and baby have fun, sharing words actions and vocalisations. [transcript]
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Establish shared understandings between home and setting about ways of responding to babies' emotions.
Have resources including picture books and stories that focus on a range of emotions, such as 'I am happy'.
16-26 Months
Make choices that involve challenge, when adults ensure their safety.
Explore from the security of a close relationship with a caring and responsive adult.
Develop confidence in own abilities.
Demonstrates sense of self as an individual, for example, wants to do things independently, says "No" to adult, and so on.
Resists interference with ongoing activity.
Enjoys attention, likes to display skills to others.
Repeats actions when praised or reacted to.
Plays happily alone but near a familiar adult.
Watches the emotional reactions of familiar adults and uses them to guide in new situations, for example, watches your face before approaching a strange dog or climbing steps on a slide and stops if you look anxious.
Uses a familiar adult as a secure base from which to explore independently in new environments, for example, ventures away to play and interact with others, but returns for a cuddle if becomes anxious.
Seeks affection when tired or afraid.
Actively draws others into social interaction.
Smiles or laughs when successful in play or an activity.
Expresses discomfort, hunger, thirst and wishes to you.
Shows persistence in expressing needs or wishes if not met.
The challenges that children set themselves such as climbing on to a big chair and turning to sit down.
How children grow in confidence as they adapt to a setting.
Occasions when babies become confident to play happily on their own but near a familiar adult.
How babies watch your face and facial expression to guide them in new situations.
How babies cling when tired or afraid.
How babies begin to assert themselves and show resistance to adults.
How babies demonstrate their growing independence, wanting to do things for themselves and learning to say "No".
Be aware of and alert to possible dangers, while recognising the importance of encouraging young children's sense of exploration and mastery.
Involve all children in welcoming and caring for one another.
Consider ways in which you provide for children with disabilities to make choices, and express preferences about their carers and activities.
Display photographs of carers, so that when young children arrive, their parents can show them who will be there to take care of them.
22-36 Months
Begin to be assertive and self-assured when others have realistic expectations of their competence.
Begin to recognise danger and know who to turn to for help.
Feel pride in their own achievements.
Shows sense of own autonomy.
Assertive of own wishes and needs; is sometimes confrontational.
Starts to know their own mind and expresses this through action, gesture or spoken words, for example, "No want bath" or "No go bed".
Strong sense of ownership of toys, but will also share at times.
Shows active sense of humour; does things to make others laugh.
Very aware of others' reactions; likes to demonstrate prowess.
Responds positively to a variety of familiar adults.
Searches out adult when hurt or distressed.
Is jealous of sharing parents' attention.
Shows affection towards other children and younger siblings.
Demonstrates concern for others when they are upset, for example, offers favourite toy, pats arm or back, offers cuddle and so on.
Shy with strangers, especially adults; may hide against a more familiar adult when introduced.
Children's ability to value what they do themselves and what others do.
How children show their enthusiasm for things they like, or their anxiety about things that concern them.
How children show they are becoming more confident with a range of different carers.
How children begin to show affection and concern when other children are upset.
How children search out adults when they are hurt or distressed.
The circumstances in which children continue to be shy, for example, with strangers.
Describe what different children tried to do, or achieved, emphasising that effort is worthwhile.
Support children's symbolic play, recognising that pretending to do something can help a child to express their feelings.
Record individual achievements which reflect significant progress for every child: one may have stepped on the slide, another may be starting to play readily with others.
Seek and exchange information with parents about young children's concerns, so that they can be reassured if they feel uncertain.
30-50 Months
Show increasing confidence in new situations.
Talk freely about their home and community.
Take pleasure in gaining more complex skills.
Have a sense of personal identity.
Likes to sit, have a cuddle and share events of the day with a familiar adult.
Uses adults as sources of knowledge, comfort and shared activities.
May form a special friendship with another child.
Is more outgoing towards strangers and more confident in new social situations, for example, playgroup, but may be anxious at first.
Able to share and take turns to some extent, but also selfish at times.
Has strong sense of own space and possessions; likes to arrange own toys.
Likes to point out self in photos.
Shows growing autonomy and self-will.
Can sometimes be stubborn or negative and react badly to frustration.
Shows strong personal preferences for food, clothes and so on.
Expresses personal views in conversation.
May argue to achieve own wishes.
More independent in self-care; takes pride in appearance.
Developing independence - In a pre-school, a child works independently with various equipment and materials, indicating her sense of belonging and self-assurance.
[transcript]
You can watch the video via modem or slow / fast / superfast broadband connections. If you are behind a network firewall, why not click here to view a flash file of the video. You do need to have the flash plugin.
Instances of children's confidence and how they express their needs.
Children's ability to talk about, and take pride in, their homes and communities.
Examples of when children like to sit, have a cuddle and share the events of the day with a familiar adult.
Occasions when children form a particular friendship with another child for the first time.
Ensure that key practitioners offer extra support to children in new situations.
Create positive relationships with parents by listening to them and offering information and support.
Encourage children to talk about their own home and community life, and to find out about other children's experiences. Ensure that children learning English as an additional language have opportunities to express themselves in their home language some of the time.
Anticipate the best from each child, and be alert for evidence of their strengths.
Plan extra time for helping children in transition, such as when they move from one setting to another or between different groups in the same setting.
Provide role-play areas with a variety of resources reflecting diversity.
40-60+ Months
Express needs and feelings in appropriate ways.
Have an awareness and pride in self as having own identity and abilities.
Respond to significant experiences, showing a range of feelings when appropriate.
Have a developing awareness of their own needs, views and feelings, and be sensitive to the needs, views and feelings of others.
Have a developing respect for their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people.
Is confident in seeking comfort, reassurance and help from special people.
Approaches adults with a degree of social skill.
Can express wishes and needs clearly and understands when not immediately met.
Is able to negotiate, argue point of view and accept others' perspectives.
Shows compliance with social expectations.
Often actively seeks sharing and fairness.
Has strong sense of fun and humour; is able to engage others in pleasurable interaction.
Positively values playing with other children and joins in shared play.
Approaches new challenges with assurance in own ability.
Is aware of own strengths and weaknesses.
Can describe self in positive terms and talk about abilities.
Welcomes and values praise for achievements.
Enjoys talking about past experiences, the present and future plans.
Identifies with own immediate family, relations and family friends.
Enjoys taking part in family routines and chores.
Takes pride in own appearance.
Practices good self-care, often without prompting.
The different ways children find to express their feelings, such as, "We are going to the tree house because the scary monsters are after us".
Children's pleasure in who they are and what they can do.
How children show their own feelings and are sensitive to the needs, views and feelings of others.
Children's awareness and appreciation of their own cultures and beliefs and those of other people.
Invite people from a range of cultural backgrounds to talk about aspects of their lives or the things they do in their work, such as a volunteer who helps people become familiar with the local area.
Support children's growing ability to express a wide range of feelings orally, and talk about their own experiences.
Encourage children to share their feelings and talk about why they respond to experiences in particular ways.
Explain carefully why some children may need extra help or support for some things, or why some children feel upset by a particular thing. This helps children to understand that when it is required their individual needs will be met.
Help children and parents to see the ways in which their cultures and beliefs are similar, encouraging them to contribute to everyone's knowledge and understanding by sharing and discussing practices, resources, celebrations and experiences.
Make a display with the children, showing all the people who make up the 'community' of the setting.
Plan circle times when children can have an opportunity to talk about their feelings and support them by providing props, such as a sad puppet, that can be used to show how they feel.
Keep a diary with children, and refer to it from time to time to help them recall when they were happy, when they were excited, or when they felt lonely.
Collect information that helps children to understand why people do things differently from each other, and encourage children to talk about these differences.
Share stories that reflect the diversity of children's experiences.
