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

• Turns head to the side when placed on tummy.
• Turns head or eyes towards diffuse light or interesting objects.
• Closes eyes to bright light.
• Can move eyes to look at different parts of objects and pictures.
• When lying on back or propped up, moves eyes to follow face or object moving slowly from side to side, close to face.
• Can lift head when lying on tummy and move it from side to side.
• When lying on tummy, lifts head up in the middle and uses forearms to support.
• Holds head in the middle (not to one side or the other) when lying on back.
• Able to control head when supported in an upright position: head does not flop forwards or backwards.
• Is able to hold head steady for several seconds when being moved from lying to sitting.
• Moves head to look around when lying on back or supported in sitting.
• Holds head and upper body up by themselves when supported in sitting.
• When lying on tummy can lift head and chest and support self with straight arms and flat hands.
• Raises head to look at feet when lying on back.
• Presses down feet or straightens body when held standing on a hard surface.
• Moves arms and legs, arms more than legs and chuckles when played with.
• Arm and leg movements become smoother and more continuous, no longer so sudden and jerky.
• Makes crawling movements with arms and legs when lying on tummy.
• Kicks legs vigorously, one leg then the other.
• When lying on back, lifts legs into vertical position and grasps feet.
• Reaches and plays with toes when lying on back or sitting up with support.
• Puts arms up to be lifted.
• Takes weight through legs and bounces up and down when held in a standing position.
• Rolls from side to back.
• Rolls over from front to back.
• Sits propped up.
• Tries to sit up from lying on back when hands are held.

• How young babies learn to lift their heads and later, hold their heads steady.
• Examples of when young babies try to move their heads to look at the things that interest them.
• Times when babies begin to be able to hold their own bodies and heads steady when in a sitting position.
• Why babies want to move and how they learn to roll from side to side and then from front to back.

• Give babies the experience of lying in different positions, for example, lying on their backs or on their tummies (while you are with them), sitting propped up and lying on their sides. Moving in different positions will make babies aware of the muscles in different parts of their body.
• Move babies' arms and legs around when playing to give them an awareness of movement.
• Lifting or turning the head is one of the first controlled movements that babies make. Encourage babies to lift their heads while lying on their tummies by:
  – talking to them from in front and above with your face close to theirs;
  – tickling or kissing them under their chins. Some babies find it easier to lift their heads if their arms are brought forward;
  – tickling or gently massaging the muscles on the back of their necks and upper bodies;
  – placing an activity mat or textured blanket underneath their chests.
• Encourage babies to turn their heads to each side by:
  – talking to them from different positions and taking their hands to your face;
  – varying the side you carry the babies on and encouraging them to turn towards your face and voice.
• Motivate babies to hold their head up while being carried upright at your shoulder by having someone behind talking to them or shaking a rattle to attract their attention.
• Gently massage babies to help them become more aware of their bodies.
• From two or three weeks of age, you can give babies an experience of movement in space by rocking them to give them a sense of motion in your arms or by carrying them in a sling so they experience your movement.
• As head and neck control becomes established, lifting babies through the air helps them develop their sense of position in space.
• Give babies the experience of lying on different surfaces, for example, on a soft bed and on a firmer floor.

Feeding:

• Opens mouth for bottle when corner of mouth is touched.
• Sucking strong and rhythmic with coordinated swallow.
• Closes mouth around bottle teat to achieve seal.
• Feeds at regular intervals throughout the day.
• Puts hands on bottle when feeding.

Sleeping:

• Has predictable sleeping pattern.
• Sleeps for periods of two hours or more.
• Sleeps more at night than during the day.
• Has regular sleeps during the day.

• How babies open their mouths for a bottle and close their mouths around the teat.
• How babies suck and coordinate sucking and swallowing.
• How regular a baby's feeding pattern is throughout the day.
• How babies put their hands on their bottle when feeding.
• How babies establish a regular pattern of sleeping throughout the day.

Feeding:

• While holding a baby, introduce the teat of the bottle across the baby's cheek. This helps them to prepare for something coming towards their mouth. Young babies automatically turn to the side that has been stimulated. Let the teat rest gently on the baby's lips so that they can smell and taste the first drop of milk. Pause until the baby opens their mouth.
• Let babies know you are about to feed them by using consistent actions. Pause and wait to see if babies begin to anticipate the bottle by opening their mouths before the teat touches their lips.
• Later, say something like "milk time" and let them see you shaking the bottle when you're getting ready.
• When using a bottle, guide both of a baby's hands to hold the bottle when drinking. Gradually reduce the amount of support you give until they can support it independently. This also encourages their hands to work together. Bottles are easier to handle when not too full.
• When you begin spoon-feeding, use a plastic spoon with an easy grip. As babies begin to be able to grasp objects, let them hold a spoon and play with it, even when not feeding.
• Before you start, make sure you and the baby are comfortable and that you have everything you need to hand, for example, bib, cloths and kitchen paper. It's easier for babies to swallow in a sitting position, so sit with them on your knee if they have stable head control, or in a baby chair with enough support.
• Let babies have enough time to take the food off the spoon with their lips and palate so that they're in control of the speed of feeding until they become confident about feeding from a spoon.
• At first, babies push food out of their mouths, but with experience, they learn to swallow in a more co-ordinated way. They often splutter, spit or gag on food, but keep offering it in a calm and encouraging way. Try to leave a drop on their lips so that they have a taste of the food being offered.
• Make sure that all caregivers in your setting who feed children use the same approach.

Washing:

• Make washing routines as calm and cosy as possible. It's a time when you can awaken babies' sense of smell as well as awareness of their bodies. Use pleasant smelling baby bath products, and gently massage their skin using oils or lotions.

Changing nappies:

• Lie babies on a familiar surface such as a changing mat, soft towel or rug to change their nappies. This will help to build up a sense of security and routine.
• Make the routine pleasant and fun. Keep babies warm and comfortable. Change clothes and nappies in an unhurried way while gently talking to them about what you're doing.
• Follow the same sequence every time you remove or put on clothes to help babies anticipate what's going to happen next. Keep routines pleasant and unhurried so that babies enjoy these times with you.

Sleeping:

• Newborn babies' body clocks do not distinguish between day and night and are initially dependent on feeding routines. Longer periods of sleep come more easily as the result of familiar routines that stimulate babies during the day and are more calming at night.
• Try to tire babies during the day by being active and stimulating when they're awake, so that they begin to establish regular sleeping patterns at night.
• Use a calm and consistent routine to settle babies down for a nap during the day.

• Closes hand firmly around objects placed in palm.
• Uses whole hand to hold objects (palmar grasp).
• Keeps hands closed with thumbs tucked in against palm most of the time.
• Brings hands to mouth when lying on side or tummy.
• Explores objects with mouth.
• Holds rattle for a couple of seconds when placed in palm of hand.
• Hands are open most of the time when not holding objects.
• Starts to reach out to toys or objects.
• Uses two hands to scoop up toys.
• Reaches out to objects and faces with both hands to grasp them.
• Plays with objects, by banging, shaking, turning them around in their hands.
• Feels and plays with toys and everyday objects of different textures, for example, smooth, rough, soft, furry and sticky.
• Passes toys from hand to hand.
• Holds two toys, one in each hand.

• How young babies begin to reach out towards things in which they are interested.
• How young babies use their hands and mouths to explore objects.
• Ways in which young babies begin to explore different textures.
• How young babies learn to hold first one object and then more than one object.

• Hang toys from a 'baby gym' frame just above babies' hands or legs so that they make accidental contact with the toys with their hands and feet when they move. Later, help them to pat and swipe the toys so that they start to do this by themselves.
• Encourage babies to naturally feel and experience the different textures they come into contact with during their everyday routines, for example, different mats, fleecy blankets, a wet sponge, a dry towel, their milk bottle. As babies discover their hands, they will start to finger familiar objects that they encounter, such as your bangle or a soft rattle in their cot.
• Bring a baby's hands together to encourage mutual finger play and to make them aware they have two hands.
• When babies' hands lie open, touch your finger on their finger tips (palm side). They will soon learn to curl their fingers deliberately around your finger and to hold it.
• Lie babies on their backs in cots or on the floor. Offer them a toy on their tummies or chests and help them to find and explore it with both hands. This is a helpful first step in finding objects.
• Help babies reach out to grasp sound-making and other toys.
• Provide plenty of opportunities to find out about different toys, by shaking a rattle, squeezing a squeaker, or ringing a bell. Use toys that are small and light enough for babies to hold and explore comfortably.
• Help babies to explore a flat surface and pat their hands on it, making a sound. Later, play clapping games to help them discover their hands.
• Encourage two-handed reach and play by offering babies their milk bottles, inviting them to reach and grasp with both hands.
• Give babies opportunities to feel toys with smaller parts such as teething rings to help develop their finger movements.
• Give babies ring rattles to hold with both hands and then transfer the toy from one hand to the other.
• Help babies to bang toys that make a sound or that produce a musical sound when a large key or button is pushed. Show them what happens when they press the button.
• Introduce finger games or rhymes such as 'This Little Piggy' or 'Tom Thumb' to help increase awareness of their hands and fingers.
• Place a cube on a table or tray surface. Guide the babies' hands along the surface until their first (index) or second finger touches the cube. Then let them pick it up. At first, they may scoop it into the palm, but gradually, they'll start to use their thumb when grasping.