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

• Respond to children's vocalisations or behaviours if they're trying to attract your attention. If you're busy out of sight, say "I can hear you, I'm coming".
• Talk about what a child is doing, what they have been doing and will do.
• Talk about what other people are doing and later about what people who are not there are doing, for example, "Pippa's at school".
• Join in games that children initiate.
• Clap, praise and show your pleasure when children do something pleasing.
• Enjoy everyday activities together and chat about what you are doing.
• Make sure children have opportunities to see other people communicating and having fun together.
• If a child shows anxiety when left alone in a room, tell them you can hear them, what you're doing and that you'll be coming back soon. Use your voice to reassure them until you return.
• If children hit or push other children or adults, say firmly, "No, that hurts them" and move them on to another activity. Don't make too much of it or they may start doing it to get your attention.
• Introduce simple words for feelings and mental states into conversation like 'happy', 'sad', cross', 'hurt' and 'scared'. This helps children start to learn about words that express feelings and about what they are feeling themselves. You might say, for example, "You like playing in the sandpit, don't you? It makes you happy".
• If another child in the setting is hurt or upset, talk about how that child is feeling. Help other children to console them by stroking their arm or cuddling them.

Dressing:

• Encourage active involvement by expecting children to push their arm down a sleeve or take a leg out of trousers when asked. Give lots of encouragement and time to react. Keep trying each time you change their clothes or help them to undress.
• Talk about what you're going to do, demonstrate, and then ask children to do it for themselves.
• Dressing up in larger clothes can be fun and easier for children learning the movements needed. Old adult shirts can be particularly helpful as there is more room for manoeuvring.
• Hats are often the first item of clothing children can put on unaided.
• Move on to removing trousers – use loose, elasticated waists and start off by leaving only one leg on around the ankle, encouraging children to pull it off. Show them how to pull it off while sitting on the floor and later make it more difficult, leaving two legs of the trousers around two ankles.
• Show children how to open fasteners, Velcro and large buttons. Lots of toys incorporate fasteners of different kinds that provide opportunities to practise. Show children how to practise pulling up and closing zips on adult clothes used for dressing up (the zips are longer) and on toys.
• Practise taking off coats. As toilet training moves forward, encourage children to pull their trousers and pants up and down. Use elasticated waists or unfasten them first. Use simple verbal descriptions and instructions as well as demonstrating what needs to be done.