Occurs when children are motivated to learn and interested in finding things out for themselves.

In adult-led activities the adult decides what the child will do, unlike in child-initiated activities (see below).

Identifies all forms of prejudice and discrimination; it challenges and takes action to remove them and is proactive in identifying and preventing the learning of prejudice and the practice of discrimination.

To help children progress practitioners need information about what the children know, understand and can do. Through observing children and by making notes when necessary about what has been achieved, practitioners can make professional judgements about children's achievements and decide on the next steps in learning. They can also exchange information with parents about how children are progressing. This process, often known as 'assessment for learning' is central to raising achievement. See the Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage booklet.

Attachment behaviour is shown when babies and young children actively seek close relationships with their parents and other primary caregivers (see Key person).

Adding to and expanding the ways in which we communicate, by using a variety of additional means, such as signs and symbols.

Materials published by the Government in 2002 for settings with children from birth to three. This will be replaced by The Early Years Foundation Stage in September 2008. Birth to Three Matters (2005), DfES Publications, Nottingham.

The Childcare Act passed into law on 11 July 2006. Among other provisions, it provides for the creation of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Further information is available at: Childcare Act 2006

The changes adults make when communicating with babies and small children, for example, using a higher pitch of voice; using more varied intonation and facial expression; using short, repetitive sentences; using larger, slower and more repetitive signs.

The child decides what he or she will do and chooses an activity, unlike in adult-led activities (see above).

This was published in December 2004. It sets out how the Government plans to ensure all children get the best start in life and to give parents more choice about how to balance work and family life. Details are available from: Ten Year Strategy for Childcare

Thought processes that involve reasoning, evaluation, problem solving and information processing. Associated with knowing, understanding and awareness.

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a standardised approach to conducting an assessment of a child's additional needs and deciding how those needs should be met. It can be used by practitioners across children's services in England. Common Assessment Framework

A speech sound formed by restricting, channelling or directing air flow with the tongue, teeth and/or lips, for example, 'th', 's', 'f', 'g', 't', 'p', 'm'.

Sounds made with two or more consonants together, for example, 'tr' as in 'tree', 'cl' as in 'clear', 'str' as in 'string'.

Ways that links are made across areas and stages of learning so that children's experience of learning is coherent.

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks police records and, in relevant cases, information held by the Department of Health (DH) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) for people, such as those who work with children.

Pulling up to standing against a piece of furniture or an object and lifting one foot, walking sideways while holding on.

Everything that is learned by children in the setting and involves the interactions they have with other children and adults. This includes the activities and resources on offer and the experiences both planned and unplanned that the children have.

Materials published by the Government in 2000 for settings with children aged three to five. This will be replaced by The Early Years Foundation Stage in September 2008. Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (2000), QCA Publications, London.

The abbreviations for consonant-vowel-consonant (in phonological terms) which are used to describe the order of letters in words, for example, 'man', but also 'tease', 'laugh', 'sheep', that is, consonant phoneme-vowel phoneme-consonant phoneme.

The process by which a child acquires skills in the areas of social, emotional, intellectual, speech, language and physical development. Developmental stages refer to the expected, sequential order of acquiring skills that children typically go through. For example, most children crawl before they walk, or use their fingers to feed themselves before they use utensils.

Two letters which together make one sound, for example, 'sh', 'ch', 'th', 'ph', 'ee', 'oa'.

Tendencies to behave in particular ways or to prefer certain activities. Sometimes seen as relating to temperament. Each child has a unique pattern of dispositions and these need to be understood if development is to be supported effectively.

Targets for children to achieve by the time they reach the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, by the end of the August after their fifth birthday.

*Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2007), DfES Publications, Nottingham; Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (2000), QCA Publications, London.

When practitioners working with a child on a daily basis, or the setting's SENCO, identify that a child has special educational needs and provide interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the setting's usual activities and strategies.

See also the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

When practitioners working with a child on a daily basis and the SENCO are provided with advice or support from outside specialists, so that interventions other than, or additional to, those provided through Early Years Action can be put in place.

See also the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

This provides information about each child at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It is used to report progress to parents as well as to the child's next teacher. It includes achievements in all six areas of Learning and Development.

*Foundation Stage Profile (2003) QCA Publications, London.

A person or setting providing early years provision, for example, a childminder, nursery, school.

The term used to describe integrated care and education for 'young children' (see Early years provider).

Practice that has been identified as producing good learning and development outcomes for children and families.

This is the name of the Government Green Paper, published in 2003. Following consultation the Government published Every Child Matters: The Next Steps and launched the website Every Child Matters. The Government's aim for every child is that they:

• be healthy;
• stay safe;
• enjoy and achieve;
• make a positive contribution;
• achieve economic well-being.

A wish to find new experiences and stimulation, to investigate the environment. A natural tendency in children which can be encouraged as a way of creating new opportunities for learning.

A model of action and intervention in schools and early years settings to help children who have special needs. This approach recognises that there is a continuum of special educational needs and that, where necessary, increasing specialist expertise should be brought to bear on the difficulties that the child may be experiencing.

Object held between thumb and two fingers.

A process of identifying, understanding and breaking down the barriers to participation and belonging.

Often used in relation to making specific changes to teaching or learning for children with special educational needs.

Variations in pitch patterns (melody or rhythm) and emphasis of spoken language that provide important clues about meaning and draw attention to salient words or syllables.

Communications from a young child that have similar characteristics to spoken or signed language but that are not understood by other people.

KEEP, Key Elements of Effective Practice, is an evaluation tool for local authorities. KEEP provides a way of evaluating and then strengthening the impact of training. It has six important elements:

• relationships with both children and adults;
• understanding of the individual and diverse ways that children develop and learn;
• knowledge and understanding in order to actively support and extend children's learning in and across all areas and aspects of learning;
• practice in meeting all children's needs, learning styles and interests;
• work with parents, carers and the wider community;
• work with other professionals within and beyond the setting.

KEEP, Key Elements of Effective Practice (2005), DfES Publications, Nottingham.

The named member of staff with whom a child has more contact than other adults. This adult shows a special interest in the child through close personal interaction day-to-day. The key person can help the young child to deal with separation anxiety.

Vowel phoneme consisting of two or more graphemes that is equivalent to its name rather than the phoneme most commonly associated with it.

The individual who manages the early years provision.

An account of a sequence of events in the order in which they happened.

Speech sounds produced with air emitted from the nose, such as 'm', 'n', 'ng'.

A set of 14 national standards which registered childcare providers are required to meet. The standards will be superseded by the Early Years Foundation Stage in September 2008.

National Standards for Under 8s Daycare and Childminding (2003), DfES Publications, Nottingham.

Any sounds that are not speech sounds, such as humming, musical sounds or environmental noises.

The person who has been nominated by a registered provider who is a partnership, body corporate or unincorporated association:

• to be responsible for dealing with Ofsted in relation to the organisation's registration in the early years register;
• to oversee the management of the early years provision.

Sometimes referred to as body language, non-verbal communication refers to all the body signals that usually accompany talk, such as eye contact, smiling, raising eyebrows or frowning, that people send when they communicate with one another.

Observation describes the process of looking, listening and taking note. There are a number of different ways to carry out observations, for example:

• practitioners involved in play with children;
• practitioners noticing a child doing something when they are not involved;
• planned activities, with or without practitioner involvement, to watch children's play.

Assessment based on evidence gathered through observations.

Ofsted is the inspectorate for children and learners in England. It is a non-ministerial government department accountable to Parliament. Inspectors undertake inspection and regulation of childcare, schools, colleges, children's services, teacher training and youth work.

Using the whole hand to hold objects.

A child may be playing alongside and/or with similar materials as an adult or another child, but without any sharing of toys or ideas.

Mothers, fathers, legal guardians and the primary carers of looked-after children.

Instructional practices that emphasise how spellings are related to speech sounds in systematic ways.

Being aware of the different sounds that make up words, for example, when children sing rhymes and play with sounds they begin to anticipate the sounds of rhyming words, by joining in when a word is missed out: 'One, two, three, four five, Once I caught a fish... (alive)'.

Picking up a small object between index finger and thumb.

Written records based on what has been observed about individual children's interests, learning styles and achievements, that set out what and how the practitioner will support children's learning. Planning may be short-, medium- or long-term.

When a child does one action and then does it again, or does consecutive actions in their play, for example, pouring pretend tea for a doll and then drinking it.

Any adult who works with children in a setting.

A way of doing something, especially an established method.

The individual or organisation managing a setting — usually the registered person.

Play which is offered by adults to children through the provision of guidance, materials and resources, focusing on specific learning experiences intended to support children's learning and development.

Relates to registered settings — the person who is registered by Ofsted under the arrangements of the Childcare Act 2006 to provide early years provision. A company, committee or group may make up the registered person.

References in the EYFS to 'registered providers' refer to early years providers registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register. Early years provision for children aged three and over made directly by a maintained or independent school (i.e. the governing body or proprietor is responsible for it) is not required to be registered providing at least one pupil of the school attends. Subject to certain exemptions, all other types of provision for children aged from birth to the end of August following their fifth birthday, including any provision made for children under the age of three by maintained or independent schools, must be registered by Ofsted.

A technique for learning where the last step of a task is learned first and subsequent steps are learned in reverse order.

The pattern in speech formed by stressed and unstressed syllables. Also a repeated pattern of sound as in music.

Events that are planned, such as when children will have access to a sensory room that is shared between groups, or when snacks will be available or when a small group of children will go to the shops.

A schema is a pattern of repeated behaviour in children. Children often have a very strong drive to repeat actions such as moving things from one place to another, covering things up and putting things into containers, or moving in circles or throwing things.

These patterns can often be observed running through their play and vary between one child and another. If practitioners build on these interests powerful learning can take place.

This is the equivalent of the term Early Years Action, but applies in respect of reception classes in maintained schools. When a class or subject teacher identifies that a pupil has special educational needs and provides interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the school's usual differentiated curriculum or activities.

See also the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

This is the equivalent of the term Early Years Action Plus, but applies in respect of reception classes in maintained schools. When the class or subject teacher and the SENCO are provided with advice or support from outside specialists, so that interventions other than, or additional to, those provided through School Action can be put in place. The SENCO usually takes the lead although day-to-day provision continues to be the responsibility of the class or subject teacher.

See also the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

When a child realises they have made the wrong choice during an activity and changes to the right solution independently, without adult prompting.

Special educational needs (see Special educational needs).

The responsibilities of the SENCO include ensuring liaison with parents and other professionals in respect of children with special educational needs, and advising and supporting other practitioners in the setting. Further information is available in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

Provides practical advice to local authorities, maintained schools and early years settings on identifying, assessing and making provision for children with special educational needs. Further information is available in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

Being unable to fully use one or more of the senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and smelling.

Often babies and young children display anxious behaviour such as crying, kicking or screaming when they see their parent leaving the room. This is the child responding to their attachment being under threat. These feelings of anxiety may be more acute in some children than others. Children who are looked after by many different relatives, for instance in an extended family, may feel less anxious than those who have not been away from their mother for any length of time before. The key person can help the child at these difficult times.

A number of things, actions, objects or pictures that are arranged in a particular order.

Any out-of-home provider of education and care for children from birth to five, such as childminders, local authority nurseries, nursery or early years centres, children's centres, playgroups, pre-schools, or schools in the independent, private or voluntary sector and maintained schools.

Looking briefly from one object to another — the objects may be moving or still.

In sign language(s), manual symbols that remain constant across contexts (comparable to spoken words in meaning but are combined in their own grammar).

Things in the environment or behaviour of others that help a child to understand what to expect, for example, if Mum helps the child to put their coat on, gets the car keys and walks to the door, the child will understand they're going out to the car.

When children play together and create dramatic situations in which they play many different roles. It is a term that distinguishes between role-play and other kinds of non-role-play.

The term 'special educational needs' (SEN) has a legal definition, referring to children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn or access education than most children of the same age. Many children will have SEN of some kind at some time during their education. Help will usually be provided in their ordinary, mainstream early education setting or school, sometimes with the help of outside specialists. If a child has special educational needs, they may need extra help in a range of areas, for example:

• schoolwork;
• reading, writing, number work or understanding information;
• expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying;
• making friends or relating to adults;
• behaving properly in school;
• organising themselves;
• some kind of sensory or physical needs which may affect them in school.

The number of adults present in relation to the number of children being cared for. The welfare requirements set minimum ratios of adults to children.

Sets out all the child's special needs and the provision required to meet them. The local authority has a duty to arrange the special educational provision specified in part 3 of the statement. This part of the statement is legally binding. In addition, the statement may also set out non-educational needs and the provision that is required to meet them.

See also the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.

Consonant sounds made by blocking the air pressure in the mouth and then suddenly releasing it. The air flow can be blocked momentarily by pressing the lips together or by pressing the tongue against the gums or soft palate, for example, 't', 'g', 'k'.

A step in child development, usually around 6-9 months, when a child shows a heightened fear reaction to strangers. An indication that attachments to primary caregivers are consolidating.

A person's involvement over a relatively long period of time, dependent on the nature of the activity, and the age or stage a person is at, for example, being absorbed in looking at a mobile for a few minutes may be a sustained period for a young baby.

This term is used in relation to registered settings and means an early years practitioner who has responsibility for supervising a group of staff, for example, a room leader.

A vocalisation used to represent an object, person or place which is not the name of the object, person or place, for example, 'choo-choo' for 'train', 'brrm brrm' for 'car'.

This takes place when observation is an integral part of an assessment and planning system or process devised by the setting or practitioner. It involves a system where all children are regularly observed as a part of the ongoing role of the practitioner. In a school or early years setting, this is considered a key aspect of the teaching process.

Movement between different environments, rooms or settings. All transition involves change and it is vital to prepare children, no matter how young they are, for this. When children are prepared for transition they adapt more easily to changes.

The typical grip used to hold a pencil for writing and drawing, between the thumb and forefinger and supported by the middle finger.

Objects and pictures which are used together with the spoken word to enhance children's understanding of oral language.

The production of sound using voice.

In spoken language, any speech sound that is identified by its unrestricted voice flow, for example, 'ee' or 'uh'.

The Childcare Act 2006 defines a child as being a 'young child' from birth until the end of August following his or her fifth birthday.