speech definition eyfs

Communication and language in the EYFS

As children develop speaking and listening skills, they're building the foundations for literacy and learning. Plus they're learning key skills like how to express themselves and make friends. Here we give you tips and ideas to support the children in your early years settings.

• Communication and language and the EYFS

Best practice and activity ideas

Supporting children with additional needs, working with dads, mums and carers, need advice, communications and language and the eyfs.

Communication and language is one of the three prime areas within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Each prime area is divided into early learning goals, for communication and language these are:

• Listening, attention and understanding

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions, comments and actions when being read to and during whole class discussions and small group interactions;
• Make comments about what they have heard and ask questions to clarify their understanding;
• Hold conversation when engaged in back-and-forth exchanges with their teacher and peers.
• Participate in small group, class and one-to-one discussions, offering their own ideas, using recently introduced vocabulary;
• Offer explanations for why things might happen, making use of recently introduced vocabulary from stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems when appropriate;
• Express their ideas and feelings about their experiences using full sentences, including use of past, present and future tenses and making use of conjunctions, with modelling and support from their teacher.

You're the best resource in your setting to support a child's language and communication development. Young children need lots of opportunities to have conversations with you and to hear you modelling language and introducing new words. They learn language better when they're engaged with things that fascinate, challenge and excite them. And they need to hear and say new words often to strengthen the connections in their brains and to keep building their vocabulary.

Rhyming helps children to break words down and to hear the sounds that make up words. So why not have a daily rhyme time in your setting? Sharing stories and books is a great way to practice words and introduce new ones too. Check out our Reading in the EYFS for lots of ideas.

For more activity ideas try:

• Expressive arts and design in the EYFS - ideas to encourage children to explore and use language, from singing to storytelling
• Letters and sounds - government document with activities to promote speaking and listening skills, phonological awareness and oral blending.

The term speech, language and communication needs includes children who have difficulties with fluency, forming sounds and words, understanding what others say, and using language to communicate, particularly socially.

If you're concerned about a child's language development speak to your area Graduated Response Early Years (SEND) Team. You can find information about how to contact them on our Supporting children with SEND web page.

If you need to make a referral to a speech and language therapist, you can download the forms you need from our Surrey Local Offer web page.

There are lots of ways you can help parents support their child's communication and language skills at home. Send parents a link to our How parents can help with communication web page or try these free resources:

• Talk with me leaflets for children from birth to five years old
• Talking Time activity cards
• Top Tips for Communication and Language (PDF)

If you work with any families with English as an additional language, you might like to share the quick tips available bilingually in 17 languages from the National Literacy Trust. They include topics like Talk to your baby in your own language, Dummies and talking and Sharing songs and rhymes.

If you'd like more advice or support get in touch with your area Early Years Educational Effectiveness Team [email protected]

Make sure you check out the Surrey Forum dedicated to childcare professionals in Surrey on the national EYFS Forum. We have an EYFS learning and development section where we post best practice ideas and resources and you can get peer support.

Files available to download

• Top tips posters (PDF) A series of 38 posters for you to use in your setting, with tips for parents to support their young child's communication skills and language development.
• Reviewed: 01 Mar 2024
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• Areas of learning
• Communication and language

Exploring language

Tips for best supporting language development in an early years environment.

Contents on this page

Why exploring language is important

What the eyfs framework says, what this means in practice, suggested activities, other activities, what other nurseries and childminders are doing.

Children’s speech develops from babble, to words, to simple sentences through hundreds of hours of interactions with adults. Studies show that once babies begin to understand words their vocabulary increases quickly:

• by age 1, children recognise about 50 words
• by age 3, children recognise about 1,000 words
• by age 5, children recognise about 10,000 words

Having a large vocabulary helps children learn more. Words allow them to make sense of the world around them.

Communication and language is a EYFS prime area which means that it’s one of the important building blocks for all the other areas. If it’s not developed early it’s difficult to achieve later.

Children’s language skills are connected to their overall development and can predict their educational success. As speaking and listening develops, children build foundations for literacy, for making sense of visual and verbal signs and ultimately for reading and writing.

Children from more disadvantaged backgrounds may have fewer chances to develop their vocabulary. However, research shows that lots can be done in the early years to avoid inequalities in children’s language development.

Removing this inequality should be a priority for you. You can work towards this by providing a language rich environment full of stories, rhymes, songs and play with words that are of interest to children. Children can make good progress with early language development with the right support.

There are also lots of benefits from learning more than one language (including sign language) for example, understanding of grammar, spelling, creativity and story-telling skills.

In this video, an early years expert explains the importance of exploring language in the early years foundation stage framework. There are also some tips on how to support children in this area.

Through conversation, story-telling and role play, where children share their ideas with support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate, children become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures.

Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage , page 7, childminder EYFS, page 8, group and school-based EYFS.

Children develop strong language skills when they are involved in playful, language-rich environments with opportunities to learn new words. Hands-on experiences encourage learning and provide a context for new words to be explored. For example, it’s easier for children to learn vegetable names when they are touching or tasting them.

Songs and rhymes offer fun ways to explore the sounds and patterns of words. Poems with actions and repetition help children listen to the structure of spoken language and explore new words.

Reading stories aloud and sharing books supports children to develop language and understand new concepts. Encouraging children to notice pictures and understand words, will strengthen their language skills and widen their vocabulary.

Non-fiction and high-quality texts such as story books, encourage children to make sense of the world around them using language. Encouraging talk when sharing books is an excellent way to support communication and language.

Children extend language with pretend play and acting out stories. By offering props and ideas you can deepen the learning. This may include imaginative play with small world resources such as dolls houses, farms or garages, open ended materials (those which can be used in more than one way) such as blocks or loose parts. You can encourage language development through creativity and problem solving during activities like:

• observing nature

Story scribing

Children are born communicators and often practice their developing language skills by engaging in story-telling, through role play, small world and made-up games.

You can encourage and support this exploration of early language by scaffolding children’s learning and writing down exactly what children say, in the form of story books, for them to enjoy over and over again. Young children love repetition and this type of activity will offer important opportunities for them to feel their voice has been heard.

For younger children story scribing may involve creating picture books of recent experiences, such as trips to the park or birthday parties, with key people and phrases included. These can be created using pre-made photo albums or simply by stringing together printed photographs. Often these can be contributed to by parents or carers and allow practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of a child’s home learning environment, including key vocabulary.

For older children, you can transcribe more elaborate and creative experiences such as children’s own interpretations of familiar stories, superhero play adventures or the ‘rules’ of a game the children have invented. Again, these can be made into a paper story book or displayed as storyboards for children to return to and follow.

Often children enjoy re-enacting these stories with practitioners and their peers, so a simple marked out ‘performance area’ or cardboard box ‘theatre’ may support children to share and enjoy these ‘stories’ further.

How the activity links to the other areas of learning

This activity links to children’s personal, social and emotional development and literacy , as they share stories and interact with others. It also provides opportunities for children to engage in expressive arts and design .

Sensitively narrating children’s play

Children learn language when it is introduced to them sensitively, at a time it is relevant to them, in manageable amounts, and with plenty of time to process. One way of encouraging children’s understanding, and later use, of verbal language is to offer examples to them as they play. Narrating children’s play in these ways:

Commenting, or describing what children are doing, as they are doing it. Using simple, repetitive phrases and pausing in between. This is particularly helpful for complex concepts, for example things you cannot hold, like ‘red’, ‘bigger’ or ‘tomorrow’ and should never feel like you are overwhelming the child with words without meaning.

For example, during block play: “your tower is getting taller and taller”.

Expanding on what children say as you reply, adding one or 2 words. This shows children you are interested and supports them to begin linking words and ideas in play. It can also be helpful to remember that, if you ask a child one question and they are unable to reply, you may demonstrate responding by offering 4 comments.

For example, ‘what have you got?’ (question) Pause ‘It’s a car’, ‘It’s a red car’, ‘It’s a red, fast car’, ‘It goes vrroomm!’ (comments).

Recasting, or modelling, back what the child says, in the right form, but without openly correcting them. For example, in the role play area, if a child said ‘the baby sleeped in the bed’ you might say ‘oh, shhh, the baby’s sleeping in the bed’ to support the understanding of the complex relationships between grammar and vocabulary.

Pausing, allowing children extra time to respond, before speaking again. This supports language use as children’s brains develop and fine-tune those important connections which enable them to receive and understand messages, before forming and expressing their response.

For example, when talking to a child about their play, say something but then wait several seconds (count to 7 in your head) and keep looking at them so that they know you are interested and listening for their response.

Be flexible and responsive to different learning situations and interact in an authentic way having been invited into a child’s play. This will help to make sure that thinking is not interrupted and there is a sense of equality between you and the child.

This clip shows a practitioner tuning in to a young child singing and joining in with the words, following his lead to acknowledge his interests and being a playful communication partner.

“Central to our practice is establishing a shared context to start the conversational journey. Planning learning experiences through the ‘lens of accessibility’ with lots of ways for English as an additional language children to attend, participate and communicate without needing words. Visual signs, simple language and familiar routines all help. Children develop the motivation of being valued members of the group and can share their knowledge and interests with us, even if we do not share their language. Familiar objects to model telling a story create a point of shared understanding and new vocabulary can be introduced. Natural, playful repetition found in all good story telling supports learners to thrive”.

Jet, St Pauls Nursery School and Children’s Centre, Bristol

• Language development in the first years of life is important to later educational success.
• Communication and language is a prime area in the EYFS and is difficult for children to develop later on.
• Language development is best supported in a playful language environment full of stories, songs, rhymes, signs, talk and imaginative play.
• You are important in narrowing the word gap and supporting all children to make good progress.
• You can be a skilled communication partner with children to support their language development.
• Consider how having an understanding of typical communication and language development stages could further improve your practice.
• Review how you meet all children’s communication needs, including non-verbal learners.
• Strengthen partnerships with parents and carers, and professionals to support children’s speech, language and communication.
• Review your curriculum to ensure you cover the requirements in the EYFS for this area of learning.

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Speech, language & communication

Kate Freeman Wednesday, April 18, 2007

A guide to the early stages of communication by I CAN speech therapist and consultant Kate Freeman Babies are hardwired to communicate right from birth, but all children need help to learn to talk. Communication doesn't just develop on its own, although it can sometimes seem that way. Part one of this series describes what we mean by communication - how children move from being able to copy tongue movements at birth to talking about the birthday party they went to yesterday.

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Define the terms: speech, language, communication

Qualification : NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator Unit : Unit 3.10: Develop the speech, language and communication of children Learning outcome : Understand theory and current frameworks which underpin children’s speech, language and communication development. Assessment criteria : Define the terms: speech, language, communication

English is a complex language that contains many different elements. Three core components of English are speech, language, and communication. These terms might be confusing to some, so let’s break down each one individually to get a better sense of their meaning.

What is Speech?

Speech refers to the physical act of producing sound. Speech production involves the coordination of several muscles in the mouth and throat that work together to produce sound. This sound can then be used to communicate with others. Speech production also involves the ability to hear oneself speak, called auditory feedback. People who have difficulty producing speech may seek help from a speech-language pathologist or speech therapist.

What is Language?

Language refers to the rules and conventions used when speaking or writing in any given language. It involves grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and other linguistic features that are specific to a certain language such as English or Spanish. Language proficiency requires an understanding of how words combine into sentences and how these sentences convey meaning in order for effective communication with others. Without this knowledge, two people may not be able to understand each other’s message.

What is Communication?

Communication is the exchange of information between two or more people or groups using spoken words, gestures, signs, symbols, or written messages. It involves both verbal and nonverbal cues (such as facial expressions) that give clues about what someone is trying to say or express through their body language. The goal of communication is typically for one person or group to share their ideas with another person or group in order for them bothto gain a better understanding of each other’s point of view on a particular subject matter. Effective communication requires understanding and respect for each other’s beliefs and values as well as an awareness of potential cultural differences that could impact the conversation’s outcome if not taken into account beforehand..

In summary, speech refers to the physical act of producing sound which can then be used for communication; language encompasses all aspects related to speaking a particular language; while communication involves exchanging information between two people using verbal and/or nonverbal cues in order for them bothto gain an understanding on a given subject matter. These three terms are essential components needed for successful interactions with others — whether it be face-to-face conversations or digital interactions online — making them invaluable tools for any student studying English as a second language!

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by Kirstie Page in Articles Primary on August 16, 2021

The need to understand more about speech, language and communication development and making this a core focus of CPD is frequently discussed within the Early Years. As we move to work in Key Stage 1, the focus on this essential area of development often lessens. Shifting our focus away from speech, language and communication skills as we begin to focus more on formal learning, literacy, maths and knowledge is a false economy.

For all children, there is still a great need for us to understand more about speech, language and communication development. Although, for many children, the basic skills are in place as they leave the EYFS, they still have so much to learn. To name just a few, narrative, negotiation and the language skills surrounding problem solving need to develop way beyond the basic level of skill which will have been established by the age of 5. Non-literal understanding, allowing children to understand and then use humour, sarcasm and metaphors, also develops within this next phase of Education.

Understanding more about the speech, language and communication skills children still need to develop between the ages of 5 and 7, can allow us to think specifically about the opportunities we create for our children. These opportunities could be created within the learning environment, our planning and the games we play. For example, if we are making some play-based learning available to children within our learning environment, we can make more informed decisions about what we add to the environment and how we might evolve the opportunities over time. This is because we have a greater understanding of the correlation between the purpose of the opportunities we make available and the skills we are wanting to facilitate in our children.

Although understanding more about this crucial area of child development has applications for all children aged 5-7, it becomes even more important when a child presents with skill gaps. Many children leaving the EYFS will continue to present with some or all areas of speech, language and communication at an earlier stage of development than would be expected for their age. This is known as delayed development. The more we know, the easier it is to establish which area or areas of a particular child’s development are delayed and which are not. Even more essentially, understanding more about the order of speech, language and communication development, allows us to establish what a child can do, moving away from just describing what they cannot. It is from the child’s level of success that we must work from as we set next steps and facilitate progression.

Developmental Language Disorder can be easily missed within the EYFS and it is often between the ages of 5 and 7 that children with disordered patterns of language development begin to stand out a bit more. As the other children’s higher-level skills develop, especially with social communication, inference, prediction and non-literal understanding, it becomes apparent that these skills are not as automatic for some children. It is essential that, if we work in this age bracket, we know more about this so that we can spot Developmental Language Disorder and not confuse a child’s issues with behaviour, lack of listening or rudeness. As our expectations with reading comprehension, problem solving and creative writing rise quite quickly and significantly, it is essential that we understand the impact that disordered patterns of development may have. Understanding pragmatic development/social communication is essential if we want to know how to support a child who is not mixing with or struggling to socially engage with the other children. Pragmatic issues are often the core root issue, with many children struggling with Personal, Social and Emotional Learning.

Understanding more about speech, language and communication development links in very strongly with Ofsted’s agenda with, as they term it, ‘The lowest 20%.’ It becomes very difficult to decide and talk about what this group of children need if we do not understand more about child development and what the barriers to learning and progression are for this group of individuals. Building a Skill Profile for children who are causing us concern and who need and deserve a little more thought is often the best place to start. From this point, we can then think about what each child needs and decide how we might achieve that.

At this point, our thoughts often turn to interventions alongside some Quality First Teaching Strategies. More often than not though, we will reach for isolated Intervention Programmes or follow a pattern of giving these children more of that same, but simply in smaller groups.

Although there is nothing intrinsically wrong with Intervention Programmes, it is essential that we understand what the gaps are that need closing. Otherwise, we are trying to fix a problem that we haven’t understood ourselves. We also need to think about what we do outside of that Intervention Programme. How can we support closing the gap within our interactions, within the opportunities we create within our learning environment, etc?

Understanding more can also help us to understand that more of the same, is not always the best way to ensure progression. For example, visual discrimination issues will impact on a child’s ability to retain graphemes, especially similar, confusable ones or to move on to di- and trigraphs. Issues with sequential auditory memory are often the root cause of children not being able to blend. Although a strong and consistent SSP is crucial, we will be much more effective if, alongside, we identify and tackle these barriers rather than ignoring them. Not only is this more likely to facilitate progression, but it is also a fairer and more empowering approach to take when children are finding things tricky, no matter how many times you repeat the same thing.

Issues with auditory memory and sequential auditory memory may also be the hidden reasons why a child can’t hold a sentence, remember what to do when they get to the table, struggle with problem solving and reading comprehension. Issues with semantic development/vocabulary skills may also be the hidden reason why certain children struggle with inference, prediction, generating ideas of things to write about and why they still tend to take everything that is said or read literally. Understanding more about the links between these core skills and the things we are trying to teach and ensure progression with can make things a lot less frustrating when a child can’t do something. Most importantly, it allows us to understand why this might be the case and what we need to do about it.

Knowing more about the specific nature of different children’s skill gaps and the incremental skills that need to be facilitated to close the gaps, will allow us to think about the exact Quality First Teaching Strategies we need to put in place for different children. It also allows us to begin to embed interventions into our interactions, our planning, the learning environment and the speaking & listening games we choose to play. This means that ‘interventions’ become more frequent, are less labour intensive, more sustainable and are woven into what the child is learning and communicating about already. Often, we turn to isolated Intervention Programmes as they seem easier, particularly when we don’t have the knowledge or confidence to embed our own.

Understanding more about speech, language and communication development can also really support us when we need to work with Outside Agencies. Deciding which children need referring elsewhere is greatly supported the more we know. The extent of the mismatch between a child’s stage of development and their age, along with disordered patterns of development would be the main factors that would indicate that a referral might be needed. Understanding more about this area of development also allows us to avoid over referring as we begin to feel more confident about these decisions and being able to set next steps for children ourselves.

Multidisciplinary working also becomes more two-way, the more we understand about speech, language and communication development. It allows our referrals and reports to contain more specific detail and offers clarity to our thoughts about what a child can do well and what they find more difficult. A greater level of knowledge also allows us to interpret reports from Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, etc. Most fundamentally, it allows us to understand what their assessment findings mean to a child’s learning and what we need to put in place for that child.

To find out more about Launchpad for Literacy, visit the website . 

All our primary articles have been moved to Tapestry.info. You can read them and lots of other articles there.

Kirstie Page

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Language rich environment – How to create one in EYFS

• Written By: Rageena Tahir and Olivia Jones
• Subject: Enabling environments

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Rageena Tahir and Olivia Jones share how to bring a language focus to your early years environment…

Babies are instinctively wired to learn language. From babbling to showing an understanding of what they hear, babies’ speech and language development quickly begins to emerge.

When children acquire strong language skills, this offers a gateway to most other forms of learning, as well as communicating their needs.

Speech and language skills open the door to a wealth of other skills including problem-solving, social and personal development, and emotional regulation. So, it’s important we provide the best possible learning environment to continuously enhance learning opportunities and support children to build these skills. 

A language-rich environment promotes and encourages the enhancement of children’s communication and language development, taking into account both the physical and emotional environment, including positive and responsive interactions with adults.

The physical environment

Not only do children begin to develop their physical skills by exploring their environment through play; they are also forming imagination and language skills. 

There are many ways you can bring a language focus to the forefront of the physical environment. Here are just a few:

Open-ended resources

Using open-ended resources in your setting and giving children time to play supports them to learn new words, engage in back-and-forth conversations with one another and use resources in a variety of ways, including problem-solving. 

Loose parts play can include resources such as reels, acorns, rings, boxes, crates, planks, containers – anything that children can make into whatever they choose. With a little thinking and imagination, boxes can be turned into skyscrapers or race cars.

Signs and labels

Using labels in your nursery is a great way to surround the physical environment with words. Seeing these labels every day helps children to memorise letter formation and understand the relationship between a word and its meaning.

Remember though, don’t go too overboard with the label maker as this could become overwhelming and more difficult for children to memorise.

You could also welcome children at your setting with some colourful self-registration cards. Self-registration is a great way to encourage children to recognise their name. This usually starts with their ability to recognise the first letter. 

Try adding print to role play areas. For example, recipes with pictures will help children to comprehend the instructions and attribute meaning to the words, and real food packaging in home corners supports children in recognising familiar logos and brands that they may use at home.

Outdoor exploration

The outdoors provides its very own classroom naturally primed for learning and exploring, with trees, plants, paths, levels and the ever-changing weather. 

Supplementing this with further resources such as wheelbarrows, water channels, magnifying glasses and tools will encourage further exploration and the opportunity to introduce new concepts and vocabulary.

Through discussions and shared sustained thinking, children will develop confidence in communicating. 

And of course, with outdoors being an extension of indoor learning, books and other print materials can be introduced to support learning.

The emotional environment

An environment means more to a child than what’s physically around them. How they feel within that environment can influence their learning and development too.

It’s essential for a child to feel safe and secure in your setting. Creating a nurturing sense within your environment can also open up a wealth of opportunities for a language-rich environment.

Listen carefully to children, observe body language and what the child is doing, and respond appropriately. 

This is the basis for secure, positive and supportive relationships between adults and the child. This relationship will in turn ensure that adults are providing warm and responsive interactions that support and coach children through understanding and managing their emotions – also known as co-regulation. 

These types of interactions provide opportunities to introduce children to the language of emotions, helping them develop the ability to assign words to how they are feeling.

Cosy spaces

Create a quiet, cosy reading corner using cushions and soft rugs to support a relaxing emotional environment. Keep books at a level children can easily access so that older children can independently select which story they’d like to go and read.

Create a communication audit

Consider these points when making enhancements to your setting. Continuously reflecting on each of these areas and making improvements based on what you observe will help promote a language-rich environment.

• Where are the most conversations taking place in the room?
• Which staff within the room are having the most interactions?
• Are these good quality interactions?
• Which resources do the children use most?
• What are the children’s current interests?
• Are there spaces within the room to be quiet and reflect?
• Are there spaces for imaginative play?

Rageena Tahir is Head of EYFS and Olivia Jones is a content writer at Fennies Nurseries .

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Define the terms: speech, language, communication

Qualification : Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator Unit : Unit 3.10: Develop the speech, language and communication of children Learning outcome : 1 Understand theory and current frameworks which underpin children’s speech, language and communication development. Assessment criteria : 1.1 Define the terms: speech, language, communication

• Speech: the expression of thoughts and feelings using verbal language
• Language: a structured system of communication using shared rules, grammar, words and symbols/signs (e.g. English, Hindi, British Sign Language etc.)
• Communication: the sending and recieving of information (e.g. language, email, writing, facial expressions etc.)

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Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework

The standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5.

Applies to England

Eyfs statutory framework for childminders.

PDF , 422 KB , 43 pages

EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers

PDF , 483 KB , 50 pages

Summary of changes for childminders

Summary of changes for group and school-based providers.

There are 2 statutory EYFS frameworks: 

• EYFS statutory framework for childminders 
• EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers 

Providers are responsible for ensuring they follow the current version of the framework for their provider type.

The EYFS framework: 

• sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well 
• ensures children are kept healthy and safe 
• ensures children have the knowledge and skills they need to start school 

It also includes early years qualification requirements and standards .

See the summary of changes to understand what has been updated in the latest versions of the frameworks.

Help for early years providers and childminders  working with 0- to 5-year-olds is available.  

Further supporting materials for settings and practitioners are available on the  Foundation Years  website.

Clarified wording in paragraphs 3.11, 3.61, 3.64 and 3.67 in the framework for childminders and paragraphs 3.40, 3.41, 3.62 in the framework for groups and schools. Some paragraph numbers have been updated to reflect these changes and other minor formatting amendments and link corrections have been made.

Updated the 2 statutory framework documents to clarify providers’ responsibilities on paediatric first aid training. In the framework for childminders we have also edited paragraph 3.24, in the section on training, support and skills.

Removed 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (applies until 3 January 2024)' and amended the text to reflect this.

Added summaries of changes from the September 2023 guidance to the January 2024 guidance.

Added the 'EYFS statutory framework for childminders' and the 'EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers'. You should use these documents from 4 January 2024.

Updated to highlight that the new statutory framework for the early years foundation stage applies from 4 September 2023. Removed the previous version.

Added new version of 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage' which applies from 4 September 2023. The following 3 changes will apply: the current statutory minimum staff:child ratios in England for 2-year-olds changes from 1:4 to 1:5; childminders can care for more than the specified maximum of three young children if they are caring for siblings of children they already care for, or if the childminder is caring for their own child; clarifying that 'adequate supervision' while children are eating means that children must be within sight and hearing of an adult.

Updated to make it clear that the new statutory framework for the early years foundation stage applies from 1 September 2021. Removed the previous version and the early years foundation stage coronavirus disapplications as they are no longer in force.

Updated 'Early years foundation stage: coronavirus disapplications' with link to the current version of Ofsted’s early years inspection handbook, and clarification of dates disapplications can be used.

Updated as inspections of early years providers resume on 4 May, the disapplications to the early years foundation stage profile are in force (and no longer subject to parliamentary approval), and paediatric first aid practitioners must attend requalification training to renew expired certificates.

Added a new statutory framework for the early years foundation stage which applies from 1 September 2021. Until then, the current framework applies.

Added guidance on the 2021 early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP) assessment and paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate requalification training.

Updated 'Early years foundation stage: coronavirus disapplications' with a link to Ofsted's operational notes, which set out in further detail, how providers will be inspected from January 2021. Provided further clarity on the definition of 'reasonable endeavours'.

Amended 'Early years foundation stage: coronavirus disapplications' to remove reference to the original transition period and the PFA certification extensions, both which ended on 25 November 2020.

Amended the content on early years foundation stage coronavirus disapplications to reflect the updated arrangements that were put in place from 26 September 2020, and national restrictions.

Updated 'early years foundation stage: coronavirus disapplications' to reflect that the original disapplications ended on 25 September and the new regulations which came into force on the 26 September.

Updated to reflect new regulations which allow temporary coronavirus (COVID-19) disapplications to re-apply if a provider is prevented from complying with the EYFS due to coronavirus (COVID-19) related restrictions or requirements. They also add disapplications around paediatric first aid to the transitional period, which originally only applied to disapplications around staffing levels.

Updated to reflect the extension of the validity of current PFA certificates.

Updated to reflect wider opening of early years settings from 1 June 2020 and to provide a clarification on progress checks for children aged 2.

Added guidance to the temporarily disapplied, and modified certain elements of the EYFS statutory framework.

Updated statutory guidance title and summary.

Added new statutory framework.

Added link to the Foundation Years website.

First published.

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Early Years Toolkit

Introduction.

For children whose talking does not develop in a typical way or at the rate we would expect, it is often appropriate to support underlying skills, such as listening, shared attention and play.  This helps the child to learn more about communication and to be able to understand what words mean.  This lays the foundation for learning to use words and for developing different speech sounds.

Here you will find information and ideas on how to help support your child’s speech, language and communication.  Children develop at different rates.  If you have concerns about your child’s speech, language or communication, you can contact your health visitor or get in touch with SLT directly.  Whatever stage your chid is at, there are lots of ways you can support their development.  Adults play a key role in supporting children’s speech, language and communication.  This toolkit has been designed to support parents, families, partners and professionals who work with children in the early years, and is relevant for both children with and without an identified speech, language and communication need.

Useful links

There are lots of great websites and resources available online that we recommend.

• Explore activities, tips and advice for children aged 0-5 years with BBC's Tiny Happy People.
• Discover the benefits of sharing stories, songs and rhymes with Bookbug! Visit Scottish Book Trust's website, download the free app or visit Shetland Library to find out about local Bookbug sessions.
• Ready Steady Toddler! A practical guide from NHS Health Scotland to help you navigate all aspects of the toddler years.
• Visit Speech and Language UK's Talking Point for information on ages and stages of communication milestones, and for lots of resources and factsheets regarding speech, language and communication needs. Includes resources for pre-school and school-age children, and information is available for both parents and professionals.

To access the developmental overviews often used in ELC settings, and the Words Up key messages for oral language in the early years, visit the Highland Literacy website.

Additional information for ELC practitioners: When taking a staged approach to support, it can be helpful to first consider an inclusive learning environment to support all children in your setting. Realising the Ambition: Being Me – the national practice guidance for early years in Scotland – is an important foundation to help achieve this.

To support children more at risk of poor achievement in language, literacy and learning, the CIRCLE collaboration’s Up, up and away! resource for early years is a practical tool to help further optimise an inclusive learning environment, as well as identify and plan to meet the needs of specific children.

Little Learners

• Guides, Advice and Support

Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

What is the eyfs.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) covers all learning from birth to age 5. You may have heard of the National Curriculum, which starts from Year 1. The EYFS is the framework (similar to a ‘curriculum’) for birth to Reception. 

The EYFS Framework includes 7 areas of learning. There are 3 ‘prime’ areas and 4 ‘specific’ areas. The idea is that without skills in the prime areas, children are not able to access learning in the specific areas.

The 3 Prime areas are:

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Communication and language, physical development.

The 4 Specific areas are:

Mathematics

Understanding the world, expressive arts and design.

Each area has strands within it, to break up the area into different skills/learning. Take a look below at a more detailed look at each area:

• Self regulation Understanding their own feelings and those of others, as well as managing their behaviour in different situations.
• Managing Self Confidence, resilience, and perseverance, such as when trying new things. Also self-care skills such as independence when eating, toileting and getting dressed.
• Building Relationships Creating positive attachments and working/playing with or alongside other children and adults.
• Listening, Attention and Understanding Listening and responding to what they hear, while also developing an understanding of what is said. Maintaining attention when, for example, listening to a story or engaging in an activity.
• Speaking Language development and communication (by using gestures, sounds, and later – words). Attributing meaning to sounds, such as animal noises and, later, words.
• Gross Motor Skills Large movements such as crawling, walking, running, jumping and climbing. Also learning to navigate space safely. 
• Fine Motor Skills Smaller movements such as drawing and writing, using scissors and holding tools such as a pencil or paintbrush and cutlery.
• Comprehension Understanding what is being read, using words and pictures to do so. Children may comment on what is happening, answer questions or anticipate what might happen next.
• Word Reading Learning to read words by attributing a sound to each letter or group of letters (phonics). 
• Writing Making marks using tools such as pencils, and eventually writing recognisable letters, words and phrases.
• Number Developing an understanding of number by counting with one-to-one correspondence (one at a time), learning to add and subtract.
• Numerical Patterns Understanding the pattern of the counting system (e.g. when you get to 20, next is 21, when you get to 30, next is 31), and recognising other patterns such as odd and even.
• Past and Present Understanding the concept of time and that things in the past may be different to now.
• People, Culture and Communities Understanding the similarities and differences between themselves and other people. Exploring and commenting on their environment. 
• The Natural World Exploring and understanding the natural world around them, including seasons, plants and animals.
• Creating with Materials Using different media and materials to explore colour, design, texture, form and function.
• Being Imaginative and Expressive. Engaging with nursery rhymes, action songs and stories, moving to music and engaging in role play.