The 7 areas of learning

The development of children’s spoken language underpins all 7 areas of learning and development.

The DfE have created these videos to support practitioners understanding of how we can support early communication and language skills.

EYFS Communication and language – Interactions - YouTube

EYFS Communication and language – Exploring language - YouTube

EYFS Communication and language - Listening & Understanding - YouTube

The balanced system is a speech, language and communication pathway to support both professionals and parents/carers. This is a great website to share with those supporting children’s early communication skills. Just select your local authority area and you will be signposted to local support and resources. The Balanced System® speech, language and communication pathway

The Better health start for life offers parents advice on how to support children’s early communication skills. Learning to talk 3 to 5 years - NHS

Speech and language UK is a great website for both parents and practitioners. They offer free training, resources and guidance. This ages and stages tool is particularly useful as it identifies examples of typical development and offers advice on how we can support children and identify concerns. Ages and stages (speechandlanguage.org.uk) In addition, they have a progress checker tool which can help you plan support for children in your care. Child's progress checker (speechandlanguage.org.uk)

The EYFS states that for children whose home language is not English, providers must take reasonable steps to allow opportunities for children to develop and use their home language in play and learning, supporting their language development at home. The DfE offers advice on how to do this. English as an additional language - Help for early years providers (gov.uk)

This EAL audit and action plan template is a great tool to evaluate your current practice. EAL Audit and Action Plan (PDF)

The Bell foundation offers professional development training to support practitioners to develop and embed effective practices in EAL assessment to improve practice. EAL Assessment Framework – EYFS - The Bell Foundation

PSED is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives and is fundamental to cognitive development.

In these 3 videos the DfE offer practical advice on how we can support PSED in our daily interactions with children.

EYFS Personal, social and emotional development – Emotions - YouTube

EYFS Personal, social and emotional development – Sense of self - YouTube

EYFS Communication and language - Relationships - YouTube

This handbook offers a more detailed look at PSED and encourages practitioners to reflect on practice to enhance understanding and practice. PSED for Early Years Handbook (PDF)

Bereavement is unfortunately something many of our children will face as they grow up. The Anna Freud centre have created this booklet to help us to support children and families through bereavement and loss. Support Young Children and Families Through Bereavement and Loss | Anna Freud Centre

Adverse childhood experiences can have a significant impact on children’s future life chances as toxic stress can negatively impact early brain development. This 50 minute free online course is essential for all those working closely with young children, helping us to understand and support. ACEs (acesonlinelearning.com)

Self-regulation for early years children is the developing ability to regulate emotions, thoughts and behaviours. This is not something children can learn in isolation, instead they require attuned adults who respond sensitively and validate the child’s current state. Birth to 5 matters explores self-regulation in the early years. Self-regulation – Birth To 5 Matters

This video by Harvard university explores self-regulation and executive functioning, crucial skills which help children to thrive as they go out into the wider world. InBrief: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning - YouTube

Dr Mine Conkbayir is an award winning author and early years consultant with a keen interest in neuroscience and how we as adults can support children when they become dysregulated. Her Keep Your Cool Toolbox is a great tool for all early years settings or any parent needing a reminder on how we can support children with those big emotions.

This is a very powerful video which helps us to acknowledge what children experience when dysregulating. "Just Breathe" - YouTube

Promoting positive behaviour in settings can sometimes feel overwhelming. This free webcast delivered by the inclusion team helps us to reflect on our settings approach and reminds us of the tools available to support with this. Top tips for promoting positive behaviour in early years settings - YouTube

Physical activity is vital to children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives.

The DfE have created these videos which consider how we can incorporate physical activity into our daily routines.

EYFS – Core strength and co-ordination (YouTube)

EYFS – Gross motor skills (YouTube)

EYFS – Fine motor skills (YouTube)

The better health, healthier families program offers ideas for 10 minute shake up games to get children and adults moving. 10 Minute Shake Up games (NHS)

The UK Chief medical officers physical activity guidelines (2019) is a useful document to support the promotion of physical activity both in settings and at home. On page 23 you can find a useful poster which summarises the physical activity recommendations for children aged birth to five years. UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines

Cosmic Kids use the wonder of stories to bring yoga to life for children. Tune in to a wide range of themes which promote yoga, relaxation and mindfulness for children. Cosmic Kids Yoga (YouTube)

Early movers is a brilliant website aimed at supporting under fives lead active and healthy lives. This is a great tool to support the delivery of physical development within your provision, visit Early movers.

The EYFS highlights the importance of children developing a lifelong love of reading as this supports language comprehension, reading and writing skills.

The DfE videos below talk to early years professionals on how this may look in practice:

EYFS Literacy Reading comprehension (YouTube)

EYFS – Literacy Exploring words (YouTube)

EYFS – Literacy Writing (YouTube)

This DfE document ‘The reading framework’ is aimed at reception class and above however has some useful content which we can think about when planning our early years environments and how we select and ignite a love of reading with our children. Reading Framework (gov.uk)

The national literacy trust offers training and resources to support early literacy. Once you have set up a free account you have access to a wide range of information. Literacy and Early Years | National Literacy Trust

The education endowment foundation have produced seven recommendations to how we can support and improve early language and literacy in our settings. Preparing for Literacy

One of the best ways to promote a love of reading is to visit the library. Most libraries will offer activities and small group times throughout the year to support this. Visit, Worcestershire Libraries to find your local library.

Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically.

Mathematics in practice is explored in the following DfE videos.

EYFS Maths - Numbers (YouTube)

EYFS Maths - Patterns and connections (YouTube)

EYFS Maths - Spatial reasoning (YouTube)

The following leaflets developed by Surrey early years learning team are a great tool to share with parents, offering suggestions on how adults can support early mathematical skills.

Count with me leaflet newborn to 12 months (PDF)

Count with me leaflet 1 to 2 years (PDF)

Count with me leaflet 2 to 3 years (PDF)

Count with me leaflet 3 to 4 years (PDF)

Count with me leaflet 4 years plus (PDF)

The national centre for excellence in the teaching of mathematics (NCETM) is dedicated to raising achievement and increasing the appreciation and wonder of maths. They support professionals working from reception age and upwards. Although resources are designed for reception class this webpage has great content which helps us to understand the 6 main concepts of maths. Early Years | NCETM

Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them.

The DfE explore how we can support children in understanding the world in which they live in these three videos.

EYFS –  Personal experiences (YouTube)

EYFS –  Diverse world (YouTube)

EYFS –  Widening vocabulary (YouTube)

As the world becomes increasingly digital, we have a responsibility to teach children how to access the internet safely.

Smartie the penguin is an online story aimed at 3 to 7 year olds on how to act safely online. Great to share directly with children and with parents also. Smartie the Penguin | Childnet

Little birds internet security adventure is another online book designed to share with pre-school aged children. Family Safety - Little Bird (PDF)

Childnet’s mission is to work with others to make the internet a great and safe place for children. They offer advice and guidance to professionals working with children, and families including young children. Childnet — Online safety for young people

StayWise hopes to save lives through education. Visit their website to find resources designed by the leading emergency services, helping children to stay safe from the age of 3 upwards, visit, StayWise.

The development of children’s artistic and cultural awareness supports their imagination and creativity. It is important that children have regular opportunities to engage with the arts, enabling them to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials.

These DfE videos consider how we can support children to communicate through expressive arts and design.

EYFS –  Imagination and creativity (YouTube)

EYFS –  Self expression (YouTube)

EYFS –  Communicating through arts (YouTube)

The British association for early childhood education recognise children as artists and offer us suggestions as to how we can support this through our provision.

Children as artists - Early Education

Expressive arts and design in EYFS - Early Education

Making a noise for music - Early Education

Creativity - Early Education

Musical Development matters in the Early years is a fantastic document to support you in the delivery of music as a component of expressive arts and design as part of your EYFS curriculum.

The role of music in the Early Years