Specific Areas of Learning & Development

A Unique Child:
Literacy
Birth – 11 months observing what a child is learning
Reading Writing
 Enjoys Looking at books and other printed material with familiar Children’s later writing is based on skills and understandings which they develop as
people. babies and toddlers. Before they can write, they need to learn to use spoken language
to communicate. Later they learn to write down the words they can say. (See the roots
of Writing in Communication and language).
Early mark-making is not the same as writing. It is a sensory and physical experience for
Mathematics

Numbers Shape, space & measure

 Notices changes in number of objects/images or sounds in group Babies’ early awareness of shape, space and measure grows from their sensory
of up to 3. awareness and opportunities to observe objects and their movements, and to play and
explore.
See Characteristics of Effective Learning - Playing and Exploring, and Physical
Development.
People & communities The world Technology
Expressive Arts Understanding

The beginnings of understanding of People and  Moves eyes, then head, to follow moving The beginnings of understanding technology lie in
the World

communities lie in early attachment and other objects. babies exploring and making sense of objects and how
relationships. See Personal, Social and Emotional  Reacts with abrupt change when a face or they behave.
Development and Communication and Language. object suddenly disappears from view. See Characteristics of Effective Learning - Playing and
 Looks around a room with interest; visually Exploring and Creating and Thinking Critically
scans environment for novel, interesting
Exploring and using media and materials Being imaginative
Babies explore media and materials as part of their exploration of the world around them. See Babies and toddlers need to explore the world and
& Design

Characteristics of Effective develop a range of ways to communicate before they

Learning – Playing and Exploring, Physical Development, can express their own ideas through arts and design.
Understanding the World – The World See Characteristics of Effective Learning;
Communication and Language; Physical Development;
Personal, Social and Emotional Development

A Unique Child:
8 – 20 months observing what a child is learning
Literacy

Reading Writing
Handles books and printed material with interest. Children’s later writing is based on skills and understandings which they
develop as babies and toddlers. Before they can write, they need to learn to
use spoken language to communicate. Later they learn to write down the
words they can say. (See the roots of Writing in Communication and
language).
 Specific Areas of Learning & Development

Expressive Understandi Mathematics

Numbers
 Develops an awareness of number names through their enjoyment of
action rhymes and songs that relate to their experience of numbers.
 Has some understanding that things exist, even when out of sight.
ng the World
Shape, space & measure
 Recognises big things and small things in meaningful contexts.
 Gets to know and enjoy daily routines, such as getting-up time, mealtimes,
nappy time, and bedtime.

People & communities The world Technology

The beginnings of understanding of People and  Closely observes what animals, people and The beginnings of understanding technology lie in
communities lie in early attachment and other vehicles do. babies exploring and making sense of objects and
relationships. See Personal, Social and Emotional  Watches toy being hidden and tries to find it. how they behave.
Development and Communication and Language.  Looks for dropped objects. See Characteristics of Effective Learning Playing
 Becomes absorbed in combining objects, e.g. and Exploring and Creating and Thinking Critically
Exploring and using media and materials Being imaginative
Design

 Explores and experiments with a range of media through sensory Babies and toddlers need to explore the world and develop a range of ways to
Arts &

exploration, and using whole body. communicate before they can express their own ideas through arts and design.
 Move their whole bodies to sounds they enjoy, such as music or a regular See Characteristics of Effective Learning; Communication and Language;
beat. Physical Development; Personal, Social and Emotional Development
 Imitates and improvises actions they have observed, e.g. clapping or

A Unique Child:
16 – 26 months observing what a child is learning
Literacy

Reading Writing
Interested in books and rhymes and may have favourites. Children’s later writing is based on skills and understandings which they
develop as babies and toddlers. Before they can write, they need to learn to
use spoken language to communicate. Later they learn to write down the
words they can say. (See the roots of Writing in Communication and
language).
Understandi Mathematics

Numbers Shape, space & measure

 Knows that things exist, even when out of sight.
 Beginning to organise and categorise objects, e.g. putting all the teddy
bears together or teddies and cars in separate piles.
 Says some counting words randomly.
ng the World
Attempts, sometimes successfully, to fit shapes into spaces on inset boards or
jigsaw puzzles.
Uses blocks to create their own simple structures and arrangements.
Enjoys filling and emptying containers.
Associates a sequence of actions with daily routines.

People & communities The world Technology

 Is curious about people and shows interest in
stories about themselves and their family.
 Enjoys pictures and stories about themselves,
their families and other people.
 Explores objects by linking together different
approaches: shaking, hitting, looking, feeling,
tasting, mouthing, pulling, turning and poking.
 Remembers where objects belong.
 Matches parts of objects that fit together, e.g.
 Anticipates repeated sounds, sights and actions,
e.g. when an adult demonstrates an action toy
several times.
 Shows interest in toys with buttons, flaps and
simple mechanisms and beginning to learn to
 Specific Areas of Learning & Development
Exploring and using media and materials Being imaginative
Expressive

Design
 Explores and experiments with a range of media through sensory Expresses self through physical action and sound.
Arts & exploration, and using whole body. Pretends that one object represents another, especially when objects have
 Move their whole bodies to sounds they enjoy, such as music characteristics in common.
 or a regular beat.
 Imitates and improvises actions they have observed, e.g.

A Unique Child:
22 – 36 months observing what a child is learning
Literacy

Reading Writing
 Has some favourite stories, rhymes, songs, poems or jingles.  Distinguishes between the different marks they make.
 Repeats words or phrases from familiar stories.
 Fills in the missing word or phrase in a known rhyme, story or game, e.g.
‘Humpty Dumpty sat on a …’.
Expressive Understandi Mathematics

Numbers Shape, space & measure

Selects a small number of objects from a group when asked,
for example, ‘please give me one’, ‘please give me two’.
Recites some number names in sequence.
Creates and experiments with symbols and marks representing ideas of
number.
ng the World
 Notices simple shapes and patterns in pictures.
 Beginning to categorise objects according to properties such as shape or
size.
 Begins to use the language of size.
 Understands some talk Technology
about immediate past and future, e.g. ‘before’,

People & communities The world

 Has a sense of own immediate family and
relations.
 In pretend play, imitates everyday actions and
events from own family and cultural
background, e.g. making and drinking
Exploring and using media and materials tea.
Design
 Enjoys playing with small-world models such
as a farm, a garage, or a train track.
 Notices detailed features of objects in their
environment.
Being imaginative
 Seeks to acquire basic skills in turning on and
operating some ICT equipment.
 Operates mechanical toys, e.g. turns the knob
on a wind-up toy or pulls back on a friction car.

 Joins in singing favourite songs.  Beginning to use representation to communicate, e.g. drawing a
Arts &

 Creates sounds by banging, shaking, tapping or blowing. line and saying ‘That’s me.’
 Shows an interest in the way musical instruments sound.  Beginning to make-believe by pretending..
 Experiments with blocks, colours and marks.

30 – 50 months A Unique Child:

observing what a child is learning
 Specific Areas of Learning & Development
Reading Writing
  Sometimes gives meaning to marks as they draw and
Literacy
Enjoys rhyming and rhythmic activities.
 Shows awareness of rhyme and alliteration. paint.
 Recognises rhythm in spoken words.  Ascribes meanings to marks that they see in different
 Listens to and joins in with stories and poems, one-to-one and also in small groups. places.
 Joins in with repeated refrains and anticipates key events and phrases in rhymes and stories.
Expressive Understandi Mathematics

Numbers Shape, space & measure

 Uses some number names and number language spontaneously.  Shows an interest in shape and space by playing with
 Uses some number names accurately in play. shapes or making arrangements with objects.
 Recites numbers in order to 10.  Shows awareness of similarities of shapes in the
 Knows that numbers identify how many objects are in a set. environment.
 Beginning to represent numbers using fingers, marks on paper or pictures.  Uses positional language.
ng the World

People & communities The world Technology

 Shows interest in the lives of people who are  Comments and asks questions about aspects  Knows how to operate simple equipment, e.g.
familiar to them. of their familiar world such as the place where turns on CD player and uses remote control.
 Remembers and talks about significant they live or the natural world.  Shows an interest in technological toys with
events in their own experience.  Can talk about some of the things they have knobs or pulleys, or real objects such as
 Recognises
Exploring and media
and using describes
andspecial times or
materials observed such as plants, animals,
Being natural and
imaginative cameras or mobile phones.
Design

 Enjoys joining in with dancing and ring games.  Developing preferences for forms of expression.
Arts &

 Sings a few familiar songs.  Uses movement to express feelings.

 Beginning to move rhythmically.  Creates movement in response to music.
 Imitates movement in response to music.  Sings to self and makes up simple songs.
 Taps out simple repeated rhythms.  Makes up rhythms.
 Specific Areas of Learning & Development

A Unique Child:
40 – 60+ observing what a child is learning
months
Literacy

Reading Writing
 Continues a rhyming string.  Gives meaning to marks they make as they draw, write and paint.
 Hears and says the initial sound in words.  Begins to break the flow of speech into words.
 Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together and  Continues a rhyming string.
knows which letters represent some of them.  Hears and says the initial sound in words.
NumbersLinks sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet. Shape,
Can space
segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together.
Expressive Understandi Mathematics

& measure
 Recognise some numerals of personal significance.  Beginning to use mathematical names for ‘solid’ 3D shapes and ‘flat’ 2D
 Recognises numerals 1 to 5. shapes, and mathematical terms to describe shapes.
 Counts up to three or four objects by saying one number name for each  Selects a particular named shape.
item.  Can describe their relative position such as ‘behind’ or ‘next to’.
 Counts actions or objects which cannot be moved. The world  Orders two or three items by length or height.
ng the World

People & communities Technology

 Enjoys joining in with family customs and  Looks closely at similarities, differences,  Completes a simple program on a computer.
routines. patterns and change.  Uses ICT hardware to interact with age-
Early Learning Goal Early Learning Goal appropriate computer software.
Children talk about past and present events in Children know about similarities and Early Learning Goal
their own lives
Exploring and inmedia
and using the lives
andof family
materials differences in relation to places, objects,
Being imaginative Children recognise that a range of technology is
Design

 Begins to build a repertoire of songs and dances.  Create simple representations of events, people and objects.
Arts &

 Explores the different sounds of instruments.  Initiates new combinations of movement and gesture in order to express
 Explores what happens when they mix colours. and respond to feelings, ideas and experiences.
 Experiments to create different textures.  Chooses particular colours to use for a purpose.
 Understands that different media can be combined to create new effects.  Introduces a storyline or narrative into their play.