Help your child to develop and learn in their first 5 years

This information is designed to give you some ideas and resources to further help your child. You'll know your child well, so please make sure you pick out the ideas you need and which your child will enjoy. Your child’s key person at nursery, pre-school or playgroup or your childminder will also be able to offer you ideas.

What to expect in the Early Years Foundation stage – a guide for parents

Learning to communicate

Every interaction you have with your child is a form of communication. It’s not just about the words you say: The tone of your voice, the look in your eyes and the hugs and kisses you give – all convey messages to your child. 

Developing early maths skills

Maths is all around us and we use our mathematical skills daily, often without realising. When you tell the time, organise your day, pay for your shopping, work out what time to leave home to meet friends – in each of these instances you're using maths.

Life can very busy with lots of things to juggle, so the documents below are aimed to fit into everyday life. The overall aim is to have fun, smile and laugh together; give time to talk and make maths fun.

Each document has 5 sections: 

• Introduction - explains about the activity
• Supporting your child to develop their language - provides a communication strategy 
• Words to share - are noted on each document to support vocabulary extension
• Making it work for your family - offers ideas to differentiate the activity and be inclusive
• Next time you could try - suggests how the activity could be further developed

Remember: Look around you, talk together about the things you see, recap together on what you've enjoyed - children enjoy doing the same activity again and again – this really helps them to learn and remember.  

Growing personally, socially and emotionally

Personal, social and emotional development is important for learning. It is all about:

• making relationships with others
• understanding ourselves and our emotions
• learning how to interact with others by watching what you do and listening to what you say

Keeping a routine

It is important to try and keep a routine, children will feel more comfortable with a predictable routine, so try to make sure they:

• get up and go to bed at the same time each day
• have regular meal times
• turn off any electronic devices, including the TV, at least an hour before bedtime

Being active

You should aim to get some fresh air every day. If you do not have a garden you can use the local park or go for a walk.

While inside, there are plenty of things you can do to keep children active, such as:

• playing hide-and-seek
• seeing who can do the most star jumps
• making an obstacle course
• playing music and having a dance-off