In planning and guiding what children learn, practitioners must reflect on the different rates at which children are developing and adjust their practice appropriately. The three characteristics of effective teaching and learning are playing and exploring; active learning & creating and thinking critically.  Here are the small step observations identified in the Development Matters document – 2020 for 0–3-year-olds, that practitioners can support young children to achieve as part of their universal provision.

Playing and exploring

• I realise that my actions have an effect on the world, so I repeat them.
• I reach for and accept objects, making choices and exploring different resources and materials.
• I plan and think ahead about how to explore or play with objects.
• I guide my own thinking and actions by talking to myself while playing.
• I make independent choices and do things independently that I have been previously taught.
• I can collaborate and learn alongside my peers.
• I bring my own interests and fascinations into setting. This helps me develop my learning.
• I respond to new experiences that you bring to my attention.

Active learning

• I participate in routines and can predict sequences of familiar routines.
• I demonstrate goal-directed behaviour to get to something I want.
• I can correct my mistakes, for example, instead of using increasing force to push a puzzle piece into the slot, I see if a different piece will fit.
• I repeat activities and make connections.
• I keep on trying when things are difficult.
• I learn through trial and error.
• I watch my peers and adults (modelling).

Creating and thinking critically

• I take part in simple pretend play.
• I can sort materials, putting different toys in together when tidying.
• I can review my progress as I try to achieve a goal, check how well I am doing to solve real problems.
• I use pretend play to think beyond the ‘here and now’ and to understand another perspective.
• As I know more, I feel confident at coming up with my own ideas and make more links between those ideas.
• I concentrate on achieving something that’s important to me and am able to control my attention and ignore distractions.