When we work with children who need further consideration to meet their needs, we may also need to address the environment, routine and expectations of your setting. Use this table to help you to understand reasonable expectations for a child’s chronological age but remember to be mindful that you must also consider a child’s developmental age.
What is developmentally appropriate for two-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for three-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for reception age children? |
What could be a reasonable adjustment? |
| Four to six minutes of multi-sensory activities such as book sharing, storytelling using props, action songs. | Six to eight minutes of multi-sensory activities such as book sharing, storytelling using props, action songs. May include up to three minutes of single sensory activity, for example telling a story without props. | Eight to 15 minutes with a mix of multi-sensory and single-sensory activities. This does not include stopping for movement break then going back to whole group. | Sitting with a toy to hold, use of wobble cushion and fidget toy, joining in for part of the session then taking part in an activity one to one with an adult. |
What is developmentally appropriate for two-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for three-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for reception-age children? |
What could be a reasonable adjustment? |
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Two to three minutes of a simple turn taking game such as building towers, blowing bubbles, pushing a car back and forth, with adult guidance and modelling social interaction and language. |
Three to five minutes, taking turns within free play with resources available, using social skills and language learned from adult modelling. |
Five to 10 minutes playing fairly and cooperatively with games such as board games, card games and memory games. Outdoor physical games such as ball games and chasing. |
Practising 1:1 with an adult with simple motivating resources, for a reduced time. Use of a timer or visual to indicate when it is their turn. |
What is developmentally appropriate for two-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for three-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for reception-age children? |
What could be a reasonable adjustment? |
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A child taking a toy from another child or taking ownership of their own toys. A child offers a toy to someone as though wanting to share, and then withdraws it. |
Children begin to play more collaboratively with some adult scaffolding. They are beginning to wait and not just grab what they want, and to understand what others think and want. For example, they may take a short break in their play to allow another child to have a turn. |
Starting to understand the idea of ownership, for example, what mine is, what yours and what can be shared. Children will require less adult prompting and guidance and be able to use the skills you have modelled independently. |
Create opportunities for a child to practice sharing with an adult, use a timer to support when it is time to share their toy, and offer alternatives if they must wait to have their turn. Adult to model ‘sharing ‘language, such as “Maria is playing with the ball, when she has finished it’s your turn”. |
What is developmentally appropriate for two-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for three-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for reception-age children? |
What could be a reasonable adjustment? |
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Children should be able to wait for four to six minutes. |
Children should be able to wait for five to 10 minutes. |
Children should be able to wait for 15 minutes. |
Visuals, timers, fidget or activity bags, peer support, and giving them jobs to do. Reduce expectations, be aware of the child’s developmental age, not chronological age. Consider sensory differences, for example, noise, personal space, smells and offer alternatives. For example, ear defenders, creating space when lining up/being first or last in the line, motivating toys and offering favourite foods at lunch/snack. |
What is developmentally appropriate for two-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for three-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for reception-age children? |
What could be a reasonable adjustment? |
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Children will need help, modelling and prompting with:
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Most children will be independent with the following. However, may need prompting and reminding:
Most children will need support with:
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Children are independent in:
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Visuals, ASC: How-to Guides ‘Objects of Reference’, that is a visual routine. Reduce expectations, be aware of the child’s developmental age, not chronological age. Consider sensory differences and offer alternatives, for example:
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What is developmentally appropriate for two-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for three-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for reception-age children? |
What could be a reasonable adjustment? |
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Children will need help, modelling and prompting. Many children will not yet be toilet-trained. Research shows it is better for children’s bladder and bowel health to stop using nappies between 18 and 30 months. |
Most children will be independent with toileting. However, may need prompting and reminding. |
Children are independent in toileting. |
Identify an intimate care plan. Provide a suitable area for nappy changing. For support, refer to the ERIC webpage: Potty training: how to start and best age to potty train, and NHS Children's Health webpage: Peeing, pooing and toileting. |
What is developmentally appropriate for two-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for three-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for reception age children? |
What could be a reasonable adjustment? |
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Children may put away toys but need prompting and adult modelling, for example where toys are kept. |
Children are familiar with routines, able to follow whole group instructions and know where things belong, thus creating independence. |
Children take responsibility for putting away their own toys and activities before moving onto a different activity. They work collaboratively with their peers and help each other. |
Use back chaining, give a warning, verbal and visual, for example picture symbol, tidy up song, ‘First and Then’ model the concept of “finished”. |
What is developmentally appropriate for two-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for three-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for reception-age children? |
What could be a reasonable adjustment? |
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Children require adult support via modelling, prompting and reminding in:
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Children require adult support and reminders in:
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Children are independent in:
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Use a timer to show the expected time, ‘First and Then’, for example, “First” sitting, “Then” eating. Visual timetable. Visuals ASC: How-to Guides ‘Backwards Chaining’ to support independent eating, Peer support/Group size. Consider timings, for example child enters the food hall prior to others/after others. Consider developmental age. Adult supervision/modelling, reduced expectation, for example length of time expected for the child to sit. |
What is developmentally appropriate for two-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for three-year-olds? |
What is developmentally appropriate for reception-age children? |
What could be a reasonable adjustment? |
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Children will need the rules to be very simple, that is, first, we sit, then we eat. Children will follow simple rules and boundaries within their daily routine. Children will need modelling and reminding of expectations. Children will not understand that their behaviours have consequences and will need this explained in simple terms. |
Children will be able to understand and follow simple rules and boundaries, with some reminders. Some children may understand fairness and that there are consequences. However, they may not understand that it relates to them or choose not to follow them. |
Children are independent, but may need some reminding in:
Children may be able to contribute to class rules. |
Understanding behaviours and interactions, using visuals and social stories, and promoting emotional literacy. |
Whole group times – ensure that you are using developmentally appropriate strategies for the child.
- Consider the age of the children you are working with. Is a whole group time developmentally appropriate?
- Represent whole group times on your visual timetable so children know to expect them. CambsEYC - Visual Timetable. Size: 227KB File format: pdf.
- Put a movement break in before whole group times.
- Use an additional adult to work one-to-one with the child separately from the main group and support them to join the group just before the end of the group session. Gradually build up the length of time they are with the main group.
- Think about how you include a combination of elements into your group times – visual, auditory, movement, interaction, and so forth. Movement, colour, and sound are all drivers of attention capture, so if you use them skillfully, you can help drive attention to the things you want children to focus on.
- Ask children who struggle with whole group times to sit down last to avoid them waiting for others.
- Have a clear start and end to whole group times so children know when they are starting and finishing, for example, start with a short welcome song and exercises and end with a quiet stretching activity. Keep this consistent throughout the week.
- Consider the deployment of staff not involved in group time to avoid them moving around and distracting children from the activity. Ideally, staff will join in and model the activities, including sitting and listening to the children. You may need to use an additional adult to sit with a child and use simpler language to support understanding.
- If children are struggling with their personal space, allow them to sit separately or on a mat/chair/low stool. Give them a controlled choice: would you like to sit on the chair or on this carpet spot?
- Provide a fidget tool or wobble cushion to support free movement.
- Accept that the child may not look directly at you but may still be listening.
- Provide the child with props to support the learning, for example, the same book that is being read, a character puppet from the story and so forth.
- Plan the whole group time and identify key vocabulary to pre-teach to the child before the whole group time.
- Choose appropriate group times for the needs of the child. Consider whether it is the best use of their time, given their development and needs? Consider whether a whole group session is needed or whether targeted learning through play-based tasks or adult-led activities would be more beneficial.
- Consider the child’s level of arousal before expecting them to sit for the whole group time. Are they at a low arousal, fatigued, disinterested, vacant, or high arousal, stressed, anxious, overwhelmed? When we are in medium arousal, alert, motivated, and interested, we do our best concentrating and learning.
- For older children:
- Reduce whole group times that are ‘Hands-up’ discussions where only one child can talk at a time. Use strategies that allow all children to respond, for example, whiteboards, responding to multiple choice, holding up a resource they have been given, and so forth.
- Create a social story of whole group time expectations. Use clear language of the expectations: bottom on the floor, eyes looking at me, quiet voice, and so forth.
- Reduce the time required to sit for children who are struggling and then gradually build this up, providing positive reinforcement for sitting even for a few moments. Set a clear and achievable target, for example, “I would like you to sit and listen to two pages of the story” or “I would like you to stay until the sand timer runs out.”
- Identify key points where you can support their independence, such as putting their own coat on, choosing a snack themselves, pouring a drink, and so forth.
- Use a visual task checklist or task card showing the steps for the activity, for example, coat on: Coat off peg, coat on floor, sit on coat, arms in sleeves, stand up, push arms into sleeves, say “Zip up” to adult. Provide a copy for parents/carers to also use.
- Use a Now/next board to chunk up the steps initially.
- All staff use the same instructional words. Agree on this as a team. Share these with parents/carers.
- Display a visual timetable that is meaningful to the child. Do real photos, symbols and/or words work better for the child?
- We may need to teach children the skill of waiting, as time is a tricky concept to grasp. Make time a more concrete concept using visuals, sand timers, First/then boards, a visual timetable, and referring to the clock.
- Pre-warn children that a transitional time is near, allowing them to start adjusting to the idea of finishing their play. In addition, you may like to:
- Use a sand timer to provide a visual cue for how long they have until the transition point.
- Use a First/then board to clearly show the child what they will be doing next. CambsEYC - First Then Board. Size: 212KB File format: pdf.
- Provide children with resources to support them where needed, for example, some children may find the noise of transitional periods overstimulating and may prefer to use ear defenders to help them.
- Review your timetable: are you and the children spending a lot of time tidying up/transitioning? Can the timetable be simplified and longer sections of child-initiated learning be created?
- Use transition songs to build predictability.
- Let the child transition early or late to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
- If there is a change, either in the environment or in the routine, introduce these slowly and warn children of what is going to be changed. Provide supportive strategies to help them cope with the change, for example, the playdough table, which is their favourite area, is going to be moved. You could show them where it is going to be moved to and talk it through prior to the change, you could ask them to help you with the move, you could ask their ideas of where the resources should go, and so forth.
- If you need to issue an instruction, say the child’s name first before giving the instruction.
- Start with an adult-child activity before asking the child to be part of a larger group.
- Keep the language and task simple and short, especially initially.
- Use a visual board showing the steps of the activity and what the expectations are, for example, sitting on a chair, taking turns, and so forth.
- Provide a concrete model, for example, to follow.
- Provide visual cards that the child can use to communicate, for example My turn, I need help, I need a break. Provide a copy for parents/carers to also use.
- Allow the child to observe first, then join when ready.
- Offer a fidget or calming tool to use during adult-led times.
- As much as possible, keep the format of adult-led activities the same, for example same time each day, the same place, and so forth.
- Use a visual timetable or first/then board to prepare the child for when an adult-led activity will happen.
- Provide a visual timer to show how long they will work for.
- Complete the activity in a quiet workspace where there are fewer distractions.
- Timetable in a sensory circuit before/after adult-led activity.
- Use start/finish boxes to demonstrate when the activity is starting and when it has finished. Share the strategy with parents/carers and ask them to carry out adult-directed tasks at home in a similar way.
- Initially, choose activities with a definitive ending, for example, the completion of a puzzle or all the objects have been sorted into the right pot.
- If possible, make the adult-led activity resources accessible after the activity for children to revisit and explore on their own.
- Be flexible with how and where the task is completed. It may be that the child would prefer to lie down or stand up. They might prefer to be outside. Think about what the child needs.
Time to reflect…
- Have you considered the unique child in relation to your environment and transitions into your environment?
- How do you ensure that your expectations are developmentally appropriate for individual children?
- Do you value all play equally? Play and/or levels of engagement may look different depending on children’s needs or where they are developmentally.
- Do all staff follow agreed strategies, routines, and the setting ethos?
- Are staff happy to self-reflect on their practice? Do you act on any training needs staff reflect that they need?
- Do you provide a calm and safe environment?
