Our Favourite Ways of Understanding the EYFS Part 2: Birth to 11 Months

In the first part of our series on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we gave you a general understanding of what the stages are, and how they might be interpreted. In the coming months we will explore each stage in more detail and help you understand how they apply directly to your child. This will also help you understand the kinds of things you can be doing with them at home to help them learn.

As a quick reminder, there are 7 stages; 3 primary and 4 specific areas of learning. You will notice the stages overlap - this is an indication that every child will develop at their own rate, and EYFS should be used as a guideline. We have broken each stage into parts so that they are easy to digest and you'll become familiar with what to expect as they start to grow.

Other articles in this series:

EYFS: the Basics
EYFS: Birth to 11 months
EYFS: 8 - 20 months
EYFS: 16 - 26 months 

Birth to 11 months: EYFS Primary Areas of Learning

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Making relationships

• I like to be with other babies and adults. I look at faces and move my arms and legs to show that I like to be with them.
• I look at faces and can copy their movements, like sticking out my tongue, opening and closing my mouth or making my eyes bigger.
• I can show you that I like you talking to me by moving my arms and legs, making my eyes bigger and opening and closing my mouth.
• I can show you that I am interested in what you're doing by looking at and watching you.
• I can show that I like you to hold me by snuggling, stroking, smiling or looking at you.

Self confidence and self awareness

• I laugh and gurgle to tell you that I like being tickled or lifted up.
• I can make noise or look at you to get your attention.

Managing feelings and behaviour

• I like to see adults' faces and hear their voices when I'm upset, tired or hungry.
• I snuggle into grown-ups that I know when I am feeling upset, worried or tired.
• When I am feeling upset, I like you to rock me, speak to me or sing to me calmly.
• I can show you I am happy, worried or excited by the noises I make, by opening and closing my eyes or the way I move my arms and legs.
• I can show you I know how other people feel by smiling or being upset when they are.

Physical Development

Moving and handling

• I move my head or body when I hear noises and see things or people.
• I can hold my head up.
• I can move my arms and legs in different ways such as waving and kicking.
• I can roll over from my back onto my tummy and from my tummy onto my back.
• When I am lying on my tummy I can use my arms to help me lift my head and then my chest.
• I like to look at and play with my hands and feet.
• I can reach out and touch things that are near to me.
• I can hold things in my hand that are near to me.
• I like to explore things by putting them in my mouth.

Health and self-care

• I like it when you cuddle me, stroke my cheeks or pat my back.
• I will show you that I am upset, tired or hungry by making noises such as crying or by moving my arms, legs or body.
• I will show you that I know when it is meal time by looking at you, my food or drink or by making noises or moving my arms and legs to tell you that I am excited or ready.

Communication and Language Development

Listening and attention

• I move my head or body to find sounds that I know when I hear them.
• I listen to sounds grown-ups make and can move or make noises when I hear them.
• I will show you that I like you talking to me by smiling, looking at you, becoming quieter or moving my arms, legs or body.
• When you talk to me, I look at you, but I will turn my head or body when you stop.
• I like listening to sounds that things I know and adults make.
• I listen when you sing songs and rhymes as you tickle my tummy, fingers and toes.
• I stop what I am doing and listen to a new voice or sound when I hear it.

Understanding

• When you say my name I stop what I am doing and look at you.
• I understand what you mean when you use words and actions together. E.g. as you wave and say "Bye bye" or use actions with rhymes.

Speaking

• I can let you know what I want or how I feel by crying, gurgling, babbling and squealing.
• When an adult I know talks to me I make sounds and noises that are special to me.
• I can lift my arms when I think you are going to pick me up.
• I like to make sounds such as "Baba" and "Gogo" when a grown up talks to me.

EYFS Specific Areas of Learning

Literacy

Reading

• I like you to sing songs and rhymes and read stories to me.

Writing

• I need to hear words and learn to use these.
• I need to explore what happens when I use my hands and feet.

Mathematics

Numbers

• I notice when there is one thing or when there are lots of things (up to 3 things) in a bowl or basket.

Shape, space and measure

• I need to play with things and find out what I can do with my hands, feet and body.

Understanding the World

People and communities

• I need to develop relationships with grown-ups.

The world

• I move my eyes and then my head when I want to look at things.
• I like to look around where I am for things that I would like to play with.
• I smile at things that I like to play with.
• I like to kick or shake things that make a noise, like a mobile or rattle, over and over again.
• I need to explore lots of different things to find out what I can do with them.

Expressive Art and Design

Exploring and using media and materials

• I need to explore lots of different things to find out what I can do with them.

Being imaginative

• I need to develop relationships with grown-ups.
• I need to hear words and learn to use them.