2.5y–4.2y9 minFamily timeFree playQuiet time
Home-Language Measure Words
Coach you to find and use home-language equivalents for everyday shape/position/measure words (in/on/under, big/small, long/short) during playful talk and movement with your child.
What you'll need
Essentials
- a small toy (teddy/car/doll)
- 2–3 everyday objects to talk about (e.g., plate, book, spoon, small box)
- 2 cushions OR 2 containers (for in/on/under games)
Nice to have
- sticky notes or small paper labels
- a pen/pencil
- phone (optional, to check a word with family or a dictionary)
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneReceptive spatial-word understandingMind· 2.7y–3.2y· core
- MilestoneDiscriminates longer and shorterMind· 2.8y–4.2y· core
- MilestoneAnswers simple open questionsMind· 2.3y–3.3y· stretch· Step 2
- MilestoneExpressive spatial descriptionMind· 2.5y–3y· stretch· Step 2
- MilestoneReceptive opposite understandingMind· 4y–5y· stretch· Step 4
What it practices
- Shows an interest in shape and space by playing with shapes or making arrangements with objects.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows awareness of similarities of shapes in the environment.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Uses positional language.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows interest in shape by sustained construction activity or by talking about shapes or arrangements.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows interest in shapes in the environment.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Find out and use equivalent terms for these in home languages.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)