16mo–2.2y10 minFamily timeMealtimeSelf-care
Home-Language Number Talk
A supportive routine for families where you uses their strongest home language to talk about quantities and numbers with your child during everyday moments, building confident ‘how many’ understanding with small sets.
What you'll need
Essentials
- a small set of everyday items (snacks, socks, blocks, spoons)
- one container or bowl
Nice to have
- a book with simple pictures (to point and count together)
- a small bag (for a quick ‘take one out’ game)
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
What it practices
- Recites some number names in sequence.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Uses some language of quantities, such as ‘more’ and ‘a lot’.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Selects a small number of objects from a group when asked, for example, ‘please give me one’, ‘please give me two’.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Begins to make comparisons between quantities.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Encourage parents of children learning English as an additional language to talk in their home language about quantities and numbers.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)