22mo–3y13 minStory timeMusicFamily time
Songs and Stories From Our World
Guide the adult to draw on musicians and storytellers from varied cultural backgrounds (including family/community) so your child hears different voices, rhythms, and stories that reflect cultural heritages and widen experience.
What you'll need
Essentials
- one short story or song from your family/community (spoken/sung by you or someone live)
- one additional short story or song from a different cultural background (book, audio, or a person)
Nice to have
- simple rhythm tool (clapping, tapping knees, a shaker bottle)
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
- MilestoneParticipates in songs and rhymesMind· 14mo–2.3y· core
- MilestoneJoins in Singing Familiar SongsMind· 2y–3y· core
- MilestoneCopies movements to musicBody· 18mo–3.3y· core· Step 2
- MilestoneMoves in time with a beatBody· 13mo–2.1y· stretch· Step 2
- MilestoneMoves rhythmically to musicBody· 11mo–23mo· stretch
- MilestoneAttends and recallsMind· 2.5y–4.2y· stretch· Step 4
- MilestoneCopies familiar phrasesMind· 12mo–23mo· stretch· Step 4
What it practices
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Draw on a wide range of musicians and story-tellers from a variety of cultural backgrounds to extend children’s experiences and to reflect their cultural heritages.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)