2.5y–4.2y13 minStory timeFamily timeFree play
Story Walk: How Far?
Coach you to use a walk story (ideally Rosie’s Walk) to talk about distance, try non-standard units (steps, blocks), and introduce the idea that standard units help everyone measure the same way.
What you'll need
Essentials
- a walk story book (Rosie’s Walk if you have it, or any simple ‘walking/journey’ picture book)
- 2 small toys (e.g., a chicken/toy person + a toy animal)
- a handful of blocks OR paper scraps (for non-standard measuring)
Nice to have
- paper and pen (to draw a simple path map)
- string or ribbon (to measure a route)
- tape (to mark start/end points)
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
- MilestoneCounts objects one-to-oneMind· 4y–4.5y· stretch· Step 3
- Milestonecounts up to 5Mind· 2.5y–3.3y· stretch· Step 3
- MilestoneReceptive opposite understandingMind· 4y–5y· stretch· Step 1
- MilestoneCreates pretend small world stories with toysMind· 3y–4y· stretch· Step 2
- MilestoneShows nonverbal story understandingMind· 3y–5y· stretch· Step 1
- MilestoneAnswers story questionsMind· 2.1y–3.1y· core· Step 1
- MilestoneBeginning to be aware of the way stories are structured.Mind· 2.5y–4.2y· stretch
- MilestoneSupported familiar-story retellingMind· 4y–5y· stretch· Step 2
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
- “Use stories such as Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins to talk about distance and stimulate discussion about non-standard units and the need for standard units.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)