Planning in the Moment | EYFS

EYFS definition

Planning in the moment is an approach in which adults notice an opportunity within children’s current activity and decide how to support learning there and then. In EYFS practice, it often involves observing child-initiated play and responding through a timely interaction or adjustment.

What does the adult do?

The adult notices what is happening, considers whether support would help and responds if useful. This might involve offering a word, demonstrating a technique, finding a resource or thinking through a problem together.

Sometimes observation leads to waiting. An adult does not need to interrupt every interesting moment.

What might it look like in practice?

A child is trying to make a bridge for toy vehicles. An adult notices the difficulty, joins the child’s thinking and helps test a wider support. The observation, decision and response occur within the same experience.

With babies, an immediate response might be changing position or pace when their gaze, movement or vocalisation signals interest or discomfort.

How does it fit within the EYFS?

The term is closely associated with Anna Ephgrave’s work on child-initiated learning. Settings interpret and combine the approach in different ways.

Prepared environments, relationships and adult knowledge still matter. In-the-moment responses may sit alongside planned teaching and later reflection; the EYFS does not require this as a single planning method.

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