EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Glossary | UK Birth-5

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EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Glossary

Clear, practical explanations of EYFS curriculum and pedagogy terms — written for early years professionals working across Birth–5.

This glossary has been created to support early years practitioners, leaders and childminders in developing a shared, confident understanding of curriculum, pedagogy and practice within the EYFS.

All definitions are written in plain, UK EYFS-appropriate language, grounded in statutory guidance and current best practice.

Below you will find a catalogue of EYFS Curriculum and Pedagogy terms organised into 13 overarching sections. First select the section and then each term to view corresponding descriptions.

(*Page in Development - Definitions to follow shortly*)

Who This Glossary Is For

• Early years practitioners and educators

• EYFS leaders and managers

• Reception teachers and EYFS leads

• Childminders and mixed-age practitioners

• Students and trainees in early years education

Entries are written to support professional understanding, not academic study.

How to Use This Glossary

You can browse the glossary by theme or use it as a reference when planning, reflecting on practice, preparing for inspection or developing professional language.

• Use definitions to support planning and provision decisions

• Use shared language to strengthen team discussions and inspection conversations

• Follow links to related curriculum and pedagogy guidance within the site

Browse terms A–Z

Definitions Coming Soon!

Select a letter to view glossary terms alphabetically, or browse by category below.

• A

  • Accessibility in Provision

  • Active Learning

  • Adaptive Teaching (EYFS)

  • Adult-Guided Learning

  • Adult-Led Learning

  • Adult-Led Mini Sessions

  • Alternative Communication

  • Areas of Learning

  • Assessment for Learning (EYFS)

  • Attachment

• B

  • Best Fit Assessment

  • Best-Fit Judgement

• C

  • Care as Curriculum

  • Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL)

  • Child-Led Learning

  • Childminder Inspection Readiness

  • Childminder Pedagogy

  • Co-Regulation

  • Coherence (Curriculum)

  • Cognitive Challenge

  • Commenting vs Questioning

  • Continuous Provision

  • Contextual Decision-Making

  • Creating and Thinking Critically

  • Cultural Capital (EYFS-Appropriate)

  • Curriculum Coverage (EYFS)

  • Curriculum Impact

  • Curriculum Implementation

  • Curriculum Intent

  • Curriculum Phase Planning (Reception)

• D

  • Data vs Professional Judgement

  • Deep-Level Engagement

  • Depth vs Breadth

  • Development Matters

  • Developmentally Appropriate Practice

  • Dialogic Talk

• E

  • Early Learning Goals (ELGs)

  • Early Mathematical Thinking

  • Early Reading

  • Early Writing

  • Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

  • Emotional Regulation

  • Enabling Environment

  • English as an Additional Language (EAL)

  • Enhanced Provision

  • Environment Audit

  • Evidence-Informed Practice

  • Evidence-Light Practice

  • Executive Function

• F

  • Flexible Planning

  • Floor-Based Play

  • Focused Observation

  • Free-Flow Play

• G

  • Graduated Response

  • Guided Play

  • Guidance vs Prescription

• H

  • Heuristic Play

  • High-Quality Interactions

  • Home-Based EYFS Provision

• I

  • Inclusive Practice

  • Independence in Learning

  • Indoor Provision

  • In-the-Moment Teaching

  • Inspection-Ready Practice

  • Individualised Curriculum

• J

• K

  Key Person Approach

• L

  • Language-First Approach

  • Language-Rich Pedagogy

  • Learning Stories

  • Learning Walks

  • Literacy (EYFS Contextualised) (optional label if you wish)

  • Lone Practitioner EYFS Practice

  • Loose Parts

  • Long-Term Curriculum Planning

• M

  • Mark Making

  • Mathematical Talk

  • Measure (EYFS)

  • Medium-Term Planning (EYFS)

  • Metacognition (EYFS-Appropriate)

  • Makaton (Contextual Use)

  • Mixed-Age Planning

  • Mixed-Age Provision

  • Modelling

  • Moderation

• N

  • Narrative Observation

  • Next Steps

  • Number Composition

  • Number Sense

• O

  • Observation (EYFS)

  • Observation–Assessment–Planning (OAP) Cycle

  • Ofsted Childminder Inspection

  • Ofsted Deep Dive (EYFS-Appropriate)

  • Open-Ended Questioning

  • Oracy

  • Orientation Schema

  • Outdoor Provision

  • Over-Assessment

  • Over-Provisioning vs Under-Provisioning

• P

  • Paperwork Reduction (Childminders)

  • Part–Whole Relationships

  • Pattern & Structure

  • Pedagogy

  • Pedagogical Leadership

  • Phase 1 Phonics

  • Phonological Awareness

  • Planning in the Moment

  • Planning Without Paperwork

  • Play Pedagogy

  • Playing and Exploring

  • Positioning Schema

  • Prime Areas

  • Professional Accountability

  • Professional Development (EYFS)

  • Professional Judgement

  • Professional Knowledge of the Child

  • Progress Tracking

  • Provision Mapping

• Q

  • Quality Assurance (EYFS)

• R

  • Reasonable Adjustments

  • Reasoning (EYFS)

  • Reception Baseline (Contextual Reference)

  • Reception Pedagogy

  • Reception vs Key Stage 1 Pedagogy

  • Reflective Practice

  • Responsive Care

  • Responsive Planning

  • Resource Rotation

  • Routine as Learning

  • Rotation Schema

• S

  • Safeguarding (Contextual Reference)

  • Schema

  • Schema-Informed Provision

  • Scaffolding

  • Scaffolding for SEND

  • School Readiness (Reframed)

  • Secure Attachment

  • SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)

  • Sensory Development

  • Sensory Integration

  • Sensory Regulation

  • Settling-In Practices

  • Short-Term Planning

  • Self-Directed Learning

  • Self-Regulation (Early Years)

  • Spatial Awareness

  • Specific Areas

  • Specialist Support

  • Statutory Compliance

  • Statutory vs Non-Statutory Guidance

  • Stretch and Challenge (EYFS-Appropriate)

  • Subitising

  • Supervision (Early Years)

  • Sustained Shared Thinking

  • Systematic Synthetic Phonics (Reception)

• T

  • Targeted Support

  • Teaching Through Play

  • Third Teacher

  • Transition (Daily & Developmental)

  • Transition to Year 1

  • Transcription vs Composition

  • Trajectory Schema

  • Transporting Schema

  • Treasure Baskets

  • Types of Play (EYFS)

• U

  • Universal Continuous Provision

  • Universal Support

• V

• W

  Writing for Purpose

• X

• Y

• Z

Browse by category

Categories reflect how terms are used in practice across Birth–5. (Definitions to follow shortly!)

• 1. Core EYFS & Curriculum Language

  • Areas of Learning

  • Best Fit Assessment

  • Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL)

  • Coherence (Curriculum)

  • Curriculum Impact

  • Curriculum Implementation

  • Curriculum Intent

  • Development Matters

  • Early Learning Goals (ELGs)

  • Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

  • EYFS Statutory Framework

  • EYFSP (Early Years Foundation Stage Profile)

  • Observation–Assessment–Planning (OAP) Cycle

  • Prime Areas

  • Professional Judgement

  • Progression (EYFS)

  • Specific Areas

  • Statutory vs Non-Statutory Guidance

• 2. Pedagogy & Teaching Approaches

  • Adult-Guided Learning

  • Adult-Led Learning

  • Child-Led Learning

  • Cognitive Challenge

  • Commenting vs Questioning

  • Dialogic Talk

  • Guided Play

  • High-Quality Interactions

  • In-the-Moment Teaching

  • Language-Rich Pedagogy

  • Metacognition (EYFS-Appropriate)

  • Modelling

  • Open-Ended Questioning

  • Pedagogy

  • Play Pedagogy

  • Scaffolding

  • Sustained Shared Thinking

  • Teaching Through Play

• 3. Care, Attachment & Early Development (Babies & Toddlers)

  • Attachment

  • Care as Curriculum

  • Co-Regulation

  • Emotional Regulation

  • Floor-Based Play

  • Heuristic Play

  • Key Person Approach

  • Responsive Care

  • Routine as Learning

  • Secure Attachment

  • Sensory Development

  • Sensory Integration

  • Settling-In Practices

  • Self-Regulation (Early Years)

  • Transition (Daily & Developmental)

  • Treasure Baskets

• 4. Play Types & Schemas

  • Active Learning

  • Creating and Thinking Critically

  • Deep-Level Engagement

  • Enveloping Schema

  • Orientation Schema

  • Playing and Exploring

  • Positioning Schema

  • Repetitive Play

  • Rotation Schema

  • Schema

  • Schema-Informed Provision

  • Trajectory Schema

  • Transporting Schema

  • Types of Play (EYFS)

• 5. Continuous Provision & Environment Design

  • Accessibility in Provision

  • Area-Based Provision

  • Continuous Provision

  • Enabling Environment

  • Enhanced Provision

  • Environment Audit

  • Free-Flow Play

  • Indoor Provision

  • Loose Parts

  • Open-Ended Resources

  • Outdoor Provision

  • Over-Provisioning vs Under-Provisioning

  • Provision Mapping

  • Resource Rotation

  • Third Teacher

  • Universal Continuous Provision

• 6. Planning & Curriculum Structure

  • Adult-Led Mini Sessions

  • Curriculum Coverage (EYFS)

  • Curriculum Phase Planning (Reception)

  • Depth vs Breadth

  • Flexible Planning

  • Long-Term Curriculum Planning

  • Medium-Term Planning (EYFS)

  • Planning in the Moment

  • Planning Without Paperwork

  • Reception vs Key Stage 1 Pedagogy

  • Responsive Planning

  • Short-Term Planning

• 7. Assessment, Observation & Evidence

  • Assessment for Learning (EYFS)

  • Best-Fit Judgement

  • Data vs Professional Judgement

  • Evidence-Light Practice

  • EYFSP Moderation

  • Focused Observation

  • Learning Stories

  • Moderation

  • Narrative Observation

  • Next Steps

  • Observation (EYFS)

  • Over-Assessment

  • Professional Knowledge of the Child

  • Progress Tracking

• 8. SEND, Inclusion & Equity

  • Adaptive Teaching (EYFS)

  • Alternative Communication

  • Cultural Capital (EYFS-Appropriate)

  • EAL (English as an Additional Language)

  • Graduated Response

  • Inclusive Practice

  • Language-First Approach

  • Makaton (Contextual Use)

  • Reasonable Adjustments

  • Scaffolding for SEND

  • SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)

  • Sensory Regulation

  • Specialist Support

  • Targeted Support

  • Universal Support

• 9. Subject-Specific Pedagogy (EYFS)

  Literacy & Communication

  • Early Reading

  • Early Writing

  • Mark Making

  • Oracy

  • Phase 1 Phonics

  • Phonological Awareness

  • Scheme-Compatible Phonics

  • Systematic Synthetic Phonics (Reception)

  • Transcription vs Composition

  • Writing for Purpose

  Mathematics

  • Early Mathematical Thinking

  • Mathematical Talk

  • Measure (EYFS)

  • Number Composition

  • Number Sense

  • Part–Whole Relationships

  • Pattern & Structure

  • Reasoning (EYFS)

  • Spatial Awareness

  • Subitising

• 10. Reception-Specific & Transition Language

  • Developmentally Appropriate Practice

  • Executive Function

  • Independence in Learning

  • Readiness for Formal Learning

  • Reception Baseline (Contextual Reference)

  • Reception Pedagogy

  • School Readiness (Reframed)

  • Self-Directed Learning

  • Stretch and Challenge (EYFS-Appropriate)

  • Transition to Year 1

• 11. Childminder-Specific Practice

  • Childminder Inspection Readiness

  • Childminder Pedagogy

  • Home-Based EYFS Provision

  • Individualised Curriculum

  • Lone Practitioner EYFS Practice

  • Mixed-Age Planning

  • Mixed-Age Provision

  • Ofsted Childminder Inspection

  • Paperwork Reduction (Childminders)

  • Planning for Multiple Ages

• 12. Leadership, Quality & Inspection Language

  • Evidence-Informed Practice

  • EYFS Leadership

  • Inspection-Ready Practice

  • Learning Walks

  • Ofsted Deep Dive (EYFS-Appropriate)

  • Pedagogical Leadership

  • Professional Development (EYFS)

  • Quality Assurance (EYFS)

  • Reflective Practice

  • Staff Induction (EYFS)

  • Supervision (Early Years)

• 13. Ethical & Professional Framing

  • Best Practice (EYFS-Contextualised)

  • Contextual Decision-Making

  • Guidance vs Prescription

  • Practitioner Autonomy

  • Professional Accountability

  • Safeguarding (Contextual Reference)

  • Statutory Compliance

Commonly used terms

(Definitions to follow shortly!)

• Pedagogy

• Continuous Provision

• Care as Curriculum

• In-the-Moment Teaching

• Sustained Shared Thinking

• Observation–Assessment–Planning (OAP)

• Characteristics of Effective Learning

This glossary provides professional guidance informed by the EYFS statutory framework and current best practice. It is intended to support practitioner understanding and does not replace statutory guidance or professional judgement.

Looking for deeper guidance?

Many glossary terms link directly to extended curriculum and pedagogy guidance within our Professional Membership, where concepts are explored in greater depth and applied to practice.

(Pathways available for 0-18 months | 18-36 months | 3-4 years | 4-5 years | mixed-age)

Whole-Setting Guidance | for Professional Members

Explore our whole-setting guidance below, including overarching curriculum and pedagogy documents, early years schemas and EYFS setting policies.

Start Here:

Read about our EYFS birth-5 curriculum intent & pedagogy:

‘Little Owls Resources’ Curriculum Intent Statement’ or ‘EYFS from Birth to 5 | Curriculum Coherence & Pedagogical Throughline’

• Curriculum & Pedagogy

  • Little Owls Resources’ Curriculum Intent Statement

  • EYFS from Birth to 5: Curriculum Coherence & Pedagogical Throughline

  • Whole-Setting Curriculum Map (Birth-5): Curriculum Intent & Progression

  • Pedagogy Guidance Document

  • Speech & Language Development - Setting Statement

  • EYFS Inspection-Facing Summaries

• Early Years Schemas

  Early Years Schemas - Practitioner Toolkit | EYFS Birth-5

  ↪ Schema Cards (definition, behaviours, age-related examples, enabling resources)

  ↪ Schema Observation & Responsive Provision Planning Template

• EYFS Setting Policies

  • EYFS Group Setting Policies Pack

    ↪ x 22 Policy Documents

    ↪ Policy Sign-Off and Confirmation Document

    ↪ EYFS Setting Policy Folder Contents List

  • Childminder Setting Policies Pack

    ↪ x 22 Policy Documents

    ↪ Childminder Assistant or Volunteer Policy Sign-Off and Confirmation Document

    ↪ Childminder Policy Folder Contents List

• EYFS Glossary

  EYFS Glossary

  ↪ Clear, practitioner-friendly explanations of key curriculum and pedagogy terms used throughout our guidance.

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