How We Talk to Children Poster | Preschool 3-4 Years

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How We Talk to Children - Language That Extends Thinking in EYFS

Preschool 3-4 Years

A practitioner guidance poster supporting vocabulary, self-regulation and sustained shared thinking

EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Membership (Professional)

(This document will be available for download by: March 31st 2026)

What this document is

This document is a practitioner-facing guidance poster focused on the everyday language adults use when interacting with young children in EYFS settings.

How We Talk to Children brings together current best practice in:

• language development and vocabulary acquisition

• sustained shared thinking

• emotional literacy and co-regulation

• Characteristics of Effective Learning

• trauma-aware and SEND-inclusive communication

The poster offers clear, practical examples of language that extends children’s thinking, rather than controls behaviour or tests knowledge. It is designed to support reflective practice, shared staff understanding, and consistent adult-child interactions across the setting.

This document supports professional judgement and does not replace statutory guidance or training.

Who this document is for

This guidance poster is particularly useful for:

• Preschool and Reception practitioners

• EYFS teachers and key persons

• SEND leads and inclusion teams

• EYFS leaders supporting consistent staff practice

• Settings embedding trauma-aware or language-rich approaches

What this document helps you do

This document helps practitioners to:

• Use language that builds thinking, not compliance

• Support vocabulary development naturally within play

• Extend learning without interrupting or taking over

• Co-regulate emotions before attempting correction

• Normalise trial and error as part of learning

• Ask questions that reveal thinking rather than test recall

• Support self-regulation, problem-solving and confidence

• Create emotionally safe interactions for all children

It reframes adult talk as a pedagogical tool, not just classroom management.

How this fits within our Preschool curriculum framework

This document forms part of our wider Preschool (3–4 Years) Curriculum & Pedagogy Framework, supporting the implementation strand of Intent, Implementation and Impact.

It works alongside:

• Preschool Curriculum Intent, Implementation & Impact Statement

• Skills Progression Ladders (Communication & Language, PSED, CoEL)

• Guidance posters on Child-Led Practice and Adult-Led With Purpose

• Strength-Based Progress Overviews

• SEND-inclusive planning and observation tools

Together, these documents support a shared professional language across teams — ensuring that how adults speak aligns with what the curriculum intends children to learn.

In practice: This poster is often displayed in staff areas, used in inductions, revisited in staff meetings, or shared as part of reflective coaching — helping teams align everyday interactions with their pedagogical values.

This document is part of our EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Membership (Professional), which provides full access to age-specific curriculum frameworks, planning guidance, assessment tools and leadership support.

(This document will be available for download by: March 31st 2026)

Related documents include:

Or read our ‘Little Owls Resources’ Curriculum Intent Statement’

Additional Documents | Professional Membership Contents (Preschool 3-4 Years)

Navigate our Curriculum & Pedagogy guidance documents here.

Pedagogical identity:
Broad, play-based, theme-led curriculum with purposeful adult input and strong continuous provision.

• 1. Welcome to Preschool (Start Here)

  👉 Pre-planning orientation.

  • Preschool Pedagogy Position Statement

  • Preschool Curriculum Overview & Rationale

  • Curriculum Overview: How Themes Fit Together (6 Main + 8 Mini)

  • What Child-Led Does Not Mean

  • Adult-Led With Purpose in Preschool

• 2. Preschool Curriculum & Progression

  👉 Big-picture curriculum intent and progression.

  • Preschool Curriculum Map (By Term)

  • Skills Progression Ladders (3–4 Years) - Including Practitioner Guidance

    ↪ Communication & Language

    ↪ Early Reading (Phase 1 Readiness)

    ↪ Early Writing

    ↪ Early Maths - Subitising, Counting & Comparing

    ↪ Early Maths - Pattern, Shape & Spatial Awareness

    ↪ PSED - Self-Regulation & Relationships

    ↪ Fine Motor & Hand Control

  • Strength-Based Progress Overview

  • Our Preschool Curriculum Intent, Implementation & Impact - OFSTED Conversation Statement

• 3. Preschool Themes & Medium-Term Planning

  👉 Theme-led planning lives here.

  • Curriculum Overview | How Themes Fit Together

  • Preschool Theme Packs – FAQs

  • How Practitioners Use This Curriculum Daily

  Core Preschool Themes (6 Weeks Each)

  • ‍Autumn 1: This Is Me

  • Autumn 2: Who Helps When…?

  • Spring 1: Journeys & Transport

  • Spring 2: Animals & Habitats

  • Summer 1: Growing & Changing

  • Summer 2: Water World

  Optional Mini-Themes (1–2 Weeks)

  • Space

  • Dinosaurs & the Mystery Egg

  • Pets & Vets

  • Building & Construction

  • Traditional Tales

  • Beaches & Coastlines

  • Healthy Bodies & Wellbeing

  • Celebrations Around the World

• 4. Continuous Provision in Preschool

  👉 The engine room of daily practice.

  • Universal Continuous Provision Packs (Preschool | 3–4 Years)

    • Construction Area

    • Small World Area

    • Role-Play Area

    • Writing / Mark-Making Area

    • Maths Area

    • Creative Area (Art & Making)

    • Investigation / STEM / Discovery Area

    • Book Corner / Reading Den

    • Fine Motor Station

    • Water Area

    • Sand Area

    • Snack Area / Independence Station

    • Outdoor Provision Core Zones

      • Physical play

      • Gross motor skills

      • Nature area

      • Outdoor mark-making

      • Outdoor maths

  • Preschool Environment & Provision Map Audit Pack

  • How Continuous Provision Works in Our Preschool Curriculum

  • Continuous Provision Audit Checklist

  • Continuous Provision FAQs (For Preschool Practitioners)

• 5. Adult-Led Teaching & Small Groups

  👉 Purposeful adult input without formalisation.

  Early Reading & Phonics

  • Phonics & Early Reading Pack

  • Phase 1, Vocabulary & Early Comprehension, Curriculum System (24 Sessions)

    • 8 themed sets covering all aspects of Phase 1

    • 24 mini session plans

    • Vocabulary & story-building scaffolds

    • Outdoor phonological play ideas

    • SEND & EAL accessible sessions

    • Theme-linked sessions (Transport, Animals, Growth)

    • Assessment & observation prompts

    • Continuous Provision follow-up suggestions

  • Adult-Led Session Templates

  • Practitioner FAQs

  Maths

  • Maths Small Group Session Bank (24 Sessions)

    • Strand A - Subitising (Sessions 1-4)

    • Strand B - Counting Principles (Sessions 5-8)

    • Strand C - Comparing Quantites (Sessions 9-12)

    • Strand D - Composition of Number (Sessions 13-16)

    • Strand E - Spatial & Shape (Sessions 17-20)

    • Strand F - Measures & Pattern (Sessions 21-24)

  • How To Use Our Maths Session Bank & Strand Overview (A–F)

  • Adult-Led Session Templates

  • Practitioner FAQs

  Writing & Fine Motor

  • Fine Motor & Mark Making Mini Sessions (18)

    • How To Use Our Fine Motor & Mark Making Mini Sessions Bank

    • Strand A - Core & Shoulder Stability (Sessions 1-3)

    • Strand B - Wrist Rotation & Fluidity (Sessions 4-6)

    • Strand C - Pincer, Pinch & Tool Control (Sessions 7-10)

    • Strand D - Early Pattern Making: Pre-Writing Shapes (Sessions 11-18)

  • Early Writing Purpose Mini Sessions (6)

    • How To Use Our Early Writing Purpose Mini Sessions Bank

    • Lists

    • Labels

    • Messages

    • Maps

    • Signs

    • Tickets & Recipes

  • How These Two Session Banks Are Designed To Work Together

• 6. Language, Interaction & Thinking

  👉 High-impact interaction guidance.

  • How We Talk to Children

  • Five Sentence Stems For Preschool Practitioners

  • If Interest Sparks — What Happens Next?

  • Preschool Staff Guidance Posters

• 7. Planning Tools & Templates

  👉 Practical planning support.

  • Weekly Planning Templates (2 Versions)

  • How to Use the Preschool Weekly Planning Templates: Guide

  • Adult-Led Session Planning Templates Pack

    • Universal

    • Phonics / Early Language Focus (Listening → Rhyme → Sound Awareness)

    • Maths Focus (Number + Pattern + Shape + Measure)

    • Story & Book Talk Focus (Comprehension → Retell → Vocabulary → Prediction)

    • PSED / Self-Regulation Small Group

• 8. Observation, Assessment & Reporting

  👉 Proportionate, non-statutory assessment.

  • Observe–Assess–Plan (OAP) Toolkit - Preschool

  • Assessment Dashboard Pack (3 Versions)

    • Prime Areas Only Dashboard (Communication & Language, PSED, Physical)

    • Full EYFS Areas Dashboard (Prime + Specific)

    • Dashboard with Wellbeing & Involvement Scale (Leuven-inspired 1–5 ratings)

  • Progress Review (3–4 Years)

    • Short & Long Versions

    • Guidance - How To Complete And Share With Families

  • Preschool Report Pack

    • End of Term Template

    • End of Year Template

    • Guidance - How To Write Strength-Based Reports

    • Sentence Starters Bank

• 9. Transition to Reception

  👉 Parent Engagement plus Emotional, environmental and communicative transition.

  • Preschool Transition to Reception Pack

    ↪ Child Passport

    ↪ Practitioner-To-Practitioner Handover Summary

    ↪ SEND Transition Sheet

    ↪ Family Transition Summary Sheet

    ↪ Parent Leaflet — “Preparing For Reception”

    ↪ Child Voice Page

    ↪ Guidance Page— “How To Complete & Share Transition Information”

  • Home & Setting Communication

    ↪ Our Preschool Curriculum (Age 3–4) | Parent-Facing Document

    (Additional parent literature within planning documents.)

Additional 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.

• 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.

Looking for a different age group pathway?

Select the pathway that best reflects your role or the age group you work with. You do not need to use everything. (Some practitioners may use more than one pathway.)

What is Professional Membership?

Find our more about our Professional guidance for confident, reflective EYFS practice (Birth–5)

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Content within the EYFS Curriculum & Pedagogy Membership is provided as professional guidance and support. It reflects current understanding of the EYFS statutory framework, Development Matters and inspection expectations at the time of writing. Practitioners are responsible for applying professional judgement and ensuring practice aligns with current statutory requirements and their specific context.

Updated: January 2026