EYFS Setting Short-Term Plans: Responsive ‘In-The-Moment’ Planning Toolkit
📌 This form of planning is the most flexible and responsive. It's often referred to as "in the moment", "on-the-spot" or "responsive" planning. It involves observing children's interests and using these to guide and extend their learning. For example, if a group of children becomes fascinated with building a fort, a practitioner's short-term plan might be to provide new materials, introduce new vocabulary related to construction, or read a story about building. Practitioners use their daily observations of children's play and interests to provide "next steps" for learning. This might be a quick note on a child's record, or an enhancement to the learning environment to extend a particular interest.
Intended for use by all types of EYFS practitioners, this flexible pack is ideal for Nurseries, Childminders, Preschools or for Reception Teachers at school. This short-term planning toolkit has all of the materials you need to guide you through this responsive approach to your children’s learning.
[Note: The current thinking and best practice in EYFS strongly advocate for a balanced approach that effectively blends planned, adult-led teaching (often with a "playful" element) with 'in the moment' responsive planning in child-initiated play.]
This comprehensive pack features:
"In the Moment" Responsive Planning Sheet
This is a simple document that can be kept on a clipboard. While in-the-moment planning reduces paperwork, documentation is still a crucial part of the process. Written planning is done retrospectively to record the learning that has already occurred. The goal is to keep it simple and focused.
Vocabulary & Question Banks (age 2-3) (age 4-5)
An invaluable resource list of open-ended questions and high-impact vocabulary to refer to for each Area of Learning. Moving from "What are you doing?" to more effective prompts.
Prompts that promote Metacognitive Awareness
These short prompts are designed to get children thinking about their own thinking!
"Adult's Role" Guidance Sheets
These simple one-page sheets offer a quick reminder of the different roles an adult can take in a child's play.
· The Facilitator: How to set up an enabling environment.
· The Co-Play Partner: How to play alongside the child to model and extend learning.
· The Observer: How to step back and watch the child's independent learning.
Informative posters:
The Teachable Moment and the Role of the Practitioner
Documentation and Record-Keeping
The Enabling Environment
Download our In-the-Moment "Responsive" Planning Pack for EYFS Settings today and gain access to your essential responsive planning toolkit! 🛠️
⬅️ EYFS FRAMEWORK Menu Page
⬅️ PLANNING Menu Page
📌 related Printable Early Years resources
Fancy browsing some more of our early years printable resources?
Activity Ideas based on EYFS Areas of Learning | Support Packs for each Age & Stage:
Scroll through our Area of Learning Support Packs using the arrows on the right. Support examples within each pack are extracted from Development Matters (non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage) and presented in an ‘easy to digest’ format. Packs include colour and black and white versions.
*EYFS Medium-Term Planning - Enabling Environment Packs - Continuous Provision Enhancement Ideas - High-Impact Questions & Vocabulary Banks all currently being created!*
Medium and Short Term Planning Topic Inspiration | EYFS Settings
(EYFS Medium-Term Planning - Enabling Environment Packs - Continuous Provision Enhancement Ideas - High-Impact Questions & Vocabulary Banks all currently being created!)
Topic plan Ideas - Themed packs with activity and resource inspiration designed to spark child’s interest and inform the creation and adaptation of enabling environments. Ideas for messy play, tuff trays, mindfulness and more! [Enabling Environment Packs & Continuous Provision Enhancement Idea Packs coming soon!]
