All Modules B6-Development Matters in the early years | Page 9

Playing and Exploring, Active Learning, and Creating and Thinking Critically support children’s learning across all areas

2 Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Making relationships
Positive Relationships:

Enabling Environments:

what adults could do

what adults could provide

• Make sure babies have their own special person in the
setting, who knows them really well and understands their
wants and needs.
• Tune in sensitively to babies, and provide warm, loving,
consistent care, responding quickly to babies’ needs.
• Hold and handle babies, since sensitive touch helps to
build security and attachment.
• Ensure that the key person or buddy is available to greet
a young baby at the beginning of the session, and to
hand them over to parents at the end of a session, so the
young baby is supported and communication with parents
is maintained.
• Engage in playful interactions that encourage young
babies to respond to, or mimic, adults.
• Follow the baby’s lead by repeating vocalizations,
mirroring movements and showing the baby that you are
‘listening’ fully.
• Notice when babies turn away, signaling their need for
less stimulation.
• Discover from parents the copying games that their
babies enjoy, and use these as the basis for your play.
• Talk with babies about special people, such as their family
members, e.g. grandparents.
• Sing a variety of songs changing intonation and rhythm
• Talk about own feelings and emotions and describe
how you handle them
• Describe what you see in them and result of emotions
and interactions

• Ensure staff are aware of the importance of attachment
in relationships.
• Ensure the key person is paired with a ‘buddy’ who
knows the baby and family as well, and can step in
when necessary.
• At times of transition (such as shift changes) make sure
staff greet and say goodbye to babies and their carers.
This helps to develop secure and trusting three-way
relationships.
• Plan to have one-to-one time to interact with young
babies when they are in an alert and responsive state
and willing to engage.
• Display photos of family and other special people.
• Share knowledge about languages with staff and
parents and make a poster or book of greetings in all
languages used within the setting and the community.
• Repeat greetings at the start and end of each session,
so that young babies recognise and become familiar
with these daily rituals.

• Involve all children in welcoming and caring for one
another.
• Give your full attention when young children look to you
for a response.
• Enable children to explore by providing a secure base for
them.
• Help young children to understand the feelings of others
by labelling emotions such as sadness or happiness.

• Play name games to welcome children to the setting
and help them get to know each other and the staff.
• Regularly evaluate the way you respond to different
children.
• Ensure there are opportunities for the child to play
alongside others and play cooperative games with a
familiar adult.
• Provide matching items to encourage adult and child
to mimic each other in a cooperative game. e.g. two
identical musical instruments.

1.

Birth - 11
months

Enjoys the company of others and seeks contact with
others from birth.
2. Gazes at faces and copies facial movements. e.g. sticking
out tongue, opening mouth and widening eyes.
3. Responds when talked to, for example, moves arms and
legs, changes facial expression, moves body and makes
mouth movements, smiling, crying, reaching out for
parents or teacher
4. Recognizes and is most responsive to main carer’s voice:
face brightens, activity increases when familiar carer
appears. Demonstrates strong preference for parents,
teachers and care givers
5. Responds to what carer is doing and paying attention to,
e.g. following their gaze, relaxing when massaged
6. Likes cuddles and being held: calms, snuggles in,
smiles, gazes at carer’s face or strokes carer’s skin.
7. Responds to the environmental changes with actions
8. Cry when hungry or uncomfortable
9. Disengage when over stimulated or bored
10. Smiles at others, waits for response and gains
attention of others when wanted

11. Try to imitate kisses and social responses like waiving
hand when leaving
12. Seeks to gain attention in a variety of ways, drawing
others into social interaction.
13. Builds relationships with special people.
14. Is wary of unfamiliar people.
15. Interacts with others and explores new situations
when supported by familiar person.
8-20 months
16. Shows interest in the activities of others and responds
differently to children and adults, e.g. may be more
interested in watching children than adults or may pay
more attention when children talk to them.
17. Plays alongside others.
18. Uses a familiar adult as a secure base from which to
explore independently in new environments, e.g. ventures
away to play and interact with others, but returns for