English for early years teachers and child development students
Child Development & Early Education Vocabulary: 100 Key English Terms
English is the working language of much child development research and of many international nurseries, preschools and early years training programmes. This glossary collects the words early years teachers and child development students really use, from milestones, play and language development to behaviour, nursery routines, special needs and talking with parents, each with Turkish equivalents and realistic examples from the nursery, the lecture hall and parent meetings. It also points out UK and US differences such as nursery and daycare, nappy and diaper, or stammer and stutter.
100 terms
11 topics
51 core terms
200 example sentences
Read, understand, keep going
No account needed. Read the meaning, see where the term is used, then study the examples. Click any word in the lesson for help. You can also select a word and press Alt + Enter.
Developmental Stages and Milestones
child development
noun
Meaning
The physical, mental, language, social and emotional changes that happen as a child grows from birth to adolescence, and the subject that studies these changes.
Where you use it
Used for both the process and the subject. You study child development or take a course in it, and staff talk about a child's development in reports and meetings. The main areas are usually listed as physical, cognitive, language and social-emotional development.
Examples
She is studying child development and works part-time in a nursery.
Sleep, nutrition and play all have a part in healthy child development.
Common phrases
stages of child development · early child development · study child development · child development specialist
A skill that most children learn within a typical age range, such as smiling, sitting without support, walking or saying first words, used to follow a child's progress.
Where you use it
Usually plural and often called developmental milestones. Children reach, meet or hit a milestone, and professionals say a child is 'meeting milestones' or 'not yet meeting' one. Milestones are given as age ranges, not exact dates.
Examples
Walking is a big milestone, and children reach it at quite different ages.
The checklist covers milestones in movement, language and play.
Common phrases
developmental milestones · reach a milestone · meet milestones · language milestones · motor milestones
A baby, usually a child in the first year of life; some services use the word for children up to about 18 months or two years.
Where you use it
More formal than baby and used in research, health and childcare documents: infant feeding, infant sleep, infant room. In everyday talk with parents, baby sounds warmer and more natural.
Examples
Infants learn a great deal by watching faces and listening to voices.
The infant room takes babies from three months old.
Usage note
In the UK an infant school is for children aged about four to seven, so 'infant' there does not mean baby.
A young child who has recently learned to walk, roughly between one and three years old.
Where you use it
An everyday word used by parents and professionals alike. Nurseries often have a toddler room, and books talk about the toddler years. The verb toddle means to walk with short, unsteady steps.
Examples
Toddlers often say 'no' as they discover they can make their own choices.
She moved up to the toddler room when she started walking.
Common phrases
toddler room · the toddler years · toddler group · busy toddler
A child who is old enough for preschool but has not yet started school, usually aged about three to five.
Where you use it
Common in American English and in research. British practitioners often say 'three- and four-year-olds' or 'pre-school children' instead. The noun preschool (or pre-school) names the place or the stage.
Examples
Most preschoolers love asking 'why?' about everything.
The study followed 200 preschoolers until the end of primary school.
Common phrases
young preschoolers · toddlers and preschoolers · the preschool years · preschool children
A window of time in development when a particular skill or ability develops most easily, and after which it may be much harder to develop.
Where you use it
Used in textbooks about vision, hearing and language. Many researchers prefer sensitive period, which suggests a time of greater ease rather than a strict deadline. Maria Montessori also used 'sensitive periods' in her own way.
Examples
Some researchers argue there is a critical period for learning the sounds of a language.
The idea of a critical period first came from studies of imprinting in animals.
Common phrases
critical period for language · sensitive period · window of opportunity · early brain development
The two main influences on development: nature means what we inherit through our genes, and nurture means experience, care and the environment.
Where you use it
Often heard as 'the nature versus nurture debate' in lectures and essays. Most researchers today agree that the two interact, so many prefer 'nature and nurture' to 'nature versus nurture'.
Examples
Temperament is a good example of how nature and nurture work together.
Discuss the role of nature and nurture in language development.
Common phrases
nature versus nurture · the nature-nurture debate · genes and environment · the interaction of nature and nurture
The first of Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, from birth to about two years, when babies learn about the world through their senses and movements.
Where you use it
Appears in almost every child development course and exam. The later stages are the preoperational (about 2-7), concrete operational (about 7-11) and formal operational (from about 11) stages. Object permanence is its key achievement.
Examples
In the sensorimotor stage, babies explore objects by mouthing, shaking and dropping them.
Piaget divided the sensorimotor stage into six substages.
Skills that use the small muscles of the hands and fingers, often together with the eyes, such as picking up small objects, using a spoon, holding a pencil or cutting with scissors.
Where you use it
Used in observations, development checklists and planning. Practitioners plan activities such as threading, playdough or tweezer games to develop fine motor skills. In speech it is often shortened to fine motor.
Examples
Threading beads is great for fine motor skills and concentration.
Her fine motor skills are developing well: she can now pick up a raisin with a pincer grip.
Common phrases
develop fine motor skills · fine motor control · fine motor activities · pincer grip
Skills that use the large muscles of the arms, legs and body, such as rolling over, sitting, crawling, walking, running, jumping and climbing.
Where you use it
Used in development checklists, physiotherapy and when planning outdoor activities. People talk about gross motor development, gross motor play and gross motor milestones such as sitting and walking.
Examples
The obstacle course helps children practise gross motor skills like balancing and climbing.
We noticed some delay in his gross motor skills, so we talked to his parents about a referral.
Common phrases
gross motor development · gross motor play · gross motor milestones · balance and coordination
The process of a young child learning to use a potty or toilet instead of a nappy, usually started when they show signs of being physically and emotionally ready.
Where you use it
Potty training is the more informal British phrase and toilet training the more neutral one. Staff and parents talk about starting, signs of readiness, accidents and being 'dry'. Nurseries usually agree a shared approach with the family.
Examples
She has started toilet training, so please send in some spare clothes.
Most children finish toilet training during the day before they are dry at night.
Common phrases
potty training · start toilet training · signs of readiness · toilet trained · have an accident
The ability to use the eyes to guide the movements of the hands, for example when catching a ball, stacking blocks or pouring water.
Where you use it
Used in development reports and activity plans, often together with fine motor skills. It is also called eye-hand coordination. Practitioners note it when children thread, build, pour and use tools.
Examples
Pouring water into small cups is good practice for hand-eye coordination.
His hand-eye coordination has improved: he can now catch a large ball.
To move along on hands and knees, or on the tummy; many babies start to crawl in the second half of their first year.
Where you use it
A common motor milestone in parent talk and checklists. Babies move in different ways, such as bottom shuffling or commando crawling, and some skip crawling and go straight to walking.
Examples
She started crawling at eight months and was soon everywhere.
Some babies never crawl and go straight to pulling up and walking.
Common phrases
start crawling · crawl on hands and knees · commando crawl · bottom shuffling
An automatic movement that newborn babies make in response to touch, sound or movement, such as gripping a finger, which normally fades during the first months of life.
Where you use it
Usually plural. Examples include the Moro (startle), rooting, sucking and palmar grasp reflexes. Doctors check them in newborns, and therapists talk about retained reflexes when they last longer than expected.
Examples
The Moro reflex is a primitive reflex that makes a startled baby fling out their arms.
Most primitive reflexes fade during the first year.
The development of thinking skills such as attention, memory, problem-solving, reasoning and understanding how the world works.
Where you use it
A core term in lectures, textbooks and reports. The theories of Piaget and Vygotsky are studied on almost every course. In reports it usually appears next to language, physical and social-emotional development.
Examples
Puzzles and sorting games support cognitive development.
Piaget described cognitive development as a series of stages.
Common phrases
stages of cognitive development · support cognitive development · cognitive skills · theories of cognitive development
Support that an adult gives a child to complete a task they cannot yet do alone, such as hints, questions or showing one step, which is reduced as the child becomes more able.
Where you use it
Introduced by Wood, Bruner and Ross in 1976 and closely linked to Vygotsky's ideas. Used in lectures, planning and reflective writing. The verb is scaffold: 'I scaffolded her learning by asking questions.'
Examples
With a little scaffolding, he finished the puzzle on his own.
Breaking the task into small steps is a simple form of scaffolding.
Common phrases
provide scaffolding · scaffold learning · remove the scaffolding · verbal scaffolding
In Vygotsky's theory, the gap between what a child can do alone and what they can do with help from an adult or a more skilled peer.
Where you use it
Often shortened to ZPD in lectures, essays and exams. Teachers say a task is 'within the child's ZPD' when it is challenging but possible with support. It is usually discussed together with scaffolding.
Examples
Counting to twenty with help is within her zone of proximal development.
Explain how scaffolding relates to Vygotsky's zone of proximal development.
Common phrases
within the zone of proximal development · Vygotsky's zone of proximal development · work in the ZPD
A baby's understanding that people and things still exist when they cannot be seen, heard or touched.
Where you use it
A term from Piaget's sensorimotor stage, common in textbooks and exams. It usually develops during the first year, which is why babies enjoy peekaboo and start searching for hidden toys.
Examples
Peekaboo is fun for babies who are just developing object permanence.
Once he had object permanence, he lifted the cloth to find the hidden ball.
A group of mental skills that help us plan, focus, remember instructions, control impulses and switch between tasks.
Where you use it
Often plural (executive functions) or called executive function skills. Its core parts are usually given as working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility. Games such as Simon Says give children practice in them.
Examples
Freeze games are great for practising executive function skills.
Executive function develops rapidly between the ages of three and five.
Common phrases
executive function skills · working memory · inhibitory control · cognitive flexibility
The understanding that other people have their own thoughts, feelings, beliefs and knowledge, which may be different from yours.
Where you use it
A research term often tested with false-belief tasks such as the Sally-Anne test, which most children pass at around four years of age. It is linked with empathy, pretend play and social skills.
Examples
Hide-and-seek gets more interesting once children develop a theory of mind.
The study compared theory of mind in bilingual and monolingual preschoolers.
Common phrases
develop a theory of mind · false-belief task · Sally-Anne test · theory of mind skills
In Piaget's theory, a young child's difficulty in seeing a situation from another person's point of view; it is a normal feature of thinking, not selfishness.
Where you use it
Linked with Piaget's preoperational stage (about two to seven years) and his three mountains task. The adjective is egocentric. Later research suggests children can take other viewpoints earlier than Piaget thought.
Examples
Egocentrism explains why a young child may hold a picture facing himself when showing it to you.
Piaget saw egocentrism as typical of children in the preoperational stage.
Usage note
In everyday English, egocentric means thinking only about yourself. In child development it describes a stage of thinking and is not a criticism.
A repeated pattern of play that children use to explore an idea, such as carrying, wrapping or throwing things; in Piaget's theory, a mental structure that organises knowledge.
Where you use it
In UK early years practice, schemas are named patterns such as transporting, enveloping, trajectory, rotation and enclosing, based on the work of Chris Athey. The plural is schemas or schemata; staff say a child 'is exploring a transporting schema'.
Examples
He keeps throwing balls and dropping toys from the high chair, so we think he's exploring a trajectory schema.
Piaget described how children adapt their schemas through assimilation and accommodation.
Common phrases
transporting schema · trajectory schema · schema play · assimilation and accommodation
A conversation in which an adult and a child, or two children, think together over time to solve a problem, explain an idea or develop a story, each adding to the other's thinking.
Where you use it
A term from the EPPE and REPEY research projects in England, linked with high-quality early years practice and used in training and inspection. Open-ended questions, wondering aloud and genuine interest support it.
Examples
Our talk about why the ice melted became a lovely moment of sustained shared thinking.
The inspector noted good examples of sustained shared thinking in the preschool room.
The process by which children learn to understand and use language, from crying and babbling to words, sentences and conversation.
Where you use it
Used in reports, assessments and research. Practitioners often divide it into receptive language (understanding) and expressive language (talking). Speech means producing sounds, while language means words, grammar and meaning.
Examples
The setting tracks each child's language development every term.
Her language development is ahead of her age; she already tells long stories.
Common phrases
early language development · speech and language development · support language development · delayed language development
A child's ability to understand language: following instructions, understanding words and questions, and making sense of what other people say.
Where you use it
Used in assessments and speech and language reports, usually next to expressive language. Children's receptive language is normally ahead of their expressive language: they understand more words than they can say.
Examples
His receptive language is good: he follows two-step instructions easily.
The therapist assessed both receptive and expressive language.
Common phrases
receptive language skills · receptive vocabulary · follow instructions · assess receptive language
A child's ability to use language to communicate, through words, sentences, gestures or signs, in order to ask for things, share ideas and describe events.
Where you use it
Used with receptive language in assessments, reports and referrals. Staff describe vocabulary, sentence length and grammar when they write about expressive language. Speech, the clear production of sounds, is assessed separately.
Examples
Her expressive language has really taken off: she now uses three-word sentences.
We are using signs to support his expressive language.
Common phrases
expressive language skills · expressive vocabulary · expressive language delay · two-word phrases
The repeated speech-like sounds babies make before their first words, such as 'bababa' or 'dadada', usually starting in the second half of the first year.
Where you use it
Used by parents, health professionals and in language milestone charts. The verb is babble. Babbling comes after cooing, the soft vowel sounds of the first months, and is an important early sign of language development.
Examples
At eight months she was babbling 'mamama' all day long.
We respond to his babbling as if it were a real conversation.
Usage note
Do not confuse babbling with cooing, the earlier vowel sounds. In Turkish texts, agulama usually means cooing and babıldama means babbling.
A health professional who assesses and supports people, including young children, who have difficulties with speech, language, communication or swallowing.
Where you use it
The UK title, shortened to SLT or SaLT; in the US the title is speech-language pathologist (SLP). Nurseries refer children to speech and language therapy and use the therapist's targets in everyday play.
Examples
The speech and language therapist gave us some games to use in small groups.
She has been seeing a speech and language therapist for her stammer.
Common phrases
refer to a speech and language therapist · speech and language therapy · SLT assessment · speech-language pathologist
The early knowledge and skills that come before conventional reading and writing, such as enjoying books, knowing that print has meaning, recognising some letters and scribbling.
Where you use it
Used in research and curriculum documents for children from birth to about five. It treats literacy as something that develops gradually, not something that starts suddenly at school. Related terms are early literacy, print awareness and mark making.
Examples
Sharing picture books every day supports emergent literacy.
Pretending to read a menu in the café corner is an example of emergent literacy.
The ability to hear and play with the sounds in spoken words, such as noticing rhymes, clapping syllables or hearing the first sound in a word.
Where you use it
Used in literacy research and planning, where it is seen as a strong predictor of later reading. Phonemic awareness is the narrower skill of working with single sounds (phonemes). Typical activities are rhymes, songs and sound games.
Examples
Nursery rhymes are a simple way to build phonological awareness.
Clapping the syllables in their names supports children's phonological awareness.
Able to use two languages, or growing up with two languages, for example one spoken at home and another at nursery.
Where you use it
Used about children, families and programmes, as in a bilingual nursery. In the UK, children learning English alongside their home language are said to have EAL (English as an additional language). Mixing two languages is normal for bilingual children.
Examples
She is bilingual in Turkish and English and switches easily between them.
Bilingual children may know fewer words in each language at first, but their total vocabulary is similar.
Common phrases
bilingual children · bilingual family · English as an additional language (EAL) · home language
The way adults often talk to babies and young children, with a higher, more musical voice, simple words, short sentences and a lot of repetition.
Where you use it
The research term; informal names are motherese, parentese and baby talk. Studies link it with babies' attention to speech and early word learning. It does not mean using wrong or made-up words.
Examples
Child-directed speech may help babies notice where one word ends and the next begins.
The researchers recorded child-directed speech in families from different cultures.
A question with many possible answers, such as 'What do you think will happen?', which invites a child to think and talk rather than just say yes or no.
Where you use it
A key skill in early years training and in observations of staff practice. It is usually contrasted with closed questions ('What colour is it?'). Staff use open-ended questions to extend play and conversation.
Examples
Instead of 'Is it a car?', try an open-ended question like 'Tell me about your model.'
Open-ended questions gave the children a chance to explain their ideas.
The early marks children make with any tool, such as crayons, chalk, paint, sticks in sand or fingers in foam, which come before drawing and writing.
Where you use it
A UK early years term used in planning and observations. Children make marks, and staff treat them as meaningful ('she told me her marks say Mummy'). It is written with a hyphen before a noun: a mark-making area.
Examples
We set up a mark making area with chalk, clipboards and big sheets of paper.
His mark making now includes circles and lines, and he says they are letters.
Common phrases
mark-making area · make marks · early writing · emergent writing
A difference in the flow of speech in which a person repeats sounds or words, stretches sounds or gets stuck before a word, as in 'I w-w-want the ball'.
Where you use it
British English uses stammer and American English stutter. Many young children go through a period of dysfluency while their language grows quickly; speech and language therapists decide whether support is needed.
Examples
His stammering is more noticeable when he is tired or excited.
The therapist explained that some stammering at this age is quite common.
Usage note
Stammer and stutter mean the same thing. 'A child who stammers' is more respectful than calling a child 'a stammerer'.
Common phrases
have a stammer · stutter · speech dysfluency · speech and language therapy
A child's growing ability to understand and manage feelings, build relationships, get along with others and develop a sense of self.
Where you use it
Also written social-emotional development; school programmes use SEL (social and emotional learning). In the EYFS in England the matching area of learning is called personal, social and emotional development (PSED).
Examples
Social and emotional development is just as important as early reading and maths.
Her report shows good social and emotional development: she makes friends easily.
Common phrases
personal, social and emotional development · support social and emotional development · social-emotional skills · social and emotional learning
The deep emotional bond a young child forms with the main people who care for them, which gives the child a sense of safety and comfort.
Where you use it
A key idea from the work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth. Researchers describe secure and insecure attachment, and nurseries use the key person system to help children form attachments with staff.
Examples
A secure attachment helps children feel confident enough to explore.
Babies usually form attachments to a few familiar adults, not only to their mother.
Common phrases
secure attachment · insecure attachment · attachment theory · form an attachment · attachment figure
The state of feeling happy, healthy, safe and comfortable, both physically and emotionally.
Where you use it
Used in policies, curricula and reports, often as children's well-being or emotional well-being. It is written well-being or wellbeing. Some observation tools, such as the Leuven Scales, rate a child's well-being and involvement.
Examples
Children's well-being comes first, so we always check they feel settled before anything else.
Outdoor play is good for children's physical and emotional well-being.
The ability to manage your own feelings, attention and behaviour, for example calming down after being upset or waiting for a turn.
Where you use it
A central idea in early years research and curricula. Young children develop self-regulation slowly and first need an adult's help, called co-regulation. Teachers talk about emotional self-regulation and self-regulation skills.
Examples
Waiting for a turn on the bike is good practice for self-regulation.
Children with strong self-regulation skills often find it easier to start school.
Distress a young child shows when separated from a parent or main carer, such as crying or clinging; in babies and toddlers it is a normal stage of development.
Where you use it
Used with parents and staff during settling in and other transitions. A child 'has' or 'is going through' separation anxiety. Separation anxiety disorder is a separate clinical diagnosis for anxiety that is much stronger or lasts beyond the expected age.
Examples
She is going through a stage of separation anxiety, so mornings are hard at the moment.
Separation anxiety shows that the baby has formed a strong attachment.
Common phrases
go through separation anxiety · signs of separation anxiety · separation anxiety disorder · ease separation anxiety
Taking turns with others in play, games and conversation, which involves waiting, sharing and paying attention to the other person.
Where you use it
Used for social skills and for early communication: babies and adults take turns in 'conversations' of sounds long before words. The verb phrase is take turns (US) or take it in turns (UK).
Examples
Simple board games are a fun way to practise turn-taking.
We used a sand timer to support turn-taking on the swing.
Common phrases
take turns · take it in turns · turn-taking games · wait for your turn
The ability to understand and share how another person feels, for example noticing that a friend is sad and offering comfort.
Where you use it
Used in curricula, reports and research. Young children show early signs of empathy, such as crying when another baby cries or bringing a toy to an upset friend. The adjective is empathetic or empathic.
Examples
She showed real empathy when she gave her teddy to a crying friend.
Talking about characters' feelings in stories helps children develop empathy.
Common phrases
show empathy · develop empathy · empathy for others · lack empathy
The natural way a child tends to react to the world, such as how active, adaptable, intense or easily upset they are, which can be seen from early infancy.
Where you use it
A research term made well known by Thomas and Chess, who described easy, difficult and slow-to-warm-up temperaments. Practitioners use it to understand individual differences, for example a shy child who needs more time to settle.
Examples
Twins can have very different temperaments from birth.
The process in which a calm, caring adult helps a child manage strong feelings, for example by staying close, speaking softly and naming the emotion.
Where you use it
Increasingly common in training and behaviour policies. It is seen as the step before self-regulation: children learn to calm themselves through many experiences of being calmed by others.
Examples
Co-regulation means staying calm yourself so that the child can borrow your calm.
Rocking, singing and gentle words are all forms of co-regulation with babies.
Common phrases
co-regulation and self-regulation · provide co-regulation · a calm adult · name the feeling
How much a person values and likes themselves; in young children it grows from feeling loved, accepted and capable.
Where you use it
Used in reports, parent talks and research. People talk about high or low self-esteem and about building or boosting it. It is close to self-confidence, which is more about believing you can do things.
Examples
Being given real jobs, like setting the table, can build children's self-esteem.
We noticed her self-esteem growing as she made friends.
Common phrases
build self-esteem · low self-esteem · high self-esteem · self-confidence
Activity that children choose freely and enjoy for its own sake, such as building, pretending, running or exploring; it is seen as a key way young children learn.
Where you use it
Usually uncountable as a noun: free play, outdoor play, role play. Professionals describe types of play and talk about observing, supporting and extending play. It is also a verb: children play with blocks or play together.
Examples
We put out the water tray and watched how the children's play developed.
Through play, children practise language, movement and getting along with others.
Usage note
Turkish 'oyun' covers both play and game. In English a game usually has rules (a board game, a ball game), while play is the general activity; 'a play' is a theatre performance.
Common phrases
free play · role play · extend play · play-based learning · messy play
An approach to early education in which children learn skills and ideas mainly by playing, exploring and experimenting, with adults supporting them.
Where you use it
Found in curriculum documents, nursery websites and job adverts. A similar phrase is play-based learning. Teachers often explain to parents that children are learning through play even when it does not look like a lesson.
Examples
Our approach is learning through play, so you won't see worksheets in the preschool room.
In the shop corner, children practise counting and talking: that is learning through play.
Common phrases
play-based learning · learn through play · support learning through play · a play-based curriculum
Play in which children imagine and act out situations, use one object to stand for another, or take on roles, such as feeding a doll or using a block as a phone.
Where you use it
Also called imaginative, symbolic or make-believe play; role play usually means acting out real-life roles such as shopkeeper or doctor. Research often links pretend play with language and theory of mind.
Examples
In their pretend play, the sofa became a boat and the floor was the sea.
Simple pretend play often begins in the second year of life.
Common phrases
imaginative play · role play · symbolic play · home corner
Play in which children play next to each other, often with similar toys, but mostly do not play together or join in each other's games.
Where you use it
Comes from Mildred Parten's 1930s description of stages of social play, which also includes solitary, associative and cooperative play. It is very common in two-year-olds and a normal step towards playing together.
Examples
The twins were engaged in parallel play, each building their own tower.
Parallel play is typical for two-year-olds and usually comes before cooperative play.
Common phrases
engage in parallel play · solitary play · cooperative play · stages of play
Play that encourages children to use their senses, especially touch, through materials such as sand, water, playdough, rice or foam.
Where you use it
A standard part of nursery planning, often set up in trays or large tuff trays. Messy play is a similar term for sensory play with wet or sticky materials. Staff check materials for allergy and choking risks.
Examples
Today's sensory play is cooked spaghetti with a few drops of food colouring.
Sensory play can be calming for children who find the room too noisy.
Common phrases
messy play · sensory tray · sensory bin · sensory experiences
Play that a child chooses and leads, deciding what to play with, how and for how long, while adults watch and support only when needed.
Where you use it
Common in UK planning and inspection language and usually contrasted with adult-led activities. Practitioners talk about a balance between child-initiated and adult-led learning. Free play is the everyday equivalent.
Examples
Most of the morning is child-initiated play, followed by a short group activity.
During child-initiated play, she spent forty minutes building a garage.
Common phrases
child-initiated learning · child-led play · free play · periods of uninterrupted play
An activity that an adult plans and leads with a clear learning purpose, such as a cooking session, a story or a small-group counting game.
Where you use it
Used in planning and reflection, usually next to child-initiated play. In the early years, adult-led activities are often short and done in small groups. Adult-guided describes activities that adults set up but children can shape.
Examples
Our adult-led activity this week is planting beans with small groups.
The planning sheet shows one adult-led activity and three free-choice areas.
Common phrases
adult-led learning · adult-guided activity · small-group activity · plan an activity
Play that takes place outside, in a garden, playground, park or forest, giving children space to run, climb, dig and explore nature.
Where you use it
Used in planning, policies and letters to parents. Many settings offer free-flow play, where children move freely between indoors and outdoors. Forest school is a related approach based on regular sessions in woodland.
Examples
We go out for outdoor play in all weathers, so please send a raincoat and boots.
Outdoor play gives children space for big movements like running and climbing.
Common phrases
free-flow play · forest school · outdoor learning · outdoor area
Exciting play in which children test their limits and face a small, manageable chance of getting hurt, such as climbing high, balancing or going fast.
Where you use it
Used in research, policy and staff training, often together with risk-benefit assessment. Supporters say it builds confidence and judgement; settings remove hazards but allow some challenge.
Examples
Risky play, like climbing trees, helps children learn to judge their own abilities.
Our risk-benefit assessment covers risky play on the climbing frame and in the woods.
Usage note
A hazard is a danger a child may not see, such as a broken step; a risk is a challenge the child can judge. Settings remove hazards, not every risk.
Common phrases
risk-benefit assessment · manageable risk · hazards and risks · challenging play
Play in which babies and toddlers freely explore everyday objects and natural materials, such as wooden spoons, chains, tins and pine cones, without adult direction.
Where you use it
Developed by Elinor Goldschmied, who also created the treasure basket for babies who can sit. Used in UK training and planning. Staff collect safe objects, set them out and watch quietly.
Examples
During heuristic play, the toddlers spent ages putting chains into tins.
We check every heuristic play object for size and sharp edges.
The way a child acts and reacts, especially in everyday situations with other people; in childcare it is often discussed in terms of what the child is trying to communicate.
Where you use it
Usually uncountable: his behaviour, good behaviour. Settings have a behaviour policy and talk about managing, supporting or understanding behaviour. Many practitioners now prefer 'behaviour support' to 'behaviour management'.
Examples
All behaviour is communication, so we ask what the child needs.
We noticed a change in her behaviour after her baby brother was born.
Usage note
US spelling is behavior. Do not use the plural 'behaviours' for behaviour in general; the plural is used for specific actions.
Common phrases
behaviour policy · positive behaviour · manage behaviour · behaviour support · behaviour plan
A sudden outburst of crying, shouting, kicking or throwing oneself on the floor, common in toddlers who cannot yet express or control strong feelings.
Where you use it
Children have or throw a tantrum; it is also called a temper tantrum. It is an everyday, informal word used by parents and staff alike. Some professionals use meltdown for a state of being overwhelmed, especially in autistic children, and see it as different from a tantrum.
Examples
He had a tantrum when it was time to tidy up.
Tantrums are very common between the ages of one and three.
Common phrases
have a tantrum · throw a tantrum · temper tantrum · calm down after a tantrum
Encouraging a behaviour to happen again by following it with something pleasant, such as praise, a smile or a sticker.
Where you use it
A term from behaviourism (B. F. Skinner) that is widely used in behaviour policies and training. In everyday nursery talk people often just say praise or rewards. Reinforcement always makes a behaviour more likely; punishment makes it less likely.
Examples
We use positive reinforcement, like specific praise, rather than punishment.
Positive reinforcement works best straight after the behaviour.
Usage note
Negative reinforcement does not mean punishment. It means a behaviour increases because something unpleasant stops.
Clear and consistent limits that adults set for children about what is and is not acceptable, so that children feel safe and know what to expect.
Where you use it
Usually plural. Adults set, keep to and explain boundaries, and a child may test or push them. Common in behaviour policies and conversations with parents, often together with the word consistent.
Examples
Two-year-olds often test boundaries to see what will happen.
We agreed with his parents to keep the same boundaries at home and at nursery.
Common phrases
set boundaries · clear boundaries · consistent boundaries · test boundaries · push the boundaries
A behaviour strategy in which a child is briefly taken away from an activity to a quiet place after unacceptable behaviour, so that they can calm down.
Where you use it
Widely known from parenting books and television, but views differ: many early years settings now prefer 'time-in', where an adult stays close and helps the child calm down. Also written time out or timeout.
Examples
Our behaviour policy does not use time-out; staff stay with the child instead.
Some families use a short time-out at home.
Common phrases
give a time-out · time-in · calm-down corner · naughty step
Behaviour that is difficult for adults to manage or that may harm the child, other people or property, such as biting, hitting or frequent long outbursts.
Where you use it
The usual neutral term in UK reports and training, used instead of 'bad' or 'naughty' behaviour. Staff look for triggers and patterns, often with an ABC chart (antecedent, behaviour, consequence).
Examples
We use an ABC chart to understand what triggers his challenging behaviour.
Biting is a common challenging behaviour in toddler rooms.
Common phrases
manage challenging behaviour · ABC chart · triggers and patterns · behaviour plan
To guide a child away from an unwanted or unsafe action towards a more suitable one, for example offering a drum to a child who is banging on a window.
Where you use it
A common positive behaviour strategy, especially with babies and toddlers. Staff redirect a child, redirect behaviour or redirect a child's attention to something else. The noun is redirection.
Examples
When he started throwing sand, I redirected him to the ball area.
With toddlers, we try to redirect before we say no.
Words or signs of approval given to a child for what they did or how hard they tried; early years practice often prefers specific praise to general comments like 'good girl'.
Where you use it
Uncountable as a noun and also a verb: praise a child for sharing. Training often recommends descriptive or specific praise and praise for effort, an idea linked with Carol Dweck's research on mindset.
Examples
Specific praise like 'You kept trying until it fitted!' tells children exactly what they did well.
She praised him for waiting so patiently.
Common phrases
specific praise · descriptive praise · praise effort · praise a child for
What happens as a result of a child's behaviour, either naturally (a toy left in the rain gets wet) or arranged by an adult and clearly linked to the behaviour.
Where you use it
Used in behaviour policies, often as natural consequences and logical consequences. Staff explain consequences calmly and keep them short and related to the action. In an ABC chart, the C stands for consequence.
Examples
The consequence of throwing the blocks was that the block area closed for ten minutes.
A logical consequence is linked to the behaviour: if you spill the paint, you help wipe it up.
Common phrases
natural consequences · logical consequences · explain the consequence · face the consequences
The first years of a child's life, usually from birth to about five, and the services and profession that care for and educate children of this age.
Where you use it
Very common in the UK, usually with 'the': in the early years. It also works before a noun: early years practitioner, early years setting, early years teacher. In the US people more often say early childhood.
Examples
The early years are a time of very rapid brain development.
She has worked in early years for twelve years, mostly in baby rooms.
Common phrases
in the early years · early years practitioner · early years setting · early years education
The regular order of events in a child's day, such as arrival, snack, play, meals, nap and home time, which helps children feel secure and know what comes next.
Where you use it
Used for the whole day (daily routine) and for each part of it (sleep routine, mealtime routine, care routines like nappy changing). Staff follow, keep to and change routines, and often show them with a visual timetable.
Examples
We keep the routine the same every day so new children know what to expect.
Please tell us about her sleep routine at home so we can follow it here.
Common phrases
daily routine · care routines · follow a routine · visual timetable · change in routine
The member of nursery staff who has special responsibility for a small group of children, builds a close bond with each child and is the main contact for the family.
Where you use it
A required role in the EYFS in England, so it appears in policies, inspection reports and letters to parents. Each child is assigned a key person, and the idea is called the key person approach. Some settings say key worker instead.
Examples
Your child's key person will be Amira, who works in the baby room.
As his key person, I write most of his observations and meet his parents each term.
Common phrases
key person approach · assign a key person · key person system · key children
A place where children under school age are cared for and learn during the day, sometimes from a few months old; also a baby's bedroom at home.
Where you use it
In the UK a day nursery offers full-day childcare from babyhood, while a nursery class or nursery school is usually for three- and four-year-olds. Americans more often say daycare or preschool. Staff are nursery practitioners or nursery nurses.
Examples
She goes to nursery three days a week while her parents work.
The nursery has a baby room, a toddler room and a preschool room.
Usage note
British speakers say 'go to nursery' without 'the', like 'go to school'. A nursery nurse is a childcare worker, not a hospital nurse.
Common phrases
day nursery · nursery class · nursery school · go to nursery · nursery practitioner
Education and care for young children before they start primary school, and the profession and academic field connected with it.
Where you use it
The usual international and American term, often shortened to ECE. OECD and EU documents use ECEC (early childhood education and care). In the UK people more often say early years education.
Examples
She has a master's degree in early childhood education.
Many countries have increased their spending on early childhood education.
Common phrases
early childhood education and care (ECEC) · early childhood educator · a degree in early childhood education · high-quality early childhood education
To become comfortable and relaxed in a new place, such as a nursery or a new room, and get used to its people and routines.
Where you use it
Very common in talk with parents. Nurseries plan settling-in sessions or a settling-in period, and staff say a child 'has settled in well' or 'is taking time to settle'. The adjective settled describes a child who feels secure.
Examples
She settled in quickly and now runs in to find her friends.
We offer three short settling-in visits before the first full day.
Common phrases
settle in well · settling-in period · settling-in sessions · take time to settle
A change from one situation to another: either a big move such as starting nursery or school, or a small change during the day such as tidying up before lunch.
Where you use it
Used for both meanings in planning and parent meetings: the transition to school, transitions between rooms and daily transitions. Staff use songs, timers and warnings ('five more minutes') to make transitions smoother.
Examples
We start planning the transition to school in the summer term.
Tidy-up time is a hard transition for some children, so we sing the same song every day.
Common phrases
transition to school · smooth transition · transition between rooms · daily transitions · transition meeting
A piece of soft cloth or a disposable pad worn by a baby or young child to catch urine and faeces before they can use a toilet.
Where you use it
British English; Americans say diaper. Nurseries record nappy changes on a daily sheet, and parents provide nappies and wipes. Common phrases are change a nappy, a wet or dirty nappy, and nappy rash.
Examples
I changed his nappy at eleven and it was wet.
Please bring enough nappies and wipes for the whole week.
Usage note
Nappy is used in the UK, Ireland and Australia; diaper is used in the US and Canada.
Common phrases
change a nappy · nappy change · dirty nappy · nappy rash · out of nappies
A short exchange of information when a child passes from one adult to another, for example when a parent collects a child and staff explain how the day went.
Where you use it
Used for handovers with parents at drop-off and pick-up, and between staff at shift changes. Typical topics are food, sleep, nappies, mood, small accidents and messages. The verb is hand over.
Examples
At handover, I told his dad that he had slept for an hour after lunch.
Please write any medicine details on the handover sheet.
The number of adults required for a certain number of children in a group, usually set by law and stricter for babies than for older children.
Where you use it
Also called adult-to-child ratio or simply ratios. It is written like 1:3 and read 'one to three'. Managers keep rooms 'in ratio' when planning rotas; a room is 'out of ratio' if there are too few adults.
Examples
In our baby room the staff-to-child ratio is one adult to three babies.
Staff-to-child ratios are stricter for babies than for three-year-olds.
Common phrases
adult-to-child ratio · keep in ratio · out of ratio · ratio requirements
A short group session when children sit together, usually in a circle, to talk, sing, share news or play games led by an adult.
Where you use it
Common in nurseries and schools in the UK and the US; some settings call it group time, carpet time or morning meeting. It is kept short for young children.
Examples
At circle time, we talk about the weather and who is here today.
Circle time lasts about ten minutes in the two-year-olds' room.
Common phrases
circle time activities · carpet time · group time · morning circle
The indoor and outdoor spaces, resources and atmosphere of a setting, arranged so that children can explore, play and learn on their own and with others.
Where you use it
Used in planning, audits and inspections. Staff set up, organise and evaluate the learning environment, often in areas such as a book corner or construction area. The EYFS speaks of an enabling environment.
Examples
We changed the learning environment so that resources are at the children's height.
A calm learning environment with fewer bright colours can help children focus.
Common phrases
enabling environment · set up the learning environment · continuous provision · indoor and outdoor environment
Short for Early Years Foundation Stage, the statutory framework in England that sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to five.
Where you use it
Used in English nurseries, by childminders and in reception classes, and in many British international schools abroad. It has seven areas of learning: three prime areas (communication and language; physical development; personal, social and emotional development) and four specific areas.
Examples
Our planning follows the seven EYFS areas of learning.
The international school in Istanbul uses the EYFS in its nursery classes.
Common phrases
EYFS framework · EYFS areas of learning · EYFS profile · follow the EYFS
The time when a parent or carer brings a child to the nursery and leaves them with staff; the end-of-day equivalent is pick-up or collection.
Where you use it
An everyday nursery word used with parents. The verb is drop off (drop a child off) and the noun is drop-off. Staff talk about drop-off times, quick goodbyes and a smooth drop-off.
Examples
Drop-off is between eight and half past nine.
He cried at drop-off but was playing happily ten minutes later.
Common phrases
drop-off time · pick-up time · drop a child off · smooth drop-off
Watching and listening to a child carefully, often during play, and writing down what they do and say in order to understand their development and plan for them.
Where you use it
Countable when you mean a written record: practitioners write, carry out or upload observations. Common types are narrative observations, photos with notes and checklists. A good observation describes facts, not opinions.
Examples
I did a short observation of Leo at the sand tray this morning.
Our observations show that she prefers to play outside.
Common phrases
write an observation · carry out an observation · narrative observation · observation notes
A short, standard check of a child's development, often with a questionnaire or checklist, to see whether a fuller assessment may be needed.
Where you use it
Done by health visitors, doctors and some early years staff, using tools such as the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ). Screening only identifies children who may need a closer look; it does not give a diagnosis.
Examples
The two-year check includes a developmental screening questionnaire for parents.
Developmental screening showed a possible delay in language, so he was referred to a specialist.
A record of a child's time in a setting, with observations, photos, drawings and notes, showing their interests and progress; it is often kept online and shared with parents.
Where you use it
A UK term, also called a learning journey; New Zealand practice uses similar learning stories. Many nurseries keep online learning journals in an app, where parents can add their own photos and comments.
Examples
I've added photos of her painting to her learning journal.
Parents can view the learning journal on the app at any time.
Common phrases
online learning journal · learning journey · add to the learning journal · share with parents
Ongoing assessment that happens during everyday activities and is used to understand what a child knows and can do and to plan the next steps in their learning.
Where you use it
Contrasted with summative assessment, which sums up progress at a point in time, such as an end-of-year report. In the early years most assessment is formative and based on observation rather than tests.
Examples
Formative assessment happens every day as we watch and talk with the children.
The EYFS profile is a summative assessment, but most of our assessment is formative.
A short written account of a single event or behaviour that an adult observed, describing exactly what happened, when and where, without opinions.
Where you use it
Common in American and international early childhood courses; British settings more often say observation or snapshot observation. It is usually written soon after the event, in the past tense, with the date and time.
Examples
I wrote an anecdotal record of how Maya solved the puzzle with her friend.
An anecdotal record should describe what you saw, not what you think it means.
Common phrases
write an anecdotal record · anecdotal notes · snapshot observation · running record
The learning goals and activities planned for a child after an observation, based on their interests and what they seem ready to learn next.
Where you use it
Very common in UK nursery paperwork and at parents' evenings: 'Her next steps are…'. Usually plural. Good next steps are small and specific, and parents are often invited to support them at home.
Examples
His next step is to put on his coat by himself.
After each observation, we write one or two next steps.
Common phrases
plan next steps · identify next steps · next steps in learning · share next steps with parents
A situation in which a child has not yet gained skills, such as walking or talking, within the age range in which most children do.
Where you use it
Used by health and education professionals. A delay can affect one area (speech delay, motor delay) or several (global developmental delay). The term describes what is observed; the cause and any diagnosis are decided by specialists.
Examples
The doctor referred him for an assessment because of a possible developmental delay.
Early support can make a real difference for children with developmental delays.
Common phrases
global developmental delay · speech delay · show signs of delay · mild developmental delay
Learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for a child to learn than most children of the same age, so that extra or different support is needed.
Where you use it
The standard UK term, shortened to SEN, or SEND when disabilities are included (special educational needs and disabilities). A child 'has SEN'. Americans more often say special needs or special education. Reports use person-first wording: a child with SEN.
Examples
Our SENCO supports all children with special educational needs in the setting.
Children with special educational needs may need a quieter space to play.
Common phrases
children with special educational needs · SEN support · special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) · identify special educational needs
Making sure every child, whatever their needs, background or abilities, can take part fully in the life and learning of the setting and feels they belong.
Where you use it
Used in policies, training and inspection. Settings have an inclusion policy and talk about inclusive practice. It covers special needs and disability, but also language, culture and family background.
Examples
Inclusion means adapting the activity, not leaving a child out.
Our inclusion policy explains how we support children with additional needs.
Common phrases
inclusion policy · inclusive practice · promote inclusion · full inclusion
Support given as early as possible, often in the first years of life, to children who have or may develop delays, disabilities or other difficulties.
Where you use it
Used in health, education and social care policy, often in phrases like early intervention services or programmes. In the US, Early Intervention is also the name of a legally defined service for children under three.
Examples
Research shows that early intervention can improve outcomes for children with speech delays.
The family was referred to the early intervention team.
Common phrases
early intervention services · early intervention programme · refer to early intervention · the importance of early intervention
A lifelong developmental condition that affects how a person communicates, interacts with others and experiences the world, often with focused interests and sensory differences.
Where you use it
Shortened to ASD, and many people simply say autism. Diagnosis is made by specialist teams; nursery staff describe what they observe and support the child. Signs can appear in the first years, but some children are diagnosed much later.
Examples
He was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of three.
Children with autism spectrum disorder may find busy, noisy rooms overwhelming.
Usage note
Many autistic people prefer identity-first language ('an autistic child'), while others prefer 'a child with autism'. Settings often follow the family's preference.
Common phrases
diagnosed with autism · on the autism spectrum · autistic children · autism assessment
Short for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a neurodevelopmental condition involving ongoing difficulties with attention, very high activity levels or acting on impulse.
Where you use it
Diagnosed by specialists such as paediatricians or child psychiatrists, often not until school age, because high energy and short attention spans are normal in young children. Early years staff describe behaviour rather than suggest a label.
Examples
A diagnosis of ADHD is made by a specialist, not by nursery staff.
Children with ADHD may find it hard to sit through a long story.
Common phrases
diagnosed with ADHD · ADHD assessment · symptoms of ADHD · attention span
A written plan for a child with special educational needs that sets out their targets, the support they will receive and how their progress will be reviewed.
Where you use it
Shortened to IEP. In England many settings now use names such as SEN support plan, and children with complex needs may have an EHC plan. In the US, IEP means Individualized Education Program, a legal document under special education law.
Examples
His individual education plan includes three small targets for this term.
We review each individual education plan with the parents every six weeks.
Common phrases
write an IEP · IEP targets · review an IEP · IEP meeting
Short for special educational needs coordinator, the member of staff who organises support for children with special educational needs and works with families and outside professionals.
Where you use it
A UK role in schools and early years settings, pronounced 'SEN-co'. Staff say 'speak to the SENCO' or 'the SENCO has made a referral'. It is also written SENDCo when disabilities are included.
Examples
I'm worried about his speech, so I've asked the SENCO to observe him.
Our SENCO meets the speech and language therapist every month.
Common phrases
speak to the SENCO · the setting's SENCO · SENCO referral · SENCO meeting
The way the brain takes in, organises and responds to information from the senses, such as sound, touch, light, movement and taste.
Where you use it
Used by occupational therapists and in SEN support. Some children are over-responsive (bothered by noise or clothing labels) and some under-responsive (seeking strong movement). Sensory processing differences are common in autistic children.
Examples
The occupational therapist assessed her sensory processing because loud noises upset her so much.
Ear defenders can help children with sensory processing differences at noisy times.
Everything an organisation does to protect children from harm, abuse and neglect and to promote their health, safety and well-being.
Where you use it
A key word in UK childcare and schools, usually uncountable. Staff do safeguarding training, follow the safeguarding policy and report safeguarding concerns. It is broader than child protection, which means responding when a child is at risk of serious harm.
Examples
All new staff complete safeguarding training before they start.
If you have a safeguarding concern, speak to the designated lead the same day.
Common phrases
safeguarding policy · safeguarding training · safeguarding concern · safeguard children
The procedures and actions taken to protect a particular child who is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm from abuse or neglect.
Where you use it
Part of safeguarding, but narrower. Professionals talk about child protection procedures, concerns and plans. In the UK, local authority children's social care leads child protection enquiries.
Examples
All staff must follow the child protection procedures without delay.
The child is now on a child protection plan.
Common phrases
child protection procedures · child protection concern · child protection plan · child protection training
The moment when a child tells an adult, directly or indirectly, that they have been harmed or are at risk of harm.
Where you use it
A safeguarding term: a child makes a disclosure. Training usually tells staff to listen calmly, avoid leading questions, never promise to keep a secret, write down the child's exact words and report to the safeguarding lead.
Examples
After the disclosure, she wrote down exactly what the child had said.
A disclosure may come out slowly, in small pieces, over several days.
Usage note
In everyday English, disclose simply means reveal information. Turkish 'ifşa' can sound like a scandal, so 'çocuğun anlatması' is often a better translation here.
Common phrases
make a disclosure · respond to a disclosure · record a disclosure · partial disclosure
A form of abuse in which a child's basic needs, such as food, clothing, hygiene, safety, health care or affection, are not met over a period of time.
Where you use it
One of the four categories of abuse in UK safeguarding training, alongside physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Staff talk about signs of neglect and record them carefully. It is also a verb: to neglect a child.
Examples
Often arriving hungry and in dirty clothes can be a sign of neglect.
Neglect is often noticed through a pattern of small concerns over time.
Common phrases
signs of neglect · emotional neglect · physical neglect · abuse and neglect
The trained member of staff who leads on safeguarding in a school or setting, receives staff concerns and decides when to contact children's social care.
Where you use it
A UK role, shortened to DSL; early years guidance also speaks of a lead practitioner for safeguarding. Every member of staff is expected to know who the DSL is and to pass concerns to them promptly.
Examples
Our designated safeguarding lead is the nursery manager, and her deputy is Tom.
I passed the concern to the designated safeguarding lead before the end of the day.
Common phrases
designated safeguarding lead (DSL) · deputy DSL · report to the DSL · safeguarding lead
An event, often held in the evening, when parents come to the nursery or school to talk with staff about their child's progress and well-being.
Where you use it
A British term; in the US it is usually a parent-teacher conference. Meetings are short and booked in time slots, and staff often share the learning journal, the child's strengths and next steps.
Examples
Parents' evening is next Thursday, so please book a ten-minute slot.
At parents' evening we talked about how much her language has grown.
Common phrases
book a slot · parent-teacher conference · at parents' evening · progress meeting
Working closely with parents and carers as equal partners, sharing information and decisions so that home and setting support the child together.
Where you use it
A key principle in early years frameworks and inspection reports. Settings work in partnership with parents through handovers, learning journals, parents' evenings and stay-and-play sessions. Parental involvement and parental engagement are related terms.
Examples
Partnership with parents is strong here: families share photos and news from home every week.
We work in partnership with parents to support her toilet training.
Common phrases
work in partnership with parents · parental involvement · parental engagement · stay-and-play session
Ten questions from this glossary. Pick the right meaning for each term and see your score.
How to learn child development & early education vocabulary
Learn terms in the pairs they are used in: fine and gross motor skills, receptive and expressive language, child-initiated and adult-led activities, formative and summative assessment.
Read real texts from the field every week, such as nursery observations, curriculum frameworks like the EYFS, research summaries and newsletters to parents, and collect phrases like 'is beginning to', 'with adult support' and 'next steps'.
Practise two registers: the technical wording you use in reports ('expressive language') and the plain wording you use with parents ('how she puts words together').
Keep a list of UK and US differences, such as nursery and daycare, nappy and diaper, or parents' evening and parent-teacher conference, and check which one your course or workplace uses.
Write a short observation in English every day: what the child did and said, what it shows about their development, and one possible next step.
Frequently asked questions
How can I learn child development vocabulary in English effectively?
Study by topic rather than alphabetically, and learn each term with the words that go with it ('reach a milestone', 'settle in well', 'extend play'). Read real texts from the field, such as observation notes, early years frameworks and textbook chapters, and reuse the new words in your own observations and essays. Short daily practice works better than long sessions before an exam.
What is the difference between nursery, preschool, kindergarten and daycare?
It depends on the country. In the UK, a day nursery offers full-day care from babyhood, a nursery class is usually for three- and four-year-olds, and the first year of primary school is called reception. In the US, daycare means childcare for working families, preschool is for children aged about three to five, and kindergarten is the first year of school at about five. In Turkey, kreş and anaokulu overlap in everyday use, so translate according to the children's age and the type of service, not word for word.
What do I call someone who works in a nursery in English?
In the UK, common job titles are early years practitioner, early years educator, nursery practitioner and nursery nurse, and graduates may hold the title early years teacher. In the US, people usually say preschool teacher, childcare worker or early childhood educator. Note that a nursery nurse works in childcare, not in a hospital. The safest choice is the title used in the job advert or by your own setting.
How do I talk to parents about their child's development in English?
Start with what the child enjoys and does well, then describe what you have seen using facts and tentative phrases such as 'I noticed that…' or 'she is beginning to…'. Use plain words instead of jargon: 'understanding what we say' is clearer for most parents than 'receptive language'. Phrases like 'how is this at home?' and 'we'd like to work together on…' show partnership. This glossary explains the language; questions about a particular child belong with your setting's procedures and qualified professionals.
Are developmental milestones the same for every child?
No. Milestones describe the age range in which most children gain a skill, and healthy children reach them at different times. Checklists from different countries may also give slightly different ages. In English, professionals say a child is 'meeting' or 'not yet meeting' a milestone and usually speak of 'typical' rather than 'normal' development.
