Between the ages of 2-3 years children’s language and communication skills make huge developments. There is a huge development in their vocabulary and understanding of language at this time, and by the age of 3 years children are using short sentences and can engage in simple conversations with others. Communication and language skills are a prime area of development, and lay the foundations for many other skills.
High-quality effective early years provision has a significant impact on a two year old’s social, emotional and cognitive development and is a key factor in improving outcomes for children and families.
The Being two year old project is specifically designed for practitioners working with two years olds.
Over a four year cycle every setting in Waltham Forest will have the opportunity to take part.
Book here for the Being Two Project
Working with two-year-olds is not easy. One moment they are trustful and endearing; the next, they throw their weight around like little teenagers, testing whether you really mean what you say. It's important to remain patient, to try to understand their viewpoint, to be consistent – and to keep your sense of humour!
The following tools are helpful in creating the right environment in your early years setting for 2 year olds.
Continuous provision for two-year-olds creates a consistent, child-led environment that nurtures independence, supports emotional security, and promotes deep, meaningful engagement across all areas of learning.
Continuous Provision for two year olds
Explore practical, research-informed guidance for setting up high-quality learning environments tailored to the developmental needs of 2-year-olds. Each guide links directly to the EYFS areas of learning and development, helping practitioners create spaces that spark curiosity, build skills and support emotional wellbeing.
You can easily create book friendly spaces that maximise deep levels of engagement, where children are drawn in to pick up books, listen to and share stories. You could make it a comfy enticing, cosy space with an indoor tipee or lots of cushions and blankets and of course fill it with books they can reach and sit and look at whenever they want.
Reflection: Does your book area offer:
Create a book area guidance 2 year olds
Book reading list for 2 year olds
Research suggests that very young children develop better language skills when they engage in regular block play both in the home and in the nursery.
Reflection: Does your block play area provide:
The Making the Most of Block Play is designed to support practitioners to develop effective block play for two year olds in their provision.
Role play develops a child’s imagination. It supports cognitive development, improves social skills, grows children’s creativity and problem-solving skills and offers opportunities for young children to explore and understand events that they have observed or experienced in real life.
Reflection: Does your domestic role play offer:
Domestic Role Play information and guidance 2 year old. This guide is intended to support the development of the home corner to meets the specific needs of two year olds in your setting.
With carefully chosen open ended resources, linked to children’s interests and development, young children can be supported to investigate, explore and think, follow their own lines of enquiry and make choices independently and always get it right. In water play they can be the experts.
Reflection: Does your provision offer:
Water play guidance 2 year olds - this guide is intended to support practitioners to develop water provision both inside and outside that foster’s curiosity, imagination and experimentation of two year olds.
Music is one of many languages a child can communicate. Music supports developing fine and gross motor skills. Music helps to build a two -year old’s coordination, strength and balance as they move to the beat, wiggle, stomp and jump up and down to songs.
Reflection: Does your musical and movement provision offer:
Creating musical provision for 2 year olds. This guide is intended to support practitioners develop effective musical provision for two year olds. Musical Development matters
Sand trays are busy areas where social interaction is inevitable. By making your sand provision communication friendly, varied, well organised, young children will learn to wait, make conversation and develop their attention span
Reflection: Does your sand provision offer:
Creating sand play for two year olds - this guide is intended to support practitioners to develop effective sand provision for two year olds that supports independence, language and social skills.
The importance of movement and action is key to their learning and development. It supports physical health, personal and social well-being. Young children use their whole bodies to explore, think and communicate. Being active every day provides a foundation for a healthier and happier life
What does movement look like in your setting?
Do adults support the development of vocabulary and communication around movement and being physically active through naming body parts, actions, prepositions during play and encourage children to reflect on their activity?
Reflection: Does your setting support fine motor development by offering:
Reflection: Does your setting support gross motor development by offering:
Creating a space to be physical for two year olds - this guide is intended to support practitioners to develop space and resources both inside and outside that support two year olds movement activities allowing them to be active for most of the day in different ways.