Whole setting strategies to support cognition and learning needs

Making learning accessible and effective

Create a visually supportive environment: Visuals are used throughout the setting to support understanding and independence, including labels, symbols, and photos linked to routines and resources.
Give clear and simple instructions. Instructions are given in short, clear phrases. Longer instructions are broken down and delivered one step at a time.
Explain and model tasks. Tasks are clearly explained, modelled, or scaffolded to support understanding. Adults check for comprehension before children begin.
Provide multiple real-life examples. New ideas are taught using concrete, real-life examples rather than abstract explanations.
Introduce and reinforce new vocabulary. New words are clearly explained and linked to real objects or experiences. Vocabulary is repeated and reinforced through play and interaction.
Use multi-sensory approaches. Present new learning using a combination of visual, auditory, and tactile methods to support different learning styles and sensory needs.
Provide resources to explore cause and effect. Include materials and experiences that allow children to test actions and observe outcomes (for example, water play, construction, pulleys).
Promote problem-solving through thinking: Encourage children to think before acting (for example, how to switch something on or how to reach a toy). Help children try different approaches when solving problems and praise persistence and creativity.

Ensure hearing and vision have been checked recently to rule out barriers to accessing learning.
Provide print throughout the setting, appropriate for the ages and stages of children currently attending.
Offer books in all areas of continuous provision, matched to children’s developmental levels. Encourage children to access these independently and with adults.
Use children’s interests to spark curiosity in books and printed materials.
Support understanding of books through discussion, sharing picture books, asking questions, and making comments during reading.
Offer regular story sessions led by adults.

Literacy support, including phonic, spelling and writing (recording):

Include listening games, musical instruments, and sound-based activities to support early phonological awareness.
Tune into children’s sounds. Copy pitch, tone, and rhythm of the sounds children make to encourage vocal play and sound discrimination.
Introduce approaches to support young children’s early literacy focusing on environmental sounds, rhythm and rhyme, and alliteration.
Use everyday opportunities to model blending and segmenting of sounds (for example “Can you get your c-oa-t?”), especially for children aged 40–60+ months.
Support pre-handwriting development. Provide activities that build shoulder and wrist strength, pincer grip, and hand-eye coordination.
Offer movement-based activities such as waving ribbons, water painting, pushing, pulling, sweeping, and lifting to build foundational physical skills for writing.
Include opportunities for children to make marks and write in all areas of provision, including outdoors. Show children how to use marks and writing in meaningful ways and encourage them to use it in their play. Encourage children to talk about their marks and explain what they represent.
Provide a range of mark-making tools and materials that are accessible, varied, and regularly refreshed.

Include maths materials in all areas of continuous provision, both indoors and outdoors. Offer real objects, counters, Numicon, number lines, and other tactile materials to support early maths concepts. Display numbers meaningfully in the environment (for example, numbered coat pegs, steps, snack portions) and encourage children to notice and use them.
Demonstrate appropriate maths language. Embed number, shape, and measure vocabulary during snack time, lining up, tidying, and outdoor play (for example “You have two apples”, “Let’s find the biggest puddle”).
Provide opportunities for children to count in meaningful, everyday contexts (for example, snack time, tidying up, outdoor play).
Observe children’s understanding and model correct skills when misconceptions arise (for example, incorrect number order).
Offer open-ended resources and scenarios that encourage children to explore, compare, and reason (for example, building towers, sorting objects, filling containers).