Development Matters is a simple and useful guide that helps early years staff - such as nursery workers, pre-school teachers, and childminders, to track and support your child’s development, especially in their speech, language and communication.

It is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and is used to make sure children are making progress in key areas of learning from birth to age 5. It helps identify children who may need extra help early on, including those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). 

Early support makes a big difference. Development Matters helps families and professionals work together to understand how your child is growing - and get help in place early if it’s needed. 

The tool supports early years staff to observe and understand how your child is doing in areas such as:

• Communication and language - talking, listening, and understanding.
• Physical development - movement, coordination and self-care.
• Personal, social and emotional development - confidence, relationships, and behaviour.
• Literacy and maths - beginning to explore sounds, numbers, and patterns.
• Understanding the world - exploring people, places, and nature.
• Expressive arts and design - using imagination through play, music, and art. 

By using Development Matters, early years professionals can:

• Track your child’s progress over time.
• Spot any areas where your child may be finding things tricky.
• Plan fun and helpful activities to support learning.
• Work with you to create simple goals for your child.
• Refer to other services, such as speech and language therapy, if needed.

If there are concerns about your child’s development, the setting can talk to you about getting extra help or making a referral to the Early Years SEND Team. 

Your child’s progress is shared with you regularly, and you’re encouraged to:

• Talk about what your child enjoys and finds challenging.
• Ask questions and share your views.
• Work with the nursery or childminder to support your child’s development at home.

You can also ask to see how Development Matters is being used with your child and what their next steps are. 

Talk to your child’s nursery key worker, childminder, your health visitor or the Early Years SEND Team if you have concerns.

Please click here for more information.

Department for Education (DfE): Development Matters