What are Preliminary Actions in Early Years?

Preliminary actions in early years are the steps taken before more structured learning and care begin. These actions set the stage for a child’s development. They provide the foundations for learning, behaviour, emotional wellbeing, and physical health. The term refers to the things that happen before formal teaching or before a child starts to follow routines in a setting. These actions often involve observing, preparing, and gently introducing children to new environments and experiences.

These early actions are not about rushing children into academic learning. Instead, they involve creating the right conditions for growth. They support the development of confidence, social skills, communication, and physical capability. By taking these steps, adults help children feel secure and ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Preparing the Environment

One of the most important preliminary actions is preparing the environment. This means thinking about what children will see, touch, hear, and move through. Young children react strongly to their surroundings. If a space feels welcoming and safe, they are more likely to relax and engage positively.

Preparation often involves:

• Arranging furniture so that children can move freely
• Providing areas for quiet time as well as active play
• Making sure there are age-appropriate toys and resources
• Removing hazards and keeping spaces clean

A well-prepared environment can encourage exploration. For example, children may find a basket of natural objects fascinating to touch and examine. If the environment supports curiosity, children tend to become more confident and willing to try new things.

Establishing Relationships

Before structured learning begins, building trust between adults and children is important. Preliminary actions here include gentle introductions to staff, regular routines, and creating opportunities for one-to-one interactions.

Early relationships are formed through:

• Warm greetings
• Consistent responses to children’s needs
• Spending time at the child’s level, physically and emotionally
• Listening carefully to what children communicate, whether through words or actions

Trust gives children the courage to explore without fear. It also helps them manage emotions and feel reassured that help is available when they need it.

Observing the Child

Observation is another core preliminary action. By watching and listening, adults can learn a lot about a child’s preferences, skills, and challenges. This means understanding how a child engages with others, how they handle objects, and how they react to changes.

Observation often focuses on areas like:

• Social behaviour
• Physical skills such as grasping or walking
• Communication, both verbal and non-verbal
• Levels of confidence in new situations

This information is used to plan suitable activities and support. Observation also helps to spot any areas where a child may need extra help. These insights are most useful when gathered over time, rather than from a single moment.

Supporting Transitions

Another preliminary action is preparing for transitions, such as moving into a new setting or adjusting to a new daily routine. Some children find changes unsettling, so the first steps are gentle and paced according to the child’s comfort.

Ways of supporting transitions include:

• Having short visits before full attendance
• Bringing familiar items from home
• Allowing parents or carers to stay for part of the day at first
• Using visual cues like photos of staff to help children know who they will meet

This preparation helps reduce anxiety. When children see familiar items or faces, they link the new environment with safety and warmth.

Introducing Simple Routines

Before more complex routines are added, children can benefit from simple patterns to their day. These may include snack times, outdoor play periods, and quiet rest times. Predictable routines make children feel secure as they know what will happen next.

Introducing routines as part of preliminary actions can involve:

• Showing where things are kept and how to use them
• Using songs or clear signals to mark changes in activity
• Keeping the order of events consistent each day
• Allowing extra time for a child to adjust to these patterns

Routines give structure while still leaving room for spontaneous play and exploration.

Engaging Families

Before a child settles into a new environment, engaging their family is helpful. Parents and carers know the child best and can share important information. These discussions form part of preliminary actions and ensure that the child’s individual needs are considered.

Ways to engage families include:

• Meeting with them before the child starts
• Asking about the child’s likes, dislikes, and routines at home
• Discussing any health conditions or dietary requirements
• Sharing ideas about ways to help the transition

Building a strong link between home and the setting supports emotional security and helps maintain continuity in care.

Introducing Resources and Activities

Preliminary actions also include offering children materials and activities that help them settle and build early skills. These activities tend to be open-ended, allowing children to choose how they engage. This encourages creativity and confidence.

Examples include:

• Soft play items that encourage movement
• Art materials for drawing or painting
• Books with bright pictures and simple language
• Sand and water play for sensory exploration

These resources do not have a set outcome. The aim is to provide opportunities for self-directed play, which supports independence and problem-solving.

Building Communication Skills

Before formal teaching starts, early actions often involve supporting basic communication. This includes helping children develop listening skills, learn new words, and understand turn-taking in conversations.

Adult actions in this stage can include:

• Talking about what the child is doing and naming objects they are using
• Asking open questions to encourage longer responses
• Using gestures and facial expressions to support understanding
• Giving children time to respond without rushing them

Strong communication skills support later learning in all areas. They also make it easier for children to express needs and feelings.

Encouraging Exploration and Play

Play is the main way children learn in early years. Preliminary actions provide safe spaces and resources that spark curiosity. Adults observe and join in at times, gently guiding or supporting when needed.

Exploration through play helps children learn about cause and effect, develop motor skills, and practise problem-solving. By offering variety in play opportunities, children can try new things at their own pace.

Supporting Emotional Wellbeing

A focus on emotional wellbeing is key in early actions. This may involve helping children learn how to recognise feelings and cope in different situations. Gentle routines, reassuring words, and consistent care can build emotional resilience.

Preliminary steps for emotional wellbeing may include:

• Talking about emotions through stories or puppets
• Helping children name what they feel
• Offering comfort when a child is upset
• Encouraging friendships with other children

A strong sense of emotional safety helps children feel ready for new challenges.

Promoting Physical Development

Physical development starts early, and preliminary actions can provide opportunities to move, stretch, and practise coordination. This can involve both fine motor skills, like grasping small items, and gross motor skills, like running or climbing.

Adults can prepare spaces that encourage movement, such as:

• Open areas for active play
• Climbing frames or ride-on toys
• Tables and chairs suited to the child’s size
• Activities like threading beads or drawing to work on fine control

Strong physical development supports confidence and independence.

Creating a Positive Atmosphere

The overall mood in the setting matters. Preliminary actions involve making the atmosphere calm and welcoming. Children are more likely to feel secure if they sense warmth and positivity.

This can mean:

• Smiling and greeting children warmly
• Playing soft music in the background
• Keeping voices gentle
• Celebrating small successes with praise

A positive atmosphere invites children to take part without pressure.

Working as a Team

Preliminary actions are most effective when all adults in the setting work together. This includes agreeing on routines, sharing observations, and supporting each other in caring for children.

Teamwork steps include:

• Regular meetings to discuss progress and needs
• Shared plans for introducing activities
• Clear communication channels between staff
• Supporting new staff in learning about the children

This shared approach helps keep care consistent.

Final Thoughts

Preliminary actions in early years set the foundations for learning and development. They are about preparing the environment, building trust, supporting emotional wellbeing, and encouraging exploration. They focus on the child’s individual needs and help to create a safe and positive start. By taking these early steps, adults give children the conditions they need to thrive, feel secure, and be ready for what comes next.