Stage 2 of 5 · Ages 3–4

Nursery at home.

Letters start to mean something — first the ones in their own name. Counting to 10, shapes, patterns and the first sounds of words.

Also called: Pre-K, Early Years.

What this stage covers

  • Hearing rhymes, syllables and the first sound in a word
  • Knowing the letters in their own name
  • Counting 10 objects and knowing numerals to 10
  • Shapes, position words and simple patterns
  • Holding a crayon with the fingers and drawing lines and circles
Every day: 10 minutes of games, 10–15 minutes of one hands-on activity. Read a story together every day.
Ready to move on when: Your child can count 10 things one by one, recognises their name in print and hears when two words rhyme.
The units, in order

Work on one unit from each strand at a time.

Start at the top of each list. When your child can do most of a unit's checklist, move on to the next one in that strand.

Reading & talking

  1. 1 Letters in My Nameabout 3 weeks Recognise their own name in print and name the letters in it. 🎮 Letter Pop · Balloon Pop · Word Builder
  2. 2 Rhyme and Rhythmabout 3 weeks Hear when two words rhyme, and clap the beats (syllables) in words. 🎮 Rhyme Families · Word Builder · Balloon Pop
  3. 3 Stories and Puppetsabout 3 weeks Listen to a short story, join in with repeated lines and retell parts of it with puppets. 🎮 What's Missing? · Memory Match · Focus Farm
  4. 4 First Soundsabout 4 weeks Hear the first sound in a word and learn the sounds of s, a, t, p, i and n. 🎮 Letter Pop · Balloon Pop · Word Builder

Writing & pencil control

  1. 1 Pencil Playabout 4 weeks Hold a crayon with the fingers and draw straight lines, circles, a cross and zigzags. 🎮 Trace It · Dot to Dot · Match Paths

Numbers & shapes

  1. 1 Numbers to Tenabout 4 weeks Count up to 10 objects accurately and recognise the numerals 1 to 10. 🎮 Counting Stars · Number Match · Number Train · Ten-Frame Fill
  2. 2 Shapes Around Usabout 2 weeks Name a circle, square, triangle and rectangle, and find them in everyday things. 🎮 Shapes & Colors · Shape Builder · Match Paths
  3. 3 Big, Bigger, Biggestabout 2 weeks Order three things by size, and compare using long, short, tall, heavy and light. 🎮 Size Safari · Position Quest · Shape Builder
  4. 4 Where Is It?about 2 weeks Understand and use position words: in, on, under, behind, in front of, next to. 🎮 Position Quest · Focus Farm · What's Missing?

Science & our world

  1. 1 My Five Sensesabout 2 weeks Name the five senses and use describing words: soft, hard, loud, quiet, sweet, sour. 🎮 Five Senses · Hot & Cold Lab · Weather Watch
  2. 2 Animals and Their Homesabout 2 weeks Match animals to where they live and say what some animals eat. 🎮 Living World · Eco Helpers · Weather Watch
  3. 3 Weather and Clothesabout 2 weeks Describe the weather each day and choose clothes to match it. 🎮 Weather Watch · Hot & Cold Lab · Day & Night

Thinking & feelings

  1. 1 Patterns and Sortingabout 3 weeks Sort things by one rule and copy and continue simple repeating patterns. 🎮 Pattern Parade · Sort It Out · Odd One Out
  2. 2 Listen and Rememberabout 2 weeks Follow two-step instructions and remember a short list of things. 🎮 Memory Match · What's Missing? · Focus Farm
  3. 3 Helpers and Caringabout 2 weeks Name people who help us and do small jobs that help at home and look after the world. 🎮 Helper Heroes · Eco Helpers · Feelings Friends

All stages

Next stage: KG 1 →