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.

This week's plan Skills checklist Rhyme time

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
  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
  2. 2 Marks with a Messageabout 2 weeks Make a drawing or marks that carry a message, and tell someone what they mean. 🎮 Trace It · Match Paths
  3. 3 A Name Card for My Placeabout 3 weeks Make a personal place card with meaningful marks, and explore the written shape of their name. 🎮 Trace It
  4. 4 Marks for a Two-Part Storyabout 2 weeks Use marks or shapes for two connected story moments and tell someone what each part means. 🎮 Trace It

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 Notice One, Two or Threeabout 2 weeks Begin to recognise groups of one, two or three without counting each item, then check by counting. 🎮 Ten-Frame Fill · Counting Stars
  3. 3 Shapes Around Usabout 2 weeks Name a circle, square, triangle and rectangle, and find them in everyday things. 🎮 Shapes & Colors · Shape Builder · Match Paths
  4. 4 Big, Bigger, Biggestabout 2 weeks Order three things by size, and compare using long, short, tall, heavy and light. 🎮 Size Safari
  5. 5 Full and Emptyabout 2 weeks Describe a container as full, empty or partly full, and change how much it holds. 🎮 Size Safari
  6. 6 Where Is It?about 2 weeks Understand and use position words: in, on, under, behind, in front of, next to. 🎮 Position Quest

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
  4. 4 Staying Safe at Homeabout 2 weeks Recognise that hot things, sharp tools and medicines need an adult, and practise asking a trusted adult for help. 🎮 Hot & Cold Lab
  5. 5 Look at Homes and Buildingsabout 3 weeks Notice doors, windows and roofs, and combine shapes to show a building. 🎮 Shape Builder

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
  4. 4 I Can Do It Myselfabout 3 weeks Try small parts of dressing, eating, toileting and tidying, notice how you feel and ask an adult for help. 🎮 Feelings Friends
  5. 5 Feelings and a Shared Solutionabout 2 weeks Talk about what might cause a feeling and try a supported solution when two people want the same thing. 🎮 Feelings Friends

Moving & making

  1. 1 Balance, Roll and Aimabout 3 weeks Explore steady movement, roll towards a target and use in, beside and between during play. 🎮 Position Quest
  2. 2 Tear, Fold and Arrangeabout 3 weeks Use both hands to tear and fold paper, and combine shapes in a picture or model. 🎮 Shape Builder · Trace It
  3. 3 Beat, Pattern and Danceabout 2 weeks Join a steady beat and copy a short repeating pattern with sounds and movements. 🎮 Pattern Parade
  4. 4 Cloth Prints and Outdoor Linesabout 3 weeks Explore different marks with a whole cloth and use straight and curved movements in outdoor play. 🎮 Trace It
  5. 5 The Musical Bus Stopabout 2 weeks Act out waiting and travelling on a pretend bus, using quiet sound cues and position words. 🎮 Position Quest
Guides for parents

For parents of children aged 3–4

All guides for parents →

All stages

Next stage: KG 1 →