Nursery On-Entry Activity Booklet Development Matters Links
The EYFS Nursery On-Entry Activity Booklet helps practitioners to assess key skills as a child enters nursery.
It is based on Development Matters 2020 but also includes opportunities for practitioners to gather additional
information that may be useful when children first enter the setting. This table demonstrates how each of the
key skills assessed in the booklet relates to the most relevant Development Matters 2020 statements.
Statement from Area of Learning
Baseline Booklet and Age Range
Can recognise own name. Literacy
Birth to Three
Can write some letters from Literacy
their name. Three and Four-Year-Olds
Uses a comfortable pencil grip. Physical Development
Three and Four-Year-Olds
Shows a preference for a Physical Development
dominant hand. Three and Four-Year-Olds
Enjoys drawing freely. Literacy
Birth to Three
Adds marks to their drawings that Literacy
they give meaning to. Birth to Three
Understands that print has meaning. Literacy
Three and Four-Year-Olds
Can recognise different parts Literacy
of a book. Three and Four-Year-Olds
Can turn pages in order. Literacy
Three and Four-Year-Olds
Knows that in English, books are Literacy
read from left to right and top
to bottom. Three and Four-Year-Olds
Listens attentively to a story. Communication
and Language
Three and Four-Year-Olds
Remembers what happens Communication
in a story. and Language
Three and Four-Year-Olds
Engages in a conversation Literacy
about a story. Three and Four-Year-Olds
Take part in rhymes and songs. Expressive Arts
and Design
Birth to Three
Join in with songs and rhymes, Expressive Arts
copying sound, rhythm, tune and Design
and tempo. Three and Four-Year-Olds
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Development Matters Statement
Notices some print, such as the first letter of their
name, a bus or door number, or a familiar logo.
Write some or all of their name.
Uses a comfortable pencil grip with good control
when holding pens and pencils.
Show a preference for a dominant hand.
Enjoy drawing freely.
Add some marks to their drawings, which they give
meaning to. For example: “That says mummy.”
Understands the five key concepts about print:
-print has meaning.
Understands the five key concepts about print:
-the names of different parts of a book
Understands the five key concepts about print:
-page sequencing.
Understands the five key concepts about print:
-we read English text from left to right and from top
to bottom.
Enjoy listening to long stories and can remember
much of what happens.
Enjoy listening to long stories and can remember
much of what happens.
Engage in extended conversations about stories,
learning new vocabulary.
Enjoy and take part in action songs, such as ‘Twinkle,
Twinkle Little Star’.
Sing the melodic shape (moving melody, such as up
and down, down and up) of familiar songs.
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Sing songs and says rhymes
independently.
Compares length using the Jungle
Scene Poster.
Uses prepositions to describe the
position in the Jungle Scene Poster.
Counting pictures on the Jungle
Scene Poster.
Takes part in finger rhymes
with numbers.
Subitises a number of objects to 3.
Links numerals to amounts.
Can name different 2D shapes.
Can name colours.
Can recognise numbers to 5.
Leaves carer with growing
confidence.
Shows affection towards people
who are special to them.
Talks to others about their feelings.
Enjoys carrying out small tasks.
Gaining confidence in new social
situations.
Able to listen to others.
Expressive Arts Remember and sing entire songs.
and Design
Three and Four-Year-Olds
Mathematics Make comparisons between objects relating to size,
Three and Four-Year-Olds length, weight and capacity.
Mathematics Understand position through words alone – for
example ‘The bag is under the table,’ – with
Three and Four-Year-Olds no pointing.
Mathematics Know that the last number reached when counting a
small set of objects tells you how many there are in
total (‘cardinal principle’).
Three and Four-Year-Olds Recite numbers past 5.
Mathematics Show ‘finger numbers’ up to 5.
Three and Four-Year-Olds
Mathematics Fast recognition of up to 3 objects, without having to
Three and Four-Year-Olds count them individually (‘subitising’).
Mathematics Links numerals and amounts: for example,
showing the right number of objects to match the
Three and Four-Year-Olds numeral, up to 5.
Mathematics Talk about and explore 2D and 3D shapes using
informal and mathematical language: ‘sides’, ‘corners’;
Three and Four-Year-Olds ‘straight’, ‘flat’, ‘round’.
No specific Development Matters statement.
Mathematics No specific Development Matters statement.
Three and Four-Year-Olds
Personal, Social Find ways of managing transitions, for examples from
and Emotional their parent to their key person.
Development
Birth to Three
No specific Development Matters statements.
Personal, Social Talk about feelings using words like ‘happy’, ‘sad’,
and Emotional ‘angry’ or ‘worried’.
Development
Three and Four-Year-Olds
Personal, Social Grow in independence, rejecting help (“me do it”).
and Emotional
Development
Birth to Three
Personal, Social Show more confidence in new social situations.
and Emotional
Development
Three and Four-Year-Olds
Personal, Social Listen to other people’s talk with interest, but can
and Emotional easily be distracted be other things.
Development
Birth to Three
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Is beginning to develop friendships Personal, Social Develop friendships with other children.
with other children. and Emotional
Development
Birth to Three

Likes to play cooperatively. Personal, Social Play with one or more other children, extending and
and Emotional elaborating play ideas.
Development
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Can share, with support. Personal, Social Help to find solutions to conflict and rivalries. For
and Emotional example, accepting that not everyone can be Spider-
Development Man in the game, and suggesting other ideas.
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Can select their own activities with Personal, Social Select and use activities and resources, with help
growing independence. and Emotional when needed. This helps them to achieve a goal they
Development have chosen, or one which is suggested to them.
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Asks for help when needed. Personal, Social No specific Development Matters statement.
and Emotional
Development
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Can follow some rules. Personal, Social Increasingly follow rules understanding why they are
and Emotional important.
Development
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Puts on their own coat with help. Physical Development Be increasingly independent as they get dressed
and undressed, for example, putting coats on and
Three and Four-Year-Olds doing up zips.

Can use the toilet independently. Personal, Social Be increasingly independent in meeting their own care
and Emotional needs, e.g. brushing teeth, using the toilet, washing
Development and drying their hands thoroughly.
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Can wash and dry own hands. Personal, Social Be increasingly independent in meeting their own care
and Emotional needs, e.g. brushing teeth, using the toilet, washing
Development and drying their hands thoroughly.
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Is able to complete an inset or Physical Development Complete inset puzzles.

jigsaw puzzle. Birth to Three

Can use scissors. Physical Development Uses one-handed tools and equipment, for example,
Three and Four-Year-Olds making snips in paper with scissors.

Can climb stairs, or climbing Physical Development Go up steps and stairs, or climb up apparatus, using
equipment, using alternate feet. Three and Four-Year-Olds alternative feet.

Can use a scooter or ride a tricycle. Physical Development Continue to develop their movement, balancing, riding
Three and Four-Year-Olds (scooters, trikes and bikes) and ball skills.

Can clap and stamp to music. Physical Development Clap and stamp to music.
Birth to Three

Can skip, hop or stand on one leg. Physical Development Skip, hop, stand on one leg and hose a pose for a
Three and Four-Year-Olds game like musical statues.

Sometimes kicks, throws and Physical Development Continue to develop their movement, balancing, riding
catches a ball. Three and Four-Year-Olds (scooters, trikes and bikes) and ball skills.

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Uses large muscle movements. Physical Development Use large muscle movements to wave flags and
Three and Four-Year-Olds streamers, paint and make marks.

Uses longer sentences. Communication Use longer sentences of four to six words.
and Language
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Enjoys playing with small Expressive Arts Begin to develop complex stories using small
world toys. and Design world equipment, like animal sets, dolls and dolls
Three and Four-Year-Olds houses etc.
Builds and constructs. Expressive Arts Makes simple models which express their ideas.
and Design
Birth to Three

Enjoys exploring how things work. Understanding Explore how things work.
the World
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Beginning to understand their life Understanding Begin to make sense of their own life-story and
and family history. the World family’s history.
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Understands why we need to look Understanding Begin to understand the need to respect and care for
after the environment. the World the natural environment and all living things.
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Creates sounds with musical Expressive Arts Play instruments with increasing control to express
instruments. and Design their feelings and ideas.
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Takes part in pretend play. Expressive Arts Take part in simple pretend play, using an object to
and Design represent something, even though they are not similar.
Three and Four-Year-Olds

Talks about and explores colour. Expressive Arts Explore colour and colour-mixing.
and Design
Three and Four-Year-Olds

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