EAL in Early Years Settings: Guidance and Strategies

Jump to:

• What is the aim of this guidance and who is it for?
• How is the guidance organised?

What is the aim of this guidance?

This guidance sits alongside our Primary EAL Assessment Framework and accompanying Classroom Guidance and Support Strategies. It is designed to be a very practical and flexible guide, aiming to provide:

• Guidance on key principles of effective EAL pedagogy for early years (EY) provision;
• Guidance for leaders around multilingualism in EY children, training needs for EY staff, and building relationships with the families and communities of young multilingual children;
• An introduction to our EAL Assessment Framework, providing suggestions for its use within EY environments, and practical EY classroom strategies for creating a welcoming, language-friendly environment.

Who is this guidance for?

This guidance is for anyone tasked with creating inclusive environments and conducive conditions to support the learning of children using EAL in early years provision. It will be particularly relevant for leaders and for Reception teachers and teaching assistants, but may also be useful for nursery teachers and those working with Years 1–2.

How is the guidance organised?

The support strategies are organised into five areas that correspond with our Five Principles to Guide EAL Pedagogy.

	Multilingualism as an asset
	High expectations with appropriate support
	Integrated focus on language and content
	Effective and holistic assessment
	Social inclusion

© The Bell Educational Trust Limited. This resource is free to use for educational purposes.