Young children develop at an incredible pace during their first three years. Early years settings have to support the initial growth spurts experienced in the first 18 months of a child's life and prepare the groundwork for the equally fast progress right up to a child's third birthday. Practitioners need to:
* provide prolonged periods of sustained, child-initiated play. Such periods help children to develop enquiring minds, practise new skills and consolidate knowledge and expertise.
* provide opportunities to enter into prolonged and well-balanced discussions, encouraging children to think about what they are doing. The REPEY report into the development of communication and cognitive skills highlights the importance of children engaging in sustained shared thinking (see 'More information'). Practitioners should introduce vocabulary and encourage children to express themselves.
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