| SKILL | WHAT TO DO Identifying and supporting need | ASKING FOR HELP Starting Assess, Plan, Do, Review | WHEN MORE HELP IS NEEDED Targeted support |
| Making Relationships and Peer Interactions | Individual child: Describe aloud what the child is doing (at their language level) by giving a running commentary. This supports children’s language development and play skills. Reduce questions. Follow the child’s lead and join in with their play. Allow a balance of child-led and free play, as well as adult-directed tasks. Classroom/Early Years room: Ensure every child experiences regular, positive interactions with an adult, including children who appear to prefer solitary play. Model positive relationships and social skills. Use turn-taking games and circle time on a regular basis. Ask each child to hold an item (talking object) when they talk so they know whose turn it is to speak and how long they have to wait until their turn. Use mind-mindedness (putting yourself in the child’s shoes and seeing the world from their eyes) when responding to incidents or children’s concerns. Plan opportunities to learn and practise social and emotional skills during structured activities (e.g. role playing). Use stories that generate problem-solving around different social situations during circle time. Model and support children to practise the use of these skills (e.g. home corner, shop role play area). Use role play or verbal rehearsal before activities to reinforce behavioural expectations and reduce anxiety (e.g. how to ask for a turn on the bikes). Use of whole group/class interventions to develop social and emotional development (e.g. R time). Whole school/Early Years setting: Share key messages around Five to Thrive framework using posters e.g. respond, cuddle, relax, play, talk. Use activities themed around the Five to Thrive framework and share these with parents/carers. | Offer small group interventions to promote positive peer interactions: Use of sensory and interactive play with bubbles and other motivating items. Use of outdoor games and physical activities (e.g. chasing games, ready-steady-go). Inclusion in small group activities to work on turn taking and social skills, such as Time to Talk. Offer interventions and attachment-focused programmes to support relationships between children and adults (early years practitioners and parents/carers) such as: Use of the Five to Thrive materials and principles. Theraplay activities which are based on building attachments, self-esteem, trust, and joy. The activities are centred around structure, engagement, nurture, and challenge. | Use of tools such as the Adult Interaction Checklist to support positive interactions between adults and children and to support adults to respond in an individualised way to children. Identify and complete appropriate assessments to establish a greater understanding of the child’s needs to inform individual intervention. Provide regular, additional adult support to ensure all children who struggle with interactions are socially included. Provide individualised, targeted interventions to develop their skills through specific target settings and timely reviews using the Plan- Do-Review process. Use an Intensive Interaction approach to build relationships with children who find it hard to interact. For children who aren’t using any words yet, you can copy their actions. If they clap their hands, you clap them too. See what they do; they might look at you and smile to let you know they want you to carry on. Once the child interacts |