This Oracy Progression Document for EYFS supports practitioners in developing children’s speaking, listening and communication skills through structured progression. This resource outlines key oracy stages and suggested activities that help young learners build confidence and vocabulary within Early Years settings.
Our Oracy Progression: Birth to Reception supports children’s communication development through a clear, structured framework designed for early years practitioners and families.
It breaks down the essential building blocks of spoken language into age-appropriate skills, helping adults understand how children learn to listen, understand, talk and communicate with confidence.
The framework covers seven core areas of early oracy – Attention, Listening, Understanding, Receptive Language, Speaking, Conversations, and Confidence – and includes four deeper layers of communication development: Vocabulary Growth, Non-Verbal Communication, Pragmatics (social use of language), and Articulation.
Together, these elements provide a complete picture of how young children develop the foundations of communication, from early babbling and gesture to confident storytelling and conversation by the end of Reception.
This progression helps educators to plan high-quality interactions, identify individual needs, and provide the right support at the right time. It also empowers parents by showing how everyday play and talk can nurture their child’s language, social skills, and self-expression.
Aligned with the EYFS and the Communication & Language Early Learning Goals, this oracy framework offers a clear, practical guide for developing confident, capable, and connected young communicators.
