Early Years Examples of SMART Targets:
Outcome/Target | Why | How | Who will be responsible? | When |
Encourage XX to build relationships with his peers by engaging in cooperative play activities. Support him in initiating and joining group play, helping him to develop positive interactions and friendships within the nursery setting. | This target has been set because XX is new to our setting and is still getting to know his peers. He has already built a wonderful rapport with the staff, particularly YY ans ZZ, and feels comfortable in the environment. While he currently enjoys playing alongside other children, we would love to support him in forming friendships and building connections with his peers in the room. | Encourage Small Group Activities: Facilitate activities where XX can work with one or two other children, such as building with blocks, crafting, or playing simple games that encourage interaction. Model Social Interaction: Demonstrate and model positive social interactions with peers, like sharing, taking turns, and inviting others to join activities, to help XX learn how to engage with others. Organise Cooperative Games: Introduce games that require teamwork, like group storytelling, ball passing, or collaborative art projects, to encourage cooperation and positive peer engagement. Praise Social Efforts: Recognise and praise XX whenever he engages positively with his peers, such as when he shares, takes turns, or shows kindness, to reinforce these social behaviours. Storytime Discussions: Use story-time to discuss friendship and emotions with the group, asking questions that encourage children to talk about being friends and helping one another. | All staff in nursery, Carers & XX. | 01-Jan-2025 |
Support XX in developing his counting skills by encouraging him to confidently count from 1 to 10, both independently and during group activities. | We have chosen this target because XX is currently able to count confidently from 1 to 5, but he finds it challenging to continue counting beyond this point. By focusing on counting to 10, we aim to strengthen his number skills and build his confidence with larger numbers. | Use Counting Songs and Rhymes: Incorporate songs and rhymes that count up to 10, as the rhythm and repetition can help XX remember the sequence of numbers. Interactive Counting Games: Engage XX in games that involve counting objects, like counting blocks, toy cars, or animals, to make counting to 10 more engaging and hands-on. Daily Counting Practice: Integrate counting into daily routines, such as counting the number of children at group time, snacks at snack time, or steps when walking, to reinforce numbers in a natural way. Positive Reinforcement: Praise and encourage XX each time he successfully counts higher or makes progress, boosting his confidence with each milestone. | All staff in nursery, Carers & XX. | 01-Jan-2025 |
Encourage XX to be able to recall and talk about key details from the 'book of the month,' including the main characters, setting, and storyline, by the end of each month. | We have chosen this target because XX has been thoroughly enjoying our 'book of the month' in nursery. It would be wonderful to see him recall key details of the book, such as the characters and storyline, and share them with staff and carers at home, helping to reinforce his understanding and memory of the story. | Interactive Storytelling: Engage XX in retelling the story using props, puppets, or pictures from the book, encouraging him to recall key events and characters. Discuss the Story Daily: Have short discussions about the book each day, asking XX questions like, "What happened next?" or "Who was your favourite character?" to reinforce his memory. Use Visual Aids: Display key images or scenes from the book around the room, allowing XX to visually connect the story with the images as reminders. Create a Story Map: Draw or use a chart to map out the sequence of events in the story, helping XX to visualise and remember the flow of the narrative. | All staff in nursery, Carers & XX. | 01-Jan-2025 |
To learn about my feelings and how I feel when I am experiencing these. | Initial assessments and observations show that this is an area for development as XX struggles to express how he feels and can hurt others as a result. | Adults provide positive interactions and role model. Use of Colour Monster to support feelings work in the setting and at home Three point plan Yoga | Mrs XX & Miss YY | April 2025 |
For XX to engage in a turn-taking activity with 1 other child with support from an adult to demonstrate turn-taking strategies. | So XX will be able to engage with other children independently and demonstrate positive friendships. | Staff will encourage XX to engage in a turn-taking activity, involving one other child to encourage social interaction skills. Staff will take XX and 1 other child into a quiet area, and demonstrate turn-taking opportunities. Also to encourage XX to wait her turn when it's the other child's turn, using hand over hand strategy if needed. Using positive language and praise throughout the activity, to encourage XX to continue more. | Mrs XX & Miss YY | April 2025 |
C&L-Uses language to share feelings, experiences and thoughts. C&L- Learns new words very rapidly and is able to use them in communicating. | To be able to engage in the same play theme as his peers, to build stronger bonds through play. To build confidence in sharing own thoughts and feelings and being able to share his own life experiences with others, to be able to express himself vocally and through play will close the gap for his development in regards to communication and language mainly understanding and speaking. | Staff to role model back and forth language. Imaginative play using real life experiences that Emilio can relate to, i.e cafe, airport, dog walk. Use Emilio's interest in stories to support 'who, what, where' questions. Role model language forming sentences, listen to and recall stories; books such as emergency services, construction vehicles. | YY (key person) ZZ (Senco) | 15-Feb-2025 |
Literacy-Distinguishes between the different marks they make. Sometimes give meaning to their drawings and paintings. Includes mark making and early writing in their play. | To encourage mark making and develop control with his early writing skills and to value the marks that he makes. Staff to role model language skills whilst mark making. Use open ended questions to challenge Emilio to discuss the marks that he makes, such as; Tell me about your drawing? To close the gap in Emilio development for Literacy. | Mark making in all areas of the room, clipboards with pencils in construction area- draw building projects, order tools/ materials etc, telephone - notebook and pen. Cafe in home corner- clipboard/ order form to order food. Sand area - diggers to make marks. Police car/ fire engine, ambulance- tracing or shadow drawing; can you copy the wheels on the police motorbike, draw me the favorite part of the fire engine, outdoors- water, brushes, mark making on the floor, wall, fences. | YY (key person) ZZ (Senco) | 15-Feb-2025 |
To maintain attention for 5-10 minutes in an adult directed activity with 2-3 other children. | This target is the next step for XX following the progress he has made. Adults will support XX to complete and adult chosen activity and will extend the duration as needed. | Adults will use objects to support X's understanding of what he is going to do. They will talk to him at eye level and use simple language for instructions. | All adults in the setting | Feb 2025 |
For XX to learn the first 5 RWI graphemes: m,a,s,d,t | It is really important that XX is confident with reading and writing these sounds in preparation for early reading developing confidence with sounds. | • Daily phonics session with EYFS staff QFT • 1:1 daily pinny time with EYFS TAs 10 mins daily • Daily literacy carpet sessions | Mrs YY | 07-Jan-2025 |
To complete a successful transition into Reception. | It is really important that XX feels comfortable and settled into her new setting so that strong relationships can be formed, and learning can begin. | • Stay and Play sessions (2), EYFS staff, beginning of year. • Phased transition into EYFS, EYFS staff, beginning of year. 1 morning summer school 1:4 with class teacher for 3 hours 1:1 nurture sessions with Miss YY to build relationships for 30mins over the week 1:1 nurture in provision for 2 hours on Tuesday morning with Mrs ZZ (pastoral assistant) to build relationships | Mrs YY Mrs ZZ | 07-Jan-2025 |
To accurately represent numbers 6- 10 using objects. | Careful counting is an important skill to learn, that will help you all of your life. | • Maths sessions, EYFS staff, daily. • Maths meetings, EYFS staff, daily. • 1:1 targeted maths intervention with TA daily 15 mins, • Maths in provision (incl. adult led games), EYFS staff, throughout week. | Mrs YY | 07-Jan-2025 |
Share this page
