EYFS Thinking Skills

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What are examples of cognitive thinking skills for early years children?

Examples include sensory exploration skills (touching, looking, listening), comparison skills (finding similarities and differences), categorization (sorting objects by color, size, or shape), and planning skills (thinking ahead about what materials are needed for an activity). Children also develop elaboration skills like cause-and-effect reasoning and output skills such as explaining their thinking or demonstrating solutions. These skills can be observed and developed through everyday play activities like building blocks, water play, or sorting natural materials.

The 'how' of learning relates to the cognitive thinking skillsthat are important for children to develop because these are a foundation for accessing the 'what' of learning. The table below suggests some of these cognitive thinking skills.

One important aspect of learning is creative learning, which encourages children to explore and experiment with different ideas and concepts. This type of learning helps children to develop their problem-solving skills, as well as their ability to think outside the box. By developing creative learning environments, children are able to approach tasks and challenges in a more effective and imaginative way, which can lead to greater success in their future academic and personal endeavors.

The cognitive thinking skills in the table are drawn from the work of Professor Reuven Feuerstein. Feuerstein suggested that cognitive functions, or thinking skills, can be divided into three phases:

• Input: the cognitive thinking skills that the learner needs to gather all the information that they need to complete a task or solve a problem.
• Elaboration: the cognitive thinking skills that the learner needs to complete a task or solve a problem.
• Elaboration: the cognitive thinking skills that the learner needs to compare new information with existing information, organise it and make sense of it.
• Output: the cognitive thinking skills that the learner needs to demonstrate what they have learned, to communicate effectively, and solve problems.

The diagram above illustrates these three phases. Input thinking skills include clear perception and systematic exploration. Elaboration thinking skills include comparing, planning and identifying relationships. Output thinking skills include clear and precise communication, overcoming impulsivity and accuracy.

Feuerstein's framework provides a structure for teachers and practitioners to observe and develop children's thinking skills through everyday activities. This is particularly important in early years settings, where play-based learning provides a rich context for developing these skills.

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How can I develop thinking skills in my early years setting?

To develop thinking skills in your early years setting, focus on creating a learning environment that promotes exploration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Here are some practical strategies:

1. Provide open-ended materials: Offer materials that can be used in multiple ways, encouraging children to experiment and explore different possibilities.
2. Ask open-ended questions: Instead of asking questions with a single right answer, ask questions that encourage children to think deeply and explain their reasoning.
3. Encourage collaboration: Provide opportunities for children to work together on projects, promoting communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.
4. Facilitate reflection: Encourage children to reflect on their learning experiences, asking them what they learned, what they found challenging, and how they could approach similar tasks in the future.

Here's an example of how you can apply Feuerstein's three-phase framework in a simple activity. Imagine a group of children are sorting a collection of natural materials like leaves, stones, and twigs:

• Input: Encourage children to explore the materials using their senses. Ask them to describe the colours, textures, and shapes.
• Elaboration: Prompt children to compare and contrast the materials. How are the leaves different from the stones? Can they group the materials based on certain characteristics?
• Output: Ask children to explain how they sorted the materials. Can they justify their choices? Can they create a display to showcase their findings?

By consciously focusing on these three phases, practitioners can transform everyday activities into powerful opportunities for developing children's cognitive thinking skills.

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Developing Thinking Skills Across EYFS Prime and Specific Areas

The EYFS Development Matters framework provides a crucial foundation for embedding thinking skills across all seven areas of learning, yet many practitioners focus primarily on observable outcomes rather than the cognitive processes that enable deeper learning. Research by Siraj-Blatchford and Sylva (2004) demonstrates that effective EYFS settings prioritise sustained shared thinking - where adults and children work together to solve problems, clarify concepts, and extend ideas. This approach transforms routine activities into powerful thinking opportunities: when children sort natural materials during outdoor play, practitioners can develop classification skills by encouraging comparisons ("What makes these leaves similar?"), sequential thinking through ordering by size or colour, and hypothetical thinking by predicting what might happen to different materials over time. The key lies in moving beyond simply asking children to complete tasks toward facilitating genuine cognitive engagement through open-ended questioning and collaborative exploration.

Observation and assessment techniques for thinking skills require a fundamental shift from recording what children can do to documenting how they think and approach challenges. Effective practitioners use Feuerstein's three-phase framework to structure their observations: noting how children gather and process information (input phase), how they manipulate and work with that information (elaboration phase), and how they communicate their understanding (output phase). For example, when observing a child building with blocks, rather than simply noting "uses blocks to build a tower," practitioners might record: "Examines different shaped blocks systematically before selecting (input), tests stability by gently pushing structure (elaboration), explains to peer why triangle blocks make the tower stronger (output)." This approach to assessment provides rich evidence for next steps and enables practitioners to identify specific cognitive functions that need support, such as improving spatial orientation or developing comparative behaviour.

Creating thinking-rich continuous provision requires careful consideration of how environments and resources can promote cognitive development across all areas of learning. Research from the Centre for Research in Early Childhood (Pascal and Bertram, 2012) emphasises that high-quality provision challenges children's thinking rather than simply keeping them busy. In practical terms, this means designing experiences that naturally incorporate multiple thinking skills: a discovery table with magnifying glasses, scales, and measuring tools encourages systematic exploration and precision and accuracy in Communication and Language development. Similarly, loose parts play areas with shells, buttons, and fabric pieces support mathematical thinking through spontaneous counting, pattern-making, and spatial reasoning while simultaneously developing creative thinking through open-ended construction and storytelling. The provision should include resources that can be used in multiple ways, encouraging children to transfer learning between contexts and develop flexible thinking that will serve them well in later Key Stage learning.

Outdoor learning opportunities provide particularly rich contexts for developing thinking skills, as the natural environment offers endless possibilities for investigation, problem-solving, and creative thinking. Weather changes create natural opportunities for comparative thinking and temporal relations as children observe, predict, and track changes over time. Practitioners can enhance these experiences by introducing simple challenges that require planning behaviour and systematic exploration: creating obstacle courses that require children to sequence movements, establishing mud kitchens where children must gather, measure, and combine materials to achieve desired outcomes, or setting up investigation stations where children can test hypotheses about floating and sinking using natural materials. These outdoor experiences directly support later scientific thinking required in KS1 and KS2, where children need to make systematic observations, plan fair tests, and draw conclusions from evidence.

Parent engagement in thinking skills development is essential for ensuring continuity between home and setting, yet many parents lack confidence in supporting cognitive development beyond basic academic skills. Effective settings provide parents with practical strategies for extending thinking skills through everyday activities: encouraging hypothetical thinking during cooking ("What do you think will happen if we add more flour?"), developing classification skills during shopping trips ("Can you group these items by colour or size?"), and promoting reflective thinking through bedtime conversations about the day's experiences. Workshops that demonstrate how ordinary household activities can become powerful learning opportunities help parents understand that thinking skills development doesn't require expensive resources or formal teaching. When parents understand how to ask open-ended questions, provide thinking time, and celebrate problem-solving processes rather than just correct answers, children experience consistent support for cognitive development across all environments.

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Conclusion

developing thinking skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage is paramount. By shifting the focus from simply *what* children learn to *how* they learn, educators can equip them with a robust foundation for lifelong learning. Feuerstein's cognitive functions framework, particularly the Input, Elaboration, and Output phases, provides a practical structure for observing and nurturing these essential skills through play-based activities. By prioritising the development of systematic thinking processes over task-oriented activities, we helps young learners to become confident, capable, and creative problem-solvers.

Embracing a process-oriented approach in EYFS requires a conscious effort to create environments that encourage exploration, collaboration, and reflection. By providing open-ended materials, asking thought-provoking questions, and facilitating meaningful discussions, practitioners can stimulate children's cognitive development and cultivate a deeper understanding of the world around them. Ultimately, investing in the development of thinking skills in the early years yields significant long-term benefits, preparing children to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

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Further Reading