Preschool focuses on learning through play, exploration, and social interaction. It supports children’s development in communication, language, and understanding of the world, as outlined in the Development Matters framework. In preschool, children are encouraged to talk about their own lives, their families, and their local area, helping to build vocabulary and confidence in speaking. Activities such as role play, storytelling, and discussions allow children to retell events and experiences, which strengthens both memory and language development. Exploring their surroundings, such as walks in the local community or learning about familiar places, helps children make sense of the world around them. 

In Nursery, history is introduced as part of “Understanding the World,” where children begin to make sense of the past through their own experiences. Rather than formal historical study, children learn by talking about events in their lives, such as birthdays or holidays, and by listening to stories about the past. This helps them develop the ability to retell events in sequence and understand basic concepts of time. Teachers may also encourage children to explore their local area, noticing how things have changed or stayed the same, which builds early historical awareness. Through conversations, storytelling, and shared experiences, children develop language skills while beginning to understand the idea of past and present in a meaningful, age-appropriate way. 

In reception, children begin to develop their understanding of the world by exploring past and present events in their own lives and the lives of others. Through stories, discussions and play-based learning, children are introduced to basic concepts of chronology, change and memory. They talk about familiar events, compare past and present, and begin to understand that things have changed over time. This provides a strong foundation for future historical learning by developing curiosity, language and an awareness of the world around them.