This section suggests how to stimulate your child's curiosity and encourage them to explore, move and learn. It has been developed to help you support your child through the framework your child will follow in school called The Early Years Foundation Stage.
All children develop at their own pace, whether or not they are blind or partially sighted. However, young children with sight problems may need you to help them make sense of the world around them to awaken their interest in people, toys and objects.
The Early Years Foundation Stage
The Early Years Foundation Stage is the framework your child will follow alongside other young children from birth to five years old. There are six areas of learning and development, which make up the skills, knowledge and experiences appropriate for babies and children as they grow, learn and develop.
By following the Early Years Foundation Stage at home, you'll support the learning that your child does in a nursery or similar setting.
As a parent of a child with sight problems, you will be concerned to ensure you give your child as much support as possible to meet this framework. We give you our suggestions in this section, but remember that you know your child best.
Resources to download
You will find themed resources across this section and to get you started why not download the following articles by specialists who have worked with blind and partially sighted children.
Advice on toys
Find out more about selecting toys for your child with our toys and play guide for children who are blind and partially sighted.
We've teamed up with The British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) to produce a leaflet providing information on how to choose the right toys, creating a play environment, growing through different types of play and top tips for extending your child's play environment.
Readers of Insight magazine can also enjoy our regular toys and play column which features toys for children at different ages, stages of development and with different interests.
For more toy ideas visit the RNIB shop.