Vocabulary

Childcare word list

Do you work in childcare, or do you have children who attend nursery? Here
are some of the most common words used in childcare related jobs, plus what
they mean.
You might find it useful to print this list and keep it with you when you are at
work, or use it to practise your spelling.

Useful words Meaning

absence non attendance (noun)
Kirsty's frequent absence from work had been noted.
acceptable satisfactory, suitable (adjective)
Hitting other children isn't acceptable behaviour.
accident mishap, something that wasn't meant to happen (noun)
Don't worry about it Ziad, it was an accident.
accidental unintentional, unplanned (adjective)
The teacher didn't know if the broken vase had been
accidental, or if George had done it on purpose.
agitated nervous, restless (adjective)
Amy seemed very agitated so the staff tried to calm her down.
appropriate suitable, acceptable (adjective)
When painting with small children, make sure you are wearing
appropriate clothing.
attendance presence (noun)
Sita's attendance at school is very bad this term.
baby infant (noun)
A normal, healthy baby cries between one and three hours
per day.
baby's belonging to one baby
Your baby's cry is designed to affect you.
babies plural of 'baby' - more than one infant (noun)
Newborn babies don't know the difference between night and
day.
babies' belonging to more than one baby
Resources for all infants aged between 3 and 6 months can
be found in the babies' room.
behaviour manners, performance, the way somebody acts (noun)
Bad behaviour towards other children or staff will not be
tolerated.
behavioural adjective relating to behaviour
Useful words Meaning
Derek has behavioural problems.
CACHE Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education (noun)
CACHE was formed from the merger of the NNEB (National
Nursery Examination Board) and CEYA (Council for Early
Years Awards) in 1994.
child youngster, kid (noun)
This environment is very child-friendly.
child's belonging to a child
That child's mother never picks him up on time.
childminder a person who looks after children, normally in his or her home
(noun)
I'm late, I have to pick Chi up from the childminder by 6pm.
children more than one child (noun)
The children can have their tea in the kitchen.
children's belonging to more than one child
Where did you put the children's coats?
cleanliness hygiene, being clean (noun)
The nursery showed a high level of cleanliness.
communication interaction, sharing information (noun)
Ben has very advanced communication skills for his age.
co-operative helpful, supportive (adjective)
Gina's always very co-operative when you want to get her
dressed.
co-ordination bringing together, synchronisation (noun)
Lila has excellent co-ordination skills; she can dress herself
and can even do up her own shoes.
cot a small bed for a baby (noun)
I am giving my sister my old cot for her new baby.
creative imaginative, artistic (adjective)
Andrew is a very creative child. His paintings are excellent.
deputy second-in-command (noun)
I'm afraid that the nursery manager is out. Would you like to
speak to the deputy manager?
develop expand, increase, grow (verb)
I would really like to develop my childcare skills.
development the process of expanding, increasing and growing (noun)
Your child's musical development has really come on this
term.
diarrhoea stomach upset that causes you to go to the toilet more
frequently
Useful words Meaning
Please do not bring children to nursery if they have any
symptoms of diarrhoea or sickness.
environment surroundings (noun)
Think about baby proofing your home even before your baby
becomes mobile; babies need a safe environment.
equipment tools, apparatus (noun)
This nursery has lots of play equipment.
experiential practical, observed (adjective)
Experiential learning recognises learning that results from
work or life experience, as opposed to a taught course.
formula dried milk given to babies and young children
If you are using formula (as opposed to expressed
breastmilk) for your baby, you need to choose a recognised
infant formula.
hygiene cleanliness, being very clean and safe (noun)
Hygiene is very important when dealing with babies' feeding
bottles.
implement execute, to put into practice (verb)
The school has now implemented a policy of no chips at
lunchtime.
inform tell, notify (verb)
All parents need to be informed about what their child has
eaten during the day and how much they have slept.
injure to wound, to hurt (verb)
Candace injured her arm today when she ran into the door.
injuries wounds (noun)
Richard's injuries aren't serious, he just has some bruising.
intellectual rational, logical, using your brain to understand things
Alex's intellectual development is very good for his age.
interaction communication between people (noun)
There is a need for greater interaction between the school
and parents.
language a system of communication, spoken, written and visual (noun)
When your baby is a little older, talk about everything as this
helps language development.
learning the process of getting education, wisdom (noun)
This is a new method for language learning.
maintenance keeping something in good order (noun)
This house needs a lot of maintenance.
manual physical (adjective)
Useful words Meaning
Also a book that tells you how to do something (noun)
Unfortunately, babies don't come with a manual!
materials equipment (noun)
All the painting materials must be returned to the art
cupboard.
medication medicine, prescription (noun)
Parents must inform staff of any medication that their child is
taking.
motor skills ability to move and get around (noun)
Moving and dancing to rhymes and songs can be a good way
to practice new found balance and motor skills.
nappy paper or cloth underwear that a child wears before it's potty-
trained (noun)
Does his nappy need changing?
nappies plural of 'nappy', more than one (noun)
Disposable nappies are very convenient as they don't need to
be washed!
NNEB National Nursery Examination Board (noun)
Getting an NNEB diploma in nursery nursing is a full-time,
two-year course covering ages 0 - 7.
nursery a place where children can be looked after (noun)
I have worked at the 'Happy Child' nursery for eight years.
nutrition the way food and nourishment effects your health (noun)
Babies on a balanced and varied vegetarian diet will do well,
although more extreme diets such as vegan increase the risks
of deficiencies and need careful supervision to ensure
adequate nutrition.
nutritious healthy (noun)
Sprouts are a fantastically nutritious winter vegetable; weight
for weight they contain three times the vitamin C in an orange.
NVQ National Vocational Qualification (noun)
Deputy manager wanted for 'Safe and Sound' day nursery.
Must have minimum NVQ Level 3.
OFSTED Office for Standards in Education (noun)
OFSTED are now responsible for the regulation and
registration of childcare providers.
opportunity chance, prospect (noun)
I would love the opportunity to take on more responsibility.
parents adults responsible for a child (noun)
Alice's parents have raised a lot of money for the school.
physical manual, non-verbal (adjective)
Useful words Meaning
Sunita is a very physical child. It's very difficult to make her sit
still.
pictures drawings (noun)
We did some painting today and the children have done some
really great pictures.
prepare to get ready (verb)
It's your go to prepare the lunches today.
procedure action, way of doing something (noun)
If a parent makes a complaint, the nursery has a set
procedure to follow.
protect defend, look after (verb)
In good weather, please protect your child with a hat and sun
cream.
provision supply (noun)
The OFSTED report said that the nursery didn't have
adequate provision for playing outside.
records notes, information, files (noun)
If you complete an accident report form, please make sure
that a copy is added to the child's records.
requirements needs, wants, desires (noun)
When you are looking for a nursery, why not make a list of
your requirements? Should it be close to home or to work?
What's the maximum number of children you would like your
child to be with? Etc.
respond to react, take action (verb)
If a child is ill, it is very important that you respond quickly.
responsive reactive, receptive, quick to notice things (adjective)
William is very responsive - he's looking all around him and
really noticing what is going on.
rhyme verse or poem (noun)
How many nursery rhymes can you remember?
role-play imaginative play where children take on characters (noun)
There is a large box of dressing up clothes, a castle and a
wendy-house to encourage role-play.
safety gate special gate to stop children getting into dangerous areas or
falling down the stairs (noun)
The accident happened when Carlos forgot to shut the safety
gate to the garden.
self-esteem self-worth, self-respect (noun)
Wayne and Carla are very shy and are afraid of joining in so
we are working with them to improve their self-esteem.
Useful words Meaning
self-reliance independence (noun)
As a childminder you have to have a lot of self-reliance as
there is nobody else to talk to or to call.
sense awareness - touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing (noun)
Today we learned about the five human senses by working
with different types of food.
sterilise disinfect, to clean thoroughly (verb)
It's important to keep all baby feeding equipment clean; you
MUST sterilise between uses for the first six months.
stimulating inspiring, thought-provoking (adjective)
Young children need stimulation, but they also need quiet
time to consolidate the skills and information they're taking in.
storage space to store items, e.g. cupboard (noun)
It's important that you have a safe storage area to store items
that might be dangerous to your child.
stories plural (more than one) of 'story' (noun)
You can start to read stories with your child from a very
young age.
story tale, fairy tale (noun)
A bedtime story or song and a cuddle are the best way to end
the day.
supervisor a person who is in charge (noun)
My supervisor has given me time off to visit my mum in
hospital.
supportive helpful, sympathetic (adjective)
When your child is starting school, avoid major changes at
home and keep life as calm, stable and supportive as
possible.
teat soft attachment on a baby's bottle where the milk passes
through (noun)
When you bottle-feed, hold your baby close and tip the bottle
up so the teat fills with milk and not with air.
understand comprehend, make sense of (verb)
Paran is from Albania and sometimes he doesn't understand
English.
verbal spoken, oral, unwritten
Amy's verbal communication skills are very good, but she
needs to work on her writing.