Concept Cat is an evidence-based approach that supports Early Years children’s vocabulary and language development. It is a whole class approach for children aged 3 to 5 years that teaches important early concepts such as ‘next, equal and between.’
Early Years staff in all kinds of settings find it feasible to do. Children love the songs,stories and play. And best of all it works, as shown by the Educational Endowment Foundation (EEF) study below.
OUT NOW: evaluation of Concept Cat in Early Years by RAND Europe and University of Leeds.
Concept Cat was trialled across 89 Early Years settings in England. All children were of 3 to 4 years and attending Nursery settings in the North West or West Midlands
Key findings are:
- Children in the Concept Cat settings made two months greater progress with learning concepts when compared to the control settings. Issues with the outcome measure may have led to the true effect being underestimated.
- Concept Cat also impacted on mathematical skills, with children in the intervention settings also making greater progress with their early numeracy skills.
- There were a wide range of different settings included in the trial, but almost all found it feasible to deliver.
- When compared to the control settings, the Concept Cat settings reported higher levels of family engagement.
Many thanks to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and to the three Stronger Practice Hubs: Liverpool City Region and beyond, Brighter Futures and HEART-Midlands for funding this project and the evaluation team from RAND Europe and University of Leeds. And we couldn’t have done it with the incredible team at Better Communication CIC.
The Concept Cat book, available from Routledge, spells out the approach. It provides teaching plans for 150 concepts, designed to cover Nursery and Reception years (ages 3 to 5). It is applicable to any curriculum and is used across the UK but also Australia, Canada, USA, New Zealand and Ireland.
The methodology involves brief adult led teaching which works in tandem with play-based learning. It is inclusive and accessible for all children. As a whole class approach, it does not require additional staffing.
Online, anytime access training
Concept Cat training is now avalaible:
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- FREE overview of Concept Cat
- Concept Cat training for settings and schools. Year long access. The bundle provides a longer training for lead practitioners and a shorter training for all other staff.
- Concept Cat training for visiting professionals such as speech and language therapists or advisory teachers.
Contact us for discounts for bulk orders of training for settings.
Resource packs
Pack A: Nursery: Levels 1-4
Pack B: Reception+: Levels 3-6
Pack C: Nursery and Reception+: Levels 1-6
Each pack contains
- 5 of each: concept symbols, ready to use. 500 A5 symbols in packs A and B. 750 in pack C.
- 1 of each: family tasks, ready to use. 100 tasks in packs A and B. 150 in pack C.
- Concept Cat toy, Picky Puppet toy, Word Bag, Family Poster, Concept Cat House symbol. 2 of each in pack A and B, 3 in pack C.
Please note that the Concept Cat and Word Aware Concepts Assessment books are NOT included. Books can be purchased from Routledge.com
Pack A: £200. Pack B £200. Pack C £280 plus postage
To order email: thinkingtalking@yahoo.co.uk
And coming soon
Word Aware Concept Assessment’ (WACA) from Speechmark/Routledge to ensure the Concept Cat approach is targeted at the right level for each cohort of children. Due early 2026.
The Routledge Speechmark website has downloadable resources that accompany the books. You need to own a copy of the book and have it handy, in order to login. Go to https://resourcecentre.routledge.com/imprint/speechmark. Click on book cover and the answer security question. You will then be able to download the resources.
There are sing along versions of the songs on YouTube:
Here is the Concept Cat song
We have worked with the amazing people at Lift Lessons and they have developed Concept Cat videos for a range of the earlier concepts. An example for ‘through’ is below.
Feedback from Early Years practitioners who particpated in the EEF research project
By the end of the week, the children would tell anyone who would listen that the chair next to them was ‘empty’, or that the water jug needed refilling because it was ‘empty’, or that they had been doing really good eating because their plate was now…. you get the point.
I was shocked at just how quickly the children had absorbed this new word and its meaning, and how many were able to put it into context during their play.” Nursery, Birmingham.
The Concept Cat programme has had a significant positive impact on early language development this year with our Nursery pupils at Arden Primary School. It has helped the children make noticeable progress in their understanding and use of key vocabulary, and has supported them in expressing their thoughts more confidently. The engaging format and consistent routine have been particularly effective in reinforcing language concepts in a fun and accessible way.” Alice Whitehurst.