This is a big mistake. Checklists inevitably set up some to fail.
Chris Athey and Tina Bruce changed our thinking by focusing on children's 'cognitive concerns' in the Froebel Project (published in the 1990s). They focused on children's concerns and engaged parents in thinking about and planning to extend the patterns (or schemas) the children were exploring with confidence and competence.
I advocate, as developmental records for children from birth, traditional 'baby biographies' - notes and photos informed by daily observation of children both at home and at nursery. Every parent knows that their child is unique and wants to celebrate the next new thing their child is practising. As workers, we can document and celebrate each child's progress alongside their parents.
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