* Does he count one to one?
* Does she name colours?
* Can he cut out a square?
* Does she recognise her name?
* Can he dress himself?
* Does she play co-operatively?
The list is endless!
However, meaningful documentation searches beyond the obvious to what is at the heart of early years education - how children are learning. Central to documentation is the respect that we give to the children and their interests - that is, their agenda, as opposed to ours.
The limitations of 'tasks'
Setting a task for children with a view to observing their response is not necessarily the best context for learning. Restricting documentation to such occasions not only risks activities being intimidating, but may mean that more significant moments go unnoticed. Children often know more than they can express through specific media in specific assessment situations.
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