tracker books/daily diaries

[misskft]

Hi all my cypop tutor mentioned using tracker books, has anyone used them are they any good and where are they available?
Also what do you use as daily diaries for your under 3s? My first mindees start settling in on 24th feb eeek!

[loocyloo]

I don't use tracker books, but when EYFS first came in, I found it useful to have one as another guide to work with ( alongside development matters, and now early years outcomes )

I use an A5 ringbinder as a daily diary, and each day put in a sheet saying what meals have been eaten ( and for LOs how much! ), sleep times, nappy changes and then a brief run down of the day .... 'today I waved bye to mummy and gave loocyloo a cuddle. we went to explore in the playroom, I was very interested in the wooden blocks and enjoyed knocking down the towers when loocyloo built them ... etc'

I add photos either to the daily sheet, or on extra pages added in. I have sheets at the back for 'parents comments' ... be it new phone numbers, how child has been during the weekend, something new the child can do etc.

I like using the sheets, then, if the diary is forgotten, I can still write up the day & send it home. when the folder gets full to bursting I take the pages out, add a new cover and tie it up with ribbon through the holes and send it home with the child!

I do the diary until the child starts full time school, as I forget what we've done and so do the children!

x

[bunyip]

Ask your LA if they have a tracker sheet.

Mine has one that is supposed to be "recommended" for all EY settings in the county. Having talked with other EY workers, it appears they're trying to impose it as compulsory on CMs whilst hardly anyone else has heard of it.

Most trackers I've seen are simply a re-hash of Development Matters, or a list of developmental norms from someone's favourite author or other. They often chop and change the 'ages and stages' for the convenience of a rather arbitrary scoring system, eg. to equalise the number of expected "goals" at each stage. As such, they shouldn't be taken too seriously, as they this can lead to a lot of confusion.

[misskft]

Thanks for that both. I might get one just to have a look at. Probably stick with development matters as a rule though. Looking for something to use as a daily diary now.

[Simona]

Thanks for that both. I might get one just to have a look at. Probably stick with development matters as a rule though. Looking for something to use as a daily diary now.

When you plan the next steps for your children in the areas of learning and then observe them you are 'tracking' their progress naturally which you can then check against the Early Years Outcomes and via your summative assessment.

There are many versions of trackers...choose one that suits your style or you could devise one for you personally.

[moggy]

Daily diary- I use an A5 lined spiral bound note book. Cheap and easy, I write in it each day and parents all write in it each day too. No wasted paper as we start writing right under the last entry, rather than a new sheet each day. If occasionally it is forgotten I use a separate piece of paper and glue in next time book comes in.

[Rebeccadale]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me the difference between Early Years Outcome trackers and trackers based on development matters? Nursery resources has a 'EYFS Tracker for My Learning Journey' and also an 'Early Years Outcomes Tracker'

Does it matter which one I use?

Honestly i have been trying to get my head around EYFS paperwork and Learning journey for so long now, I wish wish wish there were just set docs we had to use.

Any advice greatly appreciated. Becky

[moggy]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me the difference between Early Years Outcome trackers and trackers based on development matters? Nursery resources has a 'EYFS Tracker for My Learning Journey' and also an 'Early Years Outcomes Tracker'

Does it matter which one I use?

Honestly i have been trying to get my head around EYFS paperwork and Learning journey for so long now, I wish wish wish there were just set docs we had to use.

Any advice greatly appreciated. Becky

Dev Matters is an older publication- it has 3 columns on each page..
EYOutcomes, the newer publication, is actually nearly identical to ONE OF THE DEV MATTERS COLUMNS, laid out differently. It is mean to be 'more simple' for inspectors to use.

I have never bought a 'tracker', there are so many resources out there for free, or I make my own.

Have a look at Dev Matters and EYOutcomes- of you look at them side by side you will see how they are the same thing re-invented (and with the useful bits cut out!).
Some people just print out EYO per child to use as a tracker. I use a grid with the Aspects along the top and age/stage along the side and mark where the child is the 'best fit' in each box...

as long as you can tell an inspector how a child is progressing and where they are in their learning then that is all you need.