I personally dislike the term, but then I dislike a lot of the so-called 'professional' terminology we're obliged to use, and "Wow" is a bit snappier than the "oh-look-my-child-just-did-something moment".
I have no idea if I'm doing this right, and although my inspectre liked it, that's just one inspectre amongst 1000s and they all seem to like or dislike things in a random and arbritrary manner.
I have a few "wow" pages in the back of each child's diary. I encourage (but don't expect) parents to note the occasional thing their child achieves or enjoys so I can transfer the information into their learning journal. It seems to go down well "professionally" as " partnership with parents". It is, in reality, a 2nd-hand observation: mum observes, then bunyip interprets into the language of EYFS.
The general pattern is that a very small number of parents fill in 1 or 2 "wows" per month; a higher number of parents never use them; the majority do a few at the start of the arrangement, then dwindle to none or the odd one every now and then. (Whether the CM wishes to 'grade' parents from 'Outstanding' to 'Inadequate' accordingly is purely a matter of personal choice.
)
The page looks something like this:-
I usually note that the child's ability to throw a yoghurt or whatever is "absolutely fantastic", that I've transferred the information to his/her/its LJ (cross-referenced with "parent says.." blatantly highlighted so even the most jaded inspectre will see it) and add one of those patronising "Well done" stickers (good value from Wilko's if you can find a branch which still stocks them.)
I sometimes ask parents to look out for something in particular that the lo might not get much chance to exhibit at my place but which they'll do a lot at home (eg. walking up/down stairs.) This helps fill the gaps in my own observations.
Also worth remembering that no child ever
ever EVER says their first word or takes their first steps at the CM's place (
do they?) so you'll need that milestone moment "evidenced" (if I may engage in professional noun-abuse for a moment) by the joyful parents if you want Ofsted to believe they can walk/talk for themselves.
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