Diaries - how often to fill in?

[mrsb]

This is following on from another thread,

How often will everyone be filling in their children's eyfs diaries? will you do a page a day/week etc or just fill it in when something "interesting" happens?

gawd I wish I could hurry up and do some of the courses

[Mrs M]

Hi, I'm doing a scrap book for each child with photographs, a short note about what the child did and then how it relates to the EYFS. I do this as and when so may have between 5 to 10 photos per month. This is for the parents to take home when their child leaves my setting. For Ofsted, I do photo observation forms. Name, age and date at the top, photograph, detailed description of what happened, how it relates to the EYFS and next steps. We are required to do at least two per month. I've done five for one child and four for another for July. Not sure if I'm doing it right but it's working for me along with my short and long term planning. HTH

[mrsb]

Hi, I'm doing a scrap book for each child with photographs, a short note about what the child did and then how it relates to the EYFS. I do this as and when so may have between 5 to 10 photos per month. This is for the parents to take home when their child leaves my setting. For Ofsted, I do photo observation forms. Name, age and date at the top, photograph, detailed description of what happened, how it relates to the EYFS and next steps. We are required to do at least two per month. I've done five for one child and four for another for July. Not sure if I'm doing it right but it's working for me along with my short and long term planning. HTH

Thanks Emma

So do we need to near enough do 2 seperate diaries? one for the parents and then one more in depth for ofsted?

[sarah707]

I use the child's daily diary to tell parents what their child has eaten, drunk, slept, played and any highlights.

I use the child's learning journey as each child's scrapbook ... it's for the child to take home at the end of their time with me ... and evidence for Ofsted.

Hope this makes sense

[mrsb]

You always make sense Sarah

Thanks, i'll stick with my daily diary then and then one for the learning journey

When you send it home what are the parents meant to write in it though? do they write about things the children have done at home or comments on what the children have done with you?

[sarah707]

I put a little note in the front like this -

The family / childminder liaison book...

... is for all the people involved in a child’s care, to share information about the child.

I will use it to tell you important stuff and highlights of your child’s day – you can use it to give me details of eg toys they are enjoying playing with at home, new things they have said and done, things you want me to do, permission for medicine... etc.

Ofsted are very heavily pushing ‘partnership’ of care in the new Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) literature. This means all people who are caring for a child must communicate with each other for good practice. I have no idea how this will work with nurseries, playgroups and schools, but my interpretation as far as I am concerned is that I must formalise the way I give you information about your child’s day and encourage your feedback.

The EYFS is an exciting step forward for children’s care and brings all child carers together, working from the same set of guidelines. I have more information about the EYFS which you are welcome to read and I will be implementing the new guidelines as I learn more about them.

If you have any questions about this book, please ask!

[mrsb]

Thanks - yet again Sarah

I've done a poem on the front with a photo of the child and the poem basically says it's the childs learning journey for everyone to share etc

maybe I'll do a letter home to the parents explaining what the diary is actually for then