The Early Years Development Journal is created using 14 steps across development age ranges;
Incorporating 4 areas of learning and development;
- Personal, Social and Emotional,
- Communication
- Physical, and
- Thinking
The journal helps record and celebrate a child’s development and learning and these steps link in with the EYFS framework. eylog includes EYDJ statements allowing for these milestones to be included in observations and next steps to help practitioners and parents alike to see a child’s development across all areas including those in the EYDJ.
Established in 2008 and originally published as the Early Support Developmental Journal, the rename to Early Years Development Journal came to align with the revision of the EYFS in 2012 and created with the consideration, views and input from practitioners across a variety of sectors to supplement the EYFS framework without duplicating it. The EYDJ is also suitable for older children, depending on their development needs, with disabilities and Special Educational Needs.
The EYDJ, as with the EYFS promotes working in partnership with parents and enabling consistent, professional and established relationships with the child and parents through key worker practice, however the EYFS only highlights in the 2 year progress check, the importance of working with parents and their contribution, the EYDJ promotes this partnership between parents and practitioners working together, communicating effectively and sharing information through out.
The Early Years Developmental Journal presents behaviours i.e. ways in which children act, the things they do and the skills they show, and it structures these in a series of Developmental Steps. These behaviours can be marked as emerging, developing or achieved and comments can be added into a child’s learning journey in eylog.
