Describe actions, not traits
The example records what Liam did — noticed, added a block, tested again — and leaves the interpretation to the Learning list. Keep the two separate in your own notes.
Free templateChild Development & Programming
Observation & Documentation Cheat Sheet
A two-page quick reference for writing observations of children’s learning. Page one has a ten-item “Watch For” checklist and eight documentation sentence starters; page two has one worked example that pairs a short observation with the learning it shows.
- Format
- Printable PDF · A4
- Pages
- 2
- Best for
- Educators · room leads
- Updated
- Oct 2026
No sign-up required. Print it and share it with your team — it’s free for any child care program to use.
What’s inside
A checklist, sentence starters and one worked example
- Watch ForTen tick-box items: curiosity, observation, scientific inquiry, creative expression, confidence, persistence, problem-solving, collaboration, self-regulation and communication.
- Documentation Sentence StartersEight openers, including “Today I noticed...”, “The child investigated...”, “The child solved a problem by...” and “Next we will extend learning by...”
- ExampleA two-sentence observation — Liam notices water has stopped flowing through a tube, adds another block under the gutter and tests it again — followed by the learning it shows: observation, prediction, persistence, engineering thinking and problem-solving.
How to use it
Four steps to put it to work this week
- 1Print page one for each roomThe checklist and sentence starters fit on one page. Keep it on a clipboard or post it near where staff write their notes.
- 2Watch before you writeDuring play, use the “Watch For” list to decide what you are looking for, and tick what you see.
- 3Start with a sentence starterPick the opener that matches what happened and finish it with what the child actually did, in plain, objective words.
- 4Name the learningAs in the example, list the skills the observation shows, then use “Next we will extend learning by...” to plan a follow-up.
Tips from operators
What centers that use this well do differently
Learned the hard way across 3,000 child care spaces — and from the directors and educators who join our Lunch & Learns and Learning Labs.
Write it the same day
Two specific sentences written straight after the activity are more useful than a longer note reconstructed later.
Use your own framework’s terms
The “Watch For” items are general skills. If your program reports against a curriculum framework, add its language beside each item.
Do it digitally in ChildFriendly Pro
Plan the week in the app — tagged to your framework automatically
Build the same plan in ChildFriendly Pro and every observation you log is tagged to FLIGHT, ELECT, ELF or your own outcomes, added to each child’s portfolio and shared with families in their daily journal.
- Pre-loaded provincial frameworks and outcome tags
- AI learning stories from a photo and two lines of notes
- Portfolios and progress reports that build themselves
FAQ
Questions about the Observation & Documentation Cheat Sheet
Can’t find your answer? Chat with a real person who has run a child care center.
Read more FAQsIs this a form I fill in?
Only partly. The “Watch For” list has tick boxes, but there are no lines for a child’s name, the date or the observation itself, and the PDF is not fillable. Write the observation in your usual notebook, form or app.
Is it tied to a specific activity?
The worked example is a water-play observation, but the checklist and sentence starters are general and work for any activity.
What ages does it suit?
It names no age group. The skills listed and the sentence starters apply across toddler, preschool and school-age rooms.
Do I need ChildFriendly Pro to use it?
No. It works with paper notes or any app. If you do use child care software, the sentence starters can be used directly in the observations you record there.
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