ABSTRACT
The documentation approach to early learning in Sterling was able to take root because it fell on fertile ground in that it connected with a way of thinking and working that already existed within Early Childhood Services. An ethos of respect and participation between adults and children was established from the outset, with organisational and curriculum approaches based on children's rights and the belief that children should be at the centre of decisions about their learning and development. Our belief is that children have the right to be heard and have important things to say and to tell us, but, as adults, we need to be able to understand the messages that children are giving to us. As part of this process, we began to 'document', to systematically record through a range of media resources including photographs, videos, journals and audio recordings what children were telling us.
