The national curriculum for the under-5s

Children will face their first assessment before their first birthday under a new national curriculum for the under-fives.

Childminders and nursery staff are being told to look at the different ways babies communicate "such as gurgling while happy" between birth and 11 months.

The new foundation stage curriculum for the nought to fives will continue with regular checks on each child's progress up to the age of four or five - when staff must assess all children on 117 points covering reading, writing, maths and communication skills.

The aim is to keep a continuous check on all children as they develop and then build up a profile to pass on to primary school.

Parents' leaders and Conservative MPs claimed the proposals were "too prescriptive". Margaret Morrissey, from the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said: "I think it's really sad that we have reached the point now where instead of reducing children's stress we have increased it. It worries me that we are expecting children to reach these targets when they have not even had their first birthday."

Anne McIntosh, Conservative spokeswoman for children, young people and families, said: "These new targets mark an unprecedented supervision of children from birth to primary school and I do not think that they are necessary or will work. This is formalised learning for very small children."

Ministers argued that the framework would assure parents that all early years provision was of high quality. Beverley Hughes, the Children's minister, said: "The Government is committed to giving every child the best start in life. The Early Years Foundation Stage will help practitioners plan stimulating, age-appropriate activities based on what they know about the child's interests in discussion with parents and other relevant professionals.

"We want to make sure that whatever settings parents choose, they can be confident their child will get the best possible start in their learning and development."

The framework will come into force for every infant in a childcare setting from September next year. On children from birth to 11 months, it says they should be assessed for "the different ways babies communicate - such as gurgling while happy".

By the time they are ready to transfer to full-time schooling at the age of four or five, a profile should have been prepared which assesses them on a nine-point scale in 13 assessment areas.

These include personal, social and emotional development where a child on point one will "show an interest in classroom activities through observation or participation" while point nine will mean "sustains involvement and perseveres, particularly when trying to solve a problem or reach a satisfactory conclusion".

For reading, the points range from "developing an interest in books" to "reads books of own choice with some fluency and accuracy". Another component called "problem solving, reasoning and numeracy" ranges from "says some number names in familiar contexts such as nursery rhymes" to "recognises, counts, orders, writes and uses numbers up to 20".

Ministers believe the assessments will be of very valuable to primary school teachers in showing the abilities of individual children from the time they start compulsory schooling.

Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, said: "We welcome how the key principles of the framework promote the importance of ensuring that children are cared for in a loving and secure environment where they can enjoy developing at their own pace.

"It will be important that inspectors and local authorities receive the right training and support so that they avoid a tick-box culture where they assess a provider by checking where children are meeting the individual early learning goals the framework sets out."

The development tests

Birth-11 months

Hunger patterns and how they regulate the speed and intensity with which they suck; ways of communicating, such as gurgling when happy; how they listen to, concentrate on or gaze intently at things that catch their interest. The random marks babies make in foods (to assess writing). How they roll from back to front. How young babies use their sense to investigate things such as your face, your hair or a rattle and which toys interest them. How they grasp and clutch at anything in reach.

16-20 months

The challenges they set themselves such as climbing on to a big chair and turning to sit down.

Their awareness of their own belongings.

The efforts children make to take off their clothes.

Babies' developing vocabulary in their mother tongue, as well as English.

How they show understanding, for instance, by actions, questions and the intonation they use.

22-36 months

Responses to stories in which someone could be hurt or harmed. Examples of independence, such as a child playing happily with building blocks or putting their cup back on the table.

Their favourite stories, rhymes, songs, poems or jingles. Ways in which they develop fine motor skills, for example, the way they use their fingers when trying to do up buttons, pull up a zip, pour a drink or use a watering can.

30-50 months

Ability to talk about and take pride in their homes and communities. How they celebrate their achievements. How they act out rhymes and stories, for instance tapping out the rhythms of their names. The range and variety of the words they use. The stories and poems they choose and know how to follow. For example, how they retell a story, using words and phrases from a well-known story.

40-60 months

Their acceptance that they may need to wait for something or to share things. Rhymes and songs they know by heart and their own made-up songs.

How their alternative versions of favourite rhymes reflects their phonic knowledge. How well they read simple words and their book choices.

The words they recognise such as their own name - and their formation of recognisable letters.

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