Children who are cared for by childminders or day nurseries develop better social than literacy skills, inspectors have said.

A new OFSTED report found childminders and nurseries are more likely to rely on daily routines than planning activities designed to encourage their charges to learn.

The report into the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is based on visits to 68 schools, nurseries and childminders, a survey of parents and discussions with local authorities. The EYFS, dubbed the "nappy curriculum", was introduced in September 2008.

Under the EYFS reforms, every nursery, childminder and reception class in England has to monitor children's progress towards centrally set "early learning goals" up to the age of five.

The report found that in the schools visited, children made similar levels of progress in both personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy.

But while personal, social and emotional development was good or better at two-thirds of childminders or day nurseries, communication, language and literacy was good or better in less than half. The report says: "There were two key reasons for this relative difference in outcomes between the schools and the childcare providers visited.

"First, the childcare providers were often relying on daily routines rather than specifically planning activities to promote children's learning and development.This was more successful for children's personal, social and emotional development than their communication, language and literacy skills. Second was the schools' greater success with developing early reading and writing skills."

The report noted that as of the end of August, 68% of early years providers were judged to be good or outstanding, compared with 59% at the end of August 2008.

While many of those visited and questioned for the report were positive about the EYFS, other were negative, mainly childminders who had been judged as satisfactory in their last two inspections, and saw themselves more as carers than educators.

Ofsted chief inspector Christine Gilbert said: "Childcare in England has improved since the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Our evidence shows that all kinds of provider, from schools to childminders, can deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage well and that children are enjoying their time, whatever type of provision they attend."