Learning Journeys/journals/stories

[Guest]

Hi,

 

I am quite confused by learning journeys, journals and stories (which I assume are all the same thing!).

 

My class have previously had books for CLL and MD (hardly anything in MD ones so not a lot of point in them really!). They also have a KUW book that I stick any small pictures or writing or anything related to KUW in, and a big folder for anything else, and any large 'work'.

 

I was thinking for Sept, one book would be better as most things are not just covering one area of learning, plus their big folder. Do I have this book as well as a Learning Journey for each child (nopt sure what would be in that other than observations!)? Or do you think a ringbinder type folder that holds their work and observations/learning journey stuff (whatever that might be!!) would be better?

 

I have done a search on here and found a couple of examples of learning journey record sheets, but not sure how often people are supposed to fill these in?

 

What are others doing/planning to do? (Can you tell I'm confused?!)

 

Thanks in advance!

 

purplemagic x

[Susan]

Im moving to year 1! but I would keep it as simple as possible. Presuming you are in Reception, 30 of anything is a lot of work for you so it needs to be manageable.

[emmajess]

When I read the start of your post I had to double check that it wasn't written by me and I'd forgotten about it! I'm thinking exactly the same thing - we have lit, maths and KUW books - we've got practically nothing in the maths books either so pointless and waste of paper etc. I am going to get just one book for each child (I expect they'll go through more than one over the year, but one combined book) and I'm going to have it as their writing book and maths book and stick in any other work that's about the right size (eg if we write recipes on writing frame sheets) but I'm going to put all their photos and post-its in here as well. I thought that this way the book would serve 2 purposes: it would be lovely for parents to to see the whole picture of the year chronologically, including all the ways that we record / note children's learning, and it would all be in one place to refer to to complete profiles - I could just reference a date in the one 'special book'.

[Guest]

Hi

 

Will you stick in post-its and observations too or will these be filed else where?

[Guest]

Hi

Like you I have been thinking about keeping records for children in Sept, I tried to keep it in 'Learning Diary' format where evidence was kept according to relevant area... but this didn't work for me , so I too have decided to keep any work, writing, photos, observations, post-its etc, in an A4 scrap book in chronological order as this should build up a big picture of the children over the year.....but with 30 children in class It will take a bit of time . As a parent I agree it would be a lovely reminder of your childs first year in school.

 

Ruth x

[Guest]

Hi there,

 

I have just finished an EYFS training course and it was suggested that each child have one longer observation done each term and the rest of the evidence comes from post its and photos, bits the children have done and anything else which may be relevant.

 

This was advised for Early Years managers, not sure about reception thoug. Hope it helps

[emmajess]

Hi

 

Will you stick in post-its and observations too or will these be filed else where?

 

I'm going to put everything all in the one place. (Apart from anyting else, I'm less likely to lose anything that way! )

[Guest]

Thanks everyone!

 

Emmajess - your post made me laugh and I'm glad it's not just me who is confused by it all!!!

 

purplemagic x

[Guest]

Oh yes Emmajess, I know I start off the year all organised and before long I've misplaced things!

 

One place for everything will be much easier

 

[Guest]

 

 

I am quite confused by learning journeys, journals and stories (which I assume are all the same thing!).

 

 

 

As I understand it you keep a learning journal or diary of a child's learning journey ( which some people say shoud be just chronological and others divide into the six areas of learning and development).

 

A learning story is slightly different. Learning stories are based on the work of Margaret Carr, a New Zealand teacher.

She focuses on the “learning dispositions” of children which emphasise their readiness for learning. The five domains of learning disposition are:

 

Taking an interest - finding an interest , a topic, an acivity , a role. Recognising the familiar, enjoying the unfamiliar, coping with change.

Being involved - paying attention for a sustained period, feeeling safe, trusting others, being playful with others and / or materials.

Persisting with difficulty or uncertainty - setting and choosing difficult tasks. using a range of strategies to solve problems.

Communicating with others - in a range of ways, oral, art, numbers, stories, writing, gesture

Taking responsibility. - responding to others, ensuring 'fairness', self evaluating, helping others.

 

Within a complete story you should be able to identify elements of all the above. At the end you ask What was the learning (main point of the staory) How can we encourage the learning to be more complex, or in different areas of the curriculum. What is the next step?

 

A learning story might be just a short event involving only one child but might go on for days involving lots of children. Sometimes we write up a story and copy it for all the children involved. Other times we put up annotated photos for the parents to see, ideally the same day but usually later. We have had one going on this week involving bridges after the 3 Billy Goats Gruff story. Children have built bridges from differeent materials to go over or under. They have measured how tall or wide they need to be, worked out how to stop them collapsing. It has all been child initiated. (Even the story was because one child brought 2 toy goats into show and tell).

 

Al