New Word Needed!

[Guest Biker]

This may seem like a strange request but in developing our new Scrapbook style records in readiness for Sept. my colleague and I are designing headed sheets on which we will stick photos ,observations and children's work.

We are desperately trying to think of another way to phrase "children's work" we firmly believe in learning through play.Our worry is when we say children's work that sometimes parents and occaisionly a staff member have unrealistic expectations and do not value the wonderful creations that children produce.

Not sure I am making any sense but does anyone else feel the same and can anyone think of a different way of phrasing "children's work"

Thanks

Biker

[HappyMaz]

Children's Creations?

[Guest]

We are calling our scrap books 'My Learning Journey'. In the first week we will ask the children to draw themselves on the front and then all their CIL work will be annotated and stuck inside.

[Guest Wolfie]

I've also heard "Learning Story" used which I like because it emphasises how individual each one is.

[Inge]

ours is Learning Diary..

[Daz]

I've also heard "Learning Story" used which I like because it emphasises how individual each one is.

 

 

what a good idea i love the way it sounds one for my note book thanks W lfie

[HappyMaz]

thanks W olfie

Oh I'm liking this - perhaps you should change your username to W lfie

[Marion]

The Early Excellence conference covered "Learning Stories" which I thought were facinating and something I would like to develop.

[Guest]

Hi, we are also calling our books learning journey starting in september. For the childrens work what about childrens achievements! Hope you have a few ideas. Good luck. I am meeting tomorrow at my house with the nursery nurse i work with to see how we are going to to the book etc and look at all the different observations to be done and how we are going to do them for 39 children! Christine 0258 x

[Guest]

Learing journeys are good but if you wanted title for indiv section to replace the 'work' word, how about a simple 'Things I have done' / Look at this / 'What i am proud of' / 'Time at pre school'

 

just a few ideas

[Guest Wolfie]

Oooh, yes, I like that too - but I think I would have W lfie instead, it's my favourite smiley!

[HappyMaz]

Oooh, yes, I like that too - but I think I would have W lfie instead, it's my favourite smiley!

You could change it according to your mood! If you were being a bit controversial you could have W lfie!

 

I like "things I have done" or "look what I did!" - makes it more personal...

 

And I hate the 'work' word too!

 

Maz

[JacquieL]

What about " Look what I can do" ? I think that My Learning Journey is enough really, fitting in with 'Continuing the Learning Journey' at KS1

Work is a terrible word isn't it as it's meaning depends on who is listening to it. EYs staff know what it means but unfortunately other staff see it as something quite different although 'play is the child's work' isn't it ?!

[narnia]

we've gone with 'Learning Journey',because we feel that's what life is, for all of us, no matter what our age............we're all still on that journey

[Sue R]

We call ours 'My Scrapbook'. It starts when they join us, often in the Baby Room, and as they grow older they take over deciding what goes in, adding their own comments as well as staff adding bits of evidence. It's essentially the child's own memoir.

We say things like - 'I was proud of this'. 'Look what I can do!' etc.

[Guest]

we use Learning Story for our portflios but agree its nice if the headings are child friendly and in child speak .

 

We have however used the word 'work' so that parents realise that being creative is 'work' for FS. Parents think 'work' means how many worksheets a child has completed and we want them to understand than learning through play qualifies as 'being educated' and that is 'work'.We say thing like 'I love the work you've done with the bricks'. Children seem to like to too Hope that makes sense.

[Susan]

I use the word work all the time too when talking to the children,

work in the home corner, work with the sand etc and talk to the children about the jobs they are going to do!

However, I think you could label your pages "achievements" which would suggest that you value what they have produced.

[Guest Biker]

Thanks for all the good ideas everyone !

Biccy I do see your point and agree of course play is a child's work and maybe we are not giving that message by using a different word. Something else to ponder about now!

Thanks again.

Biker.

[Guest]

Pathway to Progress?

[Guest]

wow i have to make each child's own "book" and the ideas you all just said are GR8

not sure if i should use a scrap book because i could fill it in a month?

or a big file?

is there not going to be an official (book/file?) way of recording each child's learning?

and why does some things from ncma have to be so expensive?

 

also some one mentioned a child's learning diary that parents take home and add to

(gr8 for parent partnership) (and other settings partnership working) but half the time they forget to send them back or they get lost so all my observations and the child's personal planning out the window hence repeating my work in different files and time consuming.

 

its hard to think what is the best way?

 

andrea

[HappyMaz]

Hi Andrea

 

I would definitely not send home observations routinely - our children have 'special books' which are kept in their trays and parents are free to look at them whenever. Observations are kept separately!

 

I wouldn't really be happy to use a standard book or method for recording every child's learning because I think ours have our own special touches which our parents like. If everything is standardised I would find it really restrictive (I'm a bit of an anarchist on the quiet! ). I'm not a childminder, so I can't comment on why NCMA resources are expensive but I'm guessing that like any organisation they have to make a profit to support its members. In any case I think the documents and resources we design ourselves are of much higher quality because they're tailored to our own needs.

 

Ultimately, the best way is the way that works for you in your setting because you have stamped your own personality on it, backed by your own knowledge, experience and ethos.

 

Good luck with working out how best to do it - I'm sure it will be worth it!

 

Maz

[Guest]

thank you Maz , of course your right,

 

it's good to bounce off other peoples ways and ideas,

 

what i have done in the past is a simple child's daily diary informing parents of

meals, outings, development, nappy changing, added picture everdence etc etc

at the end of 5 wks it has a part to fill in (old b23) on the 4 areas - and what the child has done, can do, working towards and next steps, that is all i did in the past as it shows forward planning for each individual child!

 

but if a parent leaves this behind or it goes missing i had nothing to show my network coordinator or ofsted! and my observations were then missing for good, but as a C/M and only working with 3 children at a time i realy didnt record my obs as its not hard to remember each child's needs! etc....

 

so now we have EYFS and my paperwork has doubled.

 

keeping the childs daily diary idea and space for parents and other settings to use shows information sharing so i think ill keep that going,

 

then a file to keep on my observations, contracts etc so nothing important gets lost.

 

thanks got my brain working again xx

[Guest]

A couple of links I came across when googling Learning Stories the other day if people are interested.

 

The second one is particularly interesting as it is critique of the current assessment methods in NZ and objectivity/validity of assessments. There is a suggestion of the benefits of an EYFS type structure (non-statutory of course tho' I would think )

Probably best not to read if already feeling confused :-)

 

http://www.familydaycare.com.au/forms/feat...g%20Stories.pdf

 

http://www.ecc.org.nz/conference/download/...g.ppt#256,1,Are Learning Stories Working?

[HappyMaz]

Thanks for that, Phil. Have downloaded for reading when I'm not so tired.

 

Maz

 

(not so much confused as permanently bewildered!)

[Guest]

Calling ours 'learning journeys'.....we are using folders for the children and I would like them to decorate the front....any ideas for that anyone?

Also want to put an opening page in the front with some details about who's folder it is....i.e. name, likes, dislikes but want it too look child friendly....any ideas for this

[Guest]

Calling ours 'learning journeys'.....we are using folders for the children and I would like them to decorate the front....any ideas for that anyone?

Also want to put an opening page in the front with some details about who's folder it is....i.e. name, likes, dislikes but want it too look child friendly....any ideas for this

 

 

How about the children draw a picture of themselves for the front cover

 

I used to have a photo of the child 'at play' with name and DOB and the heading Record of Achievement.

 

Inside my achievement books on the first page I used to have a sheet showing shapes, colours and numbers (to 10) with a statement saying I know my shapes, I know my colours, I know my numbers (each colour/shape/number had a smiley face drawn next to it when assessed as known)

Other statements such as;

My key person is................

I use my left/right hand

I can snip with scissors, cut with scissors, cut a straight line, cut a shape.

I can go to the toilet, with help/independently

I can dress with help/independently

and other 'I can' statements.

I think doing 'my favourite' statements would be a good idea, such as My favourite snack, colour, game, friend, etc. You could revisit this and add more pages on top of the original one as time goes by.

 

I also had A5 size sheets with the main ELG for each area, stapled together as a little booklet then stapled inside front cover, the elg's were highlight when achieved, this gave a quick overview of the childs progress, informed by the comments / photos and other evidence inside the achievement file. (I've attached an example, which I got from FSF, but they are the old ELG's not EYFS)

 

Peggy

assessment_grid_individual_child_for_scrapbooksBEST.doc