Learning Journeys Or Equivalent

[Guest]

Hello,

 

Im an NQT and new to reception, i didnt realise that many reception classes set up a 'learning journey' or equivalent for each child to track their progress throughout the year through photos post-its etc at the beginning of the year. Our reception unit dont do these currently and i would definatly like to bring them in fully from september 09. We keep all observations etc in seperate files and photgraphs are kept all over the place! this idea sounds like a much more organised and attractive way - even if more time consuming and im sure parents would love to have them as a keep sake when sent home at the end of reception.

I am going to trial these until the end of the year with a few children and see what ways work best and what info is most useful to put in them so my question is.... what do you put in your learning jounrneys?? and if you have any advice that would be great!

 

Thank you

[narnia]

We have lots (and I mean LOTS) of photographs..........................observations, examples of the child's work and then annotate how these link to the EYFS,which aspects are covered and then what next? for the child.We ask parents to contribute to these, by adding comments and acheivements from home, with photographs if possible............and we will print them out for them if they would prefer.It took a long time to get parents to start adding comments, but it is happening at last.We also send home WOW comments, so parents are aware of milestones reached and we keep a copy of those in the LJ's too.By keeeping everything in the one book, it cuts down on time spent filling out forms!

[Guest]

We have lots (and I mean LOTS) of photographs..........................observations, examples of the child's work and then annotate how these link to the EYFS,which aspects are covered and then what next? for the child.We ask parents to contribute to these, by adding comments and acheivements from home, with photographs if possible............and we will print them out for them if they would prefer.It took a long time to get parents to start adding comments, but it is happening at last.We also send home WOW comments, so parents are aware of milestones reached and we keep a copy of those in the LJ's too.By keeeping everything in the one book, it cuts down on time spent filling out forms!

 

 

Thank you narnia, yes i agree im sure its going to cut down all of that. Do you split it up so theres a different section for each area of learning?

[Guest]

I love the WOW comments idea, thanks Narnia.

Our LJ's are not sectioned off we just make sure the links are written clearly, we put stuff in in the order it is produced/achieved.

[Guest]

Hello,

 

Im an NQT and new to reception, i didnt realise that many reception classes set up a 'learning journey' or equivalent for each child to track their progress throughout the year through photos post-its etc at the beginning of the year. Our reception unit dont do these currently and i would definatly like to bring them in fully from september 09. We keep all observations etc in seperate files and photgraphs are kept all over the place! this idea sounds like a much more organised and attractive way - even if more time consuming and im sure parents would love to have them as a keep sake when sent home at the end of reception.

I am going to trial these until the end of the year with a few children and see what ways work best and what info is most useful to put in them so my question is.... what do you put in your learning jounrneys?? and if you have any advice that would be great!

 

Thank you

 

Thank you wendles. I also liked the WOW comments as well narnia i think i will stealing that idea x

[narnia]

we just do it in chronological order,as the child moves through her acheivements/milestones.You could do it in areas of learing though, whatever works best for you.We do it this way, because some children take longer to reach one goal than another.Also, must confess WOW moments are not original to us, something we picked up and ran with from somewhere else!!

[queline]

we just do it in chronological order,as the child moves through her acheivements/milestones.You could do it in areas of learing though, whatever works best for you.We do it this way, because some children take longer to reach one goal than another.Also, must confess WOW moments are not original to us, something we picked up and ran with from somewhere else!!

 

I love the WOW moment idea! I think we might start doing this! I did my LJs in areas of learning last year but changed it this year as I felt it was too restrictive. One observation often fits lots of area and I always struggled to work out which area to fit it in! This year we are doing them chronologically and I think it is much more effective, portraying an actual learning journey.

How do other people display theirs? We currently complete them in A4 plastic display wallets but i think next year I would like them to be A3 sized

[Guest]

Ours are in scrapbooks that we bought fromConsortium- slightly bigger than A4.

[Guest]

yes i like the idea of having them running in the order in which they occur rather than in sections as like you said many photos/observations link to many areas of learning.

Do you put in post its notes, formal observations etc aswel? I also saw a school who printed notes and photos onto sticky labels which saved alot of time!

[Cait]

Ours are ringbinders which, at the rate we are going, will need to be lever arch! We don't display them, wouldn't that be a breach of confidentiality?

[Guest]

Ours are ringbinders which, at the rate we are going, will need to be lever arch! We don't display them, wouldn't that be a breach of confidentiality?

 

 

Im not sure, but i wouldnt have thought so?? im sure somebody here will know the answer to that.

I would like to have mine accessible to the children so they could go and get theres and add in work they are proud off and so they are completly involved with what goes into their books etc does anybody else do that? is that ok to do? so many questions!!

[blackcat]

Hi just wondering queline if you have one book for the year or do you have a book for each term looking at certain early learning goals. I have been putting children's observations, photos in section so I can see what has been missed don't know if I am make hard work of it though. I would be very interested to hear how others complete their LJ's Do write comments without photographs, add observation notes. Sorry I am getting confused. I use an A4 book to write in but writing late I often make mistakes so I may use A4 plactic wallets.

[Cait]

Well the ringbinders are kept in the children's trays, so they can get them out whenever they want to. They choose what they want in them from the pictures they do, to the photos we take, to things they bring from home. We have zipped punched pockets which contain their 'finds' such as feathers and leaves and all manner of things which I hope they will look back on with fondness.

The observations and more confidential annotations against 'stepping stones' are kept by the key person in their own files. These are locked away at the end of the day. Parents can ask to see them at any time.

[Guest heleng]

In our learning journeys we put in photos and examples of children's work. We do all of our short obs on sticky labels that are stuck straight in and long obs written out and put in.

 

We keep them in expandable folders that fit A4 paper and have the wrap around plastic edges with elastic to hold them closed. Reception ones are kept in a box and are put out on the mornings when parents come in and work with their children (three mornings a week) and nursery ones are kept in key person drawers and are accessible 4 mornings a week when parents come in. We were told by our Early Years Advisor that learning journeys should be available to parents whenever they want them, that is why they are put out but I have to say I have only seen two parents look at them since September. However we don't let them take them home as we would never get them back!!

We have a parent's comment page that is rarely filled in but we also send home WOW slips for parents to complete and bring in from home, these are stuck in as well.

 

I have an assessment file used for planning that tracks where the children are in terms of the FSP and ELG's they have achieved.

[blackcat]

Hi Heleng

Wondering if you could show me a copy of your Wow slip

 

Thanx Blackcat

[queline]

Hi just wondering queline if you have one book for the year or do you have a book for each term looking at certain early learning goals. I have been putting children's observations, photos in section so I can see what has been missed don't know if I am make hard work of it though. I would be very interested to hear how others complete their LJ's Do write comments without photographs, add observation notes. Sorry I am getting confused. I use an A4 book to write in but writing late I often make mistakes so I may use A4 plactic wallets.

 

I have one for the year where i put in all photos and snapshot obs and if it fits specifically for example 'Alex has chosen to make a pasta necklace at the junk table she threads the pasta onto the string showing precise fine motor' control i will put PD5 down next to the observation and date it in my own assessement tracker, that way I have a record of the areas the children still need to work towards. Hope that makes sense i do the same with CI work as well. Then I track the children through my assessement grid opposed to their learning journeys because i also put observations in that might not necessarily precisely fit into an ELG but I think are nice!

 

I have a wall display with each child's photo on it, I then stick all my post it obs onto their photos so the parents can view them before they are filled into their LJs, we also share the LJs every few weeks in the mornings. I try and then file them weekly with my TA, we like this as we can see who has had observations etc that week at a glance.

 

I don't put long obs in but use them for my own assessment and next steps.

 

Qx