Guest Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 do any of you do individual daily diaries for each child each session? we are only open for 2 1/2 hours (soon to be 2 3/4) per session and with every thing else we do i don't feel it's necessary to do these, but after sending out questionaires for parents with comments box had a mother say that she feels her 4 year old doesn't tell her what he does and she suggests that we do this, (she has friends who's children attend the local nursery that is open for longer and charges double our fees) i am going to have a chat with her about the learning journals and the fact that if she didn't turn up late every session ( i won't say that!!!) she may have time to read the wipe board that we do every session including the adult led and child initiated activities as well as continous prov. daily. and also invite her to come and see what goes on in the session. we do have home school books for a child who has SEN and would introduce it if we felt is was necessary. if you do have daily diaries please tell me how you manage to fit this into your session as we find it hard to cram everything in as it is!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 no we did not do them and felt it was a bit 'over the top' for a sessional preschool and added too much to our daily work, if we did it for one we had to do all and with so many children in a day it was impossible on top of the leaning diaries etc etc. As you say if a definite purpose as with a child with additional needs etc. we did as you had it all out for all parents to spend time reading on entry or leaving the setting, ours was a learning wall but could have been in many different formats, and as you learning journey for parents to look at etc. we also had the displays of children's work on the walls and entrance encouraging children to show parents what they have done when collected or arriving .. ( as an aside, just visited my old group today and they have a marvellous display of underpants and aliens all over the place, on a washing line across the room , real underpants decorated by children and ones they have cut out.. etc .. cannot miss what they have been doing!) Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Our Key Persons have 'windows' in the session to do things like this, for example during snack time. This is overseen by one member of staff whilst the others sit at another table to write in diaries. There's also story and songtime which frees them up too. Plus we also write in them with the children, we'll say something like 'woo that's fantastic, shall I write it in your book for Mummy?' and we do it there and then. Children love to watch writing and it's necessary that they do see adults writing. We don't see it as a problem at all, and we've been doing it for years. Give it a try in the summer term and see how you get on. You don't say how many children you have at each session, we have 16 at the moment, but have had 20 before with no problems. It's a shared experience, and children love it - especially when we stick a photo in or a sticker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) Hi - yes we do have 'daily contact' books - we fill them in as we go along - sometimes they will only say something like: Super session - super boy! or Harry a little tired this morning but managed to participate in all activities or Charlotte had a great time in the home corner tday! We encourage parents/carers/childminder/other settings to add comments too. We leave all the photos and observations for our 'Learning Journey' folders - these are 'put out' for parents to look at and are sent home once each (new) term - then we have to worry about them coming back!!! I'm not saying 'this is the way to do it' - but it works for us. Hope this makes sense and is of some help. Sunnyday Edited March 31, 2009 by sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 the photos we stick in are only little 'thumbnails'. Sometimes a tower that's been built that a child wants to show Gran or someone. As you say Sunnyday, you find a system that works for you and that staff and parents like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 thank's Inge that has reassured me that i don't have to do this. i like the underpants idea!!! we too have wonderful displays up with a new wall for works of art from home that go up as well! Cait, we have 16 max in session, without boring you with the legistics of our building it does't give staff alot of time for more than they already do believe me i work them hard!!!!!!!!!! but we are still hoping to have our new toilets and access to outside in the next 6 months so this will free up alot of time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Deb, we bought a 15" digital photo frame from Jessops (£129) and just put the memory card in there when we open up to parents so they can see exactly what the children have been up to. It is excellent and the parents love it!! If we had to write a diary for all the children every day I'm not sure we would get anything else done for the rest of the session!! We do rolling snack bar so no time then and we split into different groups for story so all staff participate same with song/music time. 38 diarys per session is far to many, and afternoon sessions too!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 we only use daily diaries or daily record sheets if the key person is not able to speak to the parents directly, we also currently have chidlren who attend our preschool in the morning and then go into daycare in the afternoon, these chidlren (only 4) have a preschool communication book so the parents know what they did in preschool as they usually do not see the staff. I have written a couple of thousands words today for uni and for the life of me children comes out wrond 90% of the time and it is a common word in my work as you can imagine!!!!! Maybe its time for a break!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I agree with others, if it works for you that's fine, but if it doesn't that's fine too, no need to feel guilty if not done. I personally think for babies/full day care it is more practical, but for short preschool sessions I think it would become a chore rather than a celebration of the childs time with me. Also when a mum asks "what did you do at preschool today?" I wonder what answer they are looking for, is it that the child identifies some type of learning? or is it that mum just wants to know their child has been happy (more the emotional rather than academics), or is it just wanting to have a general conversation with their child? How do we as practitioners know what the child would like thier parent to know when the question is asked? So what do we write in these diaries, our adults perception of what the child would like to share with mum, our perception of what parts of the day mum wants to hear about, or just the bits of the day that are special for us practitioners that incidently involved the child? If something is really important to a child (either negative or positive) then the child will tell mum, not necessarily at home time when he/she wants to relax, chill and is more interesed in what's for tea, no, he/she will start the 'chat' when avoiding bedtime or when mum is busy and has not got the time to listen. :wacko: So measure the worth of these diaries relevant to your setting and more importantly how relevant is this form of communication for the childs benefit. Asking parents to just make time (it only takes a minute) to exchange verbal interactions (ie a chat) at drop off, pick up time, or during the session, to me is much better than a note written in a diary because I haven't written something fr a couple of days due to other more pressing needs for my time. I hope this response has come across as lighthearted as I intend it to be. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 light hearted and spot on Peggy thank you! i do think diary's can have a place especially when children are in shared care and from an sen point of view but i know that for us it would become a chore. i like the idea of the photo frame, we take pictures like they are going out of fashion and the children are often taking photos of things that interest them, we could set it up easily i'll speak to the holder of the purse and get one!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 i work in a private day preschool and we do do diaries.Even though we are full day,it is hard to find the time to do these>As most children are in after 9 and gone by 5 it is hard with 16 children between us to find time what with activities and snack and paperwork it is hard but we write along the lines of the child and parents like this ie this morning i have enjoyed playing with the small world animals for instance and playing in the doctor's surgery role play.I did extremely well wit h my numbrs dinner: cottage pie -ate all for instance they are good must be really hard to find time in sessional pre-schools however!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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