DM Assessments: Sorry if this is a silly/obvious question!

[fluffy]

Hi - I would really appreciate your thoughts around the DM statements. We are currently undertaking our Spring assessments (highlighting the DM statements we feel chdn have achieved and then identifying where they are working within the age band - emeging / developing competency / secure). As we were discussing ome of the statements last week a comment arose which made me question how we are making our judgments and I thought I would post on here to gather your thoughts.

I'm sorry if this is a really obvious and silly question!!!

When making the judgements to say a child has achieved a DM are you only highlighting it if you have seen it independently during child initiated learning or are you using examples of chdn's responses in adult led/guided activities too???

 

I would really appreciate your responses.

[Guest]

I believe there is no such thing as a 'silly' question as working in EYs can be quite isolating and sometimes we over analyse stuff and talk ourselves out of things that really we know the answer to so its always good to talk to others about! I would say you go on your professional judgement and wherever you have observed it if the children were secure then theyve reached it??

[Guest]

as it was mostly independent learning we used previously, i use this evidence as well as adult activities, but mainly independent.

[finleysmaid]

I would hope to see it in both before i felt that it was secure.....the problem with only using adult led is that it may not be retained and embedded ( i have a daughter who is dyslexic who could remember most things on the day but ask her the next week she wouldn't have a clue......a very good reason NOT TO DO SPELLING TESTS imo!!)

however there are a coupe of dm's (usually maths ones) which i find difficult to observe in child led learning

[fluffy]

Thanks for the replies - so, for example in writing - 40 -60 mths - Writes own name & other things like cpations - if chdn do not choose to do this indep (even when materials are there ie - displaying a model) but will do it if goven a prompt (ie "Remember to write a label for your model beforeyou put it on the shelf) - would you give it???

 

I'm getting myself in a real muddle!!!

[Guest tinkerbell]

I would give it,

To me its like the reading statements too, we hear the children read ,we do guided reading ,we work on the phonics with them so they can sound out in reading .Yes the children go and choose reading books and read to themselves and friends,parents etc ,but to know they can 'hit' the reading statements I would use all my knowledge of all the reading activities we provide.

[catma]

Ask yourself is it embedded learning, ie they can do it without overt adult support.

[Guest]

Hi

 

The way we do it is that we try and get it observed at least 3 times before highlighting it as achieved.

1 hopefully independently, 1 adult led and then one other.

Preferrably 1 will be when another member of staff has observed it as well as the key worker.

Obviously if the child shows she is competent then we wouldn't ask for anymore evidence.

 

Could I ask what table you use for recording their progress as we need to update our methods?

 

many thanks

[Melcatfish]

I look back through a childs learning journey, at our observations, at photographs etc... and think about my interactions with a child (or meet with key person to talk about child) and use all that information to form my judgement about what they can do securely.

 

The vast majority is based on things we have seen them do independently. As mentioned above the child that can write his name if prompted but doesn't bother to do it unless reminded I would say is still able to securely demonstrate the skill, what they don't have is the desire to engage in it under their own steam.

 

As per Finleysmaid there are a few DM statements that just do not seem to regularly come up in entirely child initiated play. For these we might do an adult led activity, note the childs response and then, if appropriate add the activity alongside our continuous provision for the children to continue with or develop independently in the following days.

 

Mel

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