Managing Observation To Planning

[jowhiley]

Hello, this is my first post, but I have been a regular 'browser' to this site and I just wanted to say how much I have got from it - from ideas, to just knowing I'm not alone with certain issues!!

 

Anyway I just wanted to ask how people are managing the assessment to planning stage. By this I mean how do you organise feeding the assessments made through observations, samples of work etc into your weekly/termly planning?

I have been reading Vicky Hutchin's book right from the start and she suggests focusing on 5 children a week, feeding their needs into the planning and reviewing records with them.. It seems to make sense does anyone out there use this system or have an even better and more importantly MANAGEABLE system - I don't know about anyone else but I'm drowning in paperwork and there are not enough hours in the day!!!

 

That's all for now!!!

 

JO

[Guest]

Hi Jo,

The forum is great as you say! I have been thinking about this too and am just wandering about adapting my current class assessment sheet. A4 sheet with all children's names in one column then a black column for comments. Sometimes rule off another column to jot down particular assessment focus. I wondered about having a column where I could flag up to other adults things that need ongoing focus for some children. EG remind Susie to hold pencil correctly, Make eye contact with Johnny, remind Jane to write name from right to left etc. These could then be updated changed as necessary according to focus in guided groups. We don't use an assessment sheet for all activities, but it would then provide evidence of next steps/targets being input into planning. I'm sure a lot of us do this anyway through our personal knowledge of the children and their progress. But as the advisor says what happens if you go under a bus. Fortunately this week it wasn't under a bus, just losing my voice. Fortunately the whole team has good knowledge of the children so I am confident that all systems won't have collapsed on my return!

AOB

[jowhiley]

Hi AOB,

 

If only they'd let personal knowledge count for more!!!!

I have been reading around this forum and came across someone who has a focus child a day, any observations are analysed and highlighted for next steps and then kept in a file until the end of the week when they are built into the planning for the following - this makes sense to me and sounds manageable- what do you think?

 

jo

ps i too have lost my voice and my mind along with it I think!!!!

[Guest]

Hi

The whole area of assessment is a hot potato as far as I can see and unless it is useful and does inform our planning it is a waste of time and paper.

Are we just filling in sheets and sheets in case an ofsted inpector comes and asks us for evidence or are we doing it because we think it is really valuable?

I'm sure many of us know what our children can do because we spend so much time with them and carefully plan our teaching to provide for what they need.

I find the best sort of assessment shows me the gaps in the children's learning and I then fill the gaps either through group work or on an individual basis through my TA. My difficulty with this is in areas such as K&U or P when we have moved onto a new topic and it's hard to revisit previous work.

 

I think that if we did go undr a bus and couldn't be in class for a while the supply person coming in would quickly assess the children him/herself and talk to my TA (if they had any sense) and then go from there.

Sorry if I have gone off the point but sometimes I think we have gone assessment crazy!!!

Trudiex

Edited March 12, 2006 by Trudie

[Marion]

I agree Trudie and to be honest I dont think OFSTED expect it.

We were OFSTEDed at the beginning of the year and the inspector saw me putting a post it note on the wall ready to be marked off the childs file and asked if that was how we assessed I said it was one method and he said excellent as it was much more effective than assessing for the sake of it. We were tying a member of staff up each week for assessment when it was clearly not needed. Sometimes we do need to do formal observations but we do know the children in our settings and can judge what they are capable of (if we are unsure then test/observe/assess) The most valuable infomation is picked up by being with the children joining in the activities and sharing.