Observation help, please.

[Kirstylob]

Evening all,
Now I know I am going to sound really thick,:blush: but I figure it's better to bite the bullet and ask rather than don't ask and keep going in the wrong way. I've never been comfortable with the way I do observations since the EYFS first came in. It doesn't help that all the training says 'find the way that's best for you', well I still haven't!! As the new EYFS has just come in think nows the time to start again with obs. Do you chose an area of learning and plan an observation based on that or simply watch the child/ren and develop their activities into an observation? Obviously I do 'mini' obs each day i.e. Jim didn't cry today when mum left. Does that need to be put into the LJ's under observations or just in the Daily Diary? Does it need to be linked? How do I plan to incorporate 'big' obs into my day? Am I over thinking things and putting myself under pressure?
Now the new EYFS has come in I want to get observations right and be happy and comfortable with the way I an doing things.
Thanks in advance for all you help and advise, your a clever bunch of childminders!!

[EmmaReed84]

Ok so this is what I would do... Someone else may have other ways... (may even say I am wrong lol)

So you know about your mindees... I would go through the DM and look at what your mindee is currently doing. Sort of like an assessment. The look at next steps.

Once you know the areas that need some more support you can concentrate your obs around that. So example... F really likes numbers and is really methodical in his play, he is not very imaginative and really enjoys facts. So I can use you current interests to help guide and support imaginative play. Play shop keeper and customer... Using imagination and talking about numbers can i have 6 apples please etc...

I can then observe that...

I do this for various things, but I don't necessarily plan set activities I prefer to be guided more by the child in "what" they want to do, however get in there and sort of guide where the play goes if that makes sense?

I do assessments on the children every 6-12 weeks to get a general over view of what the child is doing.

Sorry if I have waffled and make no sense... DH keeps talking to me lol

[Rubybubbles]

Evening all,
Now I know I am going to sound really thick,:blush: but I figure it's better to bite the bullet and ask rather than don't ask and keep going in the wrong way. I've never been comfortable with the way I do observations since the EYFS first came in. It doesn't help that all the training says 'find the way that's best for you', well I still haven't!! As the new EYFS has just come in think nows the time to start again with obs. Do you chose an area of learning and plan an observation based on that or simply watch the child/ren and develop their activities into an observation? Obviously I do 'mini' obs each day i.e. Jim didn't cry today when mum left. Does that need to be put into the LJ's under observations or just in the Daily Diary? Does it need to be linked? How do I plan to incorporate 'big' obs into my day? Am I over thinking things and putting myself under pressure?
Now the new EYFS has come in I want to get observations right and be happy and comfortable with the way I an doing things.
Thanks in advance for all you help and advise, your a clever bunch of childminders!!


:) Rather than putting Jim didn't cry today when mum left put - Jim arrived into the setting smiling and separated well from mum (sounds more positive) and if it is WOW he normally doesn't do this then YES observation :) it links lovely with PSED:thumbsup:

I do chose a few areas of learning which I do over a period of 4/6 weeks along side my adult led planning. But it is base on the childs interests and current stage of development

I have only just started this week on the revised EYFS so still getting my head around it too;)