are observation sheets necessary?

[emimihkos]

hi
I need some advice please.
I am doing my obs in my diary, just quick notes and then writting them again in child's Learning Journal ,sometimes with photos.
Do I have to fill observations sheets?
What do you think- what Ofsted would say?

[JCrakers]

As long as you are doing observations I don't think there is a rule that they have to be on a sheet. Just make sure you do short ones when seen and longer ones every week/month .

I do my longer ones monthly but they are only a couple of sentences with a pic, links and next steps.

[moggy]

Sheets are not necessary.

I do between 1 sentence to 1 paragraph, with photo or video. Link to one or more of the 7 areas. Sometimes with a Next Step but only if relevant.

[Simona]

Your observations are a 'guide' when you make your assessment of your child's learning and progress and should show the gradual process to achievement according to the next steps in learning you have planned for the child.

This is exactly what the inspectors will do in the newly published Inspection framework...they will observe and assess at the end to make a judgement
Hope it helps??

[unalindura77]

Hello, how often would do observations for a 1.5 year old and a 7 month old baby?

Are the observation sheets apart from the LJ?

Confused!

[jadavi]

Everything should go in LJ
I have noticed that parents don't like forms very much.
As some one posted here it shows guidelines for content. But often it's obvious - ie you don't need to write PSED if its obvious that its about sharing or PD if its clearly physical ie walking or climbing etc.
As long as you can justify it if asked you don't need to use forms with boxes which look too official for a lot of parents IMO
I use photo, anecdotal stories and remarks and 2simple printouts

[Simona]

it depends what you are observing for...
I observe the whole time, some I write down, some I keep in my head, some I capture in photos.
In order to ensure a child has achieved the stepping stones you have planned you will need to observe more than once

I know some put every single observation in their LJ but I do not think that is required...you could end up with 1000s of observations and parents will get confused.


The observations allow you to form a picture of the child's progress...so you can summarize your assessment in the LJ...or whatever format you use or prefer to call it.

Whatever observations sheets you use they should show the progress the children are making, what the learning intentions are and when the child hits that stepping stone...they should also show if a child is emerging, expecting, or exceeding in his/her steps
Does it help?

[Simona]

Everything should go in LJ
I have noticed that parents don't like forms very much.
As some one posted here it shows guidelines for content. But often it's obvious - ie you don't need to write PSED if its obvious that its about sharing or PD if its clearly physical ie walking or climbing etc.
As long as you can justify it if asked you don't need to use forms with boxes which look too official for a lot of parents IMO
I use photo, anecdotal stories and remarks and 2simple printouts

I have just seen your post...I think all cms should read the new inspection framework and decide how to show which area it is they are assessing on...my interpretation is you need to be very clear on the 3 Prime Areas first and then the Specific

Having said that the observations will overlap and overarch into all 7 areas but those do not need to be observed until after 3 years of age although children will make progress there too.

[unalindura77]

Wow that's fantastic, gives me a very clear idea:clapping::laughing:

Thanks guys

Sorry if I hijacked the thread:blush:

[unalindura77]

Where is the new inspection framework? Sorry I am new to this....is it the EYFS book?

[jadavi]

I was told by my do and Ofsted that you don't need to spell out the obvious- ie photo of first walking steps the child makes are clearly physical development. I get round this by doing it mainly in the formal obs which pans out to every three weeks. I don't like to insult parents intelligence by saying for example ' here is a photo of xxx walking. This shows physical development.'

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Where is the new inspection framework? Sorry I am new to this....is it the EYFS book?

Yes - these two books are your bibles. You need to use one for your policies and procedures and the other to get the information for the children and their development - they are not the be all and end all but certainly need to be considered.

The two ages you are talking about need three areas covering at the moment (these are called Specific Areas) - Physical Development, Communication and Language and Personal, Social and Emotional.

As to observations - you will notice changes all the time as they are so small, use post it notes if you see anything, photo's are great as they jog your memory when you print them off.

Parents and ofsted are not looking for reams and reams of paper but something that actually says something (again photo or written).

Hope that helps

[unalindura77]

Thanks Chatterbox xx

[Simona]

For children up to 3 years you need to concentrate on the 3 Prime Areas: CL, PD and PSED but can, at times, link to the 4 Specific areas

[emimihkos]

Thank you all very much :):):)
It's so good to hear someones opinions :-*

[SammySplodger]

At the moment I have a fairly old fashioned way of doing my obs. Photos stuck on A4 card with a few sentences to describe what was happening (why the photos are significant) and I use the Pacey EYFS stickers to show which areas were covered. The stickers are pricey so I plan to make my own when they run out.

Then I do a monthly assessment summary, showing where child is in Dev Matters, noting any schemas, characteristics of learning, learning ideas for at home and next steps. My LOs are all below 22 months, so changing rapidly ATM. My plan is to do assessments less frequently when they are a bit older.

[Simona]

At the moment I have a fairly old fashioned way of doing my obs. Photos stuck on A4 card with a few sentences to describe what was happening (why the photos are significant) and I use the Pacey EYFS stickers to show which areas were covered. The stickers are pricey so I plan to make my own when they run out.

Then I do a monthly assessment summary, showing where child is in Dev Matters, noting any schemas, characteristics of learning, learning ideas for at home and next steps. My LOs are all below 22 months, so changing rapidly ATM. My plan is to do assessments less frequently when they are a bit older.

Interesting how you describe the way you do observations as : old fashioned???...it made me laugh!!
Is there a more fashionable way or a late or current trend???

[SammySplodger]

Interesting how you describe the way you do observations as : old fashioned???...it made me laugh!!
Is there a more fashionable way or a late or current trend???

Yes - I have seen lots of newfangled looking forms online and supplied by my LA. They look scary and too, um...'formy'. I use coloured dividers as backgrounds (cheap!) and stick photos at jaunty angles, hand write what we did with amusing and light hearted comments. Then I use stickers to indicate areas. Parents like it. But they glaze over or look concerned at trackers and Dev Matters. :-)

[SammySplodger]

For someone usually very techie (my other job is a digital librarian) I am surprisingly low-tech as a CM. Have tried various online systems and I just don't get on with them. For recording children's achievements / progress I prefer paper. So do Parents.

[hectors house]

I was told by my do and Ofsted that you don't need to spell out the obvious- ie photo of first walking steps the child makes are clearly physical development. I get round this by doing it mainly in the formal obs which pans out to every three weeks. I don't like to insult parents intelligence by saying for example ' here is a photo of xxx walking. This shows physical development.'

I was chatting with another childminder last week and we thought that actually it can be quite hard to document and write observations on Prime Areas as actually they are often just common sense - we do a lot of outdoor learning - muddy walks in woods etc, we are chatting and pointing things out to the children all the time, counting things and bursting into spontanoeus songs (we must appear quite mad) - but we can't keep scribbling things on post it notes and a photo doesn't show "verbal" observations and progress.

[Simona]

Yes - I have seen lots of newfangled looking forms online and supplied by my LA. They look scary and too, um...'formy'. I use coloured dividers as backgrounds (cheap!) and stick photos at jaunty angles, hand write what we did with amusing and light hearted comments. Then I use stickers to indicate areas. Parents like it. But they glaze over or look concerned at trackers and Dev Matters. :-)

Totally agree...nothing is better than something you have 'created' yourself and understand and, within a reflection cycle, change and adapt until they are just the way you want them???
I like that word 'formy'...very right!

I was looking at a cm paperwork/observations the other day and I asked her where she got them from (although they had 'LA' written all over it)...she confirmed they were indeed from the EY team....I asked her if she understood what she was doing with them and where was the evidence of the 'child's journey' ...she said NO!
There is also the idea that all observations need to be recorded...that has never been required...observations should lead to making an assessment of where a child is going in his learning and how we are taking him there...the new inspection framework shows that clearly !

What I also thought was dubious is that the paperwork I saw for under 3 included the 4 Specific Areas...these are connected and can be referred to of course, but are not the ones needed for children under that age...

Observing children up to 3,especially 2 yo, must be the most rewarding due to the huge leap and speed in progress and intensity of it...