Wracked off with this linking to EYFS!!

[tiger79]

Now this is driving me mad. I'm sitting here trying to get my learning journeys and observations up to date. I'm struggling to match up what the child is doing with what the EYFS statement says....

1) Child making a cake - well I would class this as Creative Development but none of the statements within CD seem to resemble making a blinking cake!

2) Fire Awareness - assume this would be knowledge and understanding of the world - again can't seem to match it up with any of the age relevant statements.

I am soooo stressed about all this, it's all in my head but struggling to link it with EYFS. The children I am doing this for fit into the 22-36mths and 30-50mths bracket.

Please help!

[mama2three]

It doesnt always have to link to a statement!
for the cake how about 'explore and experience using a range of senses' in Cd , and lots of psrn too for weighing and measuring , or kuw - show curiosity about why things happen and why things work .
for fire awareness I would link to psed , but probably not a particular statement. hth.

[tiger79]

Thanks Kath, it's just I've seen some other LJs people have done and they go right into depth linking to a particular statement. I shall trim mine down a bit in some areas then and just link to the sub-heading of the area of development like you suggest.

As you can most probably tell I have my first grading inspection next week - and starting to panic!

[sarah707]

I think you need to look at the development matters statements as guides rather than exact examples of what a child does.

Everything links somewhere within the 6 areas of learning and development...

Psed - sharing ingredients; making something together; behaving appropriately in the kitchen;

Cll - reading a recipe; looking at labels on ingredient packets;

Psr&n - weighing ingredients, measuring etc;

Kuw - learning about changes / watching as the cake changes shape... etc.

Using that method you can link the activity itself to all 6 areas (that's what continuous provision planning is all about) and then maybe choose one that you want to focus on for the child...

The child tells you that the oven is hot which you link to Pd - learning to manage danger / the child decorates the cake which you link to Cd creativity / the child says that sugar is not healthy which you link to Pd etc.

Does that help? And stop panicking!!

[tiger79]

Thanks Sarah!

Another quickie do you have a seperate folder which contains all your observations and planning and have the LJ as a stand alone item?

Their LJs are massive, do I have to write on every painting, creation etc they do!! What we've done is write mainly on the things we've photographed them doing and put a section at the back for random drawings, paintings etc...

I shall be sooo glad when the inspection is over.....(and me says my wife!!)

[sarah707]

I have a learning journey file for each child that gets added to monthly.

Each month contains...

Play plan - which is a combination of child's interests, my planning for the child, some brief reviews of how activities went, outings information, parents / other setting / child comments etc. The play plan is on 2 sides of A4 and lasts for the month so I'm not over-writing;

Observations - photos, notes of what the child has been doing. About 3 a month average, sometimes a bit more if they do something stunning or I've gone mad with the camera;

Pictures / photos of crafts etc - about 3 per child per month or it gets a bit silly. Most stuff goes home.

4 times a year (seasonally so I am doing the spring reviews now) I produce a new routine sheet for each child to meet the Eyfs requirement to inform parents about their child's routine.

At the same time (printed on the back) I do a summary assessment which I share with parents and ask for their input.

I get what info I can from other settings and update that so I have an overview of what the child is doing here, at home and elsewhere.

I hope that makes sense

[JumpingJacks]

I have a learning journey file for each child that gets added to monthly.

Each month contains...

Play plan - which is a combination of child's interests, my planning for the child, some brief reviews of how activities went, outings information, parents / other setting / child comments etc. The play plan is on 2 sides of A4 and lasts for the month so I'm not over-writing;

Observations - photos, notes of what the child has been doing. About 3 a month average, sometimes a bit more if they do something stunning or I've gone mad with the camera;

Pictures / photos of crafts etc - about 3 per child per month or it gets a bit silly. Most stuff goes home.

4 times a year (seasonally so I am doing the spring reviews now) I produce a new routine sheet for each child to meet the Eyfs requirement to inform parents about their child's routine.

At the same time (printed on the back) I do a summary assessment which I share with parents and ask for their input.

I get what info I can from other settings and update that so I have an overview of what the child is doing here, at home and elsewhere.

I hope that makes sense

HI Sarah, sorry to jump in on this thread but I bought an illustrated LJ from you, EXCELLENT!! Thank you, anyway I was just wondering if MRS O would frown upon us using something that someone else has made as I love the work in it, there are some things I would like to adapt but others that fit with my practice perfectly! So any advice would be welcomed, thanks

Jackie x

[sarah707]

HI Sarah, sorry to jump in on this thread but I bought an illustrated LJ from you, EXCELLENT!! Thank you, anyway I was just wondering if MRS O would frown upon us using something that someone else has made as I love the work in it, there are some things I would like to adapt but others that fit with my practice perfectly! So any advice would be welcomed, thanks

Jackie x

Thank you for your kind comments!

By purchasing new material / looking things up / researching new ways of doing things / going on courses / borrowing books from the library / networking with other childminders / welcoming your childminding coordinator to give you advice etc...

You are enhancing your professional development.

It is a plus point for your CV... look at how the thing I have bought / learned etc has raised outcomes for children. I am now much more confident and professional in my work as a result.

Parents are happy ... their comments include ...

And don't forget my e-books are all tax deductible!

[JumpingJacks]

Thank you for your kind comments!

By purchasing new material / looking things up / researching new ways of doing things / going on courses / borrowing books from the library / networking with other childminders / welcoming your childminding coordinator to give you advice etc...

You are enhancing your professional development.

It is a plus point for your CV... look at how the thing I have bought / learned etc has raised outcomes for children. I am now much more confident and professional in my work as a result.

Parents are happy ... their comments include ...

And don't forget my e-books are all tax deductible!

That's great thank you Sarah I have bought a few from you and they really have opened my eyes to a lot of things I would never have thought about!

[Weeze1979]

Thank you for your kind comments!

By purchasing new material / looking things up / researching new ways of doing things / going on courses / borrowing books from the library / networking with other childminders / welcoming your childminding coordinator to give you advice etc...

You are enhancing your professional development.

It is a plus point for your CV... look at how the thing I have bought / learned etc has raised outcomes for children. I am now much more confident and professional in my work as a result.

Parents are happy ... their comments include ...

And don't forget my e-books are all tax deductible!

Hi sarah!

Apologies for jumping in here also, but I was just wondering where exactly you would keep a record of this? Things you have done to enhance your professional development I mean?

i really like the sound of it, just wondered where to keep it!

Thankyou - love this forum!!

[Penny1959]

Now this is driving me mad. I'm sitting here trying to get my learning journeys and observations up to date. I'm struggling to match up what the child is doing with what the EYFS statement says....

1) Child making a cake - well I would class this as Creative Development but none of the statements within CD seem to resemble making a blinking cake!

2) Fire Awareness - assume this would be knowledge and understanding of the world - again can't seem to match it up with any of the age relevant statements.

I am soooo stressed about all this, it's all in my head but struggling to link it with EYFS. The children I am doing this for fit into the 22-36mths and 30-50mths bracket.

Please help!

Hello

I can't help wondering why you are doing all this linking to EYFS?

Children do soo much that does not link directly to EYFS and then again some things that link to all of it!

No where does it say you have to link everything to EYFS - it just says you have to know where the child is developmently in relation to EYFS

I do not link to EYFS for planning or observations or next steps on a weekly or monthly basis - I just have all the statements from EYFS in the child's LJ and then each term look at the statements and with the parents at our termly review and think what evidence do I have for this / do parents have for this. I then just write next to statement where evidence is ie photo 4.3.11, wow moment 2.4.11. If from the parent I just put 'from parent' and date we met with brief descpition of what said. Termly next steps are linked to 6 areas of learning.

If you take a look at Dame Tickells review of EYFS you will see that she is saying a lot of paperwork that people think is required - is not in fact required and the original aim of EYFS has been lost.

I have attached the profile that I use - but there are plenty of others around.

Penny

[onceinabluemoon]

Thanks for the file Penny x

[JumpingJacks]

Hi sarah!

Apologies for jumping in here also, but I was just wondering where exactly you would keep a record of this? Things you have done to enhance your professional development I mean?

i really like the sound of it, just wondered where to keep it!

Thankyou - love this forum!!

From what I know it's part of your SEF, hope that helps x

[sarah707]

Hi sarah!

Apologies for jumping in here also, but I was just wondering where exactly you would keep a record of this? Things you have done to enhance your professional development I mean?

i really like the sound of it, just wondered where to keep it!

Thankyou - love this forum!!

As Jumping Jacks says it's all part of your Self Evaluation.

You do not have to use the Ofsted SEF but you should do some type of evaluation to show you are reflecting on your practice

[samkeddy]

Hello

I can't help wondering why you are doing all this linking to EYFS?

Children do soo much that does not link directly to EYFS and then again some things that link to all of it!

No where does it say you have to link everything to EYFS - it just says you have to know where the child is developmently in relation to EYFS

I do not link to EYFS for planning or observations or next steps on a weekly or monthly basis - I just have all the statements from EYFS in the child's LJ and then each term look at the statements and with the parents at our termly review and think what evidence do I have for this / do parents have for this. I then just write next to statement where evidence is ie photo 4.3.11, wow moment 2.4.11. If from the parent I just put 'from parent' and date we met with brief descpition of what said. Termly next steps are linked to 6 areas of learning.

If you take a look at Dame Tickells review of EYFS you will see that she is saying a lot of paperwork that people think is required - is not in fact required and the original aim of EYFS has been lost.

I have attached the profile that I use - but there are plenty of others around.

Penny

Penny i have just posted a thread basically asking if i can do it this way lol! Guess i should have read previous threads 1st!! Thankyou x