Should I be doing a Learning Journal?

Ok, so I have a feeling the answer to this question is yes, but just want to double check.

At the moment I have two children that I pick up from a local pre-school at 12:00 p.m. on a Friday, term time only and not always every week until they are picked up by their parents at between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. Within that short window we have to get home, have lunch, wash up etc and my smaller ones go down for a nap. Generally they like to have free play time as even if I have organised an activity they are not in the mood or too tired to engage.

Should I be doing a learning journal, I have shared information with pre-school but feel like they are here for such a short time it is a lot to do a full learning journal for each of them and to be brutally honest for the effort that goes in, it probably isn't worth the money.

Let me know what you think,

Sam

I'd do something rather than nothing...

I would be asking for nursery LJ, ask if you they photocopy the main bits like a tracker and next steps- so you can be working alongside them, aware of any issues and supporting them and the children. Maybe do that each term if they do termly reviews.

I would have a scrap book or similar: take occasional photos- even if it is how nicely they eat their lunch or help with the washing up, as well as their free play, just putting a note by them to label an Area of learning or two per photo and a few words like what they are enjoying or how they are doing something for themselves/independently etc (think 'school readiness'!).

At this age the children can contribute to their own scrap book too- drawings (even if brought in from home) or taking their own photos etc. Actually, I'd make it more that it is the children's own scrap book- they decorate them, they chose what to put in- it may help generate content if they like making drawings etc

I'd get parent's input- ask what they are enjoying at home, how they are doing with xxx etc... write down what parents say if parents don't use a daily diary for the children. '11th Dec '14- Mum said Johnny has started fastening his own zip at home' etc.

But for such few hours/days it only has to be a little bit of evidence, not loads, nothing to make it too much work. Just one photo/note a month or so, I'd say.

Agree with Moggy, don't know if you walk or drive when you collect, but I would just make a note (try to remember til you get home) little things they may have said either about something they did at Nursery, or somewhere they went or did with parents or something they saw on way home - you can "tick" off loads of EYFS statements under PSE, Com & Lit, KUW, - if you count red cars or look at numbers on front doors that's Maths, if you look for initial letter in each name on street signs that Literacy etc, etc, etc Like Moggy says at home you can include comments about eating lunch, handwashing, helping lay table - lots of PSE - physical & Health & Self care.

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Originally Posted by Stapleton83

Ok, so I have a feeling the answer to this question is yes, but just want to double check.

At the moment I have two children that I pick up from a local pre-school at 12:00 p.m. on a Friday, term time only and not always every week until they are picked up by their parents at between 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. Within that short window we have to get home, have lunch, wash up etc and my smaller ones go down for a nap. Generally they like to have free play time as even if I have organised an activity they are not in the mood or too tired to engage.

Should I be doing a learning journal, I have shared information with pre-school but feel like they are here for such a short time it is a lot to do a full learning journal for each of them and to be brutally honest for the effort that goes in, it probably isn't worth the money.

Let me know what you think,

Sam

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There is no need to do a LJ as the preschool will do that...you can do just a summary of their progress in whichever format you choose....maybe add photos
If the children go to a preschool that setting should share some info with you and you with them to enable you to do what Ofsted will want to see
If you look at Ofsted 'Conducting EY inspections' p11 is very clear about the summary ...no mention of LJ.