I need help?! Planning - Obs and Learning Journals

[Hayley G]

How often do you do planning (per child and individual) and observations on children and what if they are just content playing with toys and not necessarily structured or planned activities?

I have 3 under 5 and its very difficult to get them to do an activity long enough to get suitable obs etc! Do they have to be very long and detailed or are notes and pics ok??

I feel i am struggling and would appreciate tips and or activitiy ideas because I am panicing that I should be doing more?!

[Mel09]

Hi, I am in the same position so would be interested to see what others say. My main mindee is under 2 and like yours just likes playing, I also plan for the older ones but they seem to prefer to just play now as well ! I was thinking of doing observations once a month. Not much help sorry, but you are not alone in being confused as to what to do and often !

[moogster1a]

I take a couple of pictures of them doing different things on different days, then every few months, I put the pictures into a once a month obs. file and make up bumf to accompany it! Have a look at the EYFS file for good pointers on how to do it.
ps. don't take all the pictures on one day or they'll be in the same clothes from january to July!!

[estrelas]

you don't have to do planned activities for obs, one might put shoes on or choose a book, or say a colour
I take pics on a a regural basis but i only do planned activities every now and then.

.Today my 2year old been playing with play dough, the 4 year old looking at picture books.

You can do obs etc based on these every day things.

Even if they play with a doll, they may make it go the zoo or something or manage to get it dressed by them selves for first time

do i make sense
Failing that buy sarahs e books

[mama2three]

lol at 'just likes playing'.
thats exactly what they should be doing , and you can observe what they do , what they like , how they play , whether they interact with others , what physical skills they are using ( pushing buttons etc).

one example a lo putting cars into a tunnel - lots of psrn - calculating ( have some sense that things exist when out of sight) shape space ( attempts sometimes succesfully to fit shapes into spaces)

So you can plan - peekaboo games , lift the flap books , shape sorters , simple puzzles.

not sure im being very clear but hope you get the 'jist' of it. Planning can be just putting dinosaurs in the sand as lo likes dinosaurs. it can be as simple as that .

[grindal]

I aim to do a formal obs every month on my 4 day a week mindee, and every couple of months on the mindee I have 1 day per week. I do short post it obs on a more regular basis - usually 1 or 2 a day. Dont forget for little ones obs are often developmental. So, if mindee picks up a bit of play food, pretends to eat it and puts it in a saucepan that becomes an observation and has a next step attached to it - pretend picnic, vegetable printing, making soup - whatever.
Just make sure you can show some links to the EYFS and record it in a format you like. I record post it obs under the 6 areas along with photo obs. Formal obs are just in date order as I find they usually cover more than one area.

My friend is currently looking at childminders for her daughter and i have asked her to give me sone feedback on what other minders are doing in terms of daily diaries and learning journals