Am I filling the assessment in correctly?

[oxfordshirecm]

Hi just wanted some advice please to check I am filling the assessments in correctly,

I have a sheet that has boxes for each area running from top to bottom of page then three columns across titled 1.summary of what they have acheieved 2. Next steps 3. Development stage

To fill this sheet in I look at my stage and age sheet that I have used in conjunction with my observations and highlighted what the child can do. I look at all the highlighted ones and fill in what they state such as "x is interested in others play and sharting to join in"

For next steps I look at what's not highlighted and choice an area that I feel is priority and use this as next step such as "aware that some actions can hurt or harm others"

Then development stages is where they are at such as 22-36 months for pd

Am I doing this right?

[Ballette]

What is this assessment for? Is it the 2 year old check?

[oxfordshirecm]

No it's for my starting points and was thinking of continuing to use the same format for my 3 monthly assessments?

[moggy]

Yes, that is OK but remember we do not have to literally copy anything from DM. It is a guide for us to find the 'best fit' for age/stage. Children do not literally follow each step written in DM and there are a million more things you will think of that will be great Next Steps and far more personal to that child.

So if you say "x is interested in others play and starting to join in" then a next step could be to introduce cooperative games where x can learn to work with others (maybe a wheelbarrow and several spades so group can play at loading/unloading sand into barrow, taking turns pushing etc).

I would state "aware that some actions can hurt or harm others" as a summary of what they had achieved if I see that starting to happen, or if there was a need for it to be encouraged (!), and then next steps for that would be to talk about feelings etc.

Everyone has their on way to do these things, but it is important not to take DM literally or to use it as any kind of a check-list or tick-list as children may or may not do those things listed, and may do them in different orders or not at all. There are far too few statements in there for us to rely on. We need to apply our knowledge and experience of children and especially the children we are caring for. Also these statements do not logically follow one to the other down the page, some are unrelated to the statement above or below. Just read the whole block and use that to think if that is a 'best-fit' for where the child is.

Yes, dev stage would be the 22-36 months etc.

[oxfordshirecm]

Yes, that is OK but remember we do not have to literally copy anything from DM. It is a guide for us to find the 'best fit' for age/stage. Children do not literally follow each step written in DM and there are a million more things you will think of that will be great Next Steps and far more personal to that child.

So if you say "x is interested in others play and starting to join in" then a next step could be to introduce cooperative games where x can learn to work with others (maybe a wheelbarrow and several spades so group can play at loading/unloading sand into barrow, taking turns pushing etc).

I would state "aware that some actions can hurt or harm others" as a summary of what they had achieved if I see that starting to happen, or if there was a need for it to be encouraged (!), and then next steps for that would be to talk about feelings etc.

Everyone has their on way to do these things, but it is important not to take DM literally or to use it as any kind of a check-list or tick-list as children may or may not do those things listed, and may do them in different orders or not at all. There are far too few statements in there for us to rely on. We need to apply our knowledge and experience of children and especially the children we are caring for. Also these statements do not logically follow one to the other down the page, some are unrelated to the statement above or below. Just read the whole block and use that to think if that is a 'best-fit' for where the child is.

Yes, dev stage would be the 22-36 months etc.

Thank you moggy- I was planning on using my own next steps as I got to know the child better but just use it this way as a starting point as child has only been in my care for 4 weeks. Thank you for all your advice- think it all makes sense now :)