Starting points for a 3year old

[Mia'smummyx]

Hi. Iv just had a new family start and iv done all the starting points for the 10m old within the prime areas but I'm not sure what to do for the 3year old.
Do I just focus on the specific areas? I can tell from purely looking after the little boy he is confident within the prime areas.
I mainly focus my obs on the prime areas for the 10m old but with the 3yr old should I still be writing obs on the prime or just specific? I'm using the tracking sheets from the forum to track my observations and planning to ensure I'm covering all the correct areas.
This is my first family that are on the new revised eyfs and its taking me w while to get my head around it :-/.
Thanks x

[sarah707]

the prime areas are the most important of all - all the time - for life long learning.

When they are well established you then start to introduce more things from the specific areas... keeping the prime at the forefront.

So your starting points will come from the prime areas and as the child is around 3 you will look at the specific areas and see how you can support their learning.

Does that help? :D

[Mia'smummyx]

Yes thank you.

So I'm right it thinking for the 3yr old I observe all the areas and for the 10m I observe the prime areas.
Also another quick question iv seen most people are saying on average they do around 4 obs per month. I can do anything up to 5 a day but they are little things, " child A crawled up to me and lifted his arms to be picked up"
" child A giggled a peek a boo"
Should I not be doing this no more? I'm working I should be doing a big weekly in depth ob.
Many thanks
Leah x

[sarah707]

Little obs like that ... I would probably put them in the child's diary so parents get a nice overview of the day.

I only write about 4 a month in the LJ :D

[Mia'smummyx]

Thanks Sarah, what kind of ob would you put in the lj? The big ones, do they include a whole range of things or would they be a focused ob on a planned activity, I'm worried if I do big obs ill end up missing important things out.
Iv just started using orbit but again I'm doing little obs " baby A rolled the ball along the floor then followed it by crawling" I add an in action pic then link it all up then add the next steps, "roll ball to and from another child/adult "
So..... In a big ob with I accumulate all these little things and make them one big ob.
Sorry if I'm waffling or repeating myself. I'm trying to get my head around big obs as I feel it would save me so much time and paperwork.
Leah

[sarah707]

In a LJ for a part time 2 day a week child I put -

1 x outside / 1 x inside / 1 x outing / 1 x home obs a month

A few photos printed using my Pogo printer

Then if I feel it needs them I also add a longer obs to focus on one area of provision... or to look in more detail at something the child is doing or saying.

I think you are over-thinking it!!

Little notes can go in the diary... obs which tell you and parents about the child's learning, exploration, development, exciting new achievements etc go in the LJ and can be linked to Development Matters with next steps added.

Hth :D

[Marshmallow]

In a LJ for a part time 2 day a week child I put -

1 x outside / 1 x inside / 1 x outing / 1 x home obs a month

A few photos printed using my Pogo printer

Then if I feel it needs them I also add a longer obs to focus on one area of provision... or to look in more detail at something the child is doing or saying.

I think you are over-thinking it!!

Little notes can go in the diary... obs which tell you and parents about the child's learning, exploration, development, exciting new achievements etc go in the LJ and can be linked to Development Matters with next steps added.

Hth :D


:panic: Y'see Sarah its not just me who makes it hard work for ourselves :blush:

[Mia'smummyx]

Thanks, I'm defo doing far to much.

One more question, the roughly four obs would they been long obs, say an a4 page including a picture?
X