Learning journeys

[mandycpayton]

Help! I've recently been to a cluster group meeting locally me and I've got a bit confused! There are so many different ways of recording all your observations planning next steps etc , some people do a daily diary, some people don't! Some use scrapbooks..... What do you do? Xxx

[loocyloo]

there is no right or wrong way! you need to find what works for you and your families! Ofsted will want to see you sharing information with parents and also evidence of the childs developmental progress.

I use a daily diary - each child has an A5 folder and I put a sheet in it each day. this means that if the folder is forgotten, I can still write a sheet and send it home with the child. on the sheet I put what meals/sleeps/nappies child has had. and then a little bit about what we did. I write as if it was the child writing ... "today I played outside in the sand, I carefully filled all the buckets and decorated them with stones" etc I have a couple of pages at the back for parents comments. sometimes I put photos in on extra sheets, or little bits of artwork, and even fliers from places we've been!

I also write messages for parents on the top of the sheet such 'more nappies please' or 'very snotty today' !!! :D

for my learning journeys I use a scrapbook and put in photos/written observations (either written straight onto the page, or on a post it note) and then a quick note of areas covered and a next step. at the front of the book I have a copy of the development matters that I use to highlight areas the child has reached. any assessments I do are stuck in the scrapbook when I do them. each week I write a couple of lines about what the child did, and what I plan to do next. this goes in the scrapbook too.

good luck. it took me a while to find out what/how things worked for me, and I will change and amend as I go along if I have another idea!

[Rick]

Hi

Lots of good information here:

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/observation-planning/120911-planning-advice.html

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/learning-journals-scrapbooks-diaries/117181-learning-journeys-links-free-help-advice.html

I personally use a learning journal. It has the child's name and photo on the front, the 'All About Me' form that the parent filled out for me, and then I stick in observations/assessments, photos and artwork in date order after that. You may find a better way of doing it that works for you. :thumbsup:

And I use a daily diary which notes what the child has done, naps, sleeps, food etc

[FussyElmo]

As the others have said there are many different ways - its trial and error which one suits you.

Personally I use an A5 book for the daily diary and an A4 folder for the learning journeys.

[sam.waite]

There is no right or wrong way as you are just required by Ofsted to be able to show how you track and monitor childrens progress. How you do that is up to you, the scrap books are great as they enable you to have a wonderful memento for the parents of the child's time spent with you. However some people find it easier to have a fixed format that they can work on and the just add photos and art work etc to evidence the development and enable you to track and monitor progress easily. Nursery resources have a learning journey that you can buy and use as well as other documents that may be useful such as communication diaries. Their web site is www.nurseryresources.org Good luck:clapping: