How do you mark a child's starting points?

[Madame Gazelle]

I have failed to do this with my mindees :blush: Now that I realise I should've done it I don't understand what and how to do it. People say 'don't use a tick-list' so what does that mean exactly? I could write 20 pages on the things that a child can do - what is relevant and what isn't? What does it relate to - the EYFS age bands? Should you only mention things that they CAN do and nothing of what they can't do? Eg: John can sit up unaided for a couple of seconds and can roll from front to back - then miss out the fact that he can't then roll back again and doesn't actually have the confidence to sit on his own regularly?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

[jadylasa]

It is my understanding that you should leave out the "can't do's" as it's seen as negative. If i'm wrong on this please correct me.

[Madame Gazelle]

Yes that's what I've heard too, so I assume I can't say that he's 'nearly able to roll back' either, it just has to be what he CAN do. It sounds like a throughly boring document to be honest, it must be quite difficult to write sentences just about what a child can do, not much chance for expanding upon a theme etc, so that then sounds like a check-list surely??

[sarah707]

Starting points documents are exciting and interesting if you use the right words and put the right information in them!

Take info from the parents, watch and listen to the child and use the ages and stages lists from the Eyfs.

Build up a picture of what the child can do... it should be a celebration of his current abilities.

For example...

John can walk! He took his first steps at home this week.

Jack can draw a curvy line. We were sitting at the table with blah blah.

Keep it focussed and you will find statements for each area of learning and development.

These can build into your next steps.

hth :D

[jadylasa]

You are also supposed to give "next steps" what experiences you are going to provide to encourage the next stage i.e S pulled himself up on the furniture today, to encourage him to gain confidence to cruise along the furniture I will place toys just out of reach blah d' blah. So by this you are saying that he CAN'T walk around the furnitre yet!

[Madame Gazelle]

Thank you for your input so far ladies, you're a great help.

Giving the 'next steps' info is what I'd do on a regular observation that I carry out once a week or so. I was more talking about when a child very first starts at a setting, you're supposed to note down what they can do before they start developing things in your presence - is this the same as what you're explaining? I am so horribly confused and I've not got long to get it all down onto paper, argggh!

[jadylasa]

Oh I see, I don't do this as such, I just do lots of obbs and ass in the 1st couple of sessions. I've found that if I ask parents before they start what can they do, they don't lie about it but they tend to hype it up a little, so in my eyes it's not an accurate account. IYSWIM

[Zoomie]

I do normal obs on a child when they first join.

I then link these to the EYFS and mark them off in a pink highlighter on a sheet I have that lists all the development matters for that particular age group. I show the partent and they usually tell me about other things they can do (or ask for explanations) and together we highlight a few more off.

Then I carry on with my obs, but when child a child achieves a development matter they are now highlighted in a yellow.

Blue shows all the starting points, and then yellow shows their progression.

[keeks]

We use Sarah's system too, combined info from the parents, then "looking, listening and noting" what the child can do and plan next steps from that. We sometimes write things like "xxx is beginning to sit with the group for a few minutes at register time" etc. Then it is not negative but we can still plan next steps to help the child develop confidence and skills they need.

There is still a lot of confusion also in nurseries about the EYFS and how it must not be used as a tick list. In effect, if you use the system linking with a highlighter it does look like sort of a tick list. I think the main thing is not to feel you have to have all the development matters "ticked off".

For me as a teacher it would help me to highlight the ones I have observed the child has reached as we go along to get a quick overview of each child (we've usually got just under 50 children on roll in my room). However in my setting we don't do that, we use the council's paperwork and they are terrified of using the EYFS as a tick list. :rolleyes:

I personally think if you highlight development matters that you have already observed the child achieve, you could use a that system to remind yourself which things you have already observed this child do - not as a tick list to show what the child can do iyswim. Perhaps it doesn't even have to go in the child's folder as it is more of a reminder for you.

Sorry too long, got carried away! :blush:

xx

[Wheelybug]

Hi,

I've just started using these learning stories from Southampton. I've changed it a bit (got rid of the colour so I had some ink left in my printer) but like the idea that you link what the parents tell you about their child to the every child matters outcomes. Also shows that you are taking on board what the parents say about their childs current stage of development.

Hope the link works.

http://www.southamptoncis.org/images/Guidance%20notes%20-%20final_tcm21-111587.pdf

I am happy to attach my version if anyone wants it although it is very similar to the original.

Cathy

[jumpinjen]

I have a grid with each area of L and D on for the different ages that the EYFS document does it for, just like in the big thick book in the EYFS pack, but with a blank column and I sit down with mum/dad and we read bits out to start off the conversation and then i jot things down, adding whether at home or I've seen it. On the back i jot a plan that mum/dad and I have made together or next steps to focus on and we update it together every three months.

It's a bit bulky but works for me!

jen x

[funfunfun]

for the 1st couple of weeks i played with mindees and watched (obsereved them)

Then i filled in the assesment sheets for their age brackets .....i have also now started using the caterpiller obs and next steps :) for individual planning based on the childs interests ( i think thats right correct me if i am wrong) :blush:

Think i am getting there :laughing:

[snufflepuff]

When the child first starts i get the parents to fill in an 'all about me' booklet. I also note lots of little observations from the first few weeks that the child attends, and anything that the parent happens to mention to me. All these things are the starting points and they go in the front of the learning journey. I use them to come up with some next steps and activity ideas.
I use a print out of all the development areas to mark off when a child 'achieves' each bit, this helps me to check we are covering a balance of all 6 areas and also to come up with activities that may help move them on to the next level. I suppose it is a chekclist, in effect, but it is for my reference more than anything else.

[green puppy]

Hi,

I've just started using these learning stories from Southampton. I've changed it a bit (got rid of the colour so I had some ink left in my printer) but like the idea that you link what the parents tell you about their child to the every child matters outcomes. Also shows that you are taking on board what the parents say about their childs current stage of development.

Hope the link works.

http://www.southamptoncis.org/images/Guidance%20notes%20-%20final_tcm21-111587.pdf

I am happy to attach my version if anyone wants it although it is very similar to the original.

Cathy

That's really good, thanks for sharing.

[green puppy]

When the child first starts i get the parents to fill in an 'all about me' booklet. I also note lots of little observations from the first few weeks that the child attends, and anything that the parent happens to mention to me. All these things are the starting points and they go in the front of the learning journey. I use them to come up with some next steps and activity ideas.
I use a print out of all the development areas to mark off when a child 'achieves' each bit, this helps me to check we are covering a balance of all 6 areas and also to come up with activities that may help move them on to the next level. I suppose it is a chekclist, in effect, but it is for my reference more than anything else.

I do this aswell, and for every part marked off on the development matters grids I can back it up with an ob so it doesn't become a tick list, as said it's more of a quick look guide.

[funfunfun]

I also have an about me book ..........parents fill in when the child starts

However i have found parents often miss bits and dont know what to write etc .....ending up with a half filled in book :(

[jo f]

Thats brill thanks!!!

[Madame Gazelle]

Thanks to everyone that has replied in this thread, you've all given some great ideas and I'm really grateful, thank you.

Snufflepuff - I was thinking of doing the highlighting thing as that sounds quite easy and I think I'll just have to talk to Ofsted when they view the files and explain that it's not a dreaded check-list, it's just a way to highlight what has been observed.

Keeks - I agree with your post, such a lot seems to be said about how bad tick-lists are but I can't see how writing a bit essay saying 'they can do this, they can do that' is any different at all, it still says everything they can do and obviously anything not mentioned is what they can't do .... not rocket science really that it's all the same information irrespective of how you put it onto paper.

Jen - I like your idea of going through it with the parents every 3 months, I think I might try to do something like this from now too, thanks for the idea!

Cathyd - The link worked great, thank you, some food for thought there!

Following on from this I shall make a seperate thread about summative assessments so if any of you do summative assessments please take a look at it! :thumbsup: