wrong or right decision

[birkdale star]

Hi this is my first post and i'm sorry if i go on a bit.
I have only just registered and past pre registration without any problems.
I cannot begin to tell you how long i went over and over the six areas of learning,then to be told at the end of my ofsted visit, to forget it all because it was changing. i took it all in my stride. the problem is as im sure all you lovely childminders agree my head is now battered wit h all the paperwork, policies, risk assessments, downloads, 7 areas of learning and it goes on.all i would like to know is that it does get easier because at the moment i am sat here with documents all round me on the floor, on the table and i am in desperate need of a large glass of wine.I thought i had it all in order until i decided to do my first observation, im stillhere now from 10.00 this morning with no observation. anyone know were i can get observation sheets which cover the new areas of learning and how often are you meant to do observations.i have been so excited and worked really hard as probably you all have to get to were i am now with childminding, now im really starting to have my doubts. i fully understand the paperwork is required but does it get easier, and any hints on how to do a good observation. thank you so much. oh o.k i will give another smile .xx

[Pipsqueak]

YES YES YES

it does get easier - really it does.

you learn to do stuff and have systems that are applicable to you and your setting and what suits you. It takes time to find what works for you. The trick is to keep it simple and brief. you will juggle things around and discard stuff, bring it back again and so on until it fits for you

no you don't have to 'forget' the pre-eyfs stuff - its actually a good grounding for current eyfs.

do things in bite sized portions - don't overload yourself

have a look around the forum (use the search facilty) for downloads members have put on. have a look in the 'free resources' section at the top of the page too.
how often to do obs - well that depends on the child - sometimes you might get 2 in a week then go weeks without one for instance.

[cathtee]

Hi I totally agree with all that Pipsqueak has said and I would also like to add welcome to the forum, and enjoy that glass of wine later i will be joining you when i finish later

[mrs robbie williams]

it definitely does get easier - especially with this wonderful forum - if you get stuck just ask xxxx

[Ballette]

Welcome to this lovely forum. Keep chatting to us and you'll soon be able to view all the downloads from members as well as viewing the free resources

[silvermist]

Congrats on passing your registration, when I first started I thought Id bitten off way more than I could handle but with some careful planning and organization you will get there. It definately gets easier. Dont try and do everything at once. Sarah707 produces some amazing e-books which she sells so look out for her. Everyone on here always has advice for you so if you get stuck just ask. You'll love it on here, Ive made lots of lovely cyber friends and am sure you will too.

[blue bear]

In the free downloads Sarah has donated a play planner and observation form, I use the observation form for my lj's it's really well set put and easy to use.
It gets easier as you find your own style of doing things honest.

[Twinkles]

You're very welcome to use mine.

[lisa1968]

I use large post it notes-and sometimes take a photo to add-and just write a very brief observation,add whichever area of learning it covers then add next steps at the bottom.Thats it!
For example-one I did today;

Ben (aged 2 years) pointed at his bag and said " Ba "
I said "yes it's a bag.Who's bag is it?"
Ben pointed to his chest and said " Ma" ("mine")
I added the Areas Of Learning (AOL) from the development matters-PSED & CL-then put his next steps as 'encouraging Ben to join 2 words together'

....and thats it.You don't have to write loads as long as you cover the main points.
I then stick the post it on a sheet of A4 paper and,if I took a photo,add that when i get it printed.

I have learnt from experience that,with a lot of the paperwork,you dont have to write loads,just keep it brief cos it means the same thing!

[Tealady]

The paperwork does get easier. You will get into your stride and find out what works for you.

This forum is great, loads of ideas, tips & advice. It's great the way other CM's share "best practise".... However, when I first started it was helpful, I took lots on board but then I got rather overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things some CM's do, how much they document, what they document. In the end I "retired" for a bit and then came back once I'd been working for a while.

Start with the basics, and on a small scale. Just think if Ofsted knocked the door tomorrow can I prove that I am doing what is legally required. Then once you are happy with that, develop it. How can you show that you are exceeding the minimum.

I got Satisfactory at my first graded inspection. EYFS had been in for one month and I'd only been registered and working for three. I recently had a support visit from my LA (the lady was a Childminder herself, before) and she was really impressed with what I am doing. I'm just learning and evolving all the time. Alot is down to this forum. I still get stuck from time to time but you can always get a lot of support and a quick answer here.

[elaineg]

Have a look at Sarah e books, I would not buy anything else she is geat x

[The Juggler]

i think the key is do the essentials first, policies key risk assessments, permission forms and such.

Then, have a look at different obs and planning forms then pinch the bits you like to make your own.

keep it simple. observe, decide what your going to do next and that's your planning - sorted !

and agree with Pip it does get easier.

[miffy]

You're very welcome to use mine.

That's lovely Twinks, thanks for sharing

Miffy xx

[bunyip]

Yes, it definitely does get easier. Just understand the requirements then think about how this fit into your practice.

I tend to do the 'planning' largely back-to-front. ie. Give the children lots of varied and interesting play opportunities, then use observations to highlight where the EYFS development aspects fit in. If you find this looks a little unbalanced (eg. not enough 'creative' play) then work a little more of that in. I don't so much 'plan and teach' as 'put learning opportunities in their way', and the lo's do the rest. They are children: they play, they learn - it's their 'job'.

At the end of the day, no matter how the EYFS development stuff is worded, a child is a child. EYFS would have us believe that a child's mind could be broken down into 6 components in August, but now 7 components since September. They then stress how 'interconnected' everything is. Well, er, yes: if you pull something to pieces, then it's hardly surprising to find that all the pieces are really meant to go back together to make a whole, is it...?

One of my most invaluable tools is a big desk diary, cos I forget stuff so easily. I write in all the routine paperwork, etc. on the day it needs to be done. This reminds me and allows me to spread essential jobs over time, so I'm never having to do a lot all on the same day. eg. smoke alarm tests, first aid box checks, review risk assessment, remember to book training renewal, etc. Also, this provides you with an immediate record at inspection to prove you are thorough, organised, and reflective.

[sophia36]

I use the obeservation stickers from essentials4early years. You really only need to write a sentence or 2. i.e x was threading the beads and picked up 2 blue beads and said '2 blue,look 2 blue!' this would cover mathmatics-numbers age bracket 22-36 months. next steps could be sorting the beads into colour groups. counting the beads etc.

these obs only take a minute or two to jot down. I would aim to do one of these every couple of weeks and i also pop in the odd photo, drawing or bit of craft they have done. This soon builds up into a lovely record of their time at my house. The most important thing to remember is keep it simple. On an EYFS course i recently attended the message given was keep it brief and informative.

I hope this helps

[Fionacvv]

Hi there I'm new to this forum and after reading all your comments, I feel a little more at ease the paperwork side of childminding. I have my first mindee starting soon but he is only 12mths old, what kind of observations could I do for him.

[bunyip]

Hi there I'm new to this forum and after reading all your comments, I feel a little more at ease the paperwork side of childminding. I have my first mindee starting soon but he is only 12mths old, what kind of observations could I do for him.

Hi Fiona,

Hard to be specific without an example in mind, but here are a few pointers. Use the EYFS Development Matters as guidance, supported with a simple up to date book on child development. A good one is 'Child Development - an illustrated guide' by Caroline Meggitt: it has a nice, clear layout and includes a DVD of examples.

Observe a variety of everyday activites and 'planned' activities. Everyday activities are things the child does normally and spontaneously, such as feeding, how s/he gets around, responds to you, etc. 'Planned' activities don't have to be complicated: just how s/he plays with toys you get out for him/her, response to things when you go out for a walk, etc.

Link what you see back to the EYFS Development Matters, particularly the 'prime areas' of learning: PSE, physical, communication & language. You'll also notice some aspects of the 'specific' areas, but the prime areas will probably be demonstrated more at 12 months. Write down your observations in a learning journal: what the child does and what it 'means' in terms of links to EYFS development. NCMA sell EYFS stickers so you can show the relevant aspects with each observation, and this makes it easy to quickly glance through the learning journal and make sure you're covering the whole range of development aspects. Include a photo (Ofsted love this) and 'next steps', which can be more of the same, or just taking an activity that little bit further next time to stretch the child's abilities. Also note which of the 'characteristics of effective learning' the child displays in each activity.

This doesn't have to be hugely time-consuming. I'll generally make one observation note per child, per day, on average - and not always that much. Some days I make a couple of obs, other days none at all. Only 2-3 sentences per observation. Over time, the aggregate of information from these observations will show how the child is progressing, and their interests. You can share and discuss this with the parents and other settings (with mum and dad's permission) and make sure you're offering a balanced range of activities.

Hopefully this will be sufficient to get you started. As you progress, you'll find there are a whole range of ways to do observations. You can experiment with different methods later, and see what works for you. These are usually described in any of the course workbooks for CACHE3 or level 3 diploma qualifications, which are stocked by most main city libraries. But don't worry about this for now.

All the best.

[migimoo]

I tend to do the 'planning' largely back-to-front. ie. Give the children lots of varied and interesting play opportunities, then use observations to highlight where the EYFS development aspects fit in. If you find this looks a little unbalanced (eg. not enough 'creative' play) then work a little more of that in. I don't so much 'plan and teach' as 'put learning opportunities in their way', and the lo's do the rest. They are children: they play, they learn - it's their 'job'

This is what i do!!! SO happy to see someone else does this too as i'm quite new and still trying stuff out-this just shows that everyone works differently and it's whatever works for you personally,we're out and about every day so I found 'planned' obs hard to fit in but there's no need a lot of the time.

[Samcat]

One of my most invaluable tools is a big desk diary, cos I forget stuff so easily. I write in all the routine paperwork, etc. on the day it needs to be done. This reminds me and allows me to spread essential jobs over time, so I'm never having to do a lot all on the same day. eg. smoke alarm tests, first aid box checks, review risk assessment, remember to book training renewal, etc. Also, this provides you with an immediate record at inspection to prove you are thorough, organised, and reflective.

What a good idea! I'm going to 'borrow' this one, if you don't mind

[Lana10]

Do you have a local childminder drop in ? Here we don't have any cm co ordinations anymore,but we can still use the room for drop in session.I found this really helpful.