Contents |
Introduction | 4 |
1. Observation, assessment, documentation | 6 |
Observation begins with listening | 6 |
Why observations matter | 8 |
Observation methods | 10 |
Documentation | 17 |
Assessment | 18 |
Disrupting the myths | 22 |
Reflective questions | 22 |
2. Theories and perspectives | 23 |
The planning cycle informs our practice | 23 |
Theories and perspectives within the frameworks | 26 |
Reggio Emilia educational project | 30 |
Projects that emphasise the child's ideas | 31 |
Importance of philosophical values from play-based perspectives | 32 |
play-based perspectives | 32 |
Disrupting the myths | 32 |
Reflective questions | 32 |
3. Regulations and curriculum frameworks | 33 |
Regulatory requirements | 33 |
The Early Years Learning Framework | 33 |
Current policies in Australia | 34 |
Current policies in New Zealand | 35 |
Disrupting the myths | 36 |
Reflective questions | 36 |
4. The role of the educator | 37 |
Establishing relationships with children | 37 |
Being a reflective educator | 38 |
Everyday routines as rich learning opportunities for documenting | 40 |
Planning that supports holistic learning and development for documenting | 41 |
The role of the educational leader | 43 |
Disrupting the myths | 44 |
Reflective questions | 44 |
5. Collaborative partnerships | 45 |
Beyond participation to partnerships | 45 |
Engaging parents in conversation | 45 |
Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic | 46 |
A transforming approach to partnerships | 47 |
Consulting with children | 48 |
Agreement or rules? | 52 |
Collaborating as teams | 57 |
Collaborating with other professionals | 58 |
Disrupting the myths | 58 |
Reflective questions | 58 |
6. Planning outside the box | 59 |
Moving beyond templates | 59 |
Fixed displays or living displays? | 60 |
Disrupting the myths | 64 |
Reflective questions | 64 |
7. Communicating the learning | 65 |
Documenting with an audience in mind | 65 |
An environment for documenting with children | 65 |
Ethics and consent | 67 |
Communicating the learning to parents | 67 |
Snapshots of children's learning | 67 |
Professionalism and documentation | 68 |
Disrupting the myths | 70 |
Reflective questions | 70 |
8. Educators as activists and researchers | 71 |
Using an inquiry approach | 71 |
Educators as researchers | 74 |
Educators as activists | 75 |
Pedagogical documentation as a risky business | 76 |
Documenting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives | 76 |
Disrupting the myths | 76 |
Reflective questions | 76 |
9. Leading change | 77 |
Pedagogical leadership and documentation | 77 |
Effective communication | 78 |
Reflecting on common challenges | 78 |
Strategies for leading change with documentation | 79 |
Disrupting the myths | 80 |
Reflective questions | 80 |
Conclusion | 81 |
References and resources | 82 |
Appendix 1: The planning cycle informs practice | 86 |
Appendix 2: Learning story framework | 90 |
Appendix 3: Parent questionnaire | 91 |
Appendix 4: Parent feedback form | 92 |
Appendix 5: All about me template | 93 |
Appendix 6: Key words to document learning | 94 |
Appendix 7: Emotional intelligence | 96 |