Nursery World - How to document

The skill of the educator lies not only in knowing how to support children through their learning experiences, but also how to observe, document and interpret the learning process, and so become a more effective teacher as a result. Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage notes that effective teaching requires:

Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage notes that effective teaching requires:

* 'skilful and well-planned observations of children'

* 'assessing children's development and progress to serve several purposes.

Assessment opportunities may be identified in planning, or arise spontaneously'

* 'working with parents, who are vital partners in the assessment and planning process'

* 'identifying the next step in children's learning to plan how to help children make progress' (page 24).

Lots of time

Settings that fail to appreciate the importance of these assessment processes, seeing them as something 'airy fairy', fail to make available enough time for it. I hope that I have argued the case strongly enough for the value of documentation and justified the time that it needs.

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