Nursery World - In the know

The documentation carried out by early years practitioners has been undergoing a redefinition as it is used as a tool for understanding young children's learning Terms such as 'assessment', 'observation', 'evaluation', 'teaching' and 'learning' are so embedded in early years 'speak' that we take them for granted. Yet they are words that are interpreted and understood by early years practitioners in many ways. The same is true of 'documentation'. So establishing a clear meaning of this word and its place in early years practice is central to this guide.

Terms such as 'assessment', 'observation', 'evaluation', 'teaching' and 'learning' are so embedded in early years 'speak' that we take them for granted. Yet they are words that are interpreted and understood by early years practitioners in many ways. The same is true of 'documentation'. So establishing a clear meaning of this word and its place in early years practice is central to this guide.

At its heart, 'documentation' is about the strong reciprocal relationship between teaching and learning. The aim of documentation is to understand children better so that we become more effective at teaching, which in turn leads to children learning more effectively.

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