“Infants and toddlers respond well to
responsive caregivers who can read their cues and appreciate their
stages of development. If educators observe and interpret carefully,
they will be able to provide more appropriate responses than if they
were to design activities before such individual observation...
Responsiveness is the heart of the educator’s role. If the process
of becoming more responsive is the intention of the educator,
observation skills need to be practiced and finely tuned.” Gonzalez-Mena, 2007.
I must admit I've been a bit slow to warm to the Pedagogical Narrations (Learning Stories) endorsed by the BC Ministry of Education's Framework for Early Learning. www.bced.gov.bc.ca/early_learning/pdfs/from_theory_to_practice.pdf At first glance they seem overwhelming to implement in a classroom - they are detailed documentations of an 'ordinary moment' in the classroom which the teacher writes, shares, assesses and uses to direct planning for an individual child.
After some trial and error I have found a way to use Learning Stories in my family daycare and have grown to love them.
- I write a story for each child once per month and place is as the cover page for their daily communication binder.
- While I take many photos during the week to email the families, I find it helpful to photograph the learning story with intention. I take a number of photos of the ordinary moment then put the camera down and write a running record observation. I find the observation notes key to enriching the story, adding quotations, context, facial expressions etc.
- I write the story from the child's perspective; "I am so excited to be painting today..." This helps the story come across with warmth and love, and reads less like a developmental assessment; "John reaches to grasp the block with a radial palmar grasp..."
- While I don't write the story with a developmental tone, I do analyze the story to provide appropriate responses and then design activities .
- I then include a "Possibilities and Opportunities" section and highlight some planning ideas to reinforce the child's interests and needs.
Joyfully yours,
Caz.
SAMPLE (20 mos old child)
PHOTO
“Bang, bang, bang”
the slide is noisy when I hit it. I play a rhythm on the slide and
then look-up smiling at everyone. “You're making music.” I
wonder if my friends would like to join me? I laugh out loud and
they laugh back. Lisa comes over to the slide and I show her how to
make the noise. She gives it a try and we both smile at each other.
In no time at all we create a Symphony in the Park before running off
to climb the steps and slide down our music maker.
Opportunities and Possibilities:
- Encourage cooperative play with friends to enhance these joint activities.
- Active play outside encouraging creative uses for routine materials.
- Providing opportunities to extend her interest in rhythm and music with instruments and singing.
- Offering new books which highlight rhythm patterns and melodies.
