Observations on kids; how to do it??

[mindermummy]

Can anyone give me some examples of how they do there observatins with some examples please, not sure how to do it and want to start before the EYFS, comes in.
thanks

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I'm not sure how to do it, or how Ofsted want it done, but I have a diary for each child and write a little in there every day if needed, or at least once a week, about what we've done and anything new, etc, then let the parents have it at the weekend. But not sure if this is right and cannot get onto the 2nd part of the EYFS course!

what did the Eyfs first bit of course tell you then??(if you have done that already?!)

I just wanted to see someones rough thing they write to get an idea.

Thanks for responding.

Hi ive recently been on the full course and they gave us paper examples. ie. choose an activity that covers all headings like knowledge understanding of the world, creative development, problem solving etc and take a photograph of the child doing the task and write what the children were doing, then they had another section of how you 'moved the child on' or for a better word,extended play and photographed that. They kept on about 'moving the children on'. That is really what Ofsted are looking for so they know the children are developing. Hope this makes some kind of sense....

The first bit of the EYFS just went through what was in the pack really. Nothing much more.

So basically, we have to plan each activity, write all this down and what it covers, take photos of each child doing the activity and write down what each child did through the activity??

Whatever happened to looking after the children, making sure they were happy and safe and having fun!!

I would like to know what chel86 asked too...Is that what we have to do then??

Would still love to see some examples if anyone can email some or wrte them on here.
thank you.x

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Watching this thread with interest....

what happens if you don't do observations - coz i think you just get a satisfactory grade - which is what i have anyway . . . .
so maybe i won't bother and carry on as i am! playing and having fun.

I use post it notes asda sell packs in 4 different colours use one colour per child I just observe small items on them aim for 3-4 a day per child e.g. "Jamie showed me the blue car" link it in to a tracker system based on framework which helps to highlight gaps, add onto plan any gaps into my planning for next week for planning use one area of eyfs per day e.g. Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy and choose one area from that to base activity round had ofsted out last month and they happy with that

so you actually pick an area to do the planning on??? If that makes sence!!

I thought you had to just observe them natually doing things? Or do you initiate the area and then see what they do???

Not sure how to actually record them yet but one thing made perfectly clear on our course is that we WON'T need to plan things. They said this is where nurseries etc. will find it hard as they are used to planning. We were also told that we don't have to do a certain number of obs or anything, just record things that you happen to observe that are worth noting down and then move it along by providing the equipment/setting the scene to expand on that.

Do you have to do this on your own children as well?? Only have afterschools at the moment, as have a under 5 vacancy, and have 4 of my own children (10,8,3 & 8mth).

so for example my children are doing cutting and sticking.
is this roughly whatb you would write.

Jonny picked up the magazine with balamory on and picked up the scissors and with his right hand cut out a charcter.
"its josie jump" he said.
He looks at the other children, sophie and Greg and they have some old greating cards they are cutting.
He asks Greg to "please pass the glue greg"

Greg passes the glue.

Jonny takes the lid off and pushes the glue onto the paper.
He then sticks on the josie jump onto his plain paper.

This roughly the kid of thing?????
And then how would you add in EYFS???

Personally, I would cut it right down (am secondary teacher hoping to CM in future. don't know EY curriculum yet so am guessing on what you are 'looking for') BUT using example above

---
Jonny:
evidence of co-ordination - used scissors and glue to choose a character from magazine (Josie Jump!) and stick on plain paper.
evidence of social skills - asked Greg to pass the glue using 'please'.
-

Think about who the observation is for and why you are writing it (iykwim).

Umlellala is totally right. It's about very quick observations and how you can expand on that. For example.....'mindee fastened own coat buttons' and maybe could then get doll with different clothes/shoes and see if they would like to practice tying shoe laces, fastening buckles etc. A quick post it note is fine and stick in folder I have been told (or could do that and write properly later).

fab, thanks for advice.
Starting to get the gist of it now!!!

Thanks for all this advice! Now I am beginning to understand! So basically if I had a folder for each child with a page for each of the headings, then I can quickly stick a post-it on that page.

Does anyone know if this has to be done for own kids as well?

I wouldn't have thought so (for own kids), but it might be a nice record to look back on

So as chel86 asked is that the best way to do it;
ie having a page for each heading and doing it that way.(or is that too "arranged).
Or write each heading it involves, after ach activity has been done.??????

Minder mummy you can just use short bursts for most observations and stick to six areas of learning:
Personal Social & Emotional (PSED)
Communication Language & Literacy (CLL)
Problem Solving, Reasoning & Numeracy (PSRN)
Knowledge & Understanding of the world (KUW)
Physical Development (PD)
Creative Development (CD)
Jonny used his right hand to cut out a charcter. (CD or PD)

Jonny said "its josie jump" (CLL)

Johnny said to greg "please pass the glue greg" (PSED or CLL)

Not complulsory for your own children but seen as good practise unless accreddited in which case to draw funding for your own child you would need to document same as any child