This document discusses the importance of observation and documentation in early childhood education. It emphasizes moving away from traditional methods of observing children in isolation and comparing them to developmental norms, and instead focusing on observing children within relationships and social contexts to understand their interests and abilities. This allows educators to design child-initiated programs that respect each child's unique skills and knowledge and view children in a positive light. The document also stresses the importance of viewing one's role as supporting children's active learning and development rather than focusing on perceived deficits.

1. Play & Pedagogical Documentation

2. 28-Mar-11CHCPR14B CHCPR9C & CHCPR10CCHCPR14BObserve Children andInterpret ObservationsCHCPR9CDocument, Interpret andUse Information About ChildrenCHCPR10CDesign, Implement AndEvaluate Programs Of The Service

3. Looking, Seeing, Watching?

4. Looking, Seeing, Watching?

5. Looking, Seeing, Watching?

10. Looking, Seeing, Watching?What does observing mean to you?What purpose does it serve?How well do you know the people or situations you have observed?28-Mar-11CHCPR14B CHCPR9C & CHCPR10C

11. Looking, Seeing, Watching?What are some of the difficulties that arise when observing?How might you overcome these?What can you do to assist, extend or resolve the situations you have observed?28-Mar-11CHCPR14B CHCPR9C & CHCPR10C

12. Looking, Seeing, Watching?Own observations of children are significant, valid and conciseInterpretations of behaviour, needs and interests are clearly linked to evidence in observationsThe intensity/detail of the observation is appropriate to the purpose and the contextInterpretations of observations demonstrate inclusive principles and understanding28-Mar-11CHCPR14B CHCPR9C & CHCPR10C

13. Child Initiated ProgrammingOne upon a time, in a land far, far away, there were people who lived in boxes. There were boxes of all different sizes and colours, and the people thought they were wonderful. What made it hard, however, were the children. They didn’t like the boxes. They didn’t want to live in them, and they cried when they were made to stay there. So they set about finding ways to climb out of their boxes…Elizabeth Dau; ‘Enhancing Children’s Development’28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation13

14. Child Initiated ProgrammingEducators responsibility Reliance and Comfort IdentityQuestionExploreRethink28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation14

15. Confucius‘To Hear is to forget To see is to remember To do is to understand’1960’s – Two important changesFocus from teacher to the childFocus from teaching to learning28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation15

16. TRADITIONALLY…much emphasis has been placed on the early childhood teacher knowing in advance what is to happen in the program Result: What is going to happen is seen as ‘the Program’ rather than what actually does happen28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation16

17. ‘To hear is to forget, To see is to remember To involve me is to understand’Marilyn FleerInvolving the child in experiences… offers new insights28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation17

18. A programA program in an early childhood setting is inanimate not active, energetic, or livelyUntil it is in the hands of the children and educatorsThen it becomes complex and dynamic, almost with a life of it’s own28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation18

19. A program should represent the learningA Program is the process of learningA series of actions, experiences and spontaneous incidental momentsLearning in the broadest sense; happening through interpersonal relationships, experiences and routinesLearning that happens; as children, educators and families interact with the environment and each other28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation19

20. What do we really want?The starting point for educators must be:What Do We Want For Children?To continue struggling to be free of the boxes or to have guided and meaningful opportunities to explore their world at their pace, linked to their interests along with supporting and progressing their current level of development28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation20

21. ‘Changing how we think about children and our work looks quite daunting, but it is really just a shift, in how we think rather than throwing away our ‘old’ knowledge and starting again.’Dau. E; ‘Enhancing Children’s Development’ 200428/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation21The challenge…

22. Traditional observations…We observe but do we understand?Traditionally observations were seen as a means of getting to know childrenTraditionally observations often focus on unimportant detail because it may fit into a developmental boxObservations tend to describe the child in isolation, as an individual, rather than as a person within a group28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation22

23. Or…Alternatively we can watch children with the intention of understanding what interests them and support them beyond the boxMoving away from traditional methods of observation enables us to see children working in a social setting and the complex interrelationships they have with other children and staff28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation23

24. Changing our terminology and perceptions Interactions…a way of looking at children as if they are ‘scientific curiosities’ with whom we ‘interact’ as part of our ‘work’ with them ToRelationships…asks us to see children as people, unique and valuable in their own right28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation24

25. RelationshipsA relationship is a living thingIt changes over timeIt can be improved or damaged, and requires ongoing care and attentionThis describes important aspects of our work not reflected in the term ‘interaction’28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation25

26. The whole childAs suggested previouslyTraditional methods of observation and recording, break the child up into a series of boxesThe names and numbers of these boxes variesThey range through physical, intellectual, emotional and social development Add to the mix creativity, language or communicationFragmenting children inhibits our ability to see children as a whole 28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation26

27. Child Initiated ProgrammingWhen we describe children in developmental boxes we compare them against ‘norms’ to decide on their ‘needs’The focus becomes how we will teach what we have decided the children ‘need’ to learn28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation27

28. The deficit model…This creates a negative viewChildren are described in terms of what they cannot do rather than…What they can do‘Norms’ are based on our knowledge of what most white, middle-class children do at a particular age28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation28

29. Doesn’t consider genderDoesn’t consider cultural differences even with in white middle-classDoesn’t account for huge variations in the times children learn particular skillsDoesn’t account for children sitting above or below the ‘norm’28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation29Limitations

30. Hhhmmmm?How do we resolve this conundrum? How do we work with those who sit outside the norm?28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation30

31. to view and act on our role differentlyShifting from deficits to abilities and interestsBy changing our view to focus on children’s interests and abilitieswe see them in a more positive wayWe see them as more actively involved in what happens28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation31We have a responsibility

32. Child Initiated ProgrammingWe are able to see children being involved in the construction of their own understandings of the worldWe respect the knowledge that children enter our worlds withIf we do all this we are in a far better position to help their learning through the program28/03/2011Play & Pedagogical Documentation32