Online learning journeys are a great way to get parents involved in their child’s learning which Ofsted like. Busy parents can get the photo and comment in the moment and comment back or send in a photo which then can get shared with the child and their friends which is then recorded as more evidence and sent back to parents. What I find is that online learning journeys are not great for assessments as often the photo has a group of children involved in an activity from 2-4 years. I can go into each child and select a statement from the correct band for each child but that is time-consuming and development matters was never meant to be used as a tick list so I find it is best just to use the characteristic of effective learning and the Leaven scales of involvement.
I can see it from both sides I’m a practitioner and a few parent yes it takes less time on a tablet and send it to parents less time and more time with the children but you don’t get the book at the end where all you children key workers have taken time and love to put together making it personal to your child is received my sons last week and loved looking at it my younger children won’t have that as it’s all on line I love doing learning journey and is a beautiful keepsake of there special relationship with both staff and children xx
You should have a look at Anna Ephgrave. She foolows a Reggio Emilia based practise. Admittedly she is a teacher in the Foundation Stage in a school but she is OFSTED rated outstanding. The principal is that you follow 3 focus children per week. You fill in a learning journey sheet for each of these children that covers all areas of learning. This done 3 times a year for each child is enough evidence of progression for OFSTED and then your lj books contain only WOW moments. Saves a huge amount of time and we’ll worth her consultancy fee.
I’m. A childminder and all paperwork has to be done in my own time once the children have gone home. I work a fifty hour week . And then have to take extra time away from my own family to keep the paperwork up straight.
Still trying to sort out c a work life balance đ
At my nursery we do far too much paperwork. Paperwork is always expected but we don’t have any time to do it so we’re always feeling pressured. We have to include a picture observation long observation with next steps and 8 small observations all linked to the eyfs. Plus all the characteristics on each plus monthly pictures. It’s ridiculous especially when you have a number of key children and have to do deep cleans all the time when we should be with the children. something needs to be changed surely!
Haha I am in my own time past 7pm reading this and updating my cpd file, there is no shortcut, at my last inspection everything was looked at including diaries, observations etc the inspector expected it, but she was also very interested in how we interacted with children and how well they knew us as their carers and vice versa, but our paperwork was still looked out. Until ofsted set down regulations to all inspectors and only give them what they should see we shall all cluck around and do this and that. I hate all the paperwork I think all is unnecessary children come to play and learn as they play they all hit their milestones at some stage but in their own time – which makes them unique!!!! Yep you guessed it I will be still be doing some sort of paperwork tonight – and as yet again unpaid.
the paperwork is the reason i can no longer work in childcare! i am good with children and always have been but the paperwork and the ammount of paperwork was to much pressure for me… that paperwork caused me to like basically become depressed and anxious leading me to be signed off from work….
I have always known that learning journeys are not an Ofsted requirement but many many settings have taken up the idea and ran with it, so much so that now it is almost expected that a child’s progress is evidenced this way, and not just by parents.
Learming journeys are essential. However essential and necessary are too different things for those working and learning in an enviroment that is very pressured structured and regimented is an unnatural enviroment for children and practitioners. This can created a false enviroment and STOP the natural flow of children learning and practittioners naturally developing this. Freedom for children and practitioners supports spontaneous play This IS essential for children to learn through Scaffolding play also. What is the childrens best interests and WHAT do they want to do at the start of each day. Are they given a choice? Stopping practitioners doing these things stops the natural development of childrens learning.
I prefer to spend my time with the children while they are learning either as a participant or as an observer. I can give verbal stories to each parent at pick up about something their child did that day if they have the time to listen. Some parents do and some parents don’t. My center does want learning story/journals done as well. So if course this means homework for me! Just part of the job even if it is an unpaid part. Haha!
I qualified as a nursery nurse in 2008 and after working in various settings at christmas last year i left my job to start a new career as i could not cope any more with the amount of paper work that was expected. I had no time to spend with the children and that is not the reason i became a nursery nurse. I understand observations are important but the amount of paper work that is expected/required now is stupid. Like it says in this artical giving children the opportunities at early age to learn and explore new things is a vital progress of there development. Something needs to be done before nursery practitioners start having mental brake downs from stress and worries.
You learn so much more by playing with the children than sitting writing continously.. a good practitioners should be able to note and write after. Totally agree with above and never realised the learning journey IS NOT an Ofsted requirement.
Learning journeys can be time consuming depending on how they are done. My children’s learning journeys are not neat and tidy but in fact another piece of their play. The children in my group take a sense of pride in their folders and love to show their friends, parents and visiting professionals all the things inside. I have 20 key children in my group and each one puts their own evidence into their folders with me beside them, this is simply another part of their play and some time that can be spent 1:1 or in small groups.
I agree with you Mandy, learning stories/journey or documentation can be part of their learning. Reggio Emilia approach to documentation demonstrates this very well. I also agree that showing groups of children’s learning stories on displays is a wonderful way to celebrate their learning and show others.
My other half spends his own time ( that he could be spending with his own children) completing learning journeys as well as time in the nursery (when they actually have a ratio that will allow it) to complete these documents which the majority of parents arent fussed about seeing and quite often dont actually change the outcomes of how the children develop anyway. They would benefit much more from being able to learn explore create and be inspired from just being children playing with and along side other children and being cared for as an adult at home would. The pre school learning journeys are much more detailed than anything in reception anyway. Plus they dont ask to see them anyway! The education system in this country completely contradicts itself and fails to accept that children are NATURALLY enquisitive, eager to learn, and able to absorb and remember relevant information twice as well as any adult!! Its the time, love, patience and understanding to become confident and feel secure that they need from caregivers. Not a tick box and planning that by the end of the week they should be able to tie their shoe lace or recite numbers 1-10. How uninspiring is that!!!
I totally agree with this article, and I’m sure many parents would prefer practitioners to spend more time with their child to help them learn new skills and gain a better understanding of there environment etc. Far too much time is spent on learning journals and many staff do feel pressured and get stressed over paperwork. It should definatly be made easier for all staff working in childcare.
Finally I totally agree with this ! Learning journey causes so much stress with the expectations and standards and when you have don’t have time to complete it it gets on top of you my time should be spent with the children engaging and extending their learning not worrying if the observations match up in the journal
I totally agree with quality time with children being taken away due to paper work. As a manager of a day nursery things have got more difficult to manage whilst trying to maintain ratios and staff needing time to complete children’s learning journals.
I fill in a pacey learning journal with an observation takes me 2 minutes then I print out photos every 3 months and put them in a photo album for parents to see with a little caption saying what they are doing .
My setting have started to use the electric form to do children’s learning journeys and I totally agree with this artical that to much time is wasted on this and not interacting more with the children, I have given roughly ten hours of my own time to do learning journeys as there isn’t enough time to do it in my working hours.
Online learning journeys are a great way to get parents involved in their child’s learning which Ofsted like. Busy parents can get the photo and comment in the moment and comment back or send in a photo which then can get shared with the child and their friends which is then recorded as more evidence and sent back to parents. What I find is that online learning journeys are not great for assessments as often the photo has a group of children involved in an activity from 2-4 years. I can go into each child and select a statement from the correct band for each child but that is time-consuming and development matters was never meant to be used as a tick list so I find it is best just to use the characteristic of effective learning and the Leaven scales of involvement.
What type of electronic Learning Journey documentation do you use.
Do they cost or is there free software.
I can see it from both sides I’m a practitioner and a few parent yes it takes less time on a tablet and send it to parents less time and more time with the children but you don’t get the book at the end where all you children key workers have taken time and love to put together making it personal to your child is received my sons last week and loved looking at it my younger children won’t have that as it’s all on line I love doing learning journey and is a beautiful keepsake of there special relationship with both staff and children xx
Yes x
Key person not worker
You should have a look at Anna Ephgrave. She foolows a Reggio Emilia based practise. Admittedly she is a teacher in the Foundation Stage in a school but she is OFSTED rated outstanding. The principal is that you follow 3 focus children per week. You fill in a learning journey sheet for each of these children that covers all areas of learning. This done 3 times a year for each child is enough evidence of progression for OFSTED and then your lj books contain only WOW moments. Saves a huge amount of time and we’ll worth her consultancy fee.
That’s what we do now….paperwork very manageable now
I’m. A childminder and all paperwork has to be done in my own time once the children have gone home. I work a fifty hour week . And then have to take extra time away from my own family to keep the paperwork up straight.
Still trying to sort out c a work life balance đ
At my nursery we do far too much paperwork. Paperwork is always expected but we don’t have any time to do it so we’re always feeling pressured. We have to include a picture observation long observation with next steps and 8 small observations all linked to the eyfs. Plus all the characteristics on each plus monthly pictures. It’s ridiculous especially when you have a number of key children and have to do deep cleans all the time when we should be with the children. something needs to be changed surely!
Haha I am in my own time past 7pm reading this and updating my cpd file, there is no shortcut, at my last inspection everything was looked at including diaries, observations etc the inspector expected it, but she was also very interested in how we interacted with children and how well they knew us as their carers and vice versa, but our paperwork was still looked out. Until ofsted set down regulations to all inspectors and only give them what they should see we shall all cluck around and do this and that. I hate all the paperwork I think all is unnecessary children come to play and learn as they play they all hit their milestones at some stage but in their own time – which makes them unique!!!! Yep you guessed it I will be still be doing some sort of paperwork tonight – and as yet again unpaid.
the paperwork is the reason i can no longer work in childcare! i am good with children and always have been but the paperwork and the ammount of paperwork was to much pressure for me… that paperwork caused me to like basically become depressed and anxious leading me to be signed off from work….
I have always known that learning journeys are not an Ofsted requirement but many many settings have taken up the idea and ran with it, so much so that now it is almost expected that a child’s progress is evidenced this way, and not just by parents.
Learming journeys are essential. However essential and necessary are too different things for those working and learning in an enviroment that is very pressured structured and regimented is an unnatural enviroment for children and practitioners. This can created a false enviroment and STOP the natural flow of children learning and practittioners naturally developing this. Freedom for children and practitioners supports spontaneous play This IS essential for children to learn through Scaffolding play also. What is the childrens best interests and WHAT do they want to do at the start of each day. Are they given a choice? Stopping practitioners doing these things stops the natural development of childrens learning.
I prefer to spend my time with the children while they are learning either as a participant or as an observer. I can give verbal stories to each parent at pick up about something their child did that day if they have the time to listen. Some parents do and some parents don’t. My center does want learning story/journals done as well. So if course this means homework for me! Just part of the job even if it is an unpaid part. Haha!
I qualified as a nursery nurse in 2008 and after working in various settings at christmas last year i left my job to start a new career as i could not cope any more with the amount of paper work that was expected. I had no time to spend with the children and that is not the reason i became a nursery nurse. I understand observations are important but the amount of paper work that is expected/required now is stupid. Like it says in this artical giving children the opportunities at early age to learn and explore new things is a vital progress of there development. Something needs to be done before nursery practitioners start having mental brake downs from stress and worries.
You learn so much more by playing with the children than sitting writing continously.. a good practitioners should be able to note and write after. Totally agree with above and never realised the learning journey IS NOT an Ofsted requirement.
Learning journeys can be time consuming depending on how they are done. My children’s learning journeys are not neat and tidy but in fact another piece of their play. The children in my group take a sense of pride in their folders and love to show their friends, parents and visiting professionals all the things inside. I have 20 key children in my group and each one puts their own evidence into their folders with me beside them, this is simply another part of their play and some time that can be spent 1:1 or in small groups.
I agree with you Mandy, learning stories/journey or documentation can be part of their learning. Reggio Emilia approach to documentation demonstrates this very well. I also agree that showing groups of children’s learning stories on displays is a wonderful way to celebrate their learning and show others.
My other half spends his own time ( that he could be spending with his own children) completing learning journeys as well as time in the nursery (when they actually have a ratio that will allow it) to complete these documents which the majority of parents arent fussed about seeing and quite often dont actually change the outcomes of how the children develop anyway. They would benefit much more from being able to learn explore create and be inspired from just being children playing with and along side other children and being cared for as an adult at home would. The pre school learning journeys are much more detailed than anything in reception anyway. Plus they dont ask to see them anyway! The education system in this country completely contradicts itself and fails to accept that children are NATURALLY enquisitive, eager to learn, and able to absorb and remember relevant information twice as well as any adult!! Its the time, love, patience and understanding to become confident and feel secure that they need from caregivers. Not a tick box and planning that by the end of the week they should be able to tie their shoe lace or recite numbers 1-10. How uninspiring is that!!!
I totally agree with this article, and I’m sure many parents would prefer practitioners to spend more time with their child to help them learn new skills and gain a better understanding of there environment etc. Far too much time is spent on learning journals and many staff do feel pressured and get stressed over paperwork. It should definatly be made easier for all staff working in childcare.
Finally I totally agree with this ! Learning journey causes so much stress with the expectations and standards and when you have don’t have time to complete it it gets on top of you my time should be spent with the children engaging and extending their learning not worrying if the observations match up in the journal
I totally agree with quality time with children being taken away due to paper work. As a manager of a day nursery things have got more difficult to manage whilst trying to maintain ratios and staff needing time to complete children’s learning journals.
I fill in a pacey learning journal with an observation takes me 2 minutes then I print out photos every 3 months and put them in a photo album for parents to see with a little caption saying what they are doing .
My setting have started to use the electric form to do children’s learning journeys and I totally agree with this artical that to much time is wasted on this and not interacting more with the children, I have given roughly ten hours of my own time to do learning journeys as there isn’t enough time to do it in my working hours.
I agree too. We use electronic devices to log all info needed. So much can be missed if logging everything.