In early childhood education, documentation refers to the process of collecting, recording, and interpreting information about children's learning and development. It typically includes observations, notes, photographs, videos, samples of children's work, and other records that showcase what children are doing, saying, and creating in the learning environment. Documentation helps early childhood professionals understand a child's development, interests, and learning styles. Documentation enables teachers to reflect on their teaching strategies and the effectiveness of their curriculum. Documentation communicates with families, caregivers, and other professionals about a child's progress. Documentation supports formative assessment and individualized planning. Documentation informs future activities and educational goals based on children's needs and interests. And finally, documentation honors and makes children's achievements and experiences visible.
Knowing What to Document
One of the biggest challenges facing early childhood educators is the efficient use of time and the need to document what is significant. What do you document? How do you know what is significant? You cannot possibly document everything, and it tends to become meaningless if this occurs. Educators need to select the important moments. You can’t write in detail about every child, and you can’t do it every day! However, over time, you can gather pictures and stories about all the children to gain a deeper understanding of who they are.
Educators are keen observers. They notice not only what children are doing, but also how they play and what they say during play. This puts them in a strong position to develop a program based on their observations.
When trying to determine when and how to document, ask yourself:
Why am I recording this? What is meaningful/significant?
What is the learning occurring?
How can we extend on this?
How does it link to the outcomes we are measuring?[2]
Purposes of Documentation
Documentation serves different purposes at different times. The criteria for what qualifies as quality documentation depend on the context in which it is used. What seems to remain constant is that quality documentation focuses on some aspect of learning, not just ‘what we did.’ It prompts questions and promotes conversations among children and adults that deepen and extend learning.
There are three good reasons to document observations in early care and education programs:
to inform program planning
to deepen our understanding of the children
to make learning visible, and share it with others.[3]
To Inform Curriculum Planning
Documentation makes children’s and educators’ thinking visible. It allows them to revisit it, reflect, uncover meaning, and plan future directions. Program direction often comes from a simple moment spent in conversation or play with a child—a moment that makes us pause and reflect.
The Power of Ordinary Moments
Ordinary moments are the pages in the child’s diary for the day. If we could resist our temptation to record only the grand moments, we might find the authentic child living in the in-between. If we could resist our temptation to put the children on a stage, we might find the real work being done in the wings. If we understood the great value in the ordinary moments, we might be less inclined to have a marvelous finale for a long-term project. We appeal to educators everywhere to find the marvel in the mundane and the power of the ordinary moment![4]
(Forman, Hall & Berglund, 2001, p.52-3)
Before documenting, ask yourself: Why am I documenting this? How is this significant? If there is no worthwhile reason, there may not be good reasons for recording.
There are different ways in which observations can be recorded, such as:
note pads carried around by individuals
sticky notes, which may be gathered over a period of time and used for reflection
clipboards
group journals/communication books
photos
video recordings
voice recordings
poster/spreadsheet
All educators can record the documentation taken for program planning in one place, or it can be recorded individually (such as in notebooks) and brought together with the group during discussion.
Notes need to act as a visual reminder to stimulate thought and plans for planning.[5]
Think of yourself in the classroom with young children. What would you like to document? Why? What methods do you think would be most effective in capturing these?
Reflective Thinking and Discussion to Deepen Our Understanding of the Children
Jotting down observations for later discussion helps educators reflect and analyze, particularly those who are new or inexperienced, which can lead to a deeper understanding for educators in the setting.
These observations may be recorded in various ways, such as quick summaries on sticky notes, captioned photographs, or entries in child portfolios. What is important, however, is that the learning has been made visible, and educators can share knowledge about this, question it, and extend it further. True collaborative planning can occur when educators share recorded observations. Once again, there are various ways to undertake this, but group discussion during meeting time is an ideal way to promote a deeper understanding and shared wisdom.
Encourage all educators in your setting to question why children’s play is significant. The thinking is more complex and needs to go beyond just thinking ‘they are playing in the dramatic play center again’. Ask yourself why the children are choosing particular role-playing scenarios. What inspired it? Who is involved? Does it reflect an event or experience in a child’s life that they choose to act out in play? Is someone trying to work through some emotions? Are they undertaking family life lessons at school? What meaning are they getting from it? What misinterpretations are there? How can I assist their learning in this area? How can we build on this learning?
Figure 17.4: How might this family child care provider answer the questions just posed?[8]
Curtis and Carter (2008) suggest examining children’s play from three angles:
The child’s story (Why are they playing this? What fascinates them? What is their previous experience? How can I encourage them to show more?)
The learning story
The educator’s story (What excites you? What are you curious about? How can you learn more?)
During training, many educators have been encouraged to consider learning and developmental aspects; however, to engage in deeper thinking, it is essential to consider all three perspectives.[9]
Making Learning Visible and Sharing it With Others
Educators may make some documentation visible to showcase the learning that has occurred and to find ways to connect with others. When you document a child’s story, you give the child a voice and have a valuable tool for opening a meaningful discussion with that child’s family. It is also a means to engage with other educators, such as teachers in the child’s school. Children also love to revisit and reflect on previously documented moments.
There are numerous ways to document for others to see. Some options include:
Wall Displays/Documentation Panels
Documenting and displaying the children’s project work allows them to express, revisit, and construct and reconstruct their feelings, ideas, and understandings. Pictures of children engaged in experiences, their words as they discuss what they are doing, feeling, and thinking, and the children’s interpretation of experience through the visual media are displayed as a graphic presentation of the dynamics of learning. Documented wall displays or documentation panels are a Reggio Emilia concept that emphasizes the process, not just the end product.
Figure 17.5: These documentation panels are in a classroom inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach.[10]
Making images of learning visible and being together in a group is a way to foster group identity and learning. This type of documentation promotes conversation or deepens understanding about one or more aspects of a learning experience. It can serve as a memory experience, allowing children and adults to reflect on, evaluate, and build on their previous ideas. Sharing documentation with learners can take many forms: a photocopied sheet of paper, words, scrapbook pages, or a carefully arranged panel.
Learning Stories
A learning story is an alternative to other forms of observation. Margaret Carr developed this narrative assessment form to meet documentation requirements in New Zealand and demonstrate knowledge and understanding of each child. In learning stories, educators capture significant moments throughout the day with photos and then tell the story of the child’s learning (Carr, 2001).
Figure 17.6: This is a portion of a learning story about 11-month-old Caleb.[11]
Portfolios
A portfolio can document a child’s development and highlight each child’s learning story over time. The portfolio belongs to the child and contains their work and their stories. Portfolios are as individual as the children, and they don’t follow a prescribed pattern or format; they can just evolve. School-age care is a social setting, and children’s portfolios should contain photos and stories of their friends, but be mindful of children and families who do not wish their photos to be included in others’ folders and find strategies to deal with this. Portfolios and scrapbooks are long-term projects that can be undertaken jointly by the children and educators.
Figure 17.7: Here are two portfolios and some items inside, including a writing sample, photographs, a drawing with dictation, a painting, an anecdote with images tied to DRDP measures, and self-portraits.[12]
Pause to Reflect
What are the pros and cons of the different ways of documenting children presented here? Why might an educator want to use each? What might be some drawbacks?
What are other types of documentation to consider that weren’t provided here?
Children’s Voice in Documentation
Educators can gain valuable insight by creating a culture of listening to and working collaboratively with children. How do you know what the children in your care want from their time in care?
There is a strong synergy between children’s sense of being and belonging and their active involvement in democratic processes, which impacts what the environment, programs, and partnerships look, sound, and feel like. The information you gather from children is integral to the development of a program that meets their needs and interests.
Figure 17.9: The discussion these school-aged children are having is a great way to get their insight.[15]
A range of ways can be used to gather and document children’s voices:
‘All about me’ sheets, where children and families document important information about themselves, such as likes, dislikes, hobbies, and such
setting time to have informal and formal discussions with children
children interviewing other children
suggestion boxes and surveys
recording children’s comments and thoughts about experiences as part of the evaluation process
children’s portfolios
creating opportunities for joint planning, including setting up of the care environment
photographing children and asking them to write about the experience
children writing their own learning stories
joint problem-solving opportunities.
Careful consideration needs to be given to children who may be non-verbal or have difficulty expressing themselves to ensure their voices are heard in your care setting.[16]
Ethical Considerations
When documenting children’s learning, educators must respect the rights of children and families. Before collecting and documenting information, permission must be obtained from children and their families. Children and families must have the right to privacy, be informed about how the information will be used, and have a choice about participating.
MacNaughton, Smith, and Lawrence suggest that to protect and enhance children’s rights through consultation with them, adults should ensure that children have:
safe spaces in which to share their ideas without challenge or critique
privacy: ask children for permission to document/ record what they say
ownership of their ideas: ask children to display and/ or share their ideas and understandings with others
appropriate equipment with which adults can care for children’s work in ways that shows that their voice is important and respected
Some further questions to consider when thinking about documentation include:
What does observing, documenting, and evaluating look like in your setting?
How do you involve children in the process?
How do you involve families in the process?
How do you know what is valued or expected for children within the family and cultural context?
Do you assess children at an individual level? Do you think this is important in your setting?
How do you define ‘regular’ in the context of children who attend ‘regularly’?
What methods or tools would you use?
Does the documentation focus on learning, rather than just a task you completed?
Does the documentation foster conversation or deepen understanding about a specific aspect of learning?
What documentation do you collect that is suitable to share or display?
Does the documentation focus on outcomes for children, rather than just what the educators are doing?
Does the documentation focus on both the process and the product(s)?
Does the documentation clearly communicate the aspects of learning you consider most important?
Does your display documentation have a title?
Is the documentation presented in a way that engages the viewer?
Figure 17.10: This documentation is down at the child’s level in the space where building materials are stored. What might have been the educators’ rationale for this?[17]
Documentation does not need to be repeated. A narrative story with photos can be shared at a staff meeting, with input from all educators about links, questions, and where ideas may be built upon. The story can then be displayed in the room (as a work in progress or perhaps with an end product if there is one). The child can show the documentation to important people in their life, which will facilitate discussions with families, children, and educators. Once it has been displayed for a period of time, it can be filed away in the child’s portfolio, where it can be revisited at any time. It is also available for an assessor to review during a visit. This one piece of documentation serves multiple purposes.[18]
References
[2] Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.) Educator My Time, Our Place. Retrieved from files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/educators_my_time_our_place.pdf
[3] Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.) Educator My Time, Our Place. Retrieved from files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/educators_my_time_our_place.pdf
[4] Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.) Educator My Time, Our Place. Retrieved from files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/educators_my_time_our_place.pdf
[5] Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.) Educator My Time, Our Place. Retrieved from files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/educators_my_time_our_place.pdf
[8]Image by Rhonda Siciliano is in the public domain
[9] Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.) Educator My Time, Our Place. Retrieved from files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/educators_my_time_our_place.pdf
[10] Image by Jennifer Paris is licensed under CC BY 4.0
[12] Image by Jennifer Paris is licensed under CC BY 4.0
[15] Image from video by Bay Area Media Masters is licensed under CC BY 3.0
[16] Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.) Educator My Time, Our Place. Retrieved from files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/educators_my_time_our_place.pdf
[17] Image by Jennifer Paris is licensed under CC BY 4.0
[18] Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.) Educator My Time, Our Place. Retrieved from files.acecqa.gov.au/files/National-Quality-Framework-Resources-Kit/educators_my_time_our_place.pdf
