The services planning and evaluating children’s experiences should be unique and reflect the values, knowledge and skills of its children, families and staff/carers. The services practice is a reflection of the centre’s philosophy about how children play learn and develop. It also supports the role of the child/children to determine who they are their place in the world.
Early development takes place in the context of families and communities and is shaped by the day to day experiences and environments of early life. Daily life experiences form a pathway for lifelong learning.
Gathering information about children’s development and interests, or planning and evaluating children’s experiences assists the staff to provide a program for individual, small or large groups.
How Policy will be implemented: (specific policies and procedures)
ABOUT PROGRAMMING
Programming should be a cyclic process, everything should link together.
LEARNING STORY DOCUMENTATION
The documentation of learning stories provides opportunities for carers, children and parents to make visible the learning that is valued in the child care setting. The different documentation this can take includes:
1. Enhance children’s sense of themselves as capable people and competent learners by:
2. Reflect the holistic way that children learn by:
by:
PROGRAMMING PROCESS
Focus group – every room should have children broken up into focus groups. Focus groups should contain a mixture of full time, part time and children who attend only one session. Children needing to be observed in more depth and should be documented in the room. E.g. Diary
1 Learning stories – these are the basis of the program.
2 Evaluate last months program – it is important that all staff have input in this process. If all your staff are not able to attend the programming session their input is essential.
3 Topic of Interest – this must come from the children and is agreed upon by all staff in the room
4 Focus children – these children have been observed for a month and we now add them to the program to provide their follow up experiences. These follow up experiences are essential otherwise the stories have no meaning. The focus group of children should be written on the form provided on the reverse of the monthly programming form. Each childs name is written in a different colour so that they can be identified on the program by carer’s and their families. When the experience provided section has been completed this information is transferred on to the monthly program.
5 Parent questionnaires – forms are given to the parents of the focus children outlining the colour the child is. This will allow confidentiality for their child and still allowing them to track their child’s experiences.
6 Monthly Program – is a planning tool – see programming process
7 Summary of monthly program – should contain the following headings – childrens interest focus, group goal, QIAS links, Philosophy links, parent input and additional carer input
8 Evaluating individual programming - once the child’s follow up experience has been provided it is important that it is documented briefly on the focus children sheet and in greater detail on the bottom of the child’s relevant learning story. A sentence or two written on the bottom of the learning story is needed or it may be worthwhile writing another learning story.
9 Daily Activity Documentation – This is to be completed on a daily basis and is the responsibility of all staff. Part of this form can be filled in advance such as the focus groups individual activities on the days which they attend.
Early development takes place in the context of families and communities and is shaped by the day to day experiences and environments of early life. Daily life experiences form a pathway for lifelong learning.
Gathering information about children’s development and interests, or planning and evaluating children’s experiences assists the staff to provide a program for individual, small or large groups.
How Policy will be implemented: (specific policies and procedures)
- Staff will be provided with opportunities to further their knowledge of child development theories and practice
- Programs will be developed for all aspects of their service (i.e. before school care, after school care, vacation care and long day care)
- All staff will be encouraged to explore and use good quality resources and training to offer fresh experiences for children and to further their own professional development and skills
- Staff will have access to the National Quality Framework and Early Years Learning Framework.
- The programs will be balanced, providing a range of indoor/outdoor experiences, both planned and spontaneous experiences, opportunities to learn and practice life and social skills.
- Programs will include opportunities that foster and enhance friendships between children, individual child/staff interactions, individual and group interests, the special needs, interests and talents of every child.
- Programs will be flexible enough to allow for spontaneity, enjoyment and the unexpected. An approach to experiences that values both processes and end products will be encouraged.
- Written programs will be displayed where parents are able to see them and can discuss any aspect of the program with staff.
- A copy of the vacation care program will be available for every family.
- Parents will be encouraged to have input into the program.
- Children’s programs will be inclusive of the cultural and linguistic diversity of all families
ABOUT PROGRAMMING
Programming should be a cyclic process, everything should link together.
LEARNING STORY DOCUMENTATION
The documentation of learning stories provides opportunities for carers, children and parents to make visible the learning that is valued in the child care setting. The different documentation this can take includes:
- Written narratives
- Digital photography
- Video footage
- Examples of children’s art work
1. Enhance children’s sense of themselves as capable people and competent learners by:
- Focusing on children’s developing identities as learners.
- Taking a credit rather than a deficit approach to learning
- Including children’s voices
- Describing progress in a way that families and children appreciate
2. Reflect the holistic way that children learn by:
- Following children’s enterprises over several days
- Documenting centre projects.
by:
- Advocating for early childhood
- Reflecting the relationship with the environment
- Reflecting the relationship with the carers
- recording stories that are accessible and interesting to families
- recording stories that provide opportunities for families to contribute stories of their own home.
PROGRAMMING PROCESS
Focus group – every room should have children broken up into focus groups. Focus groups should contain a mixture of full time, part time and children who attend only one session. Children needing to be observed in more depth and should be documented in the room. E.g. Diary
1 Learning stories – these are the basis of the program.
2 Evaluate last months program – it is important that all staff have input in this process. If all your staff are not able to attend the programming session their input is essential.
3 Topic of Interest – this must come from the children and is agreed upon by all staff in the room
4 Focus children – these children have been observed for a month and we now add them to the program to provide their follow up experiences. These follow up experiences are essential otherwise the stories have no meaning. The focus group of children should be written on the form provided on the reverse of the monthly programming form. Each childs name is written in a different colour so that they can be identified on the program by carer’s and their families. When the experience provided section has been completed this information is transferred on to the monthly program.
5 Parent questionnaires – forms are given to the parents of the focus children outlining the colour the child is. This will allow confidentiality for their child and still allowing them to track their child’s experiences.
6 Monthly Program – is a planning tool – see programming process
7 Summary of monthly program – should contain the following headings – childrens interest focus, group goal, QIAS links, Philosophy links, parent input and additional carer input
8 Evaluating individual programming - once the child’s follow up experience has been provided it is important that it is documented briefly on the focus children sheet and in greater detail on the bottom of the child’s relevant learning story. A sentence or two written on the bottom of the learning story is needed or it may be worthwhile writing another learning story.
9 Daily Activity Documentation – This is to be completed on a daily basis and is the responsibility of all staff. Part of this form can be filled in advance such as the focus groups individual activities on the days which they attend.