The planning cycle for documenting children's learning - Aussie Childcare Network (2023)

In Australia, early childhood education and care programs and practices are governed by National Quality Standards (NQS). Element 1.3.1 states that “each child's learning and development is assessed or evaluated as part of a continuous cycle of observation, analysis of learning, documentation, planning, implementation and reflection”. Also known as the planning cycle, this “continuous cycle” is the responsibility of educators and tutors.

Role of documentation in the planning cycle

Educators or caregivers sometimes lose sight of the planning cycle when they get caught up in the content and documentation processes. It's important to understand that the two are not interchangeable: documentation is what educators are used to.Show evidence of the planning cycle. Furthermore, documentation is not just a description of what children are doing in the classroom or on the playground. It captures the achievements and strengths of each child, what they know, what they explore, what they can understand beyond their identity and culture. According to the National Regulation of Education and Care Services, the scope of the documentation depends on the frequency and duration of the children's attendance at a service. Documentation must ensure that the program is clearly displayed on the Service, and information about its content, operation, and child participation must be available to parents upon request.

The purpose of the planning cycle.

Educators must be involved early in the planning cycle to meet regulatory requirements. NQS Quality Area 1 and Standard 1.2 clearly state that educators must be active and reflective in designing and delivering the program for each child, and the way to do this is by participating in the planning cycle. The planning cycle helps educators:

• Evaluate your learning and progress
• commit to the principles, practices and outcomes of recognized learning frameworks
• Set goals for individual and group learning.
• Involve the family in decisions.
• Using peer collaboration to validate and challenge practices
• supplemental learning plan that supports children as capable and competent individuals with agency and the ability to make decisions

What should inform the planning cycle?

The principles of the planning cycle are described in quality area 1 of the NQS. The planning cycle designed by educators and/or caregivers should

• Build on a proven learning framework
• consider the learning needs and interests of each child
• Design diagnoses or assessments to support the delivery of programs to children in accordance with national regulations for education and care services.
• Assess developmental needs, interests, experiences, participation, and progress toward preschool program outcomes
• Child Wellness, Development, and Learning Assessment For school-age children

To gain even more clarity about your own motives and preferences during planning and documentation, it may help to ask yourself:

• How do I document these days and why do I do it the way I do?
• What theories (developmental, sociocultural, behavioral, etc.) inform how I organize my documentation?
• How did I critically reflect on or document the program?

Five Phases of the Planning Cycle

The planning cycle can be divided into 5 phases:

1. supervision

The planning phase of the cycle involves observing each child and gathering information about their current knowledge, strengths, skills, abilities, interests, culture, and background. To collect this information, educators and caregivers use various documentation formats, such as:

• Views of billboards depicting a process as a network of ideas
• Wall displays with children's artwork
• Photos or sequences of photos of children participating in learning, with their own or teacher's signatures
• Observation notes were written by teachers.
• scrapbooks and floor books
• Individual portfolios showing progress in specific areas over a period of time

For example, if an educator observes that a child develops a special interest in playing with sand, they might document the observation as an entry in a learning journal. Such observation will observe what the child has been playing with, how she is using the tools and materials, and will extend play to other items and contexts. The observation is then shared with the families and their opinion is solicited. The educator may learn that a relative recently returned from a vacation in Egypt, or that a parent gave the child a book about ancient pyramids.

Therefore, the documentation must be rich and meaningful; it must reflect the individual needs of the child, but also reflect them holistically; It should incorporate the views of all key stakeholders, including children, educators, peers, families, and other professionals. Most importantly, the educator or caregiver must have a very clear understanding of why she is documenting and how that specific documentation will add value to the outcomes for children.

2. Analyze

In the next stage, the educator must analyze the previously collected information and extract insights, conclusions and opportunities related to the child's learning. The educator needs to think not only about what the child is learning, but also how and why, how that learning links to accepted learning frameworks, and also how her own documentation supports that learning. Referring to the example above, the educator can ask analytical questions such as:

• What does this information tell us about the child's sense of belonging, connection, and well-being?
• How can we develop the knowledge and understanding that the child has developed?
• How can this be better documented?

3. planning

After the educator has analyzed the observations collected through documentation, the next step is to design experiences, interactions, and environments that build on the children's interests, abilities, and identities based on the required learning outcomes described. in approved learning frameworks. In planning, the educator may need to reflect on her own intentions to promote the child's learning and development. Planning also includes selecting appropriate learning strategies, resources, and schedules, and creating the necessary learning environment. In addition, the planning process must be made visible through proper documentation. Planning is usually done by setting goals and deciding on instructional strategies to achieve those goals. Can you see the plan? So, following the example above, the educator can plan to facilitate continued learning in the child's home environment and build on the foundation of prior learning by addressing strengths, skills, and knowledge.

4. implement

In this stage of the planning cycle, educators put their plans into action to achieve children's learning outcomes within approved learning frameworks. The implementation would address children's learning routines, transitions, interactions, indoor and outdoor environments, group projects, and investigations. Some questions that educators can ask to reflect on implementation strategies are:

• How can I use all aspects of the day to create learning opportunities?
• How my implementation demonstrates game-based learning
• How does this allow children to exercise their choices and agency?
• How is the implementation of my learning plans visible?

In the example above, the educator can use strategies such as teaching intentional scaffolding, open-ended questions, collaborative thinking, and problem solving to enhance the child's thinking and learning.

5. judge

The last step in the planning cycle is to reflect on the effectiveness and relevance of all previous observations, analysis, planning, and implementation. So, in this example, assessment involves the educator recognizing that sensory tasks, such as playing with sand, provide children with time and space to engage in individual activities and develop their creative abilities. The educator can pose the question - What is the role of the senses in development - for further action research or extend the child's interest in books to literacy.