Profiles - Chronoloical Or By Area Of Learning?

[Guest]

We are trialling a new format for our profiles at the Playgroup I manage. I am trying to convince my manager that the new approach is valuable.

 

We are now filing photos and observations chronologically as opposed to by area of learning. I just wanted to know what other people do. We have a date sheet with all the aspects on, and then key people add observation dates.

[AnonyMouse_22106]

We do ours by area of learning, but I've been thinking about chronologically as well, I'll be interested to hear peoples repsonses too.

[Guest]

yes we file chronlogically now. Makes much more sense for parents and is easier to do, especially since most obs cover lots of areas of learning

[Guest]

What if that does not follow and they are ahead of thier chronlogical age in certain areas?

[AnonyMouse_19782]

I think in this sense the use of chronological is the date on which the observation etc. took place, rather than the child's chronological age

[AnonyMouse_15046]

Surely a learning journey shows how that child develops at whatever rate they are doing it?

 

I get so confused about splitting children's learning up into different categories. I'm trying to understand how their developmental age differing from their chronological age either way would be an issue. What haven't I thought of?

[AnonyMouse_19920]

we put all our obs and photos/work by the children in order of date it happened.

the childrens next steps show us where the children are in each area of learning .

[Guest]

We tried chronological but it really didn't work for us. Staff were spending far too long trying to identify where each child was in each area of learning. We have gone back to 6 areas. Each ob goes in the most relevant area and any other areas are highlighted in a different colour for each area.

[Guest]

Our photographs go in by date on which they are taken.

So chronological

 

We have a record at the back that keeps track of how many pieces of evidence we have for each area of learning (and each area is split into its littler areas like dispositions and attitudes, behaviour etc)

 

When the photograph really does show various areas of learning we note it down alongside the picture or we choose the main area we feel was being seen.

[Guest]

Definately chronological - rarely does an observation fit neatly into one area of learning

[AnonyMouse_3735]

we tried this but fond that we could not clearly see development in each area, and took a while to decide next steps in any area as they were all mixed... ours ended up as areas of development but within that chronological... many do cross over but where necessary cross referenced.

 

Children had their own scrapbooks as well which they added to and we did add some pictures in which was chronological... this did over time show development -

 

we tried combining the two but staff again found it very time consuming working out next steps etc..

 

Inge

[Guest]

I feel that chronological, by date of observation, rather than splitting observations into areas as children are learning and developing holistically. As mentioned by others, also easier for parents to see where child currently is.

[Guest]

Sorry blonde moment...ours are by date so chronological

[AnonyMouse_2268]

Ours are a bit of both - beginning with photos, notes etc stuck in in the order they occur.

Then we review the evidence at least half termly (though in practice it works better if you do it as you go along!) and briefly summarise / list what has happened in relation to each area on 6 seperate sheets THEN we can see where the child is at, any patterns and what next steps could be.

[AnonyMouse_5013]

I go by the areas because I can have sen children aged from 2 up to 7 and could have them with me for 4 years. It helps me to see I have evidence balanced across the six areas. It helps when SMT or somene less familiar to the EYFS ask to look at them. However i do annotate the other areas on each sheet, and file them best fit.

 

I think you have to do what is right for you but can see a case for chronological. Our early years advisors say its best to file by date order but understand why I do them the way i do.