Making Observations Visually Appealing

[Guest]

Okay then, want to make my observations more visually appealing for the children's learning journeys, create a scrapbook like appearance but nothing to heavy on the workload lol! I just feel that these books hold so much information of who the child was at nursery it would be nice to make it so they would like to read them themselves/see them like a story book when they are a little older

 

Had heard of ript.com where you can 'tear' images and insert them in to documents but can't access the website. grrr!

 

 

does any one use/know of anything else?

 

thanks in advance!

[AnonyMouse_19782]

I give my children's learning journeys a scrapbook appearance but I do collect lots of interesting bits and pieces to do it, stickers, papers, notebooks etc. and it can be time consuming, but I enjoy it. Haven't used anything on line though.

[Guest]

We have a learning journey and a scrapbook, the children can freely access their scrapbooks and together we stick in pictures and photos etc to compliment the learning journey.

[AnonyMouse_390]

We use stickers to brighten up our obs and photos. These are usually themed so when a child shows an interest in minbeasts, observations and photos are surrounded by minibeast stickers. Likewise with any of their interests we usually find matching stickers from Peppa pig, to transport to pets. My mum is VERY picky with her LJ's and the stickers have to be themed, lol!

 

Also we use highlighters to border photos, wow slips, etc to make them stand out. Also long observations are typed up and printed on coloured paper, so they are different to short obs which are hand written in the books.

 

A lot of thought from the staff goes into the books and I think it is the care and attention that makes them a truly special book. Our EYAT is impressed with them and has highlighted them as an example of good practice to share with other settings

[Guest]

Those ideas are great, thank you. (and it's great to hear, Laura that your work has been recognised by your Eyat)

 

A few (not many,yet!) parents have asked for a digital version and I really would like to go down this avenue as I feel it might encourage them to contribute to them.

 

They appreciate that visually they aren't comparable to the written ones (though the writing is alot neater!lol) but I'd like to address the balance a little. PowerPoint and clipart do so much but the digital scrapbooking takes it that little bit further. Having googles there are so many sites and I got a virus last year off the one and only one I explored! Grrrr!

 

Does anyone use online scrapbooking?

[AnonyMouse_30128]

can i just ask ...how and when do you get the time to do these? i have enough trouble getting through the day.They sound fabulous but i cant imagine having the time or the space to do one for all the children

[Guest]

Hi guys, great topic that has been started here.

In our setting we have a scrap book (all things chn are interested in at that time goes in) so if a child brings in an article about Pepper Pig in it goes ...or photocopied if ch does not want it in there. The learning journeys are our assessments from development matters. Sectioned into the six areas of learning. One huge question i would love your advice or thoughts on. OFromal written observations, do you include these in their learning journeys? I just feel that these a4 observation sheets written about the child look so formal and off putting when inserted into a childs learning journey. Mine have chn's photos and work in which is great, stickers included aswell, but then to spoil the flow in goes a nasty A4 formal obs on the child. Where are you storing these obs? Seperate file r in their Learning journeys.

 

Would love to hear from you xxx

[Guest]

Hi popcorn, you've hit my nail on the head! We write our long obs in a friendly way with terminology both the parents and the children understand. Photos illustrate what is said and these are all filed in the Childs learning journey/scrapbook. It's kind of a one stop file!

We hold the 'unfriendly' data that tracks progress in our own files.

 

I don't see the point in spending time writing out long obs if they don't see the light of day!

 

My post was really to seek further ways to beautify these long obs electronically for those parents who have requested digital reflections of their Childs time with us.

 

Responding to the time question; it's very difficult to describe how we manage them as we don't have allocated non contact time, but reassure that we don't neglect the children or work out of ratio- we would be scared we might miss a photo opportunity. Lol. We are committed to the way we work and find the time and don't do any for 'paperworks sake'

Edited July 24, 2010 by gingerbreadman

[Guest]

Great thread Gingerbread

 

xxx

[AnonyMouse_79]

You shouldnt be rewriting any observations!

[Guest]

You shouldnt be rewriting any observations!

 

We don't, and believe that if we are recording something that we feel is sufficiently valuable to commit time to, then the children and their families should benefit from it in years to come. it's presented 'neat' (but not perfect!) first time and put into the Childs file. The obs are narrative, friendly and in keeping with the we chat to parents I.e no jargon!

 

I'm happy with my workload and the content of the books just would like to make them prettier, visually on computer.

 

Hope that makes sense x

[AnonyMouse_11396]

Hi we also have learning journals for each child, with obs, post its, photographs, art work and development matters in rolled into one, takes a little time but a wonderful pictorial history of each child's time with us, i wish they had them when my children were little to keep and treasure.