Placing the Child at the Centre of Early Years Practice: A guide to observation, planning and assessment

How are you planning from children¿s interests? How do you use your observations to truly respond to the needs of the children in your care? Observation, planning and assessment are fundamental to good practice in early years settings. This book examines how practitioners can develop the skills necessary for observing children, how they can use these observations as a tool for planning and how assessment should be used not only to test what children know, but as a means of improving practice. Taking a child-centred approach, Helen Bromley looks at the underpinning principles of observation, planning and assessment and provides practical guidance to enable practitioners to be creative and offer activities that reflect children¿s interests and support their future learning. Topics covered include: Planning an environment in which all children can be effective learners The role of continuous provision in planning for young children¿s learning The importance of listening to children and creating a context in which all children can be heard Using observation to understand not just what children know, but how they know it Adult led and child initiated learning Giving value to playful achievements The relationship between the record keeping and the activities offered to the children How to embed record keeping in the day to day activities of the setting How to celebrate achievements with the child, parents and colleagues Including examples of children¿s achievements in each chapter and photographs to illustrate good practice, this book is essential for practitioners and students wishing to fully respond to the interests and needs of the individual children in their care.