School Readiness

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The assessment of a child’s learning and development is a continual process which it just means it carries on fro 2-5 years of age. There are formal and informal strategies which are used for assessing children. The EYFS has specific assessment requirements these requirements are just carried out at a set time. Practitioners will use a range of methods to assess the learning ability of a child. These methods will identify if the child is developing at the right pace and the practitioner will also recognize if the child has any learning difficulties. Practitioners will use the information from the observation to assess the learning of the child and development. Practitioners will then carry out a planned observation to assess the specific areas of learning and development and then the practitioner will also carry out a group of children playing together as this will give the practitioner an idea if the child is confident with playing with other children. In my setting observations are carried out by using the IPad the observation is set out by taking a picture on what the child is doing and then we type what the child is doing in the picture when observing we needed to make sure we are writing everything the child is saying and then after we have finished the observation we then give the child a next step. A next step is just on how the child could improve. You don’t need to have a set time to do an observation like in my setting we just observe anything interesting we see the child doing. Practitioners could assess the children by talking to them through the day you could do this by asking them open ended questions to test their knowledge and understanding. By reviewing the child’s progress with parents/carers will enable the practitioners to find out how the child is progressing at home and if their have any concerns about their child’s learning development they could share that with the practitioner. Photographs are good way of showing evidence to practitioners and parents/carers that the child can do it because it will give an opportunity for them to see an image of a child’s learning and development. Within the assessment strategies they’re two types of strategies which are used and they are formative and summative. When assessing children on an ongoing process this known to be called formative assessment this is used in my practice as they assess children continuously. Maria Montessori believed that observing children is a good way on preparing the child to meet their milestones. For example if the child is banging objects and not showing much interest that means you should give the child a drum by giving the child the drum the practitioner will meet the need of the child by fulfilling the child interest. When a child starts any child setting observations are carried out to see what the child is good at and what the child needs help on this then gives a clear understanding and identifies where the child is in their own development pathway . It is important as an EYP to understand the stages of child development. This helps the EYP and parents to know what to expect and how to support the child as they grow and develop. Children learn more quickly during their early years than at any other time in life. They need love and nurturing to develop a sense of trust and security that turns into confidence as they grow. Babies and young children grow, learn and develop rapidly when they receive love and affection, attention, encouragement and mental stimulation, as well as nutritious meals and good health care.

Observation will then be carried out when a child starts a child setting they will have a number of settling in sessions where their allocated key person will welcome them, play and interact with them and talk to their parent/carer. The key person will ask both the parent and child if age appropriate a number of different questions to gather some background information on their needs, interests and stage of development. The key person will also observe the child at these sessions to develop a picture of what they enjoy and are interested in. Key persons will observe their children throughout their time at the nursery to help them understand the child’s level of achievement, interest and learning styles, and to then shape learning experiences reflecting those observations. Key persons will also communicate with parents on a regular basis gathering information about the child’s learning and interests at home. The key person will then analyze the observation then make some next steps for the child’s development. The next steps should be considered termly and updated regularly. A child should be set an early learning goal.

It is important practitioners give the child a smooth and positive experience in their transitions. This is partly achieved through effective preparation which involves the child to be able to dress and undress themselves. Parents need to teach the child on putting on their school clothes themselves as the child will need to be ready to take their own clothes off themselves for example taking off their outdoor coat or PE and be able to put them back on such as after PE lessons. Practitioners will need to encourage their self-help skills as this is the gradual development of the child’s core skills for school readiness such as being able to take their coat off or hang it up on the peg. If the child is able to develop their transition practitioners could praise, reward the child so the child knows they have achieved within their transition.

During the child’s transitions the practitioners will look at the child’s learning journey to see what they have developed and to see if there’s any change in child’s behaviour within the setting. They can see how the child acts around other children in the setting, if the child is sharing toys, taking turns and the practitioner could look out for social skills if they interact well. Whilst observing the child you can identify if the child is more independent or likes exploring with others in groups. This way practitioners can get a general idea of the child’s interest, like and dislikes, comfort items. It is also a good opportunity to get an idea of the child’s developmental stage and therefore find out any areas of concerns for when they start nursery. Early intervention gives you the chance to see if the child needs help in a particular area or needs extra support in activities. When observing a child you should see if the child is meeting their milestones for their age, if not you should adapt activities which will help the child to get involved and develop the areas of learning. You should also make sure the child is at same level as other children and not getting overdue as the child may have special education needs or other needs. However, working in partnership with SENCO or language theory can