Planning and Assessing - Primary vs ECE

Previously I have blogged about assessment at primary level in particular. The ins and outs of over measuring children, and where the purpose of assessment gets forgotten.

Today I entered into a discussion on planning and assessing at an ECE level. Until now this was something I have little previous experience with, the visibility of this within our centre is not obvious, the expectations unknown, and the order of operations confusing. Today Taylor from Childspace introduced me to a way of planning that links to assessment in ECE.

To start I want to discuss the structure of planning between primary and ECE.

When I look at the primary framework under the ECE framework: Notice, Recognise, Respond,  I can see there are a lot of similarities but the key differences are 

1. At primary we are looking for needs/gaps in learning that we then try to teach through child interests, whereas in ECE there is strength based planning. Using strengths to expand knowledge of the world through interests.
2. In ECE, the child's role in the learning is more flexible. In primary when I plan learning experiences all children participate if the lesson is intended for them. Whereas at ECE the provocations and experiences may be interacted with by different children in different ways. In some ways your reflection on the value of your planning is in whether intended children actually interact with your provocations/experiences or not.
3. The lens's through which one can approach the recognising part of ECE planning are more varied, than primary planning, are situational and need to be known well to recognise which lens's are obvious in different situations. In primary school the lens is predominantly NZ curriculum and attainment. A lot more structured.

I am also recognising that the planning in ECE is more fluid. As an educator I need to be more aware at all times as to what children are engaging in and how that links to possible learning "Ways of Being, Doing, Knowing. It is ongoing and changeable. The intentional teaching is in the reasons behind the decisions we make. 

Question: I am unsure how to see the difference between a Watch be explore story and a Journey of discovery. 

In primary planning is done at a point in time. I will think out what is to come for the term for each child, map this out, from a place of 'Before' and then will follow the plan through, modifying and adapting where needed. Then the next planning cycle begins again. The intentional teaching is in the teaching strategies chosen to support the child's learning.

Frameworks for planning in ECE reflect the fluidity of the planning. In this session we looked at the phases Noticing, Recognising, Responding and how those might look as collected evidence.

Over time each teacher collects data on their child/groups. Noticings are jotted, thinking books provide more structured observations and recordings of child interactions, conversations gauging interests, wonderings mostly. Notes mostly based on teacher led conversations, activities or experiences such as trips. Children's voice is what seems to be captured most.

Two planning templates were shared, group (led by one teacher who does all documenting, but other teachers contribute activities/goals/LS, etc) and Individual in a grid.

This centre records planning/learning journey in scrapbooks. These are in depth following of planned topics across the larger group. Includes diary of actions taken, photos, links to lenses, child voice (from thinking book), teacher voice, parent voice and related LS. etc) This is the evidence that the planning and learning happened and to what degree. Documents from this may also contribute to wall displays.

Example Project book based on Active play (Reggio emilia philosophy)

Assessment is also a bit different. In ECE assessing is storytelling. Today I learned how through careful selection of language all planning and assessment can be interwoven into the Learning story. This was intriguing and I'd like to explore this further by deconstructing some learning stories to find the components. EG links to Te Whāriki language, the different learning lens, Intentional teaching by looking for the teaching strategy language. This links well to the learning about using Learning Stories for documenting and reflecting on your teaching I learned in the SELO PD.

Can you notice the following words in your stories that refer to intentional teaching you did.

What about these different lens?

These are the key takeaways from today.

I need to look at our centres Learning stories to see what lens and planning is hidden within the words. How does the forward planning show itself, it there's any continuity.