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Documenting Learning stories is one way to evaluate children's learning. They are helpful in getting insight into:

• how children learn

• what children learn

• what children do

• what children can do

They originate in The National Curriculum in NZ – Te Whariki. Learning stories are:

• Short stories            

• Documented in different ways

• What children do and can do  (strengths and skills)

• Learning stories collected over a period of time (portfolio)

• Stories discussed and reflected on with the fellow staff, children and parents

• The stories are reviewed and analyzed with regard to children's learning disposition and wellbeing

Learning stories focus on what the child can do, what are the strengths (and not weaknesses) of the child. Learning stories are about documening and reflecting with an open mind on children’s learning, without having a standard image about how children are supposed to be . They are different from observations. They focus on what a child can do, but not on a specific skill. The teacher writes about the child’s play and learning like a story. Learning Stories are also used as an assessment tool in interpreting a child’s learning habits that take place during the experience. This helps us to evaluate and plan for further experiences to extend upon a child’s interest and strengths. Learning stories show many pictures, many angels and different understanding and are about making children's learning visible. The learning stories are never neutral.

                                                                                Documenting Learning stories

                                                                                  Learning stories documented

The learning story format

The learning story format has four main components:

• The story itself

• Analysis of learning

• Extension of learning

• Linking to the learning outcomes in the curriculum

Photos can be added

Parent and children input also

The story itself

The story itself shows the following:

• Photos of the child during the experience

•  Helps to create the story in more detail

•  Use descriptive details of the learning that took place

•  When and where this experience took place

•  Use “I”

•  Describe what you watched and discovered

•  Move onto the events that happened during the experience

•  Introduce the “characters” of the learning story

•  Simply try to describe what the child says and does

A Learning Story should incorporate elements like a narrative. It should be have an array of details so that the reader is seeing, hearing, smelling and touching. By reading through a Learning Story you should be able to experience it, not just simply hear it.

Analysis of learning

• In the very first sentence you need to identify the learning outcome that the child has achieved through the experience described in the learning story

•  Describe why the events are significant to the child and describe why this experience was important for the child involved

• Through this experience I observed Kelly as a confident and involved learner

• Kelly painted a red circle and initiated and contributed to play experience emerging from her own ideas

• To finish off the analysis of learning you can briefly describe your own view of the experience

Extension of learning

• Think about how you may want to encourage, extend on the interests, abilities, understandings and play that have been demonstrated throughout the learning story you have written.

• This can include another type of experience, a particular play settings or a topic that the child may want to explore

• To extend on this learning experience we will set up a marble painting experience which will enable Kelly to continue experimenting with mixing colors together

Linking to the learning outcomes in the curriculum

• In the Analysis of Learning you have already selected the learning outcomes in which you would like you’re learning experience to focus on

•  If you have noticed additional outcomes that the child has achieved through the experience written in the learning story then these can also be linked to the national curriculum

Teachers input

• The perspectives of colleagues

•  Teachers on the same page about children's learning

•  From information to understanding

•  Collectively supporting children's learning

Parent input

• Parents have a say in their children's learning

•  Informal conversations about the learning stories

•  Make connections with home

•  Seek out their perspective about what they think is going on in the child's learning

Children's input

• Children take out their portfolio and look and reflect 

• The sheer joy on their faces show that they enjoy looking back and remembering key events

• Revisiting learning stories is a great way to hook onto other aspects of what was important to them and what they have taken from those experiences as you hear them discussing with friends

• Read a learning story to the children

• Amazing conversations with children upon reflecting on an experience from their portfolio by asking them open-ended questions that get them thinking about why they made that decision or choice

• Getting children to think about their thinking is a key role as a teacher as this will help them understand themselves as learners

A group learning story

• You can write a learning story based on a group experience

• Instead of focusing on an individual child you will be focusing on the group as a whole

• When writing the analysis of learning, instead of using an individual child’s name you can use something like during this group experience, the children involved in this experience etc.

• When choosing an outcome it is for the group, what all children in the group achieved during this experience

• You will want to add them to each child’s portfolios of who were involved in the group experience

Adding a group learning story to a child's portfolio

• When adding a group learning story to an individual child’s portfolio you will need to write up individual one’s for each child’s involvement

• Take individual photos of each of the children involved

• You can use the same learning story as you did for the group BUT when adding to each child's portfolios you can edit the learning story by adding any of their own comments, change the analysis of learning to the individual child, and select the learning outcome that apply to that particular child

How many learning stories?

• There is no set number of how many learning stories should be written

•  Since a learning story is written in detail, you should use a learning story for any spontaneous experience or children's interest that happens

•  Also, if you have any special events that take place at the center then a learning story should be written

•  If you want everyone to know about a particular experience that took place and the children were very interested in or something special happened then use this opportunity to write up a learning story

Learning stories templates

http://aussiechildcarenetwork.com.au/eylf-templates