Learning is dynamic, emergent, and unique to each child's learning style (especially in the Early Years), which makes it difficult to assess objectively and easily. While checklists, rubrics, continuums, and other tools similar to these can provide for valid information on early learner's progress, learning and development, I have found that the best way to document and report on the learning of children 0 - 5 years of age as Learning Stories. The book by Margaret Carr and Wendy Lee has informative and inspiring ideas on how to take Learning Stories into practice in the Early Years, and it has helped me further develop my skills of documentation. Accompanied by technology tools that help make the process easy and practical, documenting children's inquiries and learning can be a fantastic way to track their progress, share this with other teachers and families, and aid reflection and further learning. Throughout my year as Nursery Teacher at WISS I actively used the tool Storypark to create Learning Stories for each of my students, documenting their learning through the five essential elements of the PYP. Using video, photographs of the children and their work samples, voice recordings and many other evidences of learning, I created detailed pieces of documentation that gave insight into student learning and development, and allowed to track their progress throughout the year. Along with this, it gave parents the opportunity to stay up to date on what their children were doing in school and make their own comments, ask questions, or collaborate. Here are some sample portfolios you may download to have a closer look:
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