The focus of this interactive workshop will be to enhance participants’ skills to understand and develop techniques to observe, document and interpret young children’s skills, abilities, behaviours and progress. Discussions and interactive exercises are provided to develop skills in the application of participant observations, ability to document children’s activities and learning, and to interpret data recorded in order to enhance planning of children’s activities and to provide opportunities for reporting and documenting learning.

Objectives:
Participants will identify and discuss:

• Types of observations and documentations
• Inherent bias and causes of bias in the observation and documentation process
• Principles of observation and documentation
• Types of observation tools
• Types of documentation
• Interpretation of observation and documentation

Outline:
Day 1: Understanding and Developing Observation Techniques and Tools

• The purpose of observing
• Using observations to understand children’s behaviours
• Choosing the appropriate observation strategy
• Observing emergent skills and learning
• Strategies for effective observations and documentation

Day 2: Overview Documentation

•  Identification and purposes of various types of documentations – portfolios, learning stories, learning logs, and documentation panels
• The development of documentations for various groups of individuals and purposes
  • For children
  • For families
  • For charting progress
  • For planning the learning environment and activities

Day 3:
Interpretation of Observations and Documentation

• Identification of the process of interpretation
• Skills required to interpret observations and documentation
• The importance of interpretations
• How to write interpretive statements in various domains – motor, language, cognitive, social, emotional
• Strategies for effective management of the observation/documentation/interpretation process

The Observation and Documentation Process

• The timing and effectiveness of observations and documentation
• How to maximize the potential of each process
• How to involve of others in the process – children, staff, and families
• How to validate preset expectations – guidelines, standards, or outcomes

Trainer’s Profile
Dr. Crowther has experience in teaching in the early years – early childhood settings, elementary schools, colleges, and universities. She has presented at numerous childcare conferences both nationally and internationally.
Dr. Crowther has worked in a number of settings that required her to implement  documentation and observations skills.  She has also taught a number of courses in documentation and observation at the college and university settings and presented on these topics both nationally and internationally.

Methodology

• Identify and discuss principles of observations, documentation, and interpretation to increase personal knowledge and competence.
• Engage in hands-on activities to develop and implement observations, documentations, and interpretations

Target Audience
Methodologies are most suitable for the early years – birth to six years of age, but can be can be adapted for individuals working with children from six to twelve years of age.

Investment
SGD900.00/pax
SGD800.00/pax if register by 1 Feb 15

Other Details
Duration: 3 days, 18 hours
Closing Date:  24 Mar 2015 15 May 2015