Alina Dan Consultancy

Simple developmental checklists and other ‘classical’ documentation formats (e.g. anecdotes, jottings and‘boxed programs’) used to account for changes and progress in children’s development are no longer validforms of documentation.Some educators may experience difficulty documenting young children’s work in early childhood settings because of limited understanding of the importance of documentation; what, how and why to document and theeffective use of documentation. Some educators may have problems engaging with children and documentingsimultaneously, revealing a crucial misunderstanding about the purpose of documenting.Engaging in the

Holistic Approach to Documentation

allows educators to have their own learning journey just as children have theirs. For this reason, so many early childhood professionals feel privileged to use

Alina Dan Learning Approach – The Holistic Approach to Documentation.

The Holistic Approach to Documentation

acknowledges that the role of the educator is critical and unique. Hence, the variety of documentation is not only aimed at recognising the variety of provisions (planned or spontaneous), capturing children’s (individual and group) learning journeys but also the variety of strengths thatindividual educators convey within the team.Since 2010 there are numerous services that have effectively and efficiently implemented various aspects of

Alina Dan’s Holistic Approach to Documentation

throughout Australia. Many of these services have been able to observe a significant change in the way curriculum is planned and also obtain a ‘Exceeding’ rating under the NQF assessment.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF DOCUMENTATION?

•Documentation embodies the essence of getting closer to children’s thinking, it helps educators understandand support their learning processes as well as their attainment of knowledge.

•Alina Dan Holistic Approach

has the perspective of looking at documentation from multiple angles.

•All equal in value and importance (pie graph attached).

•Documentation allows educators as well as children to revisit and reflect on learning experiences. Bydocumenting learning processes in an engaging and attractive way, educators convey to the child that his or her work is valued.

•Documentation is of great value to children, parents, families and the community.

•Documentation represents thinking, allowing small and/or large groups of children to return to earlier work inorder to move forward with new understandings.

•Documentation helps educators understand the process of teaching and learning by perfecting their sense of listening.

•Documentation should ultimately bring the educator and child closer together in a mutually unfolding andmaintained relationship.

•Quality documentation is used to tell a story and the purpose of an event, experience, or development.