The Planning and Assessment Cycle

A Parent’s Guide to how we plan for children’s learning at the DPPA.

In order to provide responsive, effective education for your child, the staff team at the DPPA follow a set pattern of procedures to ensure that we key in to children’s needs and interests.  This is a brief overview of the “Planning and Assessment Cycle”.  It aims to promote parent’s understanding of how we work, and to help you see how your contributions about what children are talking about at home help us to educate your child effectively.

 

Information Gathering

There are things that we need children to learn, but this stage we look to find out the children’s interests as well as identifying gaps in their learning.  In order to do this we:

-          Observe their play, and listen to their conversations (with adults and with peers).

-          Talk overtly to the children about what they want to learn.

-          Ask for parental input about needs and interests from home.

Provocation/Observation & Assessment

On a daily basis, we put out activities and resources according to our plan.  The staff spend time actively playing with the children with the resources, as well as frequently standing back and watching – observing closely how the children use the resources, and what/how they seem to be learning. 

  We record our observations through writing quotes, taking photos, keeping examples of children’s work, etc.   This information is displayed for parents to view in the “Big Books”, on wall displays and in the children’s individual profiles.   Children are also encouraged to help record the learning in their folders and the “Big Books”.

 

Planning

At this stage, staff discuss the information from observations and feedback.  We look for commonalities running through all children’s needs and interests, and we also highlight those of individual’s. 

  Once we know WHAT we want the children to learn, we decide on HOW we feel they will best learn this.  We then decide on activities and resources that should provoke positive learning.  This is displayed for parents to see.  Children are shown picture flashcards that explain the learning that has been planned for (and these flashcards match with assessment sheets in their profiles).

Evaluation

After one week, we take our recorded observations - and any feedback from parents, staff or children - and evaluate how well our plan has worked.  We reflect on any changes we could make on a daily and a weekly basis.

  After team discussions, we alter our plans to cater for individual’s needs and changes in children’s interests.  We then begin gathering information again for the next plan.