Guidance for practitioners on digital documentation

Flewitt, Rosie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1986-0644 and Cowan, Kate (2020) Guidance for practitioners on digital documentation. Research Report. Froebel Trust.

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Abstract

Educators are experienced in documenting children’s play using pen and paper, often co-creating collections of observations that can be shared with parents. These ‘learning journals’ or ‘portfolios’ usually feature examples of a child’s drawing and early writing, photographs of a child playing and things a child has made, as well as written comments noted by practitioners. However, while young children carry on playing as they always have, the tools, practices and contexts for observation and documentation have changed significantly over recent years. In this short paper, we suggest ways that practitioners might use digital documentation systems in ways that celebrate young children’s playfulness, excitement and inventiveness, and that place the uniqueness of every child’s capacity and potential at the heart of their early years assessment practices. Our recommendations are designed to support and develop practitioners' digital documentation practice through reflective questions and tools for thinking.