How to write group observations of learning

Featured ~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Hey educator! Are you feeling lost and stretched for time when it comes to observing children? All group observations might be the trick to save you time and effort. If you’re wondering how to write group observations in childcare, focusing on the dynamics within a group of children can offer a holistic view of interactions, behaviours, and developmental milestones.

Observing children’s behaviour, learning and development is an essential part of early childhood education. It is also a requirement of the NQS Quality Area 1 – Educational Program. It is a part and parcel of our job as educators. However, conducting individual observations for every child can be time-consuming for educators. A practical and efficient solution is to use group observations. In this article, we’ll explore how group observations can save time, provide valuable insights into child development, and offer three examples of effective group observation practices.

Dancing – is the perfect time to observe children

What Are Group Observations in Early Childhood Education and Care?

Group observations involve observing multiple children simultaneously, usually during group activities like free play, art projects, or collaborative tasks. This method allows educators to gather information on how children interact with peers, work as part of a group, and engage in learning together. Instead of focusing on one child at a time, group observations capture a broader picture of social dynamics, cognitive development, and communication skills.

Why Use Group Observations in Childcare?

1. It saves time!!! – Group observations reduce the need for individual observations, which can be time-consuming. By observing several children at once, you can collect data faster without missing out on key developmental milestones.

2. You can choose the focus – Group observations are particularly useful for tracking social and emotional development. By watching how children cooperate, resolve conflicts, and share resources, educators gain insight into their emotional maturity and social skills.

3. Aligned with the socio-cultural theory – Children often learn and develop best in natural settings, especially when interacting with their peers. Group observations allow educators to see how children apply their learning in real-world scenarios, such as collaborating on tasks or problem-solving together.

How to complete group observations of learning?

To make the most of group observations, it’s important to have a plan.

  • I usually use video, if my presence is required for supervision. As a student, I used to sit back and observe, making notes. You can choose activities that promote interaction, such as building blocks, cooperative games, or group art projects. You can also focus on one group of children at a time and this will help to turn group observations into individual jottings or learning stories later on.
  • Decide on the specific behaviours, dispositions and skills you want to observe, such as communication, teamwork, or problem-solving.
  • Jot down the children’s exact words. I mean it! If the child says “Snakey snake”, you need to write it down or you will forget. During the activity, take clear, concise notes. Focus on key behaviours and interactions that show development in the children.
  • Relate your observations to early learning frameworks to ensure they align with educational goals.

EXAMPLE 1

Pollock style painting

Today, the children played with a new sticky table, which was set up as an extension of their interest in pasting and using sticky tape.

The table was covered with contact paper, making it delightfully sticky and allowing assorted items to stick to its surface. Ethan and Olivia enthusiastically stuck a few leaves onto the table. Olivia, with excitement in her voice, touched the sticky surface and exclaimed, “It’s sticky!”

Ethan, inspired by the sticky tape, came up with a creative idea. The children were fully engaged in this experience, actively exploring, and constructing their knowledge about different materials through hands-on activities and observations.

Their confidence was evident as they fearlessly approached this new experience. The sticky table provided them with an opportunity to explore and experiment, fostering their curiosity and understanding of materials in a fun and interactive way.

Overall, it was a delightful and enriching experience, allowing the children to express their creativity and learn through play.

Possibilities for extensions and future learning

After observing the children’s enthusiastic engagement and the valuable learning experiences they had with the sticky table, we have come up with three questions:

  • Based on the children’s questions and curiosity, educators can design a more structured investigation around the sticky table. They could prepare different materials and objects, varying in textures and sizes, and encourage the children to predict and explore which ones will stick and why. This investigation could involve recording their findings, making graphs, and engaging in group discussions to promote communication and critical thinking.
  • Building on the children’s interest in sticking objects, we can encourage them to create art pieces using the sticky table as a base. They could provide various art supplies and materials, such as coloured paper, feathers, buttons, and fabric, allowing the children to design and assemble their unique masterpieces.
  • Collaborate with the children to design simple science experiments related to stickiness and adhesion. For example, they could explore how temperature affects stickiness or investigate which liquids can weaken or strengthen adhesion. Encouraging hands-on experiments will help nurture their scientific inquiry skills.
  • Take the children on a nature walk where they can collect leaves, flowers, and other natural items. Back at the sticky table, they can experiment with sticking these items, making observations about the different adhesive properties of nature’s treasures.
  • Use the sticky table exploration as an opportunity to enhance language and literacy skills. Read books about adhesion, sticky materials, or nature, and have discussions about the stories. Encourage the children to describe their experiences and discoveries, either through drawings, dictations, or simply written observations.
  • Share the children’s sticky table experiences with their parents or guardians through newsletters, photos, or short videos. Encourage families to continue the exploration at home and involve them in contributing new ideas and materials for the sticky table.

Example 2

Example 3

Observation of art experience (group level)

“Like Pollock” Splat Painting

Before we began the activity, I introduced the children to the renowned artist, Jackson Pollock, by reading a story about his unique painting style. We learned that Pollock used an interesting technique, dipping brushes in paint and flicking them, swinging the paints over his canvas, and even walking on it, adding sand, glass, and other textured materials.

Excited about the “like Pollock” experience, I set up the table with wool on pegs, paints, and sturdy paper. Manaki, Ella, Kokoda, Carter, and Tyrelle eagerly joined in. They picked up the pegs with wool, dipped them into paints, and let the colours touch the paper. Each child had a choice of colours; some chose black and yellow, while others mixed all the colours on the paper or selected three specific colours. Ella was particularly fond of splatter painting and made three pictures in a row.

Analysis

This experience is part of our ongoing project, “Painting Like Great Artists.” We previously explored abstract paintings like Kandinsky, and now, Pollock’s splatter painting continues our investigation.

Throughout the activity, the children embraced a new way of painting and welcomed the challenges it presented. They discovered that wool picks up colours, leaving snakelike traces on the paper. The children at Pinecones are developing their creative skills and expressing their unique personalities through their artwork. Their enthusiasm for painting grows with each day, and they are becoming more confident with every new artistic experience.

What’s Next?

Inspired by the success of our Pollock splatter painting, we plan to explore the techniques of other famous artists. Next, we’ll try “Painting with Scissors” like Matisse, creating Warhol-style pop art with self-portraits, and experimenting with Mondrian’s iconic blue, red, and yellow rectangular compositions. These experiences will further ignite the children’s creativity and appreciation for the diverse world of art.

Group observations provide a window into how children interact with their peers, work through challenges, and grow together in social and cognitive skills.

If you need help in learning how to write learning stories using EYLF – here is your video

Buy the essential guide to writing observations
How do I teach early childhood students to do observations?

Erik Erikson’s theory of development

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

A few years ago, I finished Erik Erikson’s book Childhood and Society. As the mother of a school-age boy, I felt two things at once.

On the one hand, I was disappointed that I hadn’t had this book in my library nine years earlier. There was so much important and essential in it.

On the other hand, I felt relieved and even excited. The crises of early childhood were already behind us. So much still lay ahead: my son’s adolescence, and eventually my own old age and wisdom.

All of this is explored by the remarkable psychologist Erik Erikson.

Erik Erikson Bio

Blue-eyed blond Erik Erikson was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in 1902.

Karla Abrahamsen was his mother. She was an intellectual of Jewish origin. She was married to Valdemar Salomonsen, however he was not Erik’s biological father. His father was an unknown Dane. Erik, originally a painter and teacher, became interested in psychology after meeting Anna Freud, the daughter of the famous psychoanalyst. She convinced Erikson to study at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute, which he did, choosing child psychoanalysis as his specialty. Erikson’s biography is often described in such detail. People believe that the identity crisis he studied so deeply was something he knew firsthand.

At a regular school, he was teased for being Jewish, and at a Jewish school, for not looking Jewish.

In 1933, Erik Erikson moved to the United States, where he began working at Harvard Medical School. Later, he moved to Yale University. During this period, he became interested in the influence of culture and society on child development. In 1950, Childhood and Society was published — a book that became a classic for beginning psychologists, sociologists, and educators.

In his later years, Erikson became fascinated with the question of the meaning of life. He continued working on the issues that concerned him until his death. He passed away at the age of 92.

Erik Erikson stages of development

Why is Erikson so important for parents and teachers — for anyone who cares about children’s lives?

Erikson explained a child’s emotional and social development. He showed what lays the foundation for emotional stability. He also identified what undermines it. He identified 8 main stages of psychological development. Each stage is marked by a conflict that a person either resolves successfully or not.

  1. First stage — from birth to one year: trust vs mistrust
  2. Second stage — from one to two years: autonomy vs shame
  3. Third stage — from three to six years: initiative vs guilt
  4. Fourth stage — corresponds to Freud’s “latency period”: competence vs inferiority
  5. Fifth stage — adolescence: identity vs role confusion
  6. Sixth stage — early adulthood: intimacy vs isolation
  7. Seventh stage — later adulthood: productivity vs stagnation
  8. Eighth stage — integrity (wisdom) vs despair

If the conflict is resolved positively, a person gains new character traits. These traits include confidence in the future, willpower, and competence. They also gain loyalty, the ability to love, care, and wisdom.

Childhood is an incredibly important stage in a person’s life. The relationships a child has with significant adults during this time influence later socialisation. The scientist said that it is in childhood that trust in people and the world arises. Autonomy and initiative also begin during this stage. Erikson was not a pessimist. He believed it is always possible to “return” to the past. We can “work through” unresolved conflicts.

Trust vs Mistrust

The first stage, according to Erikson, corresponds to the first year of a child’s life. The baby learns to trust themselves, other people, and the world as a whole. Erikson writes that trust can be internal. This means having belief in one’s ability to cope with difficulties. Trust can also be external, which is the belief that important adults will be there when needed.

A baby successfully passes this stage. This happens when parents soothe them when they cry, feed them when they are hungry, rejoice in their first sounds and steps, and respond to their needs. A child whose basic needs are not consistently met grows up suspicious and distrustful.

Self-confidence and trust in adults are necessary for a child to move to the next stage and develop independence. Lack of trust, on the other hand, puts the development of more complex social relationships at risk. In such cases, the child is more vulnerable.

What does it mean in practice?

  • carry babies in your arms and hug them often
  • feed on demand
  • soothe at the first signs of stress

This helps children believe that the world is safe and that there are people in it who care about them.

Erikson debated that such behaviour in the first year cannot “spoil” a child. Trust is the foundation without which true autonomy is impossible.

Independence vs Shame and Doubt

The second stage corresponds to the second and third years of life. The main developmental task is autonomy or independence. This is the period when the child’s “I” is forming.

This is when you first hear from your toddler: “No!”, “Mine!”, “Give!”, and of course, “Myself!”. I remember my son at two years old… Every trip to the shop ended the same way. He loved pressing the intercom button first and knocking on the door. If I accidentally forgot about his “need,” the anger and offence were intense.

Erikson reassures parents: “terrible twos” are completely normal. Nothing unusual about it. Children need opportunities to choose, to be involved in tasks, and to take on small responsibilities they can manage. For example, if a child wants to dress themselves and you are in a hurry, plan to get up earlier. This allows them the time to dress themselves.

At this time, Erikson warns, children behave very inconsistently: sometimes overly dependent, sometimes the opposite. To feel secure, they need reasonable limits. At home, we walk barefoot, but outside, we wear shoes. We eat ice cream after soup and salad, not before. It is most important to be firm (but not harsh), calm, and consistent.

What does it mean in practice?

  • give the child choices: “We are going outside. Do you want mum to dress you or will you do it yourself?”
  • set clear, reasonable, consistent limits (we can hug mum, but we don’t hit; we don’t fight, we talk things through)
  • accept and understand emotional swings from independence to dependence

The same child can be a “big kid” one moment and a “crying baby” the next.

Initiative vs Guilt

Children aged 4–5 go through this stage, which lasts until about 12 years old. At this age, a child is very energetic and curious. If this period is successfully resolved, the result is a confident and competent child.

Preschoolers can already do a lot: jump, run, climb, make friends. The outcome depends strongly on how parents respond to a child’s ideas. Learning from mistakes without feeling guilt is the key task of this stage.

This is the best time to do things together: cooking, building airports from blocks, making cubby houses in the yard. Praise for completed tasks, for helping at home, for everything that was achieved. Encouragement is very important. Labels like “what is this scribble?” can take away a child’s desire to show initiative.

What does it mean in practice?

  • encourage independence
  • focus on achievements, not mistakes
  • set expectations that match the child’s abilities
  • involve children in everyday activities — they are eager to learn what you can do

Erikson also describes later stages of development. However, this article focuses on younger children, so I will stop here. I refer you to the source, Childhood and Society, which describes each stage in detail.

To help children grow smart, they need trust and love.

Storykate 🪇

Unschooling is a new trend?

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday, I overheard a conversation between a parent and an educator. The parent casually said, “Oh, we’re doing a little bit of unschooling.”

I paused for a second because it was the first time I had heard that term. Naturally, I asked a few more questions.

UNSCHOOLING

It turns out that unschooling is an educational approach in which children learn through their own interests, curiosity, and everyday experiences rather than pursuing a fixed curriculum or formal lessons. Instead of adults deciding exactly what and when children should learn, the child’s interests help guide the learning process.

For example, a child interested in cooking might naturally explore maths through measuring ingredients. They can develop literacy through reading recipes. They may also learn science through experimenting with food.

I found the conversation really interesting because the idea of self-directed learning is becoming more visible in conversations about education and childhood.

RESEARCH

Wheatley (2009) describes unschooling as a child-led approach to education. Learning develops naturally through children’s interests, play, and curiosity. It is also nurtured by everyday experiences instead of a formal curriculum. This approach avoids tests or teacher-directed instruction. The article argues that children are naturally motivated to learn when their emotional and developmental needs are met. Wheatley draws on theories of intrinsic motivation and self-determination. He suggests that traditional schooling can undermine children’s love of learning. This happens when schools rely too heavily on control, standardisation, and external rewards.

The article highlights several perceived benefits of unschooling. These benefits include greater individualisation of learning. There are more opportunities for creativity and initiative. The approach allows flexible use of time. It also offers stronger support for the “whole child,” including social, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Wheatley also argues that unschooling encourages democratic participation. Children are involved in making decisions about their learning and daily activities.

What he talks about in his article is the contrast between unschooling and what the author describes as “factory-style” schooling. Wheatley critiques standardised testing. He critiques accelerated curriculum. He also critiques limited play opportunities and rigid schedules. Wheatley suggests that these practices can negatively affect motivation and healthy development. Instead, the article presents unschooling as an alternative model that values autonomy, curiosity, meaningful learning, and intrinsic motivation.

This is not new. There has been a lot of criticism of one size fits all model. E.g. by Ken Robinson or Ilyich.

Although the article strongly advocates for unschooling, it is largely theoretical and reflective in nature rather than empirical research. Much of the discussion relies on personal experience. It draws from educational philosophy and references to motivational psychology literature. This is rather than focusing on large-scale data studies.

As edivence-based teacher, I would love to research more about the lack of structure for learning from a neuroscientific point of view.

Reference

Wheatley, K. F. (2009). Unschooling: A growing oasis for development and democracy. Encounter: Education for Meaning and Social Justice, 22(2), 27-32.

LET’S DISCUSS!

https://www.facebook.com/Storykate2020

Have you heard this term before?
Have you heard parents talk about unschooling?
Or are you doing a version of unschooling in your own family?

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Maths with intention – the new guide will save you hours of planning

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

I created this because I kept seeing the same thing…

Educators know maths matters, but feel unsure about the how.

How do you teach maths in a play-based room? How do you document it using EYLF language? How do you move beyond counting to real understanding?

So I put everything I know into one guide.

Maths With Intention

Early Years Maths Through Active Learning

Maths With Intention: Early Numeracy Guide

Ages 3–5 EYLF 2.0 aligned 67-page PDF Play-based

The play-based maths guide Australian early childhood educators have been asking for.

Most educators working under the EYLF know that mathematics belongs in their program. What they struggle with is the how. How do you move beyond rote counting? How do you document mathematical thinking in play? How do you talk about subitising or spatial reasoning in a learning story? Maths With Intention answers exactly those questions — practically, beautifully, and without a single worksheet in sight.

This is a 67-page guide for early childhood educators, kindergarten teachers, and ECT students who want to teach maths the way the Early Years Learning Framework actually intends: through play, movement, language, and intentional teaching moments that turn everyday play into powerful mathematical learning.

What’s inside

  • My story — how I taught my son to count to 1000 using Montessori and Zaitsev methods, and what it taught me about how children really build number sense
  • What is early numeracy? — number sense, pattern, measurement, spatial reasoning, data sense and mathematical language explained in plain English
  • Early maths and the EYLF 2.0 — exactly how mathematical thinking maps onto Outcome 4 (Confident and Involved Learners) and Outcome 5 (Effective Communicators), with sentence starters for your observations and learning stories
  • Theoretical background — Dienes, Vygotsky, Piaget, Howard Gardner and Zaitsev, made practical for the play-based room
  • Counting songs at circle time — my three go-to songs and the movement strategies that make them stick
  • Go-to room resources — how to use the number line and 100-chart as active teaching tools, every day
  • My favourite group activities — 12 ready-to-run games for circle time and small groups
  • First Nations Mathematics — embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in early maths, drawing on the QCAA Mathematics Storytelling resource and the 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning framework
  • Quick reference: writing a maths observation — sentence starters you can use the very next time you sit down to document
  • Language Guide: What to Say When — questions and prompts for counting, comparing, building, problem-solving and extending the confident young mathematician

Who this is for

  • Early childhood educators working under the EYLF 2.0 (Belonging, Being and Becoming)
  • Kindergarten and preschool teachers in Australia, New Zealand, and any play-based setting
  • Educators studying for or holding a Bachelor’s or Master’s of Early Childhood Education
  • Educational leaders building pedagogical practice across a centre
  • Relief ECTs, nannies, and family day care educators who want to teach maths confidently in any room
  • University students on Teaching Practice (TP) placements

Why this guide is different

Australian early childhood education is strongly anti-worksheet, but most educators have never seen what intentional maths teaching actually looks like in a play-based room. This guide shows you — with real classroom photos, real children, real language, and the EYLF-aligned wording you can lift straight into your documentation.

It’s grounded in 18+ years of teaching experience, a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Early Childhood Education, and certified Zaitsev teacher training. It’s designed to be read once, then opened weekly for the rest of your career.

Format: 67-page A4 PDF. Print, laminate, or read on screen. Yours to keep forever.

About Storykate

I’m Kate — early childhood teacher, university educator, certified Zaitsev teacher since 2007, and the educator behind Storykate. I’m passionate about giving Australian educators practical, evidence-based, beautifully designed resources that make the EYLF feel achievable on a Tuesday afternoon.

You can find me on YouTube at @Storykate.

Get your guide here https://payhip.com/b/IcLXG

Sorting and classifying games with blocks (easy ideas for preschool thinking skills)

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

I thought we had exhausted every possible game with Dienes blocks. Turns out we had barely scratched the surface.

Dienes blocks are a very flexible tool for developing a child’s thinking. To me, it’s hard to find another toy with this kind of range. We thought we had played every possible game and hit a creative wall. However, there were dozens more ideas we hadn’t tried yet.

Move into the house

For this game, you’ll need a set of Dienes blocks, paper, and markers. Draw a house with two rooms. In one room live all the small shapes, in the other all the large ones. Make sure you show the size with simple symbols.

You can also sort the house by colour. In the red room live all the red shapes, in the yellow room the yellow ones, and so on.

Once your child is comfortable with a single-storey house, move on to a two-storey house. On the first floor (show them clearly) live the small blocks, on the second all the big ones. In the first entrance live the yellow shapes, in the second the blue, in the third the red.

And then you can build a three-storey house. Three floors, four entrances. Help each “resident” find their room.

Find the way out of the forest

For this game, you’ll need markers, a large sheet of paper such as A3, and your Dienes blocks. Draw a forest, with a clearing in the centre, and paths leading out in different directions. On each path, draw colour symbols (yellow, blue, red).

Let your child help the blocks (or little piglets, if you like) find their way out of the forest. Explain that, for example, blue ones can only travel along the path marked with blue.

Now add a “not” sign by crossing out the blue circle. When your child tries to take a blue block along that path, explain that it can’t go there. That path is not for blue. But it is open to anything that is not blue. Try sending red and yellow blocks along it.

Once they get the idea, you can add more features—big and small, thick and thin, different shapes. You can also add more paths to make the challenge richer.

Good luck!

Get Dienes blocks here

https://amzn.to/4eVV3VY

Watch my video about attribute blocks