Tag: how to write observations

Unsolistited advice for writing observations from someone with 30 years of writing experience

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment
1
The myth
Most people assume thinking comes first.
Writing comes second.
You have an idea. Then you write it down. In this view, writing is just transcription. A way of recording what you already know.
2
The truth
But that is not how it actually works.
When you sit down to write, you discover what you think. Trying to put something into words forces you to test it.
“Is this idea actually clear, or does it just feel clear in my head?”
3
The test
Three questions writing forces you to answer.
Do I actually believe this, or am I just repeating something I have heard?

Can I explain it, or do I only half-understand it?

Is this thought finished, or does it still need work?

You find out by writing.
4
Zinsser
A clear sentence is not an accident.
It means the writer has done the hard work of thinking the idea all the way through. Vague writing is almost always vague thinking. When a sentence will not come out right, the idea behind it is not ready yet.
The writing is telling you something.
5
The struggle
Stuck, staring at a blank page?
That is not a writing problem.
That discomfort is a sign that you are actually thinking, working something out that is not worked out yet. The only way through is to keep writing. Badly at first, if you have to. The thinking clarifies as the words come.
6
On AI
Outsourcing your writing is outsourcing your thinking.
The polished paragraph you did not write did not teach you anything. You skipped the struggle, and the struggle was the point. You handed away the exact moment where learning happens.
7
The point
Writing is how you find out who you are becoming.
What you know. What you believe. What kind of thinker and practitioner you are growing into.
It can not be delegated.

How to write observations of child’s wellbeing (EYLF observations)

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Hey educators! Want to learn to write better observations? Let’s do it together!


WORKSHOP

Read the following scenario and then answer the questions.

Kate is an educator in a four‑year‑old kindergarten program. Over the past two weeks, she has been observing Mia, a child who recently returned after a short illness, to better understand how Mia’s wellbeing is being supported in the group.

During free indoor play, Mia often chooses the home corner. She carefully sets out plates and cups and talks softly while pretending to prepare meals. On Tuesday, another child reached for one of the cups Mia was using. Mia pulled the cup back toward herself and said, “I’m not finished yet.” When the other child persisted, Mia stood up quickly and moved to a different area of the room without speaking. Kate noticed that Mia resumed play independently, but her movements were tense and rushed.

In the outdoor environment, Mia spends most of her time near the climbing structure. She watches other children climbing and sliding, occasionally stepping closer but rarely climbing herself. On Thursday, when Kate asked if Mia would like support to climb the ladder, Mia shook her head and said quietly, “I’ll just watch.” After a few minutes, Mia joined another child rolling balls down the slide and laughed when the balls bounced away.

During group music time, Mia sits close to Kate and participates in familiar songs, smiling and doing the actions. When a new song is introduced, Mia covers her ears briefly. She leans into Kate. She slowly re‑engages once the song becomes predictable.

At lunch time, Mia confidently opens her lunchbox and begins eating. She chats easily with a nearby child about their food but becomes upset when her yoghurt spills. Mia says, “It’s all messed up,” and pushes the container away. With Kate’s reassurance, Mia takes a few deep breaths. Kate helps her clean up. Mia accepts a replacement snack. She remains quiet for the rest of lunch.

At pick‑up time, Mia waves excitedly when her mum arrives. She runs over, talking quickly about the day. However, when Kate approaches to share an observation, Mia looks down and holds onto her mum’s arm until the conversation ends.

Let’s reflect on Mia’s learning?

  • What behaviours indicate positive wellbeing on Mia’s part?
  • What behaviours suggest that Mia might benefit from additional support?
  • What could Kate do to support Mia’s wellbeing and sense of security throughout the day?

What Pedagogical Documentation Really Looks Like in Everyday Practice (And Why It’s Worth the Effort)

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Ever felt like documentation takes you away from “real teaching”? You’re not alone. I talked to a lot of early years professionals over the years. Many early childhood educators feel the same. We want to be with the children, not stuck behind a screen or scrambling to print photos. But here’s the thing—done well, documentation isn’t just paperwork. It’s a powerful tool for making children’s learning visible, deepening our teaching, and building stronger relationships with families.

Let’s talk about what the research says about documentation in practice—and what that means for your everyday work.

What is Pedagogical Documentation anyway(PD)?

At its heart, pedagogical documentation is about observing, recording, and reflecting on children’s learning—not just what they do, but how they think, wonder, problem-solve, and grow. It shuold be meaningful and it should be about LEARNING.

It’s more than checklists. Think photos, quotes, drawings, learning stories, conversations, questions, messy play, co-constructed meaning. Documentation, when used well, brings the learning to life and helps us make thoughtful decisions about what comes next (Carr & Lee, 2012; Dahlberg et al., 2007).

Why It Matters: Documentation That Actually Impacts Practice

A major Finnish study involving nearly 3,000 children (Rintakorpi & Reunamo, 2016) found a strong link between pedagogical documentation and quality learning environments. Here’s what they discovered:

🧠 When documentation was used often:

  • Children were more involved, creative, and emotionally positive 😃
  • Educators planned more intentionally and included children in that process.
  • Learning was more play-based, inquiry-rich, and child-led. I love this kind of learning!
  • Educators reflected more and reported higher satisfaction with their teaching.

🧩 It wasn’t just about having more forms—it was about making documentation part of the learning process, not an add-on.

In centres with less documentation? There were signs of more teacher-directed routines, less creativity, and lower engagement.

Are you surprised?

Real-Life Strategies Educators Use to Make It Work

So, how do you fit documentation into a packed day? A comparative study across Germany and New Zealand (Knauf, 2019) identified eight real-world strategies educators are already using.

Let me walk you through them, with a few extra notes from my own experience.

1. Staff Discussions

Instead of documenting alone, educators regularly talk through their observations. “Did you hear what Maya said about the worm farm?” These conversations spark deeper insights and shared understanding, and often highlight those awesome moments worth documenting.

📌 Try this: Talk to your colleague for 10 minutes once a week about children’s learning

2. Re-Using Documentation

Learning stories, learning notes, and observations can be adapted across portfolios (when the learning applies to more than one child). That same photo display can be printed and pasted into individual books later.

📌 Try this: Print once, use twice. First on the wall, then in the folder.

3. Sharing Children Across Staff

In Germany, key educators are assigned to certain children. In New Zealand, the whole team shares responsibility. Either way, the goal is to make sure someone is tuned into each child’s journey.

📌 My tip: It’s okay to talk, swap, and co-document. Approach it as a collaborative process.

4. Using Forms and Templates

Some educators developed checklist templates or digital logs (even simple Excel sheets!) to quickly track interests or inquiries across weeks.

📌 Try this: Keep a clipboard with observation prompts nearby, easy grab when inspiration strikes. I use Notepad on the iPad too.

5. Defining ‘Documentation Weeks’

Some centres batch-document during certain times, for example, before parent-teacher meetings or at the end of the term.

📌 Try this: Plan a reflection and documentation week once per term, and treat it like a planning sprint.

6. Swapping Coverage with Colleagues

Want to finish a learning story? Step out for 20 minutes while your colleague watches the room. And return the favour.

📌 Try this: Schedule “doc time” on the roster like lunch breaks—everyone deserves a turn.

7. Parallel Supervision

Some teachers document while the children play. Others write alongside children (“Can you help me remember what we built with those boxes?”). It becomes part of the learning, not separate from it.

📌 Try this: Set up a “documentation table” with children and co-create together.

8. Keep it Simple

Some educators dropped the glitter and focused on clarity, less “prettifying,” more purposeful stories.

📌 Try this: Write as you speak. Use clean layouts. Focus on the learning, not the font.

Digital Tools Help, Too

In New Zealand, many centres use online platforms to share documentation with families instantly. Laptops or tablets in rooms make writing quicker and sharing easier. Now Storypart, See-saw and other platforms are more popular than ever.

📌 No fancy system? Start with shared Google Docs, or upload PDFs to a private parent group.

Digital tools don’t replace relationships, but they can make documentation feel less like a mountain.

So… Does Documentation Make a Difference?

Yes—when it’s meaningful.

🟢 According to the Finnish study, documentation is positively linked to:

  • Children’s emotional wellbeing
  • Creativity and pretend play
  • Autonomy and peer relationships
  • Educators’ own sense of satisfaction and growth

But here’s the flip side:

🔴 In settings where documentation was scarce, educators were more likely to say their work needed improvement, and children showed fewer signs of engaged, playful, or creative learning (Rintakorpi & Reunamo, 2016).

Final Thoughts: Let’s Rethink the Why

Documentation isn’t a chore—it’s a lens. It helps us tune in, slow down, and co-create the learning journey with children. It’s also how we communicate that learning with families, reflecting as professionals, and advocating for the power of play.

You don’t need to document everything. You don’t need hours of child-free time. But you do need intention.

Let’s move beyond tick-boxes and start seeing documentation as a professional practice that strengthens our relationships, our pedagogy, and our joy in the work.

Let me know what you think!

References

Alasuutari, M., Markström, A.-M., & Vallberg-Roth, A.-C. (2014). Assessment and documentation in early childhood education. Routledge.

Carr, M., & Lee, W. (2012). Learning stories: Constructing learner identities in early education. SAGE.

Dahlberg, G., Moss, P., & Pence, A. (2007). Beyond quality in early childhood education and care: Languages of evaluation. Routledge.

Knauf, H. (2019). Strategies of pedagogical documentation in ECEC: A comparison of New Zealand and Germany. Early Child Development and Care, 189(8), 1311–1330. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2017.1354850

Rintakorpi, K., & Reunamo, J. (2016). Pedagogical documentation and its relation to everyday activities in early years. Early Child Development and Care, 186(10), 1611–1622. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2016.1178637

“Are We Overcomplicating Observations in Early Childhood Education? 🤔”

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Hey educators? I have been thinking a lot about observations, documentation and planning in the context of early childhood education and care.

Writing observations in childcare is essential, but are we making it harder than it needs to be? Should we focus less on writing and more on learning moments? Let’s break it down 🧵👇

1/ What Are Observations Really For?
Are observations just about compliance, or should they be tools to truly understand children’s development? EYLF explained this as documenting learning outcomes, but are we hitting the mark? Do we use the outcomes as our broad beacons for individual learning goals?

2/ Stop Writing Just to Tick Boxes
Good observations should highlight:

  • How a child is developing key skills and dispositions
  • Their culture and funds of knoweldge
  • Their interests and strengths
  • Next steps to extend learning
  • The distance travelled (if it is a summative observation).

Is this what your observations look like? Or are we just writing to meet requirements? 🖊️

💡 Need help writing clear and concise observations? 👉 payhip.com/StoryKate

3/ The Jottings Debate
Quick jottings in early childhood education capture moments, but some argue they’re not enough to connect learning to EYLF outcomes. What do you think?

  • Are jottings sufficient?
  • Or do detailed observations provide better insights? 🖊️✏️

For tips on writing good observations in childcare, check out my video: 🎥 → https://youtu.be/rMxlk6Wufbw?si=lEvlgh5s9w7TzvQy

4/ Observations vs Overload
Early childhood teachers in Australia face mountains of paperwork. Even if it is digital, it is still there. But is all this documentation improving teaching and learning? Or is it taking valuable time away from children? 😟

5/ Action Words = Better Observations
Struggling to write meaningful observations? Use action phrases:

  • “The child problem-solved by…”
  • Collaborated with … ”
    These words link observations to learning outcomes effectively.

Save time with tools for writing observations in childcare: 👉 https://youtu.be/eoUcVM-fMPE?si=T08UccEpOWlVB_cY

Lost for words? Language and Words for Writing Childcare Observations

6/ Let’s Discuss: Are We Doing Observations the Right Way?

  • How can we simplify writing observations in childcare?
  • Are we over-documenting in early childhood education?
  • Should we focus more on interactions and less on paperwork?

Drop your thoughts below—this is an important conversation for every early childhood teacher in Australia and beyond! 👇

Words to write observations in childcare

Lost for words? Language and Words for Writing Childcare Observations

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

It was a sunny Tuesday morning, as I gathered children around the art table. Mia, a shy but curious four-year-old, cautiously approached the group. With a paintbrush in hand, she dipped it into the vibrant blue paint and began sweeping bold strokes across her paper. She then picked another brush with her left hand and started to use both brushes at the same time. I was surprised by how steady her little hands were. Watching from a distance, I knew something important was unfolding—not just a picture, but a moment of growth, expression, and learning. But how do I capture such an event? I was a new pre-service early childhood teacher in a Melbourne Preschool and had no idea where to start. How do I translate these small yet profound moments into observations that reflect not just what I saw but what the child is experiencing? I needed the right words for writing observations.

That’s where the art of writing childcare observations comes in.

Writing observations isn’t just about jotting down what a child does; it’s about painting a clear and vivid picture of their journey in learning and development. The words you choose can bring to life their growth, their curiosity, and their potential. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to use active language, choose the right descriptive words, and incorporate insights from The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) to craft meaningful and engaging observations.

1. The Importance of Language in Childcare Observations

Every child has a story to tell, and as educators, it’s our job to capture that story in a way that highlights their actions, learning, and growth. But not just any words will do. Using clear, specific language in observations helps ensure that others—whether it’s parents, colleagues, or even the children themselves—can fully understand what’s happening and why it matters.

For example, rather than saying, “Tommy played outside today,” you might write, “Tommy explored the sandpit, using a small shovel to dig deep holes, fascinated by how the grains slipped through his fingers.” The problem is – we often are lost for words.

By choosing an active, descriptive language, you bring the observation to life and give a clear, objective account of the child’s engagement and learning.

Active vs. Passive Language in Observations

As a journalist, I learned it a long time ago. Use verbs, and action words, whether you are writing an article or your resume. The same rule is applicable to written observations of learning. One of the most important techniques in writing childcare observations is using active language. Active sentences put the focus on the child, making their actions the subject of the sentence. In contrast, passive language can make observations feel less immediate and engaging.

Examples of Active vs. Passive Language

Active Voice (Preferred)Passive Voice (Less Clear)
“Ella built a tower with blocks, carefully balancing each piece.”“The tower was built by Ella with blocks.”
“Ben poured water from one container to another, observing how it flowed.”“The water was poured by Ben from one container to another.”
“Zoe sorted the beads by colour, creating neat rows on the table.”“The beads were sorted by Zoe into rows.”
Do you see the difference?

As you can see, the active voice puts the child at the centre of the observation, making the action clear and direct. Using active verbs like “built,” “poured,” and “sorted” creates a more vivid picture of the child’s actions.

Learn from examples and good samples

One of the first resources I introduce to my pre-service educators and teachers is the Early Years Learning Framework and EYLF in action. Both books can provide you with the language you are after. Moreover, EYLF in Action can give you amazing examples of well-written observations. Which, as you can guess, you can copy!

For example, an educator observes a child named Phoebe as she climbs a plank:

  • “Phoebe stood up using no hands, extending her arms for balance as she shuffled to the highest point of the plank, much like standing on a mountain peak” (EYLF, 2010, p. 9).

The use of active verbs like “stood,” “shuffled,” and “extended” clearly shows Phoebe’s actions, demonstrating her careful concentration and physical coordination.

2. Using Active Verbs for Clear Descriptions

When writing observations, active verbs allow you to create dynamic and engaging descriptions. Instead of general terms like “did” or “made,” active verbs give you a clearer picture of what the child actually did. For instance, rather than writing, “Jake played in the block area,” you might write, “Jake stacked the blocks, carefully adjusting each one to prevent the tower from toppling over.”

Examples of Active Verbs:

  • Grasped. “Sam grasped the crayon and began drawing large circles on the paper.”
  • Arranged. Chloe arranged the puzzle pieces into neat rows, carefully examining each one.”
  • Counted.”Lily counted the buttons aloud as she dropped them into the jar.”

Using action-oriented verbs brings specificity to your observations, ensuring that your description of the child’s activity is clear and focused on their development.

EYLF Example of Using Active Language

In one story, Katie interacts with language and sound as she folds bibs during a routine activity:

  • “Katie spread out the bibs on Amy’s leg, pointing at the flower on one and saying ‘eaf’ while smiling” (EYLF, 2010, p. 13).

Here, the observation captures Katie’s growing language skills through her actions—spreading, pointing, and vocalising words—which provide insights into her linguistic and motor development.

3. Choose Positive Language in Observations

Focusing on positive language is key to creating observations that support the child’s development. By highlighting what a child can do—rather than focusing on their struggles—you provide a more constructive and encouraging perspective.

Examples of Positive vs. Negative Language

  • Positive. “Ben carefully completed his puzzle, trying different pieces until he found the correct fit.”
  • Negative.” Ben struggled with the puzzle and couldn’t finish it without help.”

In the positive version, the focus is on Ben’s persistence, highlighting his effort and problem-solving ability. This approach encourages a growth mindset and fosters confidence in the child’s abilities.

EYLF Example of Positive Framing

In another story, Halima expresses her joy through movement and music:

  • “Halima began stamping her feet and jumping to the rhythm, smiling as she danced with her peers” (EYLF, 2010, p. 11).

The observation highlights her enthusiasm but also shows her growing sense of belonging and comfort in the environment, encouraging educators to support her interests in music and movement. Remember to use the three big ideas from the EYLF – Belonging, Being and Becoming in your written observations (or as I say – obs).

4. Descriptive Language to show learning and development

Using descriptive language adds depth to your observations, capturing the nuances of a child’s actions and helping to track their developmental progress. Words like “attentively,” “curiously,” and “energetically” can help describe how a child engages with an activity, giving context to their actions.

Examples of Descriptive Words:

  • Focused. “Ella was focused on stacking the blocks, adjusting each one to prevent the tower from falling.”
  • Curious. “Sophia curiously explored the sensory bin, running her fingers through the sand and observing how it felt.”
  • Energetic. “Mason energetically joined the game, running after the ball with excitement.”

These words give more information about the child’s engagement and learning process.

EYLF Example of Descriptive Observation

In an example from the EYLF, an educator observes how Nick nurtures a baby doll in the home corner:

  • “Nick cradled the doll and told the other children to ‘be quiet, shhh, the baby needs to sleep,’ continuing his role as a caregiver throughout the morning” (EYLF, 2010, p. 14).

This observation highlights Nick’s empathy and role-play, showcasing how dramatic play is helping him develop social skills and a sense of responsibility.

5. Using Prompts for Specific Observations

To ensure that your observations are detailed and objective, using prompts can help guide your descriptions. Here are some examples of observation prompts for various behaviours and interactions:

  • For Play-Based Observations:
    “As Lily engaged in sensory play, she demonstrated curiosity by experimenting with the water, pouring it between containers.”
  • For Social Interactions:
    “During group time, Oliver initiated a game with his peers, taking turns and offering suggestions for how to play.”

These prompts ensure that your observations are specific, focusing on the child’s actions and how they relate to developmental milestones.

Here is my FREE resource to help you to get started with written observations.

Download It Now!!!

Writing effective childcare observations using active, positive, and descriptive language is essential for capturing a child’s development in a clear, meaningful way. By focusing on what the child is doing—using precise verbs and language—you can provide valuable insights into their growth and learning journey. Drawing on real-world examples from the EYLF and other frameworks allows you to create observations that not only track progress but also support future planning and assessment.

Writing observations: where to start!
How do I teach early childhood students to do observations?