Childminders’ Focus July

Expert advice

Observing and assessing for the Early Years Foundation Stage

Childminders who care for children in a home-based setting offer a huge array of varied learning experiences – often without realising it. Allowing the children to take part in shopping experiences; sort washing; set the table; and help tidy up are all valuable learning experiences. However, it is sometimes difficult when you work alone to understand how you can make the time to observe and assess the children in your care, in order to ensure the schedules and routines you have planned support each individual child’s learning needs. Planning for children in a home-based setting starts with observing the children as they play freely, in order to understand what stage of development they are currently at; what they are interested in; and at what stage their learning has reached.