Learning stories are the main form of assessment that we use to document children's learning here at Bethlehem College Kindergarten. This approach to assessment was developed from extensive reasearch carried out by Professor Margaret Carr from Waikato University on learning narratives. Learning stories are used widely throughout early childhood centres in New Zealand and this method of assessment is endorsed by the Ministry of Education. The learning stories process is also closely linked to the New Zealand early childhood curriculum document, Te Whaariki.
As teachers we notice what children are doing and recognize the learning that is happening for the child as they do these things. While not all the learning we recognize will be documented, some of it will.
The way we do this is to write a learning story.
A learning story is a story about a child's learning.
Learning stories are written on a credit based model, where the focus is on what children "can do" rather than what the children "can't do." As learning stories are written, the strengths and interests of the child become even more evident. There are usually three parts to a learning story.
- The actual story about the child's learning.
- An analysis that highlights the learning that is happening for the child.
- What next? The opportunities and possibilities for the child to develop their strengths and interests further.
Learning stories can have multiple perspectives:
- The teacher's voice
- The child's voice
- The parent's/whanau's voice
When analyzing what learning is happening for the children, we do not only look at the child's physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual development. We place a large focus on the child's learning dispositions.
- Taking an interest
- Being involved
- Persisting with difficulty
- Expressing an idea or a feeling
- Taking responsibility
Below are examples of learning stories.
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