Every body loves a story and what better kind of story is there, than one all about your own child.

For Educators, Learning Stories are an important tool in their repetoire for documenting and assessing children’s learning. They are a way for an Educator to record what they;

• See – what is going on in this moment
• Hear – what is the child saying/communicating verbally or otherwise
• Know – how does this demonstrate learning
• Interpret – what sort of  skills are emerging and how can we build on them

Since their introduction in 2001, Learning Stories have found their place in many services, helping educators plan and program as part of a larger learning cycle.

Unlike other forms of documentation, Learning stories have a more informal feel, as Educators take the reader on a journey of discovery and imagination. Children are captured in moments of  deep and authentic learning, usually accompanied by some photo’s, to help bring the learning to life.

At RLH, parents will regularly receive these snapshots of their children’s learning and development. They are posted out to families via our EDUCA app, where they can be viewed and parents can have input, through adding comments and feedback for Educators.

For Educators, Learning stories are a way to interpret a child’s competencies, strengths, interests and dispositions toward learning. The information is recorded and analysed as part of a documentation process that assists with setting goals and objectives for individual learning.

These stories are not part of a one-way communication system however, and our Educators use the comments and input shared by families as they respond to each and every story. Parent’s unique insight and knowledge of their child helps us to enrich learning experiences and informs future planning.

Our families can create their own stories too. Special occasions, family holidays, a memorable moment or a little triumph can be shared in much the same way. They are a wonderful way to encourage the children’s communication skills as they tell us all about what has happened, building confidence and competence in front of others (Outcome 5 conveys and constructs messages with purpose and confidence). It is also an important way for them to build connections between their home and their home away from home, here at the centre (Outcome 2 recognises they have the right to belong to many communities).

Learning Stories help us create an annotated and illustrated journey of learning for children, in a format that can be communicated, shared and enjoyed by families. They open the door for them to have conversations at home with their children and appreciate all of the amazing things that their children do and get up to, everyday.