Documenting emerging language in EarlyWorks

In their book ‘Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings’, Leonie Arthur, Bronwyn Beecher, Elizabeth Death, Sue Dockett and Sue Farmer, talk about the importance of documenting the words young children are using. They also suggest educators and families work in partnership, compiling lists of words the children are adding to their vocabulary and noting the ways these words are being used.

Using EarlyWorks, educators can create observations and easily document emerging language by:

• Using the ‘voice of the child’ to document the words the child is using;
• Using the observation narrative to describe the context in which the vocabulary was used;
• Using the Observed Outcomes to link this learning to the EYLF and the Developmental Milestones.

This learning can then be shared with families by making the observation visible to families. Families can then use the ‘comments’ to share their observations from home.

Using this evidence of learning, educators can then extend on the child’s emerging language by using the ‘Next Experience’ to add to the program.