Assessment & Curriculum Planning in Practice
Following feedback from the Quality Outreach Programme provided by the KCCC, there has been a continuous need for support in the areas of assessment and curriculum planning. The areas of assessment and planning have become increasingly important and core compliance issues under Regulation 5 of the Childcare Preschool Regulations, 2006. In order to support children’s holistic learning and development, providers must support each individual child by providing appropriate opportunities, experiences, activities, interactions and materials within the daily service. Regulation 5 states that “the provider should be pro-active in ensuring that appropriate action is taken to address each child’s needs”.
The KCCC have created a guide to assessment and curriculum planning to support providers in their own assessment and planning . The “What? Why? How? -Guide to Assessment and Curriculum Planning in Practice” explains the importance of assessment and gives recommendations for best practice in the planning and observation process. It was compiled using Síolta, The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Aistear, The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, as supporting tools.
The KCCC have also created an Observation Template, A Guide to Support the Observation Template and a Weekly Curriculum Planning Template. These templates have been designed through consultation with childcare practitioners and the County Kildare HSE Pre-school Department.
What? Why? How? -Guide to Assessment and Curriculum Planning in Practice” is available to download and we recommend reading it thoroughly before beginning the assessment and planning process in your setting to gain firm knowledge and understanding of the area.
The Guide to Support Observation Template contains information about how to complete the Observation Template. It gives various prompts and ideas of what to look for and record during the observation process.
The Weekly Curriculum Planning Sheet also has a series of questions and tips to ensure that the template is filled out correctly, and that all of the steps involved have been completed.
If you require any additional information or support regarding your assessment and planning, please contact our Development Workers at KCCC who can provide you with further guidance.
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