Observing involvement in EYFS, KS1 and KS2

A workshop for AST conference February 8th 2012, 2.00 – 3.15

Christine Barnes

Cornwall Learning Lead Consultant Early Years

Our focus

• Observing children’s involvement in what they are doing provides a new way to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning – with the focus very much on learning.  We will watch a number of video clips covering all age groups and use them to develop observation skills, which will be useful both in your own classroom and when you observe others in your AST role

Prof Ferre Laevers

• Leuven scales• Monitor involvement and well-being• Leuven manual free to download• Google SICS (ZICO)

THE PROCESS WITHIN THE CHILD

• Here, you focus on how the children experience their stay in the setting. You try to find out ‘how the children are doing’, asking yourself:

• How well the children are feeling (their wellbeing)• How engaged they are in their activities

(involvement)

Will the children reach the desired outcomes?

• We have educational goals – and plan programmes of activity/ work and (in early years classrooms, an environment in which we hope children will learn)

• The outcomes may be skills and attitudes or curriculum content

• But whether they actually learn or not – this is the process bit (depends on children’s wellbeing and involvement)

What is involvement?

• When children are...• concentrated and focussed• interested, motivated, fascinated• mentally active• fully experiencing sensations and meanings• enjoying the satisfaction of the exploratory drive• operating at the very limits of their capabilities• ...we know that deep level learning is

taking place

How can we tell that children are deeply involved?

The signals for young children:

• Concentration – look at eyes• Energy – physical energy and sometimes shouting• Complexity and creativity – adding a personal element to

the activity• Facial expression and posture – e.g. face when listening to a

story• Persistence• Precision. N.b. when listening, this would mean not a single

sound missed even when speaker has a low voice• Reaction time• Verbal utterances – e.g. enthusiastic descriptions of what

they have been doing• Satisfaction – look for signs of fascination

The signals for older children

• Newly published video clip and ‘signals’

The Leuven Involvement Scale

• Five levels

1. No activity2. Interrupted activity3. Activity without intensity4. Activity with intense moments5. Continuous intense activity

Clips

• Practice clips, including baby• Getting the measure, clip 7• Hospital• Story time clip 8• Multiplying clip 14

Levels of involvement tend to be quite stable within a setting (class)

• The more competent the teacher, the higher the levels of involvement

• Why?

Mathematical skills, age 7

High levels of competence can mask low levels of involvement

• Any examples from own experience?

Measuring involvement

• The involvement scales can be used regularly or as a dipstick (maybe for children causing concern)

Christine BarnesLead Consultant Early Yearscbarnes@cornwall.gov.uk

Cornwall LearningBerlewen BuildingTrevenson RoadPool, RedruthTR15 3PLTel: 01209 721400www.cornwalllearning.co.uk