Assessment in New Zealand early childhood settings: A proposal to change from Learning Stories to Learning Notes

Abstract

Although Learning Stories are widely used in New Zealand early childhood settings, there are doubts about the effectiveness of this assessment technique. A different approach to assessing young children, known as Learning Notes, is introduced in this article. Unlike Learning Stories, Learning Notes do not follow a story format or focus on dispositions to learn. Learning Notes can be used to provide an accurate description of an event, an interpretation of the learning that occurred, and ideas for future learning. When evaluated against key principles of observational assessment, it is argued that Learning Notes provide a more comprehensive and practical approach than is possible with Learning Stories.