Capturing Investigative Wonderings

As early childhood educators, we see it every day, those special moments of wonder, of inquiry, of investigation, and eventually, of discovery!  

When our students are invested in a topic and fully engaged in their learning, we see many opportunities to use and develop their skills. We also see information that tells us what they are wondering about and learning. However, do you ever wonder how you can highlight that inquiry or capture student learning moments to guide the project? How can you make learning evident to others, including parents, administrators, teachers, and other students? How can you make it evident for the students themselves, individually and as a group?

Observation and documentation are the keys to capturing those special investigative wonderings. We often think of observation and documentation as assessment of skills, but they also play a big part in understanding the children’s questions or wonderings about a topic.  They can help us consider what children want to learn, what they misunderstand, how they are engaging with the topic, and where our investigations should go next.  

As a project develops, it is important to look with intentionality for those things that give us insight about those wonderings. We watch their play, listen to their statements and conversations, and observe their curiosity about the topic.  We consider each child according to their unique understandings and perspectives on the topic as well as their abilities to express questions and ideas in diverse ways.  

So, how do we do this? How do we know what children are thinking or wondering? How do we capture these wonderings and learning moments from students with limited language and other disabilities?  Consider these tips and strategies as you start your next project. 

Strategies for Noticing

• Observe closely. 
  Watch facial expressions, body language and activity as you watch for interests and wonderings. 
• Watch for emotions. 
  How are children affected by engagement with a topic, and how do they express their feelings about it? 
• Look for engagement.  
  What keeps a child’s attention for long periods of time? How long is the attention? Is it increasing or decreasing?  
• Note the activity.  
  How is the child engaging in an investigative task? What are they doing (e.g., collecting, imitating, constructing)? 
• Contemplate individual skill development. 
  Has the child made a special gain or noticeable change in a skill area? Are they willing to try new tasks?
• Seek parent input.  
  What is the family observing? Do they see new interests or behaviors?  

Strategies for Capturing Learning Moments

• Be ready to follow the inquiry.  
  Be willing and ready to follow their lead as children become spontaneously interested and engaged in a lightbulb moment.
• Have the camera ready.  
  Photograph unique interactions or engagements, such as the highly engaged child, the new participant, the observer, or the imitator.
• Write it down.  
  Describe in writing, the actions of a child who may not yet have verbal skills to articulate their actions.  Quote children’s ideas, as you write what they notice and say. Ask questions and write down responses. 
• Collect the work. 
  Collect and give special homage to work samples (such as drawings, charts, and surveys) that indicate learning and knowledge of the topic. 

Strategies for Sharing Students’ Knowledge and Work

• Display the learning. 
  Display student work and teacher narration on a project topic around the classroom and school environment. Create “documentation panels” or simple active displays using photos, artifacts, and dictation that show the learning taking place.  
• Share student dictation. 
  Post your notes and quotes paired with photos and work samples to highlight the ideas and learning captured.  
• Collect student work. 
  Curate and create memory books or binders for sharing work with classmates, families, and guests.  Allow children to add to them and revisit them over time.  
• Post news on family and school sharing sites. 
  Highlight special investigations and happenings with families and other invested onlookers, including them in newsletters, websites, and program documentation. 
• Document growth and learning. 
  As students’ experience and play develops around a topic, notate developmental milestones in Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and portfolio assessments. 
• Share progress with each other. 
  Invite the children to share their discoveries with their peers at show and tell or other group meetings.  
• Plan and prepare project celebrations. 
  Let the learning shine in various ways as a project culminates. Be creative and allow children to help plan ways to share their work and knowledge with others. (e.g., classroom open house showcases or museums, 3D models, scrapbooks, or presentations). 

These foundational strategies for noticing, capturing, and sharing student inquiry are an important part of the teacher’s role as a project facilitator.  Which strategy will you try first to show and share your students’ valuable play and work to others?