Involving children and parents in setting personal learning goals

Project summary

This ASG in East Dunbartonshire set out to more fully involve children and their parents in setting learning goals for individual children. Staff wanted to achieve this through observing the children during planned learning experiences and reviewing progress, reviewing samples of work, matching evidence of learning to East Dunbartonshire’s pupil profile and discussing the results with the children and their parents.

They hoped that the children would learn to think about what they were learning, that their parents would become more involved in the process and that, as a result, individual children could be clearer about their own next steps and how to achieve them.

Case study extract

A daily planning system was developed to help children to plan their own learning. This involves a pictorial grid, representing the main areas of learning in the 3-5 playrooms (art, outdoors, construction, etc). Children make marks on their individual grids during a brief planning time with their key worker at the start of each session. Staff encourage them to think about previous learning and how much can be achieved during the time available that day.

Long-term learning goals for individual children are identified through ongoing observations of the children during planned learning experiences and free play. The key worker records an example of the child’s prior success and a focus for learning using a Starting Out sheet. Parents are then invited to contribute by recording an area of success and a focus for future learning. These are shared with the children and periodically reviewed. As the child achieves his/her learning goal, this is celebrated and a new goal identified using a Looking Back, Looking Forward sheet. The aim is for the children to begin to set their own learning goals.

Primary 1 staff visited to observe practice already in place. We arranged sessions for detailed discussion across the sectors and for follow-up activities - both joint and individual. Primary programmes were reviewed to seek areas to maximise the potential for personal learning planning.

Within the early years centre:

• Children have been much more aware of their own learning, through discussion with their key worker and parents and through review of their own daily planning.

Within the primary:

• The project has impacted on pupil learning, as children develop a ‘sense’ of ownership of next steps - these are much clearer and the children enjoy the challenge and success.
• There has been an impact on the whole staff as a result of feedback from the group. Staff are looking at personal learning planning using ‘We are learning to’ statements as targets.
• Parents are becoming more proactive. This is the next step within the primary. Staff are currently working on pro-formas for this, based on the good practice within the early years centre.

AifL approaches have helped develop Curriculum for Excellence capacities in the following ways:

• High quality interactions between staff and children have resulted in children being able to relate to others and manage themselves (daily discussions about their learning; planning for next steps).
• Being clear about what is to be learned has encouraged children to learn independently and in groups.
• Reviewing their daily planning with the children, as well as regular review of the personal learning goals has encouraged children to take more responsibility for their own learning.
  

Contact details

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