Curriculum Approach and Documentation Methods | Early Childhood Education and Care

Running head: ENGLISH 1
Early Childhood Education and Care
Student Name
Institution

ENGLISH 2
Executive summary
The paper focus on curriculum approach and documentation methods that is appropriate
for early childhood education and care. The paper identifies jottings and anecdotal records as the
two documentation methods used in early childhood education. Furthermore, the paper also
identifies developmentally appropriate practice and project approach as two curriculum approach
good for early childhood education and care. The relationship between documentation methods,
curriculum methods and early childhood education or care is also expounded in the paper. Some
theories and philosophies of education such as cognitivism, constructivism, behaviourism and
connectivism are also explored with their relation to both documentation methods and
curriculum approaches. The paper critiques various documentation methods and curriculum
approaches citing their effectiveness when used in early childhood education and care. The paper
conclude by identifying the importance of documentation methods and curriculum approaches
when used to provide early childhood education and care.

ENGLISH 3
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................ 2
1. Documentation methods...................................................................................... 2
1.1 Jottings........................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Anecdotal records.......................................................................................... 3
2. Curriculum approach............................................................................................ 4
2.1 Project approach............................................................................................ 4
2.2 Developmentally appropriate practice...........................................................5
3. Documentation methods and approaches the relationship with theories of
education................................................................................................................... 5
4. Critique of various curriculum approach and documentation methods................7
Conclusion................................................................................................................ 10
Reference................................................................................................................. 11
Introduction
Early childhood education and care is the developmentally active stage of life for
children that require an effective learning process. Learning process encompasses three main
elements and these are appropriate curriculum approach, documentation method and educational
theories or philosophies. There are many different curriculum approaches that conform to certain
curriculum approach for effective learning. These curriculum approaches either provide whole
education systematically or provide some aspect of education to learners. Learning

ENGLISH 4
documentation, on the other hand, can either record a detailed account of child learning progress
or record short account of learning progress. Analysis of these documentation methods alongside
the curriculum approaches is important for effective early childhood education and care. The
following paper there identifies two documentation methods and two curriculums approach that
effective in early childhood education and care.
1.Documentation methods
Documentation methods are important for recording of account of child experience, skills
or behaviours as observed during early childhood education and care. There are many different
documentation methods that are used for recording or to document learning process of children.
These documentation methods differs based ways records or entries are made and the type of
information that is captured.
1.1 Jottings
Jotting documentation method is an important documentation method when used in early
childhood education and care. The documentation approach involves taking shot notes on child's
progress developmental and behaviour. The documentation is done through four entries at each
developmental milestone throughout the learning process of a child and care (Nilsen, 2017).
When using jottings three aspects are contained within the jottings and these are behaviour/skill
or learning aspect, the developmental stage and the theoretical linkage to the behaviour or skill.
The documentation method is advantageous since it not time-consuming as compared to other
documentation methods. Moreover, jottings are used when a child is playing that forms aspect
early childhood learning process and also gives developmental milestones of a child (Yasseri,
Finley, Mayfield, Davis, Thompson & Vogler, 2018).