Beyond Traditional Assessment: How to Document the Learning Process in Early Childhood Education

In Reggio Emilia pedagogy, document and evaluated the process is essential, as it allows educators to capture and understand learning as an ongoing process rather than just a final result.

What is Documentation in Reggio Emilia?

Documentation in Reggio Emilia is a deliberate and systematic practice for observing, recording, and reflecting on children's learning processes. This approach not only involves the teacher but also the children themselves, their families, and other members of the educational community.

Objectives of Documentation:

• Capturing the Learning Process: Unlike traditional assessment, which often focuses on the final result, Reggio Emilia emphasizes the steps a child takes to learn: how they experiment, question, explore, discover, and develop ideas.
• Encouraging Reflection and Dialogue: Documentation is shared with children and their families, encouraging reflection on learning and deepening the exploration of ideas.
• Building a Collective Memory: Project records and activities are collected to create a shared "learning archive," allowing children to revisit their ideas and educators to analyze thought patterns over time.

How is it Done?

• Photos and Videos: Images of children are recorded during activities, capturing both their actions and expressions, which reflect their level of engagement and understanding.
• Notes and Transcriptions: Teachers take notes on children's comments, questions, and interactions. Conversations or "dialogues" are often transcribed to reveal how children explore ideas and build knowledge together.
• Children’s Creations: Drawings, constructions, and any materials created by children are part of the documentation, as they reflect their understanding and expression of learning.
• Panels or Murals: In Reggio Emilia classrooms, walls often display panels showing the development of a project, from initial questions to discoveries made, including photos, comments, and children’s work.

Evaluation in Reggio Emilia

In this approach, evaluation is continuous, qualitative, and formative, deeply integrated into the documentation process.

Characteristics of Evaluation in Reggio Emilia:

• Formative and Reflective Evaluation: This is not about grading or comparison but about understanding and supporting each child’s unique and individual development. The focus is on observing children’s progress, interests, and growth.
• Self-Evaluation and Feedback: Children are involved in the evaluation process through self-assessment. They reflect on their work, explain their ideas, and offer their perspectives, fostering self-awareness, self-critique, and a sense of achievement in learning.
• Team Review: Reggio Emilia educators work as a team, reviewing documentation together to reflect on each child's progress and needs. This collaborative approach provides a more comprehensive evaluation and allows each child to receive support tailored to their interests and abilities.
  

 

How is it Carried Out?

• Analyzing Documentation: Information collected through documentation is reviewed by teachers to identify patterns, interests, skills, and areas for growth in each child.
• Meetings and Collective Reflection: Teachers often hold team meetings to analyze and reflect on documented data, understanding how each child approaches problems, interacts with peers, and develops skills.
• Portfolios: In many Reggio Emilia classrooms, each child has a personal portfolio that collects their projects, creations, photos, and records. This portfolio is shared with families and reviewed periodically to observe progress over time.

The Role of Families in Documentation and Evaluation

A key aspect of Reggio Emilia is collaboration with families, who are seen as active partners in their children's learning. Documentation is regularly shared with families, through meetings, classroom panels, or at the end of a project, allowing parents to understand what and how their children are learning and to contribute their observations and perspectives.

Example of Documenting and Evaluating the Learning Process: Autumn Project

Project Context

During October and November, we carried out a project dedicated to autumn, exploring changes in our natural environment and learning about the diversity of the season. Children participated in various activities that allowed them to observe, experiment, and reflect on the unique characteristics of this time of year.

• Project Start: Teachers note children’s questions and document their initial ideas.
• Development: Throughout the project, children engage in different activities. We went on excursions to a local park, where the children observed changes in the landscape. They collected dry leaves and fruits, sparking conversations about the colors and textures found in nature. The children used the dry leaves for rubbings on paper, focusing on autumn colors. Children gathered natural elements in autumnal shades and used them, along with their own creations, to make a collage, connecting art and science. We explored autumn leaves and fruits on a light table, allowing children to experience shapes and colors through light. We also used a Montessori cabinet for a deeper exploration of leaves, letting children touch and observe various types of autumn leaves. Through STEM activities, children conducted explorations that led to more questions and reformulated activities.
• Documentation: Teachers photograph these activities, record comments, and observe how children collaborate and explore. Children’s own creations also contribute to this documentation process.
• Reflection: At the end of the project, children review photos and drawings, reflecting on what they have learned. They can share their impressions, and teachers compile these reflections into each child’s portfolio.
• Team Reflection and Evaluation: Teachers review all documented material to analyze individual and group learning, identify future interests, and consider upcoming projects.

In summary, documentation and evaluation in Reggio Emilia are deep, reflective tools that allow teachers to accompany children in their learning journey, respecting each child’s individuality and fostering an active understanding and participation in the learning process.

It's about observing and documenting to support the child’s holistic development, in a collaborative and respectful environment where both educators and families are part of the process.

---

If you're looking for practical resources to document educational processes, visit my store on TpT, where you’ll find templates (available in Spanish, English, and Catalan) specially designed for teachers, students, and families — perfect for capturing each step of learning and growth. If you’re interested in materials related to our Autumn Project, you can find them here.