The what, the why, and the how of pedagogical documentation
What does your classroom say about the children’s ideas, inquiries, learning, and play? An inspiring step-by-step guide to documenting children's ideas, questions, play, and learning in a way that enhances teachers' thinking and understanding at the same time, Pedagogical Documentation in Early Childhood will help you answer those questions and create documentation that tells the story of children’s exploration through the lens of teachers’ interpretation.
This practical guide provides rich ideas, useful references, beautiful visuals, and the framework to get you started, as well as ideas for developing the documentation habit, design tips, and tools for communicating the curriculum and children’s experiences to families and others. Each chapter concludes with an invitation to explore, which offers you a starting point if you are new to pedagogical documentation, or a pathway to deeper reflection if you are already practicing it.
The book has been revised and expanded for the second edition, including material on:
- Digital documentation.
- Documentation of infants and non-verbal children.
- Using documentation as a “thread” to follow the unfolding inquiries of children, including the use of sketch notebooks.
- Including the teacher’s voice, as well as the children’s, and the role of teacher’s curiosity.
- Bringing forward new thinking from the educators in Reggio Emilia.
- Leveraging pedagogical narration as a form of teacher growth.
Softbound, 160 pg.
Click here to read her Author Spotlight interview.
REVIEWS
"Stacey reminds us that the value of documentation goes beyond an attractive display on the walls—at its best it leads to reflection and dialogue. This book offers a number of valuable and practical examples of how to focus the work of pedagogical documentation.
If we are to put the idea of teacher research into real life, pedagogical documentation is a cornerstone. Stacey’s very practical book brings the practice to life." —Margie Carter, early childhood consultant and co-author, The Visionary Director, Designs for Living and Learning, and Learning Together with Young Children
"This engaging book invites educators to reflect on many kinds of documentation, to understand their differences, and to recognize when documentation becomes pedagogical—that is, when it shares what educators have learned about children’s understanding so that others may see it too. Susan Stacey makes it possible for educators to attempt such sophisticated documentation in their own settings by suggesting many thoughtful processes. And she has credibility—she has walked the talk—because of her own deep immersion in high quality pedagogical documentation and the inclusion of many examples from her experience both as a classroom educator and a teacher educator. She inspires educators to new attempts and new understandings."
—Carol Anne Wien, Professor Emerita, Faculty of Education, York University
author of The Power of Emergent Curriculum
"Susan Stacey opens this book with the wonder she felt when she first encountered pedagogical documentation. That wonder continues throughout the book—from the insightful and practical descriptions of the many aspects of pedagogical documentation to the inspiring and accessible examples of documentation in action. This book will answer so many questions about the hows and whys of documentation. It is also likely to evoke that same sense of wonder experienced by Sue over thirty years ago as readers look more closely at and reflect upon the everyday and extraordinary interactions and explorations of young children."
—Christine McLean, PhD, Department of Child and Youth Study, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
"Pedagogical documentation is a complex process of making learning visible that is difficult to define. I am grateful to Susan Stacey for the new edition of this important book, which takes the reader on a journey of the transformational possibilities of documentation. Susan interweaves the theory and practice beautifully, and the photographs of the projects and documentation give readers real-life examples to inspire their journey. It takes time, and you can never arrive at a place where you can say you know everything there is to know about the process, but?Pedagogical Documentation in Early Childhood?is an excellent first stop on the journey."
—Dr. Diane Kashin, Retired ECE Professor, Consultant, Trainer, Author, and Presenter