What is Documentation?
Documentation is a way of making children's learning visible. Usually done through photography, audiotapes, videotapes, collections of children's processes as well as products, transcriptions of children's conversations, windows into the child's thoughts, theories, and understanding. Documentation is a key practice in a Reggio-Inspired teacher's experience with children.
Why do it?
According to The Hundered Languages of Children edited by Carolyn Edwards, Lella Gandini, and George Forman; four key points are listed as to the why:
1. Children learn from and are stimulated by each other's work that is made visible through documentation.
2. Documentation makes it possible for parents to become aware of their children's experience in the school.
3. Documentation is an important kind of teacher research, sharpening and focusing teachers' attention on the intentions and understanding of the children as well as their own role in children's experiences.
4. Documentation provides information about children's learning and progress that cannot be demonstrated by formal standardized tests and checklists.
The children and parents were given the task of collecting nature for our Nature Collages. My intention was to give the children the feeling of ownership and pride by giving them the chance to search for and bring in nature they had found themselves. But more importantly, I had hoped it would give them an invitation to form a relationship with some of these natural found items. I wanted to spark curiosity, looking closely, and thinking deeply about the world right outside their front door. 
Many of the children did seem to have one or two pieces that were of special importance! For example, in the above picture, J. carefully pulls the "balls" off of his leaf, carefully examining the properties. This little boy really appreciates round objects and has now formed a relationship with "balls" found in nature!
Here, another example of the "balls" on leaves. This little girl was also especially interested in this particular phenomenon. As we explored the concept of adhesives and things sticking to one another (collage), here the children have already made this discovery in nature!
The Sand provided to sprinkle onto their collages was very intriguing to many of the children in both classes. As adults we often times have a "goal" in mind when beginning a "project" but as I watched the children do their collage, I loved that they wanted to touch, smell, look at, listen to, and even taste every aspect of their experience. They were showing us the deconstruction of the process of collage that I only realized was happening when it was over. The children didn't need to "stick" it onto something else, they needed to first explore each item's properties first. 
As mentioned before, the photographs taken during this experience helped to serve as a source of memory as well as reflection for my practice as a teacher. I learned that first the children need time to simply explore glue on it's own without a given "end product" to be made. Also, the same goes with the bags of nature, perhaps putting out the bags and give the children time to use all five senses and time to appreciate and develop a relationship with their materials will help them to better use them as a "language" .This information will guide us through our next experience with collage. "As infants and toddlers learn spoken language, they first learn sounds, then words, finally stringing these words together to communicate more and more meaning. Likewise, if we thought about collage as the language, it makes sense that children should also learn the component parts first-the glue, the tools, the materials-before moving toward combinig them into longer "phrases" (collage)." The Hundred Language of Children p. 327
A beautiful palate of fall colors. How will it inspire the children?
A blank sheet of yellow paper. I wonder how it will invite the children in?
The children were once again, very eager to explore the natural items placed on the table. The gourds were fully touched, smelled, looked at, shaken, and tasted by many of the children.
Each week, I am trying to challenge myself to think of ways to give the children opportunites to construct their learning together as a group. As toddlers are not too aware of personal space, sharing, other points of view, this can be a little scary for all involved. The pumpkin provided a wonderful element for exploration together. Paired with paints, it was a wonderful "canvas" for the children to collaborate together on!
Here is the story of Shaving cream. ENjoy!!
A beautiful palate of fall colors. How will it inspire the children?
A blank sheet of yellow paper. I wonder how it will invite the children in?
The children were once again, very eager to explore the natural items placed on the table. The gourds were fully touched, smelled, looked at, shaken, and tasted by many of the children.
Each week, I am trying to challenge myself to think of ways to give the children opportunites to construct their learning together as a group. As toddlers are not too aware of personal space, sharing, other points of view, this can be a little scary for all involved. The pumpkin provided a wonderful element for exploration together. Paired with paints, it was a wonderful "canvas" for the children to collaborate together on!
Here is the story of Shaving cream. ENjoy!!
