Clare Devlin has been working within the field of Early Years care and education since 1988. She began her career as a Foundation Stage teacher, moved in 1995 to become an Early Years adviser with the education and library board and, in 2007, took on the role as Director of Programmes with Early Years – the Organisation for Young Children. Clare has had a lead role in the development of the Sure Start Developmental Programme for Two & Three Year Olds in Northern Ireland.
In 2009 Clare became an independent trainer, consultant and mentor and has been focusing on the design and delivery of bespoke quality training programmes across Ireland and the UK. She works with a range of schools, organisations and providers across the statutory, voluntary and private sector delivering a wide range of programmes that draw on lessons learned from research and local and international best practice.
Clare worked as an Associate Assessor with the Education and Training Inspectorate in Northern Ireland (ETI) and is also an Associate trainer with Early Education in London. Clare’s particular interest is in the observation and documentation of children’s thinking and learning.
This enlightening session explores Clare’s brilliantly simple yet effective “What, So What, Now What?” approach to observation, assessment and planning. You’ll discover how to move away from tick-box exercises to meaningful observations that truly capture children’s learning, while making the process manageable within your setting’s daily routines.
In this episode you’ll:
- Learn why focusing on “ordinary moments” rather than dramatic incidents provides richer insights into children’s development
- Discover how spending just 45 minutes a week observing four targeted children can transform your assessment practice
- Understand the vital connection between children’s involvement levels and deep learning
- See how to gather evidence naturally through play rather than artificial testing situations
- Explore practical ways to ensure your observations actually inform your planning rather than sitting unused in folders
Join Clare as she shares her wealth of experience in making observation meaningful, manageable and focused on supporting children’s authentic learning through play.
This episode was originally broadcast on the 9th of October 2020
Episode Links:
You can find Clare’s website here: http://www.claredevlin.org/
You can look at Clare’s workshops here: https://www.claredevlin.org/zoom-workshops#workshops
Twitter: @claredevlinEEC
Facebook: @claredevlinearlyeducation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claredevlineec/
Boulder Journey school information for Educators here: https://educators.boulderjourneyschool.com/
Episode Content
Episode Includes
- 1 Video
