How Ivybrook Educators Observe and Document What Children Learn

October 2, 2026 By Jennifer McWilliams

Quick Answer: Ivybrook educators watch, listen, and write down what each child does and says. They use those notes to plan what comes next and to show families what learning looks like. Documentation is the record: photos, quotes, work samples, and displays that trace how a child’s thinking changed.

Definition: Documentation in Reggio Emilia-inspired practice is the collection of photos, children’s words, work samples, and educator notes that make learning visible to children, educators, and families.

Key Takeaways:

Observation comes first: educators watch and listen before they plan.
Notes and photos shape tomorrow’s materials and questions.
Documentation shows families what their child is thinking about, beyond what they produced.
Children revisit their own documented work, which helps them deepen their thinking.
On a tour, ask to see an observation note and documentation of a current project.

What an observation note looks like

An educator’s note might read: “Tuesday, 9:40. Stacks six blocks. Tower falls. Says, ‘It needs feet.’ Widens the base. Asks a friend to hold the top.” It’s short, specific, and in the child’s words.

One note tells an educator little. Notes across several weeks show what a child keeps returning to, where they get stuck, and what they’re ready to try. Those patterns decide what goes on the shelf and which questions the educator asks next.

What happens to the notes

Educators use them to plan. A note about a child’s interest in ramps can become a shelf with ramps and balls. A note about a child who avoids writing can become a provocation with a reason to write, like labels for a build. Notes also feed conversations with families, so a parent hears about a specific moment, not a general summary.

What families see

Documentation shows up on the walls, in the lobby, and in conversations at pickup. Panels trace a project from the first question through the last build, with photos and children’s words. Children often take their parents by the hand to show them.

At one Ivybrook campus, children at the writing center ask to hang their own work, so they have their own tape dispenser to do it. The room feels like theirs: they walk in and see their work, their thoughts, and their faces. If a school can’t show you a panel, a note, or a photo with a caption in a child’s words, ask why.

What to ask to see on a tour

Ask for documentation from a current project. Ask for an educator’s written observation of a child, with the name removed. Ask how notes shape what’s offered next. Specific answers, with an example, show the practice is real. Our post on provocations and projects shows where those notes start.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is documentation in preschool?

Documentation is the record educators keep of children’s learning: photos, children’s own words, work samples, and notes. It makes learning visible to children, educators, and families. In Reggio Emilia-inspired practice, it also guides planning, since educators use what they record to decide what to offer next.

How do educators observe children without interrupting?

They stay nearby, watch, listen, and write brief notes or take photos, stepping in only when a question or a nudge will deepen the work. Children get used to the routine quickly. Observation is a normal part of the room, and it tells educators what each child is ready for.

How will I know what my child is learning?

You’ll see it in photos, displays, and the stories your child tells. Ask your child’s educator to share an observation or documentation of a project your child worked on. Educators can also tell you what they’ve noticed and what they plan to offer next.

Is documentation the same as a progress report?

A progress report summarizes a child against a checklist. Documentation captures the process: what a child tried, said, and changed their mind about. Both can be useful, and documentation shows families how their child thinks, which a checklist can’t. Ask any school what it shares and how often.

Can I see documentation on a tour?

Yes, and you should ask. A school practicing documentation can show panels, photos with captions in children’s words, and work samples dated over time. Ask an educator to walk you through one current project from the first question to the latest build.

Ask to see the notes

Schedule a tour at your nearest campus and ask to see documentation from a current project.

Sources: Reggio Children (reggiochildren.it) for the practice of documentation. NAEYC, Developmentally Appropriate Practice position statement.