The concept of the planning cycle is often a difficult one for Educators to grasp, particularly with the wide variety of thoughts, information and responsibilities that come with being an Educator. Each day there are new challenges, and children are learning and growing at their own speed, writing their own story.

There are 5 elements to the planning cycle and it can be used when organising thoughts over time, or it can unfold relatively quickly as you think, plan and change within moments. 

This is the first step in the planning cycle and it’s a very important step. This information or data, comes from building and maintaining respectful reciprocal relationships with colleagues, management teams, families and children. It involves working in partnership with each child’s community and it embraces diversity. These are places and people you can revisit regularly to regather and collect more information which supports a child’s holistic development. Children give us clues about what they like, what they dislike, what they are interested in and what developmental milestones they are working towards. 

Already just thinking about the amount of information collected on a daily basis can become overwhelming. Observations, conversations and moments noticed, are all ways of collecting information. It is impossible to write everything down and therefore the need to filter information for relevance is just as important as collecting information. Involving all members of your team is also important as everyone will see a moment through different eyes. Allowing and encouraging all voices can help share in this process. 

Consider this as though you were weaving a basket. The first step is to send everyone out to collect materials. Some people gathered quickly, while others took longer. Some people bought back long materials, some short. Some people even started building a picture in their mind of what the end product was going to look like, others may see uses for the materials gathered, for example a mat. The collection stage is very important because without the materials you cannot make a basket.

The second stage in the planning cycle is also very important as without it, we just have an overload of information. With too much information, generally Educators feel overwhelmed, and struggle to put a plan in place. Sifting through all this information, in search of relevance will help to order your thoughts. 

Questions like:

Is this appropriate right now or could this be held off for another time?

How will each child feel if we move forward using this information?

Are their ways to be flexible within routines, rituals and learning moments?

By sifting, sequencing and organising the information/data collected we can begin to build or formulate a plan which will help in moving forward. Educators often find that their minds are moving just as quickly as the children are and therefore may complete this step in their mind while on the go. Using documentation that is in clear view can help align with what you want to teach the children, the goals you are working towards, and how this information/data can help you get there.

Going back to our basket, perhaps some of the materials need to be kept for another time, or they can be used for the next weaving project. If the process of teaching people how to weave is the focus, not the end product, then sifting through the materials, thoughts and ideas that happened in the collection stage is relevant and important in order to plan the next step in the creation of the basket. Perhaps roles need to be asigned, thoughts sequenced, and materials sorted.

Now that we have collected our information/data, and sifted through, deciding what is relevant and important for children’s learning, it’s time to make a plan. This plan will involve place, time, resources, materials, roles, and practices and communication plays a big part in this stage. It’s great to have gathered information, sifted through it and formulated a plan, but if this plan is not visible, how is anyone else going to know why this experience is relevant, what the learning is or why they should even organise it. The planning cycle allows us to communicate with others in our learning space, so if another person needs to step in, and you are not there to instruct, they have a clear understanding of why this experience is happening, the learning outcomes are clear and Educators can then use their own knowledge and experience to enrich and build on the learning. 

Our basket might be made in different stages, some people are working on the handle, other people are keeping the materials damp so they don’t break. Some people will be incharge of keeping the materials in an orderly fashion while others might need to run for more materials if they are running low. A few hands might need to hold woven pieces in place. Effective communication will ensure that the plan is in place, and that everyone understands their role. If this plan is written down, any new participants will be able to jump in, know what to do and feel valued. 

This is the action stage, where the experience takes place, where discovery and investigations happen. This is where you can be resourceful, sustainable, creative and have fun. This is the time where children engage with others, build knowledge and skills, learn to take risks and step outside their comfort zone. In this stage, while enjoying the moment, thoughts around why you are doing this, and what learning outcomes you hope to achieve, are combined with noticing, observing and wondering alongside children. 

In our basket making experience, this is the time where everyone is working together, weaving materials, sharing this time, knowledge, and skills to create a shared learning moment.

This is the final stage in the planning cycle. This stage is just as important as the others, particularly if you weren’t there to experience the learning taking place. This involves many voices and it draws on child development knowledge, theories and life experience. It is here that deep thought can be used to consider whether learning outcomes were achieved and if not, how the experience could be changed to benefit the child’s ongoing development. Reflection is deeper than an activity evaluation, because it focuses on a child being a competent and confident learner. It looks from a holistic viewpoint, considering why the learning took the shape that it did, and it allows for a collaborative approach where Educators explore learning levels while considering brain development, cognitive processes, social dynamics, physical domains, wellbeing and language. It considers how materials were used over whether the amount of resources were sufficient.

Let’s consider the steps we have taken so far in our basket weaving. We have gathered, sifted, planned, implemented the plans, and enjoyed the experience. The reflection stage would cover the levels of ability, the learning outcomes and how each participant felt before, during and after the experience took place. Considerations would be given to how the materials were used, whether there were any surprises and what learning was taken away by each person involved.