NACC - M4 - Terms

A systematic process of watching, listening, and documenting children's learning, behaviour, and interactions. Example: An educator quietly watches a child build with blocks and notes how the child experiments with balance and height.

Seeing children only through developmental checklists or skills, rather than as whole, capable beings. Example: Recording only that a child "cannot button their coat yet" instead of noticing their problem-solving attempts and persistence.

Materials or experiences set out to provoke children's thinking, inspired by Reggio Emilia. Example: Placing pinecones, magnifying glasses, and photos of forests on a table to spark curiosity about nature.

Acting with intention, sensitivity, and respect toward children's needs, interests, and cues. Example: When a child shows interest in water play, the educator adds cups and funnels to extend the learning.

An attitude and process that embraces every child regardless of ability, culture, language, or identity. Example: Providing books in multiple languages so all families feel represented.

A strengths-based approach that uses questioning to discover what works well and build on it. Example: Asking children, "What helps you learn best?" and using their answers to design classroom routines.

Seeing the child as a contributing being who shares power with adults. Example: A child chooses materials for a project, and the educator supports their decisions rather than directing them.

Learning about how one learns; self-awareness of thinking processes. Example: A child says, "I remember better when I draw pictures," showing awareness of their learning style.

Writing thoughts, questions, and interpretations about learning experiences to deepen understanding. Example: After observing a conflict, an educator writes about what happened and how to support social skills next time.

Curriculum that grows from children's interests, skills, and cultural backgrounds. Example: When children become fascinated with shadows, the educator plans shadow-based activities for the week.

Learning that emerges through children's play, supported by documentation and reflection. Example: Children pretend to run a grocery store, and the educator adds real food labels and money to extend literacy and numeracy.

The idea that learning is shaped by social interactions, relationships, and culture. Example: A child learns new vocabulary by talking with peers during dramatic play.

An approach emphasizing children's symbolic representation, documentation, and strong family involvement. Example: Displaying children's artwork with captions describing their thinking process.

A mutual, two-way relationship where both sides influence each other. Example: A child shares an idea during circle time, and the educator builds the next activity around it.

A reflective process of collecting, analyzing, and displaying evidence of children's thinking and learning. Example: Photos, quotes, and educator reflections arranged to show how children explored wind after noticing falling leaves.

Differences in culture, language, abilities, beliefs, and identities. Example: Celebrating holidays from multiple cultures represented in the classroom.

Valuing families as partners in observation and learning. Example: Asking parents what their child is curious about at home and incorporating it into classroom planning.

Acting with honesty, fairness, trust, respect, responsibility, and courage in observation and documentation. Example: An educator refuses to share a child's photo on social media without written consent, even if another staff member suggests it's "not a big deal."

Principles that guide what is right or wrong in how we act, speak, and make decisions. Example: Choosing not to record a child during a vulnerable moment because it would violate their dignity.

A continuous, ethical, reflective process of observing, documenting, interpreting, planning, and revisiting children's learning. Example: An educator observes a child's interest in shadows, documents it, reflects with colleagues, plans shadow activities, and observes again.

A formal set of guidelines that outline responsible, professional behaviour for educators. Example: Following the CECE standard of "Confidentiality, Release of Information and Duty to Report" when handling children's files.

Core principles or beliefs that guide professional behaviour. Example: A centre posts its ethical tenets—care, respect, trust, and integrity—on the wall to show families what they stand for.

Being fully present, aware, and non-judgmental while observing children. Example: Before documenting, an educator pauses to check whether their own mood or assumptions might influence what they see.

Personal preferences or assumptions that influence how we interpret behaviour. Example: An educator realizes they tend to document one child more because they find that child "cute," and adjusts to be more balanced.

Actively working to reduce unfairness, stereotypes, and power imbalances in observation and documentation. Example: Ensuring documentation reflects all children—not only those who speak English confidently.

The idea that children have the right to express their views, be listened to, and participate in decisions affecting them. Example: Asking a child, "Do you want this photo of you added to our documentation panel?" and respecting their answer.

A five-level model showing how adults can support children's participation and shared decision-making. Example: At Level 3, children's views are considered; a child says they want more outdoor time, and the educator adjusts the schedule.

When children feel watched or monitored because of cameras, photos, or constant documentation. Example: A child hides when the educator takes out a camera, showing discomfort with being recorded.

Using digital platforms, such as apps, photos, and videos, to share children's learning with families. Example: A centre uses a secure app to send parents photos of their child's artwork, but only after obtaining consent.

A written agreement to protect children's private information. Example: A student on placement signs a confidentiality form promising not to discuss children outside the centre.

Short, personalized stories that help children understand routines, expectations, or social situations. Example: A story explaining "What happens during fire drills" to reduce anxiety.

A superficial approach to culture that only highlights "special days" instead of integrating culture meaningfully. Example: Only celebrating Chinese New Year but ignoring Chinese culture the rest of the year.

A process that corrects itself through reflection and revision. Example: After reviewing documentation, an educator realizes they misinterpreted a child's behaviour and updates their notes.

To observe or track behaviour or learning over time. Example: Tracking how often a child chooses the art area to understand their interests.

A descriptive, story-like account of an event involving characters, actions, and setting. Example: "Child A scooped sand into a bucket, paused, and said, 'I'm making a birthday cake for my sister.'"

Observing from a distance without interacting; staying unobtrusive. Example: An educator sits quietly on a bench, watching children in the sandbox without joining their play.

Blending into the environment so children are not influenced by your presence. Example: Sitting near the block area pretending to read while observing children's building strategies.

Clear, detailed wording that describes exactly what was seen and heard. Example: Instead of "He was upset," writing "Tears rolled down his cheeks and he stomped his foot."

Language that puts the person before any description or condition. Example: Saying "a child who uses a wheelchair" instead of "a wheelchair-bound child."

Observable actions that can be seen or heard. Example: "Child B stacked five blocks and clapped."

Feelings, thoughts, or motivations that cannot be directly observed. Example: Writing "She looked frustrated" is an inference, not an observation.

Traits or qualities that describe a child's typical patterns. Example: "He often approaches new activities cautiously."

Making sense of what was observed by connecting it to theories, development, or context. Example: After observing a child sorting leaves, the educator interprets this as early classification skills.

Summarizing a child's long or detailed speech into a shorter, accurate version. Example: Child says a long story about bedtime, and the educator writes: "She described her bedtime routine."

Recording a child's exact words using quotation marks. Example: "Look! The egg will turn into a butterfly!"

Observing while actively engaging with children. Example: Joining a child's block play while documenting their explanations.

A space with accessible materials for children, families, and educators to observe and document learning. Example: A shelf with clipboards, sticky notes, cameras, and learning webs for everyone to use.

A visual diagram showing children's ideas, questions, and connections. Example: A window chart where children add drawings and photos about their "insect inquiry."

Ensuring all participants—children, families, and educators—can contribute to documentation. Example: Providing voice-to-text tools for children who cannot write yet.

Creating long-term, realistic routines for ongoing documentation. Example: Setting aside 10 minutes daily for educators to update learning stories.

Everyone in the learning community participates in observing and documenting. Example: Parents adding photos from home to a child's portfolio.

A flexible, unstructured way of documenting unexpected behaviours or thinking. Example: When Sebastian and Rocco spontaneously build a cannon and fort, the educator documents their imaginative play without a preset plan.

A short, objective narrative describing exactly what was seen and heard during a spontaneous event. Example: "Robert touches the glue with his right pointer finger ... the button sticks to his hand and he smiles."

The central characteristic that defines a documentation method. Example: The key feature of anecdotal records is flexibility—they can be written anytime, anywhere.

Environmental details that help explain a child's behaviour. Example: Robert's exploration of glue happened in the toddler playroom at 9:35 a.m., which helps interpret his engagement.

A professional reflection about what the observation might mean. Example: "It seems that Robert is able to engage in both solitary and onlooker play ..."

Identifying repeated behaviours across multiple observations. Example: If Robert repeatedly explores sticky materials over several days, educators may identify a sensory-seeking pattern.

Multiple observations of the same child across different times or settings. Example: Several anecdotal records of Payton in the dramatic centre would reveal her social patterns and pretend-play themes.

Observing behaviour as it occurs naturally in familiar environments. Example: Child E exploring water and sponges during free play at the sensory bin.

A staged or planned observation created for a specific purpose. Example: An educator sets up a small-group activity to observe how children negotiate roles.

A personal interpretation that may include bias. Example: Writing "bossy" instead of "assertive" reflects the observer's perception rather than objective behaviour.

A chart that records where a child spends time, which centres they visit, how long they stay, and with whom they interact. Example: Sonja's participation chart shows she consistently chooses the creative area and avoids the spider inquiry zone.

Specific behaviours chosen in advance for observation. Example: An educator decides to track "initiates peer interaction" for a child who is often quiet.

Structured observational tools used to document preselected behaviours or environmental factors. Example: A checklist used to record whether a child follows two-step directions.

The number of times a behaviour occurs. Example: Counting how many times a child pushes a peer during outdoor play.

How long a behaviour lasts from start to finish. Example: Timing how long a child remains engaged at the sensory table.

A list of behaviours or skills marked as present or absent. Example: A speech-language checklist noting whether a child uses plurals or follows two-step directions.

A system of symbols, colours, or abbreviations used to categorize behaviours. Example: Using "Em" for emerging, "Es" for established, and "NE" for not evident.

Foundational skills required before more complex skills can develop. Example: Before a child can "dress independently," they must first "pull on boots" or "zip a zipper with assistance."

A staged or planned observation set up to examine specific behaviours. Example: Setting up a small-group activity to observe turn-taking.

Observing behaviour as it occurs naturally in familiar environments. Example: Watching children interact freely during outdoor play.

Recording the number of times a behaviour occurs using marks or tallies. Example: Tallying each time a child leaves the group during circle time.

A tool that records Antecedent (what happened before), Behaviour, and Consequence. Example: A: Peer takes toy > B: Child screams > C: Educator intervenes.

A visual map showing social relationships and interactions within a group. Example: Mapping which children choose each other during free play.

A diagram showing a child's connections to family, school, and community systems. Example: An ecomap showing a child's relationships with siblings, grandparents, and after-school programs.

A visual representation of how children move through or use space. Example: Tracking where children gather during free play to identify high-traffic areas.

A diagram that connects ideas, interests, or inquiries. Example: A web showing all the children's questions about spiders during an inquiry.

Intended to teach, guide, or instruct in a direct, structured way. Example: A teacher-directed lesson with predetermined outcomes is didactic, unlike emergent curriculum.

A flexible, reflective, collaborative process of observing, documenting, interpreting, reflecting, revisiting, and planning. Example: Educators observe children's interest in eye colour, document it, reflect with families, and create a new inquiry based on children's questions.

A collaborative process where educators, children, and families investigate ideas together. Example: Children and educators explore sound and hearing together after noticing toddlers tapping objects.

A process where educators and families learn from each other through open, respectful dialogue. Example: A parent expresses concerns about communication, and the educator asks reflective questions to understand the family's perspective, creating a shared solution.

A new shared understanding created when two different perspectives come together without compromise. Example: A family prefers children not to nap; the educator prefers rest time. Together, they create a new routine that honours both needs.

Dedicated time for educators to revisit observations, discuss documentation, and plan next steps collaboratively. Example: Instead of weekly pre-planned themes, educators meet daily to reflect on children's inquiries and update documentation.

A reflective, collaborative process of making children's learning visible through photos, notes, dialogue, and artifacts. Example: A documentation panel showing children's eye-colour inquiry with photos, quotes, and educator reflections.

A curated collection of a child's learning over time, co-constructed with children and families. Example: A digital portfolio showing a child's evolving block-building theories across several months.

A law requiring environments and materials to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Example: Ensuring documentation tools, such as tablets and voice-to-text apps, are accessible to all children.

A strengths-based approach that uses questioning to uncover possibilities and support positive change. Example: Asking, "What did you notice today?" instead of "Why didn't you participate?"

Curriculum that emerges from children's questions, interests, and investigations. Example: A child wonders why shadows change shape, prompting a week-long shadow inquiry.

Curriculum that develops from children's daily experiences and interests rather than pre-planned themes. Example: A spontaneous interest in spiders leads to a new creative provocation and group inquiry.

Approaches that honour each child's identity, culture, abilities, and voice. Example: Including children's home languages in documentation panels.

Children's awareness of their own learning processes. Example: A child reviewing their portfolio and saying, "I used to draw small circles, but now I make big ones."

A system of supports, services, and strategies designed to identify and respond to children's developmental needs as early as possible. Example: A child showing delayed speech is referred for a speech-language screening after educators observe communication challenges.

An approach that prioritizes the family's values, culture, priorities, and expertise in decision-making. Example: Educators ask families what goals matter most for their child before creating an individualized plan.

A strengths-based approach that uses questioning to uncover possibilities and support positive change. Example: Instead of asking "What is wrong with Jazz?", educators ask, "What might be influencing her behaviour?"

A reflective, collaborative process involving observation, documentation, interpretation, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Example: After observing a child's difficulty with transitions, educators document patterns, discuss with the family, and create strategies to support smoother routines.

A tailored plan outlining goals, strategies, adaptations, and supports for a child based on observations and assessments. Example: A plan includes visual schedules and sensory tools to support a child with self-regulation needs.

Brief assessments used to identify potential developmental concerns that may require further evaluation. Example: A developmental checklist used during intake to identify possible speech delays.

Assessments that examine how a child performs everyday tasks in natural environments. Example: Observing how a child uses utensils during lunch to assess fine motor skills.

A trained individual who works under the supervision of a qualified professional to support children and families. Example: An early interventionist assisting educators in implementing strategies for a child with sensory needs.

A shared process where educators, families, and professionals work together toward common goals. Example: A speech-language pathologist, educator, and parent meet to discuss strategies for supporting a child's communication.

Assessment based on real-life observations, documentation, and children's natural interactions rather than standardized tests. Example: Using learning stories and photos to understand a child's problem-solving skills.

A formal, structured test administered in the same way for all children to compare performance to norms. Example: A psychologist administering a cognitive assessment to determine eligibility for services.

An approach that considers the whole child—their culture, identity, relationships, environment, and development. Example: Considering a child's home language and cultural practices when interpreting communication skills.

A multi-layered network of agencies, professionals, funding structures, and community supports that provide services to children and families. Example: Public health, speech-language services, occupational therapy, and school-based support teams working together.

A school-based committee in Ontario that determines a child's special education category and appropriate placement. Example: A child with autism is formally identified and placed in a classroom with additional supports.

A reciprocal learning process where educators and families share perspectives to create new understanding. Example: A parent explains cultural expectations around behaviour, helping educators interpret a child's actions more accurately.

A framework for designing environments, materials, and experiences that are accessible and barrier-free for all learners. Example: Providing visual schedules, tactile materials, and multiple seating options so every child can engage meaningfully.

Offering information in different ways so all learners can understand it. Example: Using photos, real objects, gestures, and verbal explanations during a science activity.

Allowing children different ways to show what they know. Example: A child can demonstrate understanding of patterns through drawing, building, or storytelling.

Providing varied ways to motivate and sustain children's interest. Example: Offering choices in materials, levels of challenge, and collaborative or independent options.

The idea that the environment teaches, influences, and shapes learning alongside educators and peers. Example: A thoughtfully arranged block area encourages collaboration, problem-solving, and inquiry without adult direction.

A space designed around children's interests, strengths, identities, and developmental needs. Example: Displaying children's artwork at eye level and offering materials that reflect their cultures.

A child's ability to manage emotions, behaviour, and attention in different contexts. Example: A quiet corner with pillows helps children calm themselves when overwhelmed.

The ability to cope with stress, adapt, and recover from challenges. Example: A child tries again after a block tower falls, supported by an encouraging environment.

Leadership grounded in inquiry, reflection, collaboration, and co-learning rather than authority or hierarchy. Example: An educator leads a team reflection on documentation to improve curriculum responsiveness.

A reflective, cyclical process where educators investigate their own practice to improve it. Example: A team studies how changing the room layout affects children's engagement.

Research conducted over long periods to observe change and development. Example: Tracking children's problem-solving strategies over a full school year.

A reflective collection of an educator's professional growth, philosophy, documentation samples, and learning. Example: An e-portfolio showing how an educator's documentation skills evolved over time.

Designing spaces so all children, including those with disabilities, can participate fully without barriers. Example: Ensuring pathways are wide enough for mobility devices.

Assistive devices that support physical positioning and mobility. Example: A stander helps a child participate in sensory play at table height.

The emotional climate of the environment that influences trust, belonging, and well-being. Example: Warm greetings, predictable routines, and responsive interactions create a secure atmosphere.