Key features of Documentation:

• Documents a child's experience in creating something or learning about a specific topic
• Captures progress along the way, not just the finished product
• Includes specific quotes from the child explaining what they're doing and/or thinking
• Usually makes use of photos to capture specific moments
• Can be shared in a portfolio or on a bulletin board
• Can be focused on an individual child or the whole class

When Documentation is useful:

• When you want to show development across a variety of domains
• When you want to create something tangible to share with parents and visitors
• To check in on student learning and think about ways to deepen learning (ie: ask yourself "what have they learned? what can I introduce to deepen the learning?")
• For longer term projects that are evolving and changing (ex: kids are fascinated with wheels and you're exploring all different types of transportation with wheels)