Glossary of ARK Terms

Adult-Led

This is a planned activity or experience led by an adult with a specific learning intention in mind. The activity is planned from previous knowledge of the children and helps to develop a skill or understanding.

Adult-Initiated

An activity structured by an adult with a specific learning intention in mind, for children to carry out, develop and extend independently. This is an activity which is set up by an adult and has clear boundaries.  It poses a challenge to the child but is open ended and intended to extend thinking and allow children to apply skills and learning. 

Assessment

To help children progress practitioners need information about what children know, understand and can do.  Through observing children and by making notes when necessary about what has been achieved, practitioners can make professional judgements about children’s achievements and decide on the next steps in learning.  They can also exchange information with parents about how children are progressing. 

Child-Initiated

An activity/experience wholly decided on by the child as the result of an intrinsic motivation to explore a project, or express an idea. In doing this the child may make use of a variety of resources and demonstrate a complex range of knowledge, skills and understanding.

Development

The process by which a child acquires skills in the areas of social, emotional,  intellectual, speech, language and physical development.  Developmental stages refer to the expected, sequential order of acquiring skills that children typically go through.  For example, most children crawl before they can walk, or use their fingers to feed themselves before they use utensils.

Early Years Foundation Stage Profile

This provides information about each child at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  It is used to report progress to parents as well as to the child’s next teacher.  It includes achievements in all six areas of Learning and Development.

Key Person

The named member of staff with whom a child has more contact than other adults.  This adult shows a special interest in the child by close personal contact day-to-day.  The key person can help the young child to deal with separation anxiety.

Observation

Observation describes the process of looking, listening and taking note.  There are a number of different ways to carry out observations, for example:

• Practitioners involved in play with the children
• Practitioners noticing a child doing something when they are not involved
• Planned activities, with or without practitioner involvement, to watch children’s play.

Observational Assessment

Assessment based on evidence gathered through observations.

Planning

Written records based on what has been observed about individual children’s interests, learning styles and achievements, that set out what and how the practitioner will support children’s learning.  Planning may be short-, medium-, and long-term.