Characteristics of Effective Learning: Report Writing Statements

The Characteristics of Effective Learning describe different ways in which a child learns. Covering all areas of
learning, they describe the processes of how a child is learning using three main areas:
Playing and Exploring
Active Learning
Creating and Thinking Critically

On the worksheet tabs below are differentiated comments for each of these areas. These may be useful to
practitioners when recording and reporting progress within the Characteristics of Effective Learning. These are not
supposed to be a comprehensive list but rather to provide ideas. The differentiated levels are not supposed to be
definitive and children can fit into different levels for each area.

Enter a child's name and gender in the boxes below in order to correctly pre-populate and contextualise the
statements.

Child Name
Enter child's name

Child Gender
Female
HA Comments
Enter child's name enjoys finding things out for herself.
Enter child's name is keen to explore new activities and resources.
Enter child's name especially enjoys the... area in the classroom and is drawn to activities where she can spend time quietl
Enter child's name is happy to work independently or share her ideas and activities with others.
Enter child's name is happy to take the lead in activities and is confident to try new ideas and approaches.
Enter child's name usually initiates the choice of activity or makes decisions when playing with a group or partner.
Enter child's name especially enjoys role play activities where she draws on familiar experiences from school and home. Sh
Enter child's name often creates INTERESTING/ DETAILED story plots in the role play area that reflect her interest in SUP
Enter child's name is able to concentrate for long periods of time especially during self-chosen tasks and activities.
Enter child's name is happy to accept a challenge and will work with great determination to overcome it.
Enter child's name is very self-motivated and enjoys completing tasks to the best of her ability.

MA Comments
Enter child's name enjoys playing alongside others especially when approaching new tasks and activities.
Enter child's name usually chooses to work alone but will share her ideas with others if encouraged to do so.
Enter child's name enjoys playing as part of a group and is happy for others to take the lead and make decisions.
Enter child's name is happy to follow a friend’s lead during tasks and activities.
Enter child's name is happy to include a familiar adult in her play.
Enter child's name uses her knowledge of familiar tasks or activities to approach new challenges.
Enter child's name especially enjoyed using her knowledge of DISNEY STORIES/PIRATES within our role play CASTLE/P
Enter child's name will keep trying when faced with a problem or a puzzle.
Enter child's name can concentrate for longer lengths of time during self-chosen tasks and activities.
Enter child's name especially enjoys using role play areas and construction toys to create imaginative stories and models.
Enter child's name enjoys the challenge of problem solving activities and works hard to overcome challenges.
Enter child's name can lack confidence when attempting a challenge independently but has more confidence when working
Enter child's name is beginning to gain the confidence to work with greater independence.
Throughout the year Enter child's name has become more confident to explore other resources, activities and areas of the
Enter child's name’s self-confidence has really grown throughout the year.
Enter child's name now takes greater pride in her work and works hard to complete tasks to the best of her ability.

LA Comments
Enter child's name needs reassurance from a familiar adult or friend to try new activities.
Enter child's name is gaining confidence when approaching new tasks or activities.
Enter child's name is beginning to share her thoughts and ideas with others.
With a little support Enter child's name is beginning to join in group activities and share her ideas with others.
Enter child's name is developing a longer concentration span.
With support Enter child's name is able to concentrate on activities for a short time.
Enter child's name tends to change activity or focus quite quickly and needs adult support to maintain concentration and foc
Enter child's name can tend to become frustrated quickly when facing a challenge or problem and needs support to develop
Enter child's name is happy to play alongside others and is beginning to interact more with her peers.
At the beginning of the year Enter child's name was often reluctant to visit the OUTSIDE AREA/ROLE PLAY AREA/CREAT
Enter child's name is mainly drawn to the COMPUTER/CREATIVE AREA/CONSTRUCTION AREA, preferring activities tha
Enter child's name sometimes lacks confidence in her own abilities so needs support to achieve her full potential.
Active Learning (Motivation)
Being involved and concentrating
Keeping trying
Enjoying achieving what they set out to do

HA Comments
Enter child's name is able to remain focused for an extended period of time, especially during self-chosen tasks and activities.
Enter child's name takes great pride in her work and shows meticulous care in creative activities.
Enter child's name enjoys sharing her achievements with others.
Enter child's name works with determination to achieve a goal but is also happy to ask for help when needed.
Enter child's name loves a challenge! She enjoys tackling a problem and works with great determination to achieve a goal.
Although Enter child's name enjoys receiving praise, she is just as rewarded by the satisfaction/enjoyment she gets from the ac
Enter child's name is very self-motivated. She enjoys completing a task or activity to levels of her own satisfaction, without need

MA Comments
Enter child's name is sometimes able to maintain focus for an extended period of time, especially during activities of particular i
Enter child's name takes pride in her work and takes time and effort to produce detailed results.
As Enter child's name is now beginning to spend more time on her own activities, her recent work has shown much more thoug
Enter child's name is happy to ask for help when needed.
Enter child's name responds very well to praise and has gained confidence from her previous achievements.
Enter child's name is keen to do her best with all activities and feels proud of her achievements.
Enter child's name enjoys sharing her ideas and achievements with others.
Enter child's name often comments favourably on others’ work and is quick to compliment others.
Enter child's name enjoys receiving praise from others and feels proud of A35 achievements.
Although Enter child's name can find receiving praise embarrassing, she is now beginning to share eye contact. It is lovely to s
friends.
Although Enter child's name can become disheartened when faced with a challenge, she is becoming more confident and resili
Enter child's name especially enjoyed receiving praise from CHILD/ADULT NAME and her self-confidence continues to grow.

LA Comments
Enter child's name is often easily distracted and quickly changes activity. She moves around the classroom, fliting from one act
Enter child's name is beginning to take greater care and pride in her work. With adult support she is beginning to spend time to
Although Enter child's name’s work tends to reflect the ideas of those around her. With adult support she is beginning to develo
Enter child's name is gaining the confidence to ask for help when needed.
Enter child's name responds well to praise and is developing greater self-confidence to tackle new challenges.
Enter child's name usually draws motivation from class reward systems rather than from her own motivation to do her best or fo
Creating and Thinking Critically (Thinking)
Having their own ideas
Making links
Choosing ways to do things

HA Comments
Enter child's name is very independent in her selection and use of activities and resources.
Enter child's name is able to apply her knowledge and understanding to share resources between different areas of the cla
THEN TOOK IT OUTSIDE TO FLY.
Enter child's name is very imaginative and it is lovely to see how she applies this in a variety of creative activities.
Enter child's name is very creative. She enjoys making pictures and models using a variety of resources. A recent example

Enter child's name is able to draw on previous experiences to inform current decisions. For example, she was able to use s
making a previous model when a glue stick didn't hold.
Enter child's name sets herself high expectations and enjoys finding ways to make her work even better.

MA Comments
Enter child's name is beginning to show more independence when choosing and using activities and resources.
Enter child's name has a great imagination and often creates amazing models and creations in the creative area/constructio

Enter child's name is able to justify her reasons for doing something based on previous experiences.
Enter child's name is able to use a variety of different methods and ideas when approaching a task or activity. She draws o
attempt a task.
Enter child's name responds well to suggestions about how to further improve her work. An example of this would be when
DETAIL/ADD MORE TAPE/ADD MORE BRICKS AFTER SEEING A FRIEND'S MODEL.

LA Comments
Enter child's name usually needs adult support to choose or use a resource but with prompting is beginning to develop grea
Enter child's name enjoys using a range of resources and often draws ideas from others when creating her own models.
Enter child's name often uses known methods of using equipment and resources until she is sure she is making progress. F
tape.
Enter child's name is beginning to develop the confidence to try new activities and takes comfort and ideas from seeing oth
With adult support, Enter child's name is beginning to work with greater focus and attention to detail. She is also responding