Using Floorbooks

‘The Floorbook Approach is an innovative child-led approach to observation, documentation and planning which is now implemented in settings around the world. By listening to children and identifying their interests we can create a unique learning opportunity which excites and interests children.

Floorbooks are blank books where we can record children’s voices and their ideas to use in our planning. Group writing in a Floorbook allows shared thinking as children recall each others ideas and record them through writing, diagrams and photographs. This child centred approach records the evidence of the process of play and the learning that comes from it.’ Claire Warden (Mindstretchers)
It is called a ‘floor book’ because the book is used on the floor so that the children have close access to it.
Writing in a floor book explores shared thinking in a more formal way so that children recall each other’s ideas and record them through writing, drawing and photographs.
Many children revisit the books and learn from a previous group’s experience, or their own ideas from a previous session.
Floor books create a child-centred approach, which records the evidence of the process of play and the learning that comes from it.
Updating the floor book in consultation with children is important because:
• it creates closer match between the child and the curriculum they are experiencing;
• it builds self-esteem and positive attitudes when the learner is involved in the decision making;
• it increases intrinsic motivation, that stays with a child throughout life; and
• children have a right to be treated with respect by valuing their thoughts and opinions.

Features of a floor book include

• children’s ideas and thoughts;
• open-ended questions – questions are posed as a part of a conversation and are designed to stimulate thought and not test knowledge;
• higher order thinking;
• depth of learning – collating children’s ideas in a book form ensures that the group focuses on continuity and progression over longer blocks of time;
• collaborative learning – floor books are designed to be a large size to allow children to gather around them and engage in a learning dialogue around the content of the pages;
• a variety of methods to represent thinking – adults ‘scribing’ the questions and conversations, children’s drawings, photos, adult observations;
• collates child centred ideas that are taken forward by the early years staff – the floor book is an integral part of planning; and

Floor books promote:

• ideas;
• reflections;
• challenges, solutions and failures;
• thoughts;
• actions;
• observations;
• plans;

The Educator’s role

Educators must listen, document and guide conversation (when appropriate), mediate as children offer their opinions and perspectives to one another, and program educational experiences to nurture and inspire each individual child’s needs and interests, based on their learning.