Stella Louis 
Observing Learning in Early Childhood 

This book is a concise and accessible guide to observation as a tool for supporting learning for children aged 0 – 5. It provides comprehensive coverage of the what, why, and how of observation, brought to life with extensive case studies and contextualised alongside other crucial Early Years’ topics, including child development and play.



This book encourages readers to consider their own context and practice, with reflective questions at the end of each chapter and specific chapters on linking observations to the curriculum and sharing insights with parents and colleagues.



The focus on both learning and self-reflection makes ‘
Observing Learning in Early Childhood’ ideal for students, newly qualified teachers, and current practitioners alike.




Dr. Stella Louis is a freelance early years consultant, with 34 years’ experience of working with children and families across the UK, South Africa and Australia.

Table of Content

Why Observations Matter

The Cycle of Observation

The Network for Learning

The 12 Features of Play

Schemas

Observing and Identifying Schemas

Interpreting Learning

Reflecting on Observations and Links to the Curriculum

Observations as a Tool – Sharing Observations with Parents and Colleagues

Translating Professional Knowledge into Practice

About the author

Dr Stella Louis is a freelance early years consultant. She originally trained as a NNEB nursery nurse and has taught on the NNEB specialising in observations, Stella has thirty four years’ experience of working with children and families. For the last ten years she has been involved in training educators and is particularly interested in observation and its part in supporting learning, development and teaching. Currently Stella leads a small team of Froebelian travelling tutors in promoting, developing and delivering the Froebel Trust Short Courses in the United Kingdom.Stella is author of numerous books and articles including Observing Young Children (Sage), Understanding Schemas in Young Children (Bloomsbury) and How to use Group Supervision to Improve Early Years Practice (Routledge).Stella has worked both in the United Kingdom and internationally, in South Africa, where she worked with teachers to develop a Froebelian approach to teaching and learning. For the last eight years Stella has been the lead trainer in a project led by Professor Tina Bruce in Kliptown, Soweto South Africa. Stella has extensive experience working with children and their families in England, South Africa and Australia.