The Early Years Foundation Stage brings new expectations to ensure that every child is provided with the best support for their learning and development, from birth to five and beyond. Practical skills in observing, making assessments and using these assessments in planning are essential for all practitioners working with young children. Vicky Hutchin offers clear guidance and advice on all aspects of assessment and planning in the early years, rooted firmly in the well-established principles of good practice and recent research. With plenty of real observations of children learning across the age range, Vicky explains the essential processes for effective assessment and planning, including different ways of observing as well as how best to involve parents and the children themselves - even the very youngest. Most importantly, she shows how to make these processes manageable, covering a wide range of different types of settings - from childminder to playgroup, nursery, children's centre and reception class. She also considers the new statutory summative assessment, the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, and how to ensure the assessment is used effectively to support planning in Year 1. This book follows on from Vicky's previous books Right from the Start and Observing and Assessing for the Foundation Stage Profile in showing how rewarding effective assessment and planning is for all concerned - the children, their families and the practitioners involved.