The Bragging Tree…You Are So Proud of Me!

By Dola-Parent Support Work at OEYC Ottawa West-Nepean

As part of our on- going efforts to utilize the principals of ELECT we have started the “Bragging Tree”. The idea came from a discussion on how to document children’s development and have parents/caregivers involved… The documentation process has its challenges in a drop-in program as clients and their participation varies greatly. The Bragging Tree is visually inviting and interesting. It allows parents, caregivers and staff to write short or long comments on the observations they have made on the child’s development, learning and growth. I made a large cut-out of a tree and invited families to use colorful post-its to share their observations. As families become more comfortable with this form of documentation and enjoy reading and writing anecdotes about their children we can fine-tune the process, such as, charting specific goals!