Learning Story Software

Learning Stories make it personal,
heart-led assessments that inform teaching and become family keepsakes.

Learning Stories have three parts: (1) a story about a child or children, (2) reflections on learning, and (3) a response to learning – next steps. Read more here

Educa is Learning Story software, with customizable templates and frameworks built in. Educa is an approved DRDP© assessment vendor.

Make assessment personal

Learning Stories are written to the child. They are subjective, personal with a focus on celebrating success – the child is the hero.
What are Learning Stories?

Document FOR learning

Learning Stories are an approach to teaching - a reflective (the writing) and collaborative (the sharing) approach to understanding each child . It's authentic assessment FOR learning, not OF learning.

Stories become keepsakes

Unlike most observation snippets, your Learning Stories are not discarded at year end. To the contrary, they are gifts to families that are kept and valued.

Print, read to children

Most stories in Educa are printed for child folios or to put on a wall. Educa's smart editor supports beautiful stories. The ritual of reading stories helps children see themselves as learners.

All in one motion

Learning Stories are assessment evidence and family reporting. Link to plans and frameworks (including the DRDP, ELOF, state ELG's or your own), share with families and save to a child portfolio – in one motion.

Engage families as partners

Describing the child's learning and perhaps your teaching in a Learning Story opens the door to meaningful contributions from your families.

Learning Stories in Educa - Examples

These stories demonstrate the Learning Story format.  

software for learning stories

Laura gets back to teaching!

The Story
Laura, I love the passion you bring to your job, helping young children develop the tools and dispositions they need to be school-ready.

I admire how carefully you observe and interact with children, working hard to understand what makes each one unique. And then using that understanding to create play experiences to extend that learning.

I have noticed lately though, that you have become a little frustrated about how much of your precious non-contact time has to be be spent on data collection, checklists.  I think you are frustrated because filling out checklists does not help you as a teacher, and it pulls your mind off-track, away from thinking about ideas to help your children.

What does this tell us?
For sure Laura, you have had to become a great time manager and multi-tasker. You have so many things pulling you away from your core role and function, understanding your children and planning ways to help them grow as learners. I think you need help.

Plans. What’s next?
Laura, did you know there is a way to record your thoughts and ideas for each child that includes data collection in the process.

It’s Educa Learning Story software.

You can create fancy stories your families and children will love, add to a child’s portfolio and share with family – all in one click. It’s authentic assessment  that helps you think through your plans for each child, fitting your workflow. This can only help your children.

Jayne connects to families!

The Story
Jayne, I enjoy the Learning Stories and observations you create on paper using Word or Publisher (or other) for your families and children. So much love and effort goes into making each story.

I was not surprised though to hear you complain yesterday about how few of your stories are being even noticed or read by families. Meaning they don’t lead to as much family feedback and involvement in their child’s education as you’d like. 

And as I told you, talking to families I hear a different problem. They only get to see stories on parent nights, and by then the learning moment has passed.

What learning is happening here?
Jayne, you have had to learn to understand and plan for each child with minimal feedback from families.  You see that this is a  lost opportunity.  After all, families are the world’s expert on their child, and have so much to offer – including continuing the learning at home. 

What’s Next?
Jayne, we are going to try Educa, an online Learning Story software platform at the centre.  Then you can share your stories for feedback in real-time. They go directly to the parent phone via Educa’s family app, where you know they will be seen! And read!

And don’t worry about the stories not being fancy enough. Educa has added formatting options so they  print beautifully. You can add background colors, borders and all kinds of layouts for your photos or videos. 

Your hard work as a teacher and the learning is more visible and so appreciated in a Learning Story format – and it helps get everybody on to the same page. You are going to love having a closer relationship with families that comes from the more frequent sharing in Educa.

learning story software platform

Start real conversations with families

Educa families average 20 interactions a month!

Create beautiful stories

Use images, videos and countless font options to create your story. Educa has smart image sizing and other tools to make your stories visually compelling – online and in print.

Educa has a 3-section default story template to support the Learning Story process – the story, then customizable question boxes: What learning is happening here? and Opportunities and possibilities.
Start by taking a photo, dictating into your phone or writing a quick draft. Then finish it off later.

Link to frameworks

Link to any framework, development milestones or proprietary objectives. We can upload anything you like into Educa or you can write your own framework.
You can also link to plans.

Make families part of your process

This is the magic of learning stories. Heartfelt learning stories written by teachers will be read, your teaching and the learning have a better chance of being understood.

And that creates a foundation for two-way conversations with parents, in a private channel in Educa.

Join 350,000 educators & families worldwide.

Start your free trial, no credit card required.

Stacey Lafayette, Early Head Start Site Supervisor

On what Learning Stories mean to her Head Start practice and team.
“I think Learning Stories show us just how capable and competent our children are. With the anecdotes, they were quick, checklist type “observations” that didn’t show us who that child was, but rather can I say they do x, y and z. With the Learning Stories, I see those children for who they really are. I see their courage, and their fears. I see the love they have for each other and for their teachers. I see the whole child as well as their family.
In the past, my families took the pictures out of their portfolios and threw the rest away. Now, they respond to their child’s story. They get to see just how much I see their child, and sometimes they are shown things about their child that they didn’t know. I think it is incredibly powerful for them to see that the staff enjoys their child, and they are more than welcome in our programs.
I love watching the teams share their stories with one another. It is always those stories you can’t wait to share at the end of the day because you are so proud of what that child accomplished, or it made you laugh. Those stories that you go over in your head all day because you want to make sure it is done justice when you write it.”