Ep 3: A Conversation about Data in the Early Years with Fiona Carter and May Xue episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 29, 2026 · 54 MIN

Ep 3: A Conversation about Data in the Early Years with Fiona Carter and May Xue

from Data Talks: A Podcast from Data in Schools · host Paul Swanson and Matthew Savage

What can a moment of silence tell us about a child's learning? In this episode, early years educators Fiona Carter and May Xue challenge us to rethink what "data" really means. Moving beyond numbers and checklists, they explore how observations, drawings, conversations—and even what children don't say—can reveal the deeper story of a child's development.The conversation dives into the Leuven scales of wellbeing and involvement, the art of balancing standardization with individual context, and why "accurate" assessment requires knowing the whole child. Along the way, Fiona and Mae share practical insights on moderation, documentation, and the tension between scanning a moment and screening the bigger picture.Whether you teach three-year-olds or teenagers, this episode asks a compelling question: what might the rest of education learn from Early Years data practice?

What can a moment of silence tell us about a child's learning? In this episode, early years educators Fiona Carter and May Xue challenge us to rethink what "data" really means. Moving beyond numbers and checklists, they explore how observations, drawings, conversations—and even what children don't say—can reveal the deeper story of a child's development.The conversation dives into the Leuven scales of wellbeing and involvement, the art of balancing standardization with individual context, and why "accurate" assessment requires knowing the whole child. Along the way, Fiona and Mae share practical insights on moderation, documentation, and the tension between scanning a moment and screening the bigger picture.Whether you teach three-year-olds or teenagers, this episode asks a compelling question: what might the rest of education learn from Early Years data practice?

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Ep 3: A Conversation about Data in the Early Years with Fiona Carter and May Xue

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This episode was published on January 29, 2026.

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What can a moment of silence tell us about a child's learning? In this episode, early years educators Fiona Carter and May Xue challenge us to rethink what "data" really means. Moving beyond numbers and checklists, they explore how observations,...

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