How do you decide, on solid grounds, whether a child needs general or additional support?
In short
Leerpunt, the Flemish centre for education research, recommends making decisions within the continuum of support based on data you already collect: observations, assessments and support files. What matters is that you evaluate an action with several sources at several moments. In Smart Symbols, those sources come together for each child: your observations with photos, goal assessments and the time spent that the digital choice board tracks automatically, each with a date. So you see whether a child is making enough progress, and when you need to adjust.
Based on the Leerpunt guide 'Data-ondersteund werken binnen brede basiszorg en verhoogde zorg' (2026, in Dutch).
The Leerpunt decision tree
Well-founded decisions between general and additional support
The guide helps you reflect on the effect of an action afterwards. This is how Smart Symbols supports you with every question.
Question 1
Have you assessed with several sources at several moments?
Observations, photos, goal assessments and choice board data come together for each child, each with a date. You immediately see whether you have enough information or need to assess further first.
Question 2
Does the data show enough progress?
For each child you see which goals have been reached, where extra attention is needed and how the child develops throughout the school year.
Question 3
Do you have a clear enough view of the difficulty?
Look beyond a single test or moment: which activities does a child choose on the choice board, what do they avoid and who do they play with? That way you analyse the learning process before drawing conclusions.
From broad to narrow
Start with your class group
The class profile and the sociogram first show how your whole class plays and learns. Then you zoom in on the child who needs extra attention.
Go to the class profile →Working together
Decide together based on facts
When you meet with the support coordinator or your team, you show concrete observations and photos instead of loose notes and impressions.
Data as a means
More time for the child
A lot of data comes in automatically through the choice board. That way data stays a tool, not extra paperwork.
How to observe during play-based learning →Source (in Dutch): Decabooter, I., Warmoes, A., Pas, M., Struyven, K., Consuegra, E., Willegems, V., & Faddar, J. (2026). Leidraad Data-ondersteund werken binnen de brede basiszorg en verhoogde zorg. Leerpunt.
Read the full guide on leerpunt.be (in Dutch) →
From the classroom
“We were looking for a digital choice board and discovered Smart Symbols. The more we used it, the more possibilities we found. Now we use it for pupil tracking, class observations and our support files. The whole team is enthusiastic!”
Griet Demeyere
Teacher, GBS De Zonnebloem
Base your support decisions on real observations
Test Smart Symbols for free and collect observations, assessments and choice board data for each child in one place.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about support and data
What is the difference between general and additional support?
General support (brede basiszorg) is the support you offer all pupils. Additional support (verhoogde zorg) is extra support for pupils who need more than that. Both are phases in the Flemish continuum of support.
Is the guide also meant for preschool education?
Yes. The Leerpunt guide covers preschool, primary and secondary education.
Which data do you use in the preschool classroom?
With young children, mainly observations, photos of their work, goal assessments and what you see during play. The choice board adds time spent and the sociogram.
Does Smart Symbols replace the school's support file?
Smart Symbols brings together the observations and assessments you need to support decisions. We are happy to look together at how this fits your school's support policy.
Which package includes this?
Observations, goal assessment and advanced insights are included in the Essential package. The choice board and basic insights are also in Lite.
Where can I find the guide?
On the Leerpunt website (in Dutch), together with the decision tree, info sheets and a data dialogue to get started with your team.
Go to leerpunt.be →