Introduction to Observation Observing Children: A Tool for Assessment ECE JOURNALS: “Observation more than books, experience more than persons, are the prime educators.” What meaning does this quote have for you as you begin your study of the importance of observation in early childhood education?

Observation Skills Observation of children help early care professionals assess children’s development so they can plan experiences to respond to and nurture that development.

Observing Children Know individual children better. Observations help learn about a child’s abilities, interests, and level of development. Identify special needs. Address specific problems. Guide curriculum development Document progress and assess skill development . Evaluate, or determine the value of, the program. Learn about child development.

Becoming a Skilled Observer Observer Conduct Ethics & Confidentiality Sit in a low chair. Position yourself to the side but where you can still observe easily. Wear simple, appropriate clothing. Do no start a conversation with children or maintain eye contact. If a child asks what you are doing, give a brief, but honest answer. Do not interfere in what is going on unless a child is in immediate danger and no other adult is available. To ensure that the privacy of the child and the family is protected, observation records must remain confidential. Do not leave them open for others to see.

Objective vs. Subjective – Observations are not useful unless they reflect what really happens Objective Observations Record facts rather than personal opinion or bias. Require you to only record only what you see happen, not what you hear second hand. Subjective Observations Based on personal judgments. Recorded Observations Your name The date with the beginning and ending times A list of children involved and their ages A list of any adults involved Identification and brief description of the setting Specific behaviors in the order that they happened Specific events in the order they happened

Video Observation http://www.highscope.org/content.asp?ContentId=381 After watching the video of the children in large group time singing a song, what did you observe? Can you give an example of a objective and subjective observation?

Observation Styles and Methods Observing is a purposeful, structured task that can be done using a variety of systematic methods. Early Childhood Professionals are likely to observe children in their regular daily setting, even though researchers sometimes place them in special experimental situations to see how they will react.

Naturalistic Observation Early Childhood teachers in the classroom commonly use a style of observation called Naturalistic observation. When using this style the observer is called a participant observer. This style is convenient and makes you part of the situation, but it makes it hard to step back and see the situation as an outsider.

Observation Methods Checklist-is simply a list of specific information for which the an observer is looking. Anecdotal Record-written description that focuses on a particular incident. Running Record – the observer creates a sequential record of anything that happens during a specific period of time. Frequency Count – a record of the number of times a particular behavior or situation occurs during a specific period of time. Rating Scale – the observer records a letter or numerical evaluation of listed items.

Observing Development Physical Development – Includes the child’s appearance, health, and physical abilities Intellectual Development-Note how children think and cope with daily experiences Social Skills- How well or not so well the child does in different social areas Emotional Development – Children give hints about their current emotional development through behavior

Collecting Samples of Children’s Work Observation is not the only way to gather details about children’s development, another way is collecting samples of their work and storing them for reference. Samples of artwork, photos, videos and audio recordings are what should be collected. These collections of work-often called portfolios or authentic assessment can be shared during parent-teacher conferences or to another teacher to illustrate children’s development.

Review Key Concepts Explain why Early Childhood Teachers observe and record children’s behavior Identify five types of methods used for recording observations Summarize behaviors that show children’s development Describe items to include in a child’s portfolio that will reflect development