OBSERVING EFFECTIVELY © Laser Learning Ltd 2014

You need to do observations regularly: throughout every day and every activity, including routines. They should be mostly short and to the point giving an accurate reflection of what occurred.

Recording observations An observation can be recorded on a specific observation sheet, for detailed writing which is to go in an official file or to a specialist. on a post-it note. on plain paper. as a photo. as a video. Or, it could be contributed by a parent.

Photos A photo can be quite small; you’ll need quite a few and you’ll need to store them or keep them in the child’s book. You can use a digital camera and print photos on to normal paper. Be careful not to make them such high quality prints that they become too expensive for the setting to produce.

Videos Videos show the child in motion and also often capture the words or sounds. Be sure to get parental permission first. Be aware of the EYFS requirements that safeguarding policies and procedures must cover the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting. (paragraph 3.4)

Sound recording Dictaphones are also another very useful tool, especially when observing young children. You can discreetly record a baby’s babbling, or a young child’s early attempts at talking. This can be lovely to listen back to and can be downloaded to a disc for parents.

The EYFS Progress Check at 2 years When a child is aged between two and three, practitioners must review their progress, and provide parents and/or carers with a short written summary of their child’s development in the prime areas. The summary must highlight: areas in which a child is progressing well; areas in which some additional support might be needed; and any areas where there is a concern that a child may have a developmental delay. Providers must have the consent of parents and/or carers to share information directly with other relevant professionals.

Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) In the final term of the year in which the child reaches age five, the EYFS Profile must be completed for each child. Each child’s level of development must be assessed against the early learning goals Year 1 teachers must be given a copy of the Profile report together with a short commentary on each child’s skills and abilities Schools must share the results of the Profile with parents and/or carers and explain it to them

What can I do with the observation? Always reflect on it and analyse it alongside your development matters charts. Store them either in the child’s file or their own development book, often called a ‘learning journey’. Allow parents access to these so they can enjoy all the information that you have collected about their child. Never leave them out for other parents to view. They are confidential documents.

Further suggestions Use the analysis from the observation to plan the child’s next steps. Also use the observation to see whether there are aspects of the environment or resources that need changing. There might be an area that children don’t really use; through your observation you might discover why this is.

Make your observations work for you. Summary Observation is used to inform us about an individual child’s development, but it may also shed light on group dynamics, staff-child interaction and the quality of resources. It may, for example, highlight an over-used part of the playroom that might need to be enlarged or the resources extended. It may also highlight any problems or developmental delays. Make your observations work for you.