Gather information about the child through observation

Observe children during their normal pattern of play and daily interactions to identify their interests and needs

Before we are able to truly get to know others, we need to know ourselves. The activity below is an opportunity for you to demonstrate what you know about yourself.

Activity 1

Defining observation and documentationLet’s begin the first part of the topic by looking at definitions of ‘observation’ and ‘documentation’.

In general usage, observation can be defined as:

• watching someone or something attentively, especially for the purpose of research or study

• noting behaviours, symptoms or phenomena• a remark or comment about something or someone (eg, ‘I’ve been noticing

that...’).

Documentation is usually understood to mean:

• records or citations• information, proof or evidence• authentication.

Making notes while observingSo what do these words mean in children’s services? Although the methods and processes may vary from one service type to another, in general observation means to watch and listen

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attentively to children to learn more about them. Documentation is the process of recording this information.

This recording can be done in a wide variety of ways, including written observation records, photos and videotapes of children at play, audiotapes of children conversing, and the collection of children’s paintings, drawings and writing samples. These records are then interpreted by caregivers and shared with the child, their family and colleagues so that children can be better understood and provided for in the service.

How do we gather information?The process of gathering information about a child usually begins when families first make contact with a service. The families may simply make enquiries or to put their child’s name on a waiting list. We talk with family members and the child and gather some basic background information about this family, their views of their child and their hopes for their child. As we have ongoing contact with the child and their family, we can begin to gather more information.

Take a moment to think of all the possible ways we can gather information about children. Can you add to the list below?

• talking with parents and other caregivers about the child• enrolment interviews or parent conferences• watching what children do• becoming involved in children’s play• conversing with children• listening attentively to what children say• taking photos or video or audio recordings of children at play• collecting and analysing children’s work.

Formal observationThere are many ways of gathering information about children in services today and this Learning topic will introduce you to some of them.

A very traditional way of gathering information about children is by using formal observation methods. We will also discuss gathering information from a number of sources—for a fuller, more detailed picture of the child.

Recording observationsThere are a variety of formal techniques for recording observations. They include:

• narrative forms such as anecdotes and running records• chart forms such as checklists and rating scales• sampling methods such as time and event samples• language samples• time and motion studies

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• sociograms.

We will not be examining all of these methods in this Learning topic but it is important that you are aware that there is a variety.

Why do we gather information about children?Gathering information about each child allows us to learn many different things about them.

Activity 2

What is considered good practice when gathering information about children?In our everyday lives, we constantly observe and pick up new information. We notice things in our environment—for example the people around us or the changes in the weather. We are observing all the time.

Test your memory and observation skills. Write down all the things you observed when you last went out (eg, to the shops, library etc). Try to recall as much detail as you can.

Were you surprised at the details you were able to remember or at the number of things you observed without even realising you were observing?

How to build on your natural observation abilityHuman beings have the ability to be natural observers. However, in children’s services, you need to build on these natural abilities to become professional observers.

Try to recall your last visit to the doctor. Do you remember your doctor listening to or looking at your symptoms? Do you recall how he or she was able to interpret this information in order to make a professional diagnosis?

In children’s services, you are not required to assess children’s behaviour in the way a psychologist would. However, you will be required to draw on your knowledge of child development in order to better understand the whole child using the skill of professional observation.

Professional observation in children’s services means knowing what to look for and what to record. Professional observation also requires you to look at what children are doing and interpret and draw conclusions about their behaviour and development based on your knowledge and understanding of young children.

Activity 3

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Formal observation methodsWe will begin with some of the traditional observation methods that have been used in children’s services for many decades. Using a variety of these methods can give us a great foundation for our individual record keeping and programming, and can be included in individual child portfolios to share with families.

The following is a list of the methods of observation that will be discussed in this Learning topic:

• narrative records—eg, anecdotal records and running records• checklists• rating scales.

We’ll begin with the two main narrative methods: anecdotal records and running records.

A ‘narrative’ is a story. Both of these methods are story-like in that they try to tell the story of a slice of a child’s day. They also ‘set the scene’ by including details of what is happening around the child, while focusing on the main character—the child.

Tips for beginning observersHere are a few simple rules for beginner observers.

Include background informationAlways put some background information at the top of your written record as in the sample anecdote. This applies to all types of observation records. The key information are the:

• child’s age• date and time of day• people/children around at the time • setting (ie, where the incident is happening).

Obtain permission to recordNever record observations of a child without written permission from the parent (or parents) or guardian—to comply with privacy legislation and the Code of Ethics.

Non-participant observationPractise non-participant observation at first. In other words, remove yourself from direct contact with the children so your can more easily focus on behaviour and write things down as you see them.

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Focus on play behavioursFocus on play behaviours at first. Play behaviours reveal a great deal about a child’s level of development, their interests and the way they think about the world. Play behaviours also tell us much about children’s social skills.

Name the behavioursName the behaviours you see (eg, ‘playing in the sand pit’). Describe the behaviour (eg, ‘filling a bucket with sand). Write the important details (eg, ‘fills bucket to top’, ‘tips sand out of bucket’, ‘works alone’, ‘talks to carer about their play’, etc).

Use positive languageUse positive language (ie, what is the child doing rather than not doing) and avoid judgemental language (eg, ‘good’, ‘excellent’ and ‘silly’), which doesn’t tell us what is actually happening.

Interpret and plan only after series of observationsCollect a series of observations before interpreting and planning for the child. Ideally observations should be taken over a reasonable time period, at different times of the day and in different situations so as to build up a well-rounded and holistic picture of the child.

You will find some of these ideas (and many more) in this Lady Gowrie book: Lady Gowrie Child Centre (1998) Groupcare: Observation for planning, Australian Early Childhood Association, ACT.

Anecdotal recordsThe term ‘anecdote’ means a short narrative or story.

Do you enjoy telling friends or relatives anecdotes (or stories) about past events? You might enjoy telling a friend about the movie you saw or book you read recently. Many of us use anecdotes in our everyday lives.

As skilled childcare workers, we also use the anecdotal method as a form of observing children. This form of observation is a narrative or short story of a slice of the child’s day. The observation starts when the child begins to engage in an activity or an interaction and finishes when the child stops participating.

You record:

• what was said and done• body language• facial expressions• tone of voice• direct quotes (if possible).

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Anecdotal observations are recorded after the event has occurred, so they are written in past tense. It is best to record the observation as soon as possible after you observe it, so that you are able to record accurate details. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to forget important details; therefore, the observation may lack accuracy.

Like any good story, an anecdotal observation focuses on what is significant. The event is recorded in sequence but summarised or telescoped so as to focus on important details. Anecdotes can vary in length depending on the nature of the event being observed.

Let’s have a look at the following example of how Tori’s caregiver uses an anecdote to record her behaviour whilst in the sandpit.

Here is a sample anecdotal record:

As you can see, Jody has provided enough information in her anecdote for anyone reading it to understand the sequence of events and what this incident meant for the child. In the observation she has only included what she saw.

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Jody will later comment on and interpret the behaviour observed and where possible relate this to relevant child development knowledge. This information should only be included in the Interpretation column.

You will not be asked to write extensive interpretations in this Learning topic. So do not write anything in the ‘Interpretation’ column right now. You will be focusing on developing your observation and recording skills at this stage.

What do we use anecdotal records for?Anecdotal observations are particularly useful for recording significant events or actions that tell us something about the child’s development, interests, strengths and needs. For example:

• You might observe a child climbing on the A frames as this would provide you with information about their gross motor development.

• You might observe a child crying when separating from their father during arrival time at the centre as this would provide you with information about their attachment and emotional development.

Some anecdotal observations may focus on a single area of development, but most cover a number of developmental areas at once. Jody’s observation of Tori is a holistic anecdotal observation which gives us information about a number of areas of development.

The only way to develop skills in using each observation method is to practise. You can practise recording anecdotal observations of children in video recordings at first. The advantage here is that you can play it back more than once to see if you have missed much detail.

Once you are confident in using the method you should take every opportunity to practise observing and documenting real, live children—a much harder skill but essential for the trained childcare worker.

Activity 4

Advantages and disadvantages of anecdotal recordsAll observation methods have their own particular advantages and disadvantages, and each method is best for different situations. Now that you have tried recording an anecdotal method, think about the advantages and disadvantages of this method.

Advantages DisadvantagesYou need no special training—both trained and untrained staff can record anecdotal observations.

They are reasonably easy to complete.

They do not stop you from interacting with the children as you can record them when you have time later.

You can focus on just one child or on a small

They rely on the memory of the observer and some detail is lost

Any time delay can increase the bias and inaccuracy in the record

Recording from memory can lead to a mixture of opinion and information.

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group.

They are very useful for planning as they include a lot of detail.

Running recordsA running record chronicles everything a child says and does during a set period of time. As with anecdotal records, running records also tell a story of the child’s behaviour. You are recording the observation as it happens, so running records are written in present tense. This method tends to be a much more detailed record than anecdotes. It does not rely on memory because you write it down as it happens. However, you will be limited by how much detail you can manage to get down on paper.

The observation may start when the child begins to engage in an activity or interaction and finishes when the child stops participating. However, with running records it is often a good idea to put a time limit of two to five minutes on the length of your recording; otherwise you may end up with a ridiculously long record which doesn’t tell you much about the child.

In this example Houng makes a running record of Feta’s behaviour during indoor play

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As you can see, the running record is much more detailed than the anecdotal record. Like Jody with the anecdotal record, Houng has provided enough information in her running record for anyone reading it to understand the sequence of events and what this incident meant for the child. Houng will also later comment on and interpret the behaviour observed and where possible relate this to relevant child development knowledge.

What do we use running records for?We use running records for the many of same reasons that we use anecdotal records. However, running records provide us with a much more detailed account of a child’s behaviour

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in a particular situation. Running records can be useful when trying to determine what is causing a child to behave in a particular way. They are also very useful for observing children with additional needs when small changes in behaviour may be of particular significance. Running records are always holistic and can usually give us a great deal of in depth information about a number of areas of development.

In narrative recording, it is almost impossible to record everything that is happening—you need to focus on the most useful and significant information. This is information about the child that gives an insight into their development, their interests, their strengths and their needs.

We will look at these aspects later in this Learning topic, but for now the following list has some tips on what to look for and record to gain a rich and detailed picture of the child.

Tips on what to look for• Record the child’s general activity level and movements. For example: quick, slow,

unsure, confident, smooth and flowing etc.• Record how the child is using their arms and fingers when standing, sitting, or

moving and when holding or catching things.• Record how the child moves, recording each step in sequence. For example:

‘Reaches out for a block with whole hand, fingers open, picks up block in right hand, mouth opens; Raises block to mouth, sucks corner of block; Puts block down on floor’.

• Record the way their legs and feet are used and held when standing, sitting or moving.

• Record the manner in which their body is held. For example: relaxed, upright, stiff, tense, leaning towards someone or something, leaning to one side.

• Record the way the child is sitting or standing; how they hold their head.• Record details of facial expression. For example: Are the eyes open wide or

narrowly? Is the mouth smiling or turned down? Is the child watching something, concentrating or do the eyes move from one thing to another?

• Record body language that may indicate feelings. For example: slouching shoulders, drooping head, chest puffed out, etc.

• When recording the child’s language, write down the words used and note the tone of voice. For example, Did the child speak loudly, quickly, clearly or softly? Is articulation at expected level? Is speech fluent or disjointed?

• When observing young babies, note down the sounds they make. Use arrows or other symbols to note when the sounds went up or down. Note if the sounds were shrill, loud, soft or relaxed.

To find out more, read the following textbook: Hamer C (1999) Observation: A Tool for Learning, Te Tirohanga, he taonga awhina i te ako, Open Polytechnic, New Zealand.

If you record the sorts of details recommended in the above list, you will have documented and learnt much about the child’s skills, behaviours, feelings, expression, reactions and

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relationships. But you will have described them, rather than just made assumptions about them.

At first you will find it enormously difficult to record this much detail, but with time and practice you will become more skilled at noticing these types of details, committing them to memory and recording them.

Note: Running records are not commonly used on a daily basis in children’s services. Over time, your experience working in a service will enable you to gradually achieve the skills for observing and recording running records.

Activity 5

Practising observation methodsWe have provided you with one practice activity for each of these narrative methods, but you will need to practise many more times before you are a confident and smooth documenter of children’s development.

Try to take as many opportunities to practice these two narrative methods. If you have access to young children ask them and their parents for permission to record their behaviour for a few minutes at a time. If you cannot observe young children, try using video footage or scenes from television programs—even try recording the behaviour of your friends, family members or pets.

Ask someone else to read over your record and give you feedback about the accuracy and clarity of the writing. An experienced childcare worker would be an ideal person to read your records and give you feedback if possible.

Advantages and disadvantages of running recordsOne particular disadvantage of running records is that you need to be a non-participant observer in order to make effective observations. In a busy children’s services environment finding the time to complete running records can be very difficult.

Below are some of the main advantages and disadvantages of running records.

Advantages DisadvantagesWith experience, they are reasonably easy to complete.

Bias and opinion is less likely to be in records completed ‘on-the-spot’.

They can capture all sorts of behaviours, including the unexpected.

It is difficult to write everything down that is observed.

Some behaviour is not seen while looking at the page.

It is difficult to adequately supervise and interact with children while recording.

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ChecklistsWhat is a checklist? Checklists are basically ‘ticklists’.

Checklists are used in many occupations and day-to-day situations. A mechanic uses a checklist when servicing cars to ensure that all the necessary parts are checked. Your shopping list is a checklist, you tick off the items or cross them out as you buy them.

When observing children, checklists are used to record the presence (or absence) of specific behaviours, skills or characteristics of development. The checklist consists of an itemised list of things we wish to observe in the child.

Checklists can be helpful in focusing attention on a particular aspect of the child’s behaviour. For example, can the child complete a three-piece puzzle? Or walk upstairs using alternate feet? We can usually say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a checklist item. Items that are not observed are usually left blank. A comments column on a checklist allows you to record some detail about the quality of the skill or behaviour observed, and therefore makes the information more useful.

Compared to the more open-ended methods such as anecdotes and running records, checklists are a closed type of observation. This means that the scope of checklists is always limited to the items they contain. For this reason checklists need to be used in conjunction with other narrative observation methods such as anecdotal and running records to provide a complete picture of the child. Checklists are a useful tool for beginner observers who are unfamiliar with what to expect at different ages and stages, or who are not sure what behaviours are significant.

Now let’s look at the two main types of checklists.

1 commercially-prepared checklists. These are often prepared by child development professionals and can be located from a variety of sources such as child development books and organisations such as Kindergarten Union Children’s Services. Children’s services staff may choose to use these checklists or they may choose to develop their own.

2 checklists prepared by children’s services staff. Childcare workers often adapt and modify commercial checklists to produce their own individualised checklist for the children in their care. Care must be taken when developing your own checklists. Some guidelines follow.

Guidelines for developing and using checklists• Each checklist item must be specific (clear, specific items are easier to see in the

child when observing).• Each checklist item must be based on observable behaviour (it is easier to see

children doing and talking rather than thinking and feeling).• Each item must be relevant to one skill or behaviour.• The list must be in a logical sequence (for example, the order in which children

usually develop skills).

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• Items must be worded in a positive manner (based on what a child can do, not what they lack).

• Always provide the date when the checklist was used and/or date individual entries.

• Leave unobserved items blank (the child may have the skill, but it was not apparent at the time).

• Complete the checklist over a reasonable period of time (it usually takes several sessions to complete a large checklist).

• Observe the behaviour more than once before recording it.• Always include a comments section so you can describe more specifically how the

child achieved or demonstrated the skill.

Example of a commercially-produced checklistHere is an example of a commercially-produced checklist from Nixon and Gould (1999, p. 197). It has been filled in after observing a child aged 32 months.

Gross motor: 24–36 months

Item Yes CommentWalks up and down steps, holding rail, both feet on each step.

Squats and rises without using hands.

01/08/03 Squats to pick up leaf from ground and rises while holding leaf in two hands

Can carry large objects while walking.

Jumps in place, two feet together.

02/08/03 Jumps two or three times with feet together during music time—follow the leader game

Rides a tricycle, using feet to push.

Asks caregivers to push the tricycle from behind.

Walks up and down steps one foot at a time, holding rail coming down.

As you can see, the above checklist is very easy to read and follow. Rather than just tick, the recorder has indicated a date when the skill was observed and given a brief description of how the skill was achieved. Skills not seen are left blank, as inserting a cross or ‘not yet able to’ may raise parents’ anxieties unnecessarily about the child’s development. The descriptive comment also gives some evidence as to the developmental level of skill achievement.

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A word of warning about commercially-produced checklists—be careful when selecting them for your use. Some of them had been prepared for specific purposes and may, therefore, be inappropriate for your purposes. They target very specific behaviours and are quite unsuitable for tracking typical development.

Example of special purpose checklistHere is an excerpt from a special purpose checklist

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This example focuses on a child’s readiness to begin school. Many centres use these checklists with their four- and five-year-old children to track and inform their preparation for school entry.

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Advantages and disadvantages of checklists

Advantages DisadvantagesThey are quick and efficient to complete for both trained and untrained caregivers.

They can use information gathered from narrative records to complete checklists.

A number of staff can contribute to the completion of each checklist.

It is easy to cover a number of children at the same time.

A comprehensive, well-designed checklist provides a quick summary of a child’s developmental progress.

They provide information ‘at a glance’ for group planning purposes.

They provide a simplistic and often incomplete picture of a child’s development and behaviour.

They lack detail and contextual information about the child and events.

The child may have abilities and characteristics not listed on the checklist.

The checklist content may be limited by bias and assumptions about children’s development.

There would be many other specific purpose checklists you will come across in your studies and in centres. These checklists allow us to check on many aspects of programs and environments, such as outdoor safety, anti-bias programming, welcoming environments and so on.

Rating scalesRating scales are very similar to checklists in their format. Both these methods can be described as chart or table methods of observing. Like a checklist, a rating scale consists of itemised lists of skills and behaviours we wish to observe. However, in a rating scale the observer is required to make a judgement (or rating) about the behaviour, the skill or the situation that is observed.

There are many different sorts of rating scales.

Numerical scales

1 2 3 4 5

1 = poor 3 = average 5 = good

Graphic scales

Seldom Sometimes Often

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|-----------------------------|-----------------------|-------------

Attitudinal scales

Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree

QIAS scale

Unsatisfactory Basic Good quality High quality

Forced choice scales

Observers indicate which level of skill best describes the observed behaviour. Below is an example.

Attempts to Snips edges Cuts roughly Cuts smoothly

hold scissors of paper along a straight along a straight

line line

Semantic differential scales

Observers choose between two opposite descriptors with an optional middle range indicator.

Loud Quiet

|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|

Friendly Unfriendly

|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------------|

Developmental rating scaleIn the example below a developmental rating scale has been used to judge the behaviour being observed.

Like checklists, a rating scale is more valuable as an observational tool if a comment or evidence section is included, as in this example.

Although rating scales are often used to observe children many childcare practitioners believe they have limited value. A rating scale requires the observer to make immediate judgements. It is easy for inconsistency and bias to creep into the observer’s assessment, especially if they

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know the child well. In order to make appropriate judgements about the child’s behaviour or skill level the observer needs to have good developmental knowledge and be very aware of bias. It is worth noting that neither rating scales nor checklists tell us anything about individual differences between children, which is another reason why they are not good ‘stand alone’ techniques. Nor do they offer the richness of detail of narrative methods. For this reason, they should always be supplemented with narrative records to gain a more complete picture of the child’s interests, concerns and perspectives.

The previous checklist can easily be turned into a rating scale

Item Rating (circle one) Comment

Walks up and down steps, holding rail, both feet on each step

Emerging Age-appropriate Well developed

Squats and rises without using hands

Emerging Age-appropriate Well developed Squats to pick up leaf from ground and rises holding leaf in both hands

Can carry large objects while walking

Emerging Age-appropriate Well developed

Jumps in place two feet together Emerging Age-appropriate Well developed Jumps two to three times with feet together during music time and follow the leader game

What are the advantages and disadvantages of rating scales?Rating scales have many of the same advantages and disadvantages as checklists as they are so similar. Rating scales have the additional disadvantage of requiring the observer to make a quick judgement about a child’s skill level and abilities as they are completed.

You will be required to apply your skills in recording observations using a rating scale when completing the assessment tasks. Again practice is the key. In this case it would be useful if you could compare your practice ratings of a child (via video or real life) with those of a few other observers. It is always interesting to see how judgements can vary between people observing the same situation.

Practical tips for gathering and documenting informationYou may be feeling overwhelmed at the thought of all this written work while caring for young children. However there are some basic approaches to observation and documentation that make it more likely to happen. They do involve being organised and prepared.

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• Share the observation load with colleagues by identifying a few ‘focus children’ to be observed each week.

• Always carry a small notepad and pencil in a pocket (or a bag around your waist) so you can whip it out and jot down notes when an opportunity arises.

• Develop your own form of abbreviation when recording information quickly and then write out a fuller version later.

• Use post-it stickers to record short observations about the children. These notes can then be stuck directly onto the children’s file later without being rewritten.

• Hooks attached to the walls or cupboards around the room can hold clipboards with paper and pen to be grabbed when a recording opportunity comes up. Fabric or plastic pockets can be used in the same way.

To find out more about gathering and documenting information, refer to: Hamer C (1999) Observation: a tool for learning, Te Tirohanga, he taonga awhina i te ako, Open Polytechnic, New Zealand.

Other methods of documentationWe have discussed ‘formal’ observation methods. Now we will look at other methods such as photographs, work samples and videotapes—these are just as important as the formal methods.

You can use a combination of these so-called other methods and a ‘formal method’ (which we discussed earlier). The formal methods and other methods will complement each other very well.

PhotographsPhotographs of children at play with brief observations are an effective means of documentation. As they say, a picture paints a thousand words. It often is not necessary to write as much when a photo accompanies an observation, as much detail can be seen in the photo itself. A series of photos can show the development of a project or idea from conception to completion; or changes in the child’s play or skills over time.

Work samplesWork samples include drawings, paintings, computer drawn pictures, collages etc collected from the children with interpretive comments from the carer.

Video tapesVideotapes are great for capturing children at play and focusing on social skills and interactions, as well as movement and physical skills. Children must be accustomed to the presence of a camera before any natural footage is captured. Edited video segments are often used for parent meetings to convey the atmosphere of the program in full swing and to demonstrate the range of experiences offered over the day.

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AudiotapesAudiotapes are effective when detail about the child’s language development is the focus. Try to transcribe these.

Children’s individual diariesChildren’s individual diaries: A two way communication book where caregivers can write about a child’s day, and parents can take it home to read and write messages and anecdotes for the caregivers.

Daily journals/Day booksDaily journals/Day books: a diary where caregivers record children’s comments, involvements and experiences over the day. It is often kept in a place accessible by the children’s parents or guardians—so they can read the highlights of the children’s day when they come to collect them. These journals can provide a basis for shared conversation with the child about their day later at home.

PortfoliosPortfolios are a thoughtful, planned collection of representative observations, child work samples, creative efforts and photos with comments from the child, their caregivers and their parents. Portfolios are often built up over many months or a year, and can be used as the basis for parent-caregiver interviews and to demonstrate development over time. Some centres give each family a portfolio to take home at the end of the year.

Have you come across the concepts emergent curriculum? Basically, the curriculum emerges from the children’s interests. As the childcare worker, your role is to find out what children are interested in. When trying to find out what their interests are, you’ll find that the other methods of observation we have discussed (work samples, photographs and videotapes, portfolios, etc) would come in useful.

Samples Although we are not going to explore these other methods of documentation in more detail in this topic, have a look at the following samples. You may want to try out some of these documentation ideas in your assessment task.

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Child’s developmental milestones 1 (observation notes are written as a running record)

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Child’s developmental milestones 2 (observation notes are written as an anecdotal record)

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Child’s developmental milestones 3

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Developmental milestones 4 (A daily journal from a long day centre, from the three- to five-year-old room. Carer’s write up the day’s events and put the journal on a table for the parents to read as they come to collect their children

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Sample of child’s drawing and carer’s notes

Child's drawing and carer's notes

Sample journal entry about what the three-five-year olds did on one day

One day journal entry for group of children

Sample daily journal entry for individual child

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Daily journal for individual child

Observing children’s play, interactions and routinesWe have looked at how to gather information clearly and positively, and we have reviewed some formal observation methods. But when is the best time to gather information about children?

When to observeWhen you set about to gather information about children, the best starting point for the novice observer is often when children are engrossed in free play. Observers will see many varied and interesting situations and scenarios unfold. From babies through to primary school aged children, watching children play and documenting their play gives us a wealth of information about the child’s development, interests, strengths and needs. When observing play we can focus on what children do, what they say, what toys and equipment they use, what skills are required and so on.

Of course, children play in different ways at different stages in their development. These differences in play reflect differences in the child’s overall development—particularly their thinking and social skills. For example, the dramatic play of preschoolers and primary aged children is often very involved and tells us a lot about children’s understanding of the world in general as well as their peer relations, social roles and appropriate behaviour. When observing babies, special note should be made of their relationships with others and their developing

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fine motor and gross motor skills. When observing school-aged children, focus on the child’s friendships, cooperative skills, leisure and recreational choices and pursuits. These often reveal important information.

Here are some specific aspects of children’s involvement in play to look out for when observing:

• Which types of experiences and activities attract this child?• How long does this child spend at particular experiences and activities?• Is attention prolonged at some experiences, and brief at others?• Does this child spend time with particular children at play?• Does this child seem confident to join in with other children?• Does this child need assistance to enter established friendship groups at play?• Are particular strengths demonstrated during play (eg, problem solving, creativity,

making friends, sensory exploration)?• Are strong individual interests and preferences displayed during play?• Are there any play areas or experiences avoided by this child?• How does this child begin involvement in play experiences?• Is this child aware of other children and their needs and concerns?

Children’s involvement in routines, transitions and interactions with others are also valuable observation opportunities. As children eat, pack away, move from group time to outdoor play, greet parents at the end of the day and so on, we have the opportunity to see them demonstrate their growing emotional understandings, their concept of time and sequences and their ability to function in a group and follow directions.

During routines and transitions we can look out for the following:

• the child’s developing self-help skills• whether the child ask for adult assistance when needed• whether the child shows awareness of centre routines and expectations• whether the child is able to keep track of their own possessions• whether the child is able to follow directions.

Collecting significant informationWhen we are observing children’s play or any other incident or situation it is important that we are clear about why we are observing. What is the purpose of our observations?

The easiest answer to this question is that we are observing so we can identify significant behaviour that gives us insights into the child. When we learn to observe significant behaviour, we can cut down on the amount of recording we need to do. We can gather useful information in a shorter timeframe.

The following list is a guide to observation situations or behaviours that are likely to be significant. Significant behaviour can be summarised as observation opportunities that throw light on any or a combination of the following:

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• a child’s individuality• a child’s interests• a child’s emerging skills• a child’s particular expertise or strengths• a child’s preferences, friendships, attachments and likes and dislikes• a child’s perspective or viewpoint• a child’s learning style or thinking• a milestone reached• unusual or unexpected behaviour for this child• a need for practice, experience or assistance

Monitor strengths and needs of children

Identifying children’s interests What are your interests? As individuals, we all have our own personal interests. As adult, we are able to talk about our interests with others.

This also applies to children; they too are often able to discuss their interests with adults and each other. However, quite often children aren’t able to verbalise their interests. This particularly applies to very young children.

Therefore, we need to observe them closely to find out what interests them.

We can then use this information to plan experiences based on their interests. This is a powerful planning tool. When you base experiences on children’s interests you will find that they participate with enormous enthusiasm and gain a great deal from your provisions.

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Using a child’s interestHere is a story one caregiver told me recently that shows the power of discovering and using a child’s interest.

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Jason’s storyWhen Jason first came to the centre he was four years old and had never had much contact with other children. He seemed to be aggressive and difficult to manage. His language was very limited for his age and he did not have much fine motor control. His only contact with other children was to hurt them, snatch toys away from them or swear at them.

Other children avoided him or cried when he came near, anticipating a thumping. He did not seem to become engrossed in any type of play or group while at the centre, but wandered aimlessly from activity to activity, only becoming involved in a destructive way.

Then one day we noticed that he was peering intently under the bushes by the fence. I went over and found he was looking for snails, picking them up gently and examining them. As the days went by, we discovered that he was fascinated by insects and creepy-crawlies of all kinds, particularly his favourite—‘cocker-roaches’.

We began to provide lots of insect-based experiences for him—collecting insects, making insect homes (in jars and tanks), making snail trails on black cardboard, running snail races up the centre walls, looking at books about insects, arranging plastic insects in troughs, painting and drawing about insects, and so on.

He became enthusiastic about attending the centre and very engrossed in the experiences we were offering him. He became involved in activities such as painting (about insects of course) that he would never have attempted before. His fine motor skills improved as he screwed on jar lids and carefully set up living environments for his beloved insects. His language improved as he discussed his discoveries with the caregivers and children. Now that he was not hurting other children they became less afraid of him and sometimes even approached him to talk about his insects and share his explorations.

Jason still has a long way to go, but look how far he has come in just a few short months!

Putting it all togetherSo far we have looked at strengths, needs and interests separately. In reality when you are observing children you will find that they have a combination of strengths, needs and interests. These usually need be summarised from a series of different observations about the child. It can also be useful to gather information about them from their families.

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This activity has also introduced you to the concept of a ‘child summary’ or ‘developmental summary’, sometimes also called a ‘child profile’. This type of document is where you bring together and summarise all the significant information you have gathered about the child. The developmental summary is an effective tool which assists you to keep a holistic picture of the child in mind so you can effectively plan for the individual. A developmental summary helps ensure you maintain an effective link between planned activities and experiences and the individual child’s needs, strengths and interests.

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Identifying children’s strengths Have you ever thought about what you can do well? What skills do you have that could be identified as strengths? If we were to ask the same question to a number of different people we would find that each person has a range of different strengths that are unique to their own individual experiences. This is also applies to young children.

What is strength?

We can identify children’s strengths by looking for each child’s individual abilities, knowledge and understanding. When we observe children’s strengths we look for what the child already knows, understands and what they can do. We can then use this information to plan experiences that build on these strengths.

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Identifying children’s needsBoth children and adults alike have needs. We all have physical needs, for example water, food, warmth and shelter. We all have emotional needs, for example a desire to be loved and cared for. Some of us have other needs such as a need to learn a new skill.

What new skill or new knowledge have you always wanted to learn? Your answers may vary from learning to sew, to learning to be a better swimmer. Children also have the need to learn new skills and knowledge.

What is a need?Children’s developmental needs can also be referred to as emerging skills.

It is best to look at the skills that are present in the child—rather than focus on what the child cannot do.

Programs are more positive and more likely to be effective if they are planned on the basis of enabling the child to build skills from where s/he is rather than from what s/he has failed to do.

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© NSW DET 2007

Developmental needs and progressWhen we observe children we may focus on different areas of development. These include development in the following areas:

• physical • social • emotional • language • cognitive.

Thinking about development according to different domains helps us to understand the patterns of typical behaviour at various ages and stages. We are then able to use this information about children as a guide to determine whether a child is progressing in their development.

As you learn more about child development through your studies, you will begin to be able to determine whether a child’s needs and strengths are typical for the age and stage of their development. You will be able to identify a child who is significantly ahead or behind typical expectations for their age.

A word about developmental knowledge and observationsWhen working with children it is important that we know how children develop. When we know what characteristics, skills and behaviours typically emerge at particular stages we know (broadly) what to expect from children at different ages. Our understanding of child development helps us when observing children: it helps us know what to look for and when to be concerned about a child’s progress.

However, it is important that we don't see ‘typical development’ as the only filter through which we see the children we observe. This can restrict our view on what individual children are capable of. If we have an open view of children, they often surprise us with their capabilities and interests.

The NSW Curriculum Framework for Children’s Services reminds us that information about typical development must not limit the capacity to see the child’s capabilities and strengths.

You may have come across strong views about children’s development. You may have heard views expressed, for example, about:

• how children develop (eg, ‘By this age, most children are walking...’)• how they make sense of the world (eg, ‘Don’t pick up the baby right away when he

cries—he’ll expect that every time he cries...’)• the particular ages at which certain skills, understandings and abilities should

appear (eg, By that age, most children are potty-trained...’ and ‘By that age, a child understands sharing...’)

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The NSW Curriculum Framework for Children’s Services warns that such strongly-held views can interfere with seeing what is actually happening.

The Framework advises us not to be focussed on expectations. Otherwise, what we see is largely what fits with the theories we adhered to and the knowledge we hold—and we end up not seeing the child as he or she is.

When is developmental knowledge useful?Developmental knowledge is useful as a reference point, but we must always be ready to be surprised by children and their resourcefulness, competence and abilities.

Developmental knowledge is also useful when a child is lagging significantly behind in one or more areas of development, and may need specialist assessment and intervention.

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Here is a summary of the main formal observation methods used in children’s services.

Running recordThis is a very accurate description of what took place in usually a short time frame—two to five minutes only.

The observer writes in a narrative or story telling style giving as much detail as possible.

The observer is not usually involved in the play or situation, but rather takes on the role of onlooker.

Interpretation of the observation comes later.

Things to rememberMust use objective non-judgemental language.

Describe all significant events and happenings during the observation.

It is sometimes difficult to get all of the detail down, but practice and spending a few minutes at the end of the observation to fill in gaps is really important.

Try to develop a repertoire of shorthand symbols, eg, RH (right hand).

Need to write in the present tense.

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Anecdotal recordThese observations are recorded after the event. They are anecdotes of a child’s behaviour or skills. They are also written in a narrative style, but without the same amount of detail. They are usually significant events.

In this observation type, you will often find the observer was involved in the situation.

The observation will often be a summary of a play situation over a longer time frame than for a running record.

Things to rememberAgain need to be objective and non judgmental.

It is a good idea to write down a few key words straight away just to help jog your memory.

Needs to be written in the past tense. Remember it doesn’t have the same amount of detail as a running record as you are relying on memory.

JottingsA very brief recording usually only a few sentences. A paragraph at the most.

Written after the event, focusing on significant behaviours.

Need to be objective and non-judgmental.

Things to rememberJottings are a quick way of recording significant information about children.

Usually written in past tense.

Can be used in conjunction with photos and work samples.

Time samplingThis type of observation is used to identify the frequency of specific behaviours.

Carers will draw up a table in time periods with a key for the targeted behaviours. If the behaviour is observed the appropriate notation will be made.

Things to rememberCan be used by a number of different people easily.

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Quick and easy to record over the day.

It’s a good idea to have a buzzer of some sort to remind you if you are going to record at specific times during the day or you can get caught up elsewhere.

Event samplingA brief narrative description of the behaviour that has been targeted.

This type of observation helps us identify why certain behaviours are being demonstrated. We are looking for the causes of behaviours as well as the consequences.

Need to use non-judgmental and objective language.

Things to rememberOnly one behaviour at a time is recorded. Every time that behaviour is observed, a description of what happen before, during and after is recorded.

Checklists and rating scalesA quick and easy way of looking at a range of specific targeted skills. Once checklist has been developed can be used with a large number of children of similar developmental stages.

A rating scale allows you to actually rate the quality of the skill or behaviour.

Things to rememberThe checklist items can be open to interpretation by different carers. Need to ensure that you all have the same understanding of what the skill or behaviour is and at what level a tick or yes suggests.

If a brief description of the event is given, you will have much more information about the skill level.

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Appendix

Blank forms

Checklist

Anecdotal record

Narrative observation

Running record

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© NSW DET 2007

© NSW DET 2007