Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

Documentation

Childcareprofessionalsshouldinterpretandanalyzebehaviorsfromalargeamountofobservedmaterial.Reportscanbedrawnfromtheinformationobservedandrecordedthatwillhelpchildcareprofessionalsinteractand/orintervenewithenvironmentsandbehavioralissues.

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

DocumentationSystematicobservationsalwaysinvolverecordingandmusttakeplaceforaspecificreasonandchild.Reasonsforsystematicobservationinclude:

• Assessingachild’sabilitieswhenfirstenteringachildcarefacility

• Determiningachild’sareasofweakness• Resolvingarecurringproblem• Reportingtohealthspecialists• Gatheringinformationforplacement

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

DocumentationThroughtheuseofvariousobservationmethods,childcareprofessionalscanrecordassortedinformation.Childcareprofessionalscanrecordphysical,social,emotional,and/orcognitivedevelopmentinformation.

Iftherecordingstyleallows,detailbeyondayesornoanswerandexplainhowachildbehavesoracts.Recordingahighamountofinformationismoreusefulforadequateanalysis.

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

DocumentationChildcareprofessionalsshouldavoidcertainareaswhendocumentingchildren’sbehavior.Thereshouldbeacleardifferencebetweenobjectiveandsubjectiverecordedinformation.Anyinterpretationofaobservationshouldbewrittenseparatelyfromtheactualobservation.

Documentationshouldneverincludeonlyoneobservation.Accurateanalysiscannotbemadewithoneobservation.

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

DocumentationChildcareprofessionalsworkveryhardtocreateacomfortablerelationshipforbothchildrenandparents.Anyconfidentialorpersonalbackgroundinformationthathasbeensharedwiththechildcareprofessionalmustnotbeincludedinanydocumentationofbehavior.

Recordsshouldnotbediscussedinanareawherechildren,parents,orotheradultscouldheartheconversationandshouldbestoredinasafeplace.

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

DocumentationChildcareprofessionalsshouldassesseverychild’ssituationtochoosetheappropriatetoolorobservationtechniqueforrecordingobservationaldata.Pairingthespecificpurposeandthemostappropriatetoolwillallowchildcareprofessionalstheinformationtheyneedforanalysis.Thereisnospecialtrainingrequiredinordertousethemostpopularobservationtools:• theanecdotalrecord• runningrecord• andchecklist

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

Documentation

Manyprogramsmaynothavethefundsavailableforexpensivepublishedassessmentprograms.Theprogramsthemselvesoftenneedinstructionbeforeusing.

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

Wewillstartwithobservationtoolsyoucancreateyourself,withlittleornotrainingrequired.

RunningRecord

TimeSampling CheckList

RatingScales

Publishedtools

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

Anecdotalrecordsarebriefdescriptionsofachild’sactions.Anecdotalrecordsarewritteninnarrativeform,arefactualandnon-judgmental,andcontainsupportiveinformation.Anecdotalrecordsareusedtorecordinformationaboutasingleeventorbehaviorandaretakenduringorimmediatelyaftertheoccurrenceoftheeventorbehavior.

Ananecdotalrecorddescribesallactionsandquotesbyanyparticipantduringtheevent.Itdescribesallactionsorreactionsofachildwiththepeopleinhis/herenvironment,includingpeers.

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

Anecdotalobservations/narrativedescriptionsrangefromnotationsaboutdevelopmentalmilestonestobehavioraldescriptions.Theobserverdeterminestheevents,timelinessoftherecord,andtherichnessofdetail.

DocumentationAnecdotalRecords

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

AdvantagesofAnecdotalRecord:

• Theobserverneedsnospecialtraining.

• Itisopenended,recordinganythingandeverything.

• Maydocumentunexpectedevents.

AnecdotalRecords

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

DisadvantagesofAnecdotalRecord:

Therearedisadvantagestousinganecdotalrecords.Usingthistypeofobservationtoolrequirestheobservertorelyonbeingabletorecallthespecificsoftheeventinordertorecordadetaileddescription. Itisalsoveryeasyfortheobservertotakebehaviorsoutofcontext,resultingininaccuratedata.Becausesomanydetailscanberecordedusinganecdotalrecords,theobservermayhavedifficultyanalyzingthedatacollected.

AnecdotalRecords

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

DisadvantagesofAnecdotalRecord:

• Itonlyrecordswhatintereststheobserver.

• Becauseitisusuallyrecordedatalaterdate,itdependsonthememoryoftheobserver.

AnecdotalRecords

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

AnecdotalExampleAnecdotalRecordChild’sName Mary Age 4 Date 3/12/12Observer A.Johnson Place DailyPreschool Time 9:00– 9:15

IncidentThechildrenwerepickinguptoysgettingreadyforlunch.Marywasinthedramaticplayarea.SallywasinthedramaticplayareawithMarybutwasputtingawaytoys.Marycontinuedplaying,SallyreachedouttotakeatoyfromMarysaying,“It’stimetocleanup.”Marytookthetoyandthrewitacrosstheroom.Sallybegancryingandwenttostandnexttotheteacher.

CommentMaryhashaddifficultyduringtransitions.LookforwaystogiveMarythetimesheneedstotransitionfromoneactivitytothenext.

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

Anarrativeaccountwrittenbytheobserverdetailingeverythingthatoccursoveracertainperiodoftime.

RunningRecords

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

Runningrecordsprovideadetailedsequenceofeventsoveradefinedperiodoftime,usuallynolongerthan30minutes.Runningrecordsarecontinuousnarrativesthattakeplaceatthetimeofbehavior.Theyarewritteninthepresenttenseandcontaineverythingachildsaysordoes.

Theserecordsareusedtodocumentthecauseandaffectofeventsandbehaviors.Runningrecordsareusedtoidentifytypicalbehaviors,butcanbeusedforcaseconferencesorindividualinstruction.

RunningRecords

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

AdvantagesofRunningRecord:• Acomprehensiverecordnotlimitedtoaparticularincident.• Itisopenended,notrestrictedtoacertainbehavioror

classification.• Observationiswitnessedanddocumentedatthesame

timemakingitmoreaccurate.• Nospecialtrainingisrequiredfortheaverageteacherto

accomplish.

RunningRecords

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

Althoughusingarunningrecordispopular,itisnotalwayseasytorecordeverydetailoftheevent.Observersoftenhavetoadoptsomeformofshorthandtobeabletomakeanaccuraterecord.

Duetothelevelofattentionrequiredoftheobserver,generallyarunningrecordcanonlybeusedforobservingonechildatatime.Additionallybecauseoftheamountofdetailsrecorded,theanalysisofthedatamaybetime-consuming.

RunningRecords

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

DisadvantagesofRunningRecord:

• Itmaybedifficultfortheobservertofinduninterruptedsegmentsoftime.

• Becauseitoccursinashortamountoftimeitisdifficulttodocumenteverything.

• Worksbestwhenobservingonlyonechildatatime.

RunningRecords

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children

Child’sName Jeff Age 4 Date 3/12/12

Observer A.Johnson Place DailyPreschool Time 9:00– 9:15

Observation Comments

10:00- Jeffinblockareabuildingaroad.Timentersw/containerofhotwheelcars.T:“I’vegotthecars.”10:05- J:LooksupatTim,returnstobuildingroad.10:06- T:Emptiesthecarsnearblockroad.Takesthebluecar,beginsrollingitonblockroad.

Jeffusuallyplaysalone.LettingTimplaywithhimisnew. Interactionislimited,butcongenial.Childrenplaytogetherfortenminutes,Jeffleaveswithoutpickingup.

10:00-10:15amBlockarea

RunningRecordExample

Documentation

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Observing and Recording Progress and Behavior of Children 21