6.3 Observation
Brenda Boyd Brown, Ph.D.
What does it mean to observe? As an educator, observation means watching and listening to children to learn about them (Stetson et al., 2007). While this definition may sound simple, observing children for educational purposes is intentional and is a skill that develops over time and with practice. It is a critical skill for responsive teaching. Observing a child increases understanding of the child’s current developmental level, what the child needs to support the next steps in development, and generally who they are as an individual.
Educators’ methods for the observationprocess can be particular and unique to their circumstances. However, a general method underlying most observational processes is apparent in all observations. This section of the chapter introduces this general method or process underlying all observations in early childhood education.
The Educator Is a Critical Component of Observation
Before discussing the process educators use, it is important to understand that educators are critical in the observation process. Successful observation requires the educator to be present, intentional, and active. Being fully present in the moment of observation allows the educator to see each child’s uniqueness and development. Being present as an active observer means having the ability to block out any distractions that may be present. Educators should be authentically curious during observations as they become learning and growth detectives: “the documenter is a researcher first, collecting as much information as possible to paint a picture of progress and outcomes” (Seitz, 2008, p. 90). To do this, an educator may have to initiate the help of other educators to ensure proper supervision in the classroom. They should try to clear their minds of any other invasive thinking to properly focus on what they are experiencing with the children.
In addition, observers need to be knowledgeable about early childhood development. This knowledge will help the observer know what to look for and to set measurable, attainable, relevant, and culturally responsive goals for the child. By understanding child development, educators can look for evidence of an expected developmental sequence in their observations and assessments.
Another, and perhaps most important, way in which the educator is a critical component in the observation process is their ability to manage subjectivity and bias in their observation (Jablon et al., 2007). All humans have a subjective perspective on the world, including how they think about children. Subjective means that personal feelings, tastes, and opinions influence one’s perspective. We all come to the field of ECE with assumptions about how children are—how they should behave, their roles in the classroom, and their relationships with adults, for example. These assumptions often contain inherent bias and should be recognized as an imperfect and unhelpful way to view, observe, and document the development of children. Thus, educators must reflect upon their personal beliefs and opinions and be aware of when they are influencing the focus or expectations of an observation. Educators must be aware of how their beliefs and opinions are influencing the observations they record and interpret. This subjectivity may reflect a very profoundly held notion about child development.
For example, an educator may value independence in children and view this as an essential developmental milestone—when a four-year-old appropriately stands up for what they want or desire. This view of expected development is culturally specific. In some cultures, instead of independence, interdependence, or an emphasis on the good of the community rather than the individual’s independence, is valued and expected at this age. An educator who values independence and sees it as the expected developmental milestone may view a child who has grown up in a culture that values interdependence as exhibiting delayed development, which is a biased perspective.
Cultural bias is not the only way our subjective beliefs or tastes can influence our observations. Jablon and others (2007) point out that our individuality may influence how we view or respond to children. Educators with a quiet or introverted temperament may not gravitate toward loud and outgoing children. They may avoid them or tend to view these children’s behaviors through a negative lens. These individual teacher characteristics can also create a biased view of particular children or groups.
What is the solution to this problem of subjectivity? Rather than attempting to shed one’s point of view, which is impossible, the goal becomes “striving for objectivity” (Jablon et al., 2007, p. 42). Many resources exist to help educators increase their objectivity in observation and documentation (i.e., Head Start ECLKC, 2023; Jablon et al., 2007; Peterson & Elam, 2020). Some suggested behaviors that increase objectivity include:
- Spend time reflecting on beliefs about children. Doing so can help identify unhelpful bias in observation. A conversation with colleagues about bias may be more fruitful in identifying beliefs, but doing so requires the willingness to be vulnerable. Identifying bias requires a certain level of vulnerability. Remember, having a perspective is human. Growth as an educator requires self-reflection.
- Reflect on the cultural and familial expectations of the children in the classroom. Do they differ from the educators’?
- In recording observations, write down only what one sees without interpretation.
- Do not infer what a child thinks or feels; describe what the child does or says.
- ·Avoid terms that make a judgment about a behavior (i.e., mad, hyper, pretty, spoiled).
- Be specific rather than overgeneralizing. For example, rather than saying, “Joe never shares with other children,” describe what Joe did today while being observed.
The key to reducing bias in observation and documentation is to make every effort to be as objective as possible, avoiding subjectivity in focus and documentation.
A final consideration for educators is their ethical responsibility related to observation and assessment of young children. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct outlines the ethical responsibilities that educators must uphold, and specifies responsibilities related to observation and assessment (Feeney & Freeman, 2018). These ethical considerations include protecting confidentiality of assessment results, the appropriate use of assessment instruments, and the appropriate use of data collected through observation and assessment. Each of these considerations will be discussed next.
The early childhood educator has the responsibility to treat assessment results and observation records confidentially. Thus, observational records and results of assessments will only be shared when there is a legitimate need for it. This includes informing parents who should always have access to observation and assessment products. Assessment results may need to be shared with specialists who are planning for individualized educational plans to support the child’s development. Or, assessment results may be shared with other early childhood educators who are working with a teacher in a collegial way to plan and implement developmentally appropriate experiences for the child. Beyond these uses, observational records and assessment results should be treated as confidential.
The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct also addresses the responsibility of educators to only use assessment instruments that are appropriate for the children to be assessed. For example, young children who are dual language learners may be assessed inaccurately if assessment and observation is not conducted in their home language(s). Involving families in order to understand a child’s language, prior knowledge, culture and more, are essential to learning about their knowledge and skills.
Also, educators are ethically required to only use assessment information to support the development and learning of children, to support their instruction, and to identify children who may need additional services. Assessment information should not be used in any negative way or to limit children’s access to education.
Reflection
Does it surprise you that educators may carry biases that influence their focus in observation or how they document observations? Have you had experiences in which you avoided a specific type of child because their temperament or behavior was uncomfortable? Can you see how that might influence what you observed or how you documented what you observed?
Observation as a Cycle
Carrying out observation involves several steps. An observer does not just watch the child and stop there. Instead, watching and listening are the first steps, which lead to the documentation of the observation, followed by the interpretation of the documentation. Finally, based on the interpretation of multiple documented observations, the educator makes plans for future curriculum. While it is common for educators to respond at the moment to what they have observed and interpreted (likely without documenting), here, the focus will be on how observation is collected and recorded and then reflected upon to plan future curricula.
This process can be considered a repeated cycle (see Figure 6.3). First, the educator observes, then documents, interprets, and plans a responsive curriculum. The process begins again once children engage with the curriculum, providing information about the children and how the planned curriculum works to support their interests and development. Notice there is no stopping of this cycle; it is continuous or iterative, feeding back onto itself.
Thorough observations consist of three parts:
Observing: gathering information about what is seen and heard through careful watching and listening.
Recording: documenting what was seen and heard in observation.
Interpreting: reflecting on what has been observed and documented.
After completing these three parts, the educator uses the information gathered. Using the information can include implementing curriculum, responding to individuals or a group of children, or creating summary reports to share with families and document learning over the school year. Thus, observation and the information gathered from it are vital to teaching responsively to meet the needs of the children in the classroom.
The following sections will describe the three parts of the observation cycle.
What and When To Observe
Observation was defined earlier in the chapter–watching and listening to learn about children and their development (Stetson et al., 2007). The importance of objectivity in observation/documentation also was previously discussed. Therefore, in this section we focus on these two points about observation: what and when educators should observe.
What does an educator look for when observing? The key focus in observing young children is their growth and development. The educator’s knowledge of child development is essential for structuring observations. In addition to knowing developmental milestones, an early childhood educator recognizes the importance of all domains of development and learning. Observation should collect evidence of cognitive growth, physical development, social-emotional competence, and age-appropriate learning content areas (i.e., math, science, language). In short, an educator must collect evidence of growth and development in all areas. Educators should also be observing to know the individual child better. What is the child interested in, what do they struggle to succeed with, and what does the child most enjoy? These questions are equally crucial to documenting the developmental milestones achieved.
When does an educator observe? Observations can occur from the first greeting of the day until the last goodbye. Observations should be planned and unplanned while always being careful to ensure proper supervision in the classroom. It is essential to get holistic snapshots of the whole child throughout the day. Additionally, observations should happen in both educator-directed and child-directed situations (Jablon et al., 2007). It is also important to observe during structured and unstructured learning periods both indoors and outdoors. Educators can also observe relationships between children and staff, children and their families, and children engaged in play with children.
When planning for observations, the educator should conduct informal and formal observations at planned and unplanned times. This way, the observer can experience authentic representations of the child’s skills, knowledge, and behaviors.
Recording/Documentation
Once an observer has noted significant evidence of a child’s development, the next step is to record or document the observation. There are many reasons why educators should document observations and many uses for the documentation collected in early childhood classrooms. Through documentation, educators can show developmental growth and be accountable to families, communities, and administrators, extend the learning for children, and become more confident in their teaching. Just as there are many reasons why educators document, there are many ways to record observations (Jablon et al., 2007).
The most common way to record developmental milestones is anecdotal notes (Bates et al., 2019). Anecdotal notes or recordsare short notes taken by educators capturing observations. They can be taken on a formal document or shortened form (such as sticky notes or index cards). These observations can be written after an event and often focus on specific developmental domains. An anecdotal noteshould be about one incident that illustrates some aspect of development or learning. An anecdotal record can summarize this incident rather than capture every part of the occurrence, but it should have enough detail to illustrate the specific development. Anecdotal notes are the primary method of documenting daily occurrences of importance. When taken together, they provide multiple data points for reflection and summarization of a child’s development and learning. This method is essential in the educator’s documentation toolkit. An example of an anecdotal record is in Figure 6.4.
Another method of documenting development is running records. A running record requires sequentially capturing the details of the child’s behavior while the observation is taking place and is written in the present tense. Thus, a running record requires the observer to be out of the classroom action to capture the needed details (Jablon et al., 2007). Because a running record is time and energy-intensive and requires the observer to step out of the action, it is often reserved for those instances when an educator needs to know more about a behavior or its context before responding to it. For example, suppose a child displays adverse reactions to certain situations or acts aggressively toward other children, and the educator cannot successfully redirect them. In that case, a running record may provide details to help guide this behavior in the future. An example of a running record is in Figure 6.5.
Another method of documentation is [pb_glossary id=686]work samples[/pb_glossary]. These are examples of the work produced by the child in the classroom and illustrate the child’s development and learning. These can be writing samples, paintings or other art projects, or examples of fine motor work such as cutting. Work samples can also include photos of the child at play, such as a child building in the block center or engaged in a science activity. Figure 6.6 presents an example of a work sample. Note that the written documentation accompanying the sample provides an interpretation of the developmental significance of the work. A compilation of multiple work samples collected over time is called a portfolio. Many educators believe that portfolios are the best type of authentic assessment, displaying what a child can do and reflecting their development. These portfolios can be shared with families, providing them with cherished mementos of their child’s time in the classroom. More importantly, a portfolio can be an excellent way to document growth over time. When compiling a portfolio, ensure that it does not become just a scrapbook of photos. Instead, it should cover all areas of development and learning, presenting strong evidence of growth. Portfolios can be time-consuming, so a clear plan of what to document is helpful.
Checklists and rating scales also document a child’s development, skills, and knowledge. A checklist in its simplest form is just what it sounds like—a list of skills or developmental milestones to check off as achieved. A checklist may be organized sequentially, with the earliest emerging behaviors first on the list and more mature abilities placed later on the list. Early learning programs may create checklists for a specific classroom or to align with a curriculum. However, off-the-shelf checklists exist. Figure 6.7 presents an example of a partial checklist focused on a specific age range and a developmental domain.
Rating scales are like checklists; however, instead of an item marked either yes or no, rating scales offer a continuum for rating a skill or behavior. Thus, a rating scale informs how frequently or how much a behavior or skill occurs.
Table 6.1 shows a blank rating scale. The form indicates the frequency with which developmental milestones occur. While checklists and rating scales are faster to complete than the narrative methods of documentation discussed, they lack rich information about a child found in narrative methods. Refrain from relying solely on checklists and rating scales; pair them with narrative documentation methods.
| Behavior/
Skill |
Usually | Frequently | Rarely | Never | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climbs on and off furniture without help | |||||
| Walks up and down stairs, holding on | |||||
| Throws a ball | |||||
| Kicks a ball | |||||
| Uses feet to propel riding toy |
Note: This table lists five behaviors or skills with boxes to check indicating how frequently the behavior occurs.
When using any of these documentation methods, remember the earlier warnings about bias creeping into observation and writing of documentation.
Reflection
Do you have experience with any of the types of documentation described here? Do you prefer one over the other? If you have not documented observations, which of these methods are you most likely to use? Why?
Interpretation
The last part of the observation cycle is interpreting documented observations. Interpretation requires the expertise of the prepared educator who understands child development, developmentally appropriate practice, and the individuality of each child and family.
When interpreting observational data, educators must attend to many factors that influence how a child behaves, including the stage of development, child health, and cultural and individual experiences that make each child unique. Interpretation requires skill and experience and can have severe consequences for children if there is bias or inaccurate information in the documentation. Because of this serious nature, using various means to document on differing days and in several environments is essential. It is also helpful if various individuals can provide documentation and interpretation. What one educator may observe, another may not—we all notice different things and have different perspectives.
All educators benefit from reflecting on the observations and documentation they have made in a classroom. However, many educators wonder how to find time for this practice. One recommendation is to find a time that already exists within the day. Naptime, before families arrive for the day, after families depart, during staff meetings, or curriculum planning, all are times when reflecting on observational data might be possible. Finding time to interpret observational data may be difficult, but the information gathered is often more helpful with reflection.
Interpretation and reflection may result in a summary of [pb_glossary id=686]observations[/pb_glossary] may result in complete summative assessment tools, like a checklist or a developmental continuum. This process involves synthesizing all the collected observations into an overview of the child’s current developmental level across various developmental and learning domains. For example, an educator may spend time at the end of a quarter or semester reviewing the observational data collected on a child. The review and reflection result in a summary, like an average, which can identify where a child is in terms of completed developmental milestones (on a checklist) or where the child’s development lies along a developmental continuum. Figure 6.8 illustrates how multiple observations can be synthesized into a summary of a child’s development.
Attributions
- Figure 6.2: Emma and Alice by edenpictures is released under CC BY 2.0
- Figure 6.3: Observation Cycle by Brenda Boyd, for WA Open ProfTech, © SBCTC, CC BY 4.0
- Figure 6.4: Anecdotal Record Example by Brenda Boyd, for WA Open ProfTech, © SBCTC, CC BY 4.0
- Figure 6.5: Running Record Example by Brenda Boyd, for WA Open ProfTech, © SBCTC, CC BY 4.0
- Figure 6.6: Work Sample Example by Brenda Boyd, for WA Open ProfTech, © SBCTC, CC BY 4.0
- Figure 6.7: Checklist Example by Brenda Boyd, for WA Open ProfTech, © SBCTC, CC BY 4.0
- Figure 6.8: Funneling Data into a Summary by Brenda Boyd, for WA Open ProfTech, © SBCTC, CC BY 4.0
As an educator, watching and listening to children in an objective manner to learn about them
Please look for related terms in the Glossary
Based on, or influenced one's own personal tastes and opinions; inferred rather than directly observed
Written account of observed action
Based in what is directly observed, as opposed to what is inferred
Repetition of a procedure applied to the result of a previous application
a detailed, objective, sequential recording of a child's behavior written while the event is happening
A compilation of work samples and other documentation of development and learning collected over time
An assessment approach that involves a teacher observing and documenting a child's skills, knowledge, and behavior during their everyday activities and routines
A method of documenting a child's skill, knowledge or development on a continuum of how frequently, or successfully the behavior is displayed6
A list of skills or developmental milestones for documenting achievements