Observation Skills Helping Assess Children’s Behaviour

Observing Children  Observation of children helps early care professionals assess children’s development so they can plan experiences to respond to and nurture that development  A lot goes on in an early childhood setting each day. The practice of observing and recording behavior helps you focus attention on details that might otherwise be missed

Observing children cont. …  Early Childhood professionals observe and record children’s behavior to:  Know individual children better  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

Things to remember when observing children …  Do not influence activities  Be quiet, courteous, and respectful  To ensure privacy of children and families, all records remain confidential  You need written permission from parents to share information  When writing reports, you can use false names and identities  Keep facts separate from personal opinions, preferences or bias  Do not record information you didn’t see happen  Consult with child’s family to more clearly interpret their behaviour