“Makin’ a List, Checkin’ it Twice, Gonna Find Out Who’s. . . Using Observation and Assessment to Inform Instruction in Early Childhood Education
A simple liberating thought came to our aid, namely that things about children and for children are only learned from children. Follow the child
Domains of Development • Meet Norm & Norma
Domains of Development Physical Language Aesthetic Cognitive Emotional Social
Stages of Development Infant Toddler Pre. Schooler Kindergartner Primary School age Tweener
Eyes in the back of your head • Kid Watching – Monitoring ongoing development through daily activities that are integral to instruction • Observation • Interaction • Analysis
Three Purposes • To know the individual child • To measure the child’s progress • To evaluate the program
Main Types of Observations • Narratives • Sampling • Child Study
Types of Narratives • Diary • Anecdote • Running Record (ethnography)
Examples of Sampling • Event • Time • Artifacts
Portfolio • • What goes in? Who chooses? How is material managed? What does it mean?
Modified Child Study • Checklist • Rating Scale
Rules of Engagement Observer Participant Teacher (Interventionist)
Analysis: What to do with what you know? • Making Inferences • Drawing Conclusions
Evaluate and Apply • Discuss: What makes any one of these observation techniques effective and appropriate for different observation settings?