Early Childhood - Connecticut State Department of Education

Assessment Chapter 4
OBSERVING, RECORDING
AND REFLECTING
Observation, recording and reflecting are key tools
for early childhood educators. We study children by
gathering information over time and devoting energy to
reflecting and planning for future growth and learning
opportunities.
Why Do We Observe?
Observation is essential in the teaching profession
because children’s activity and thinking provide a
window into their skills, knowledge and dispositions.
Understanding these through observation helps teachers
understand how best to facilitate children’s learning.
Careful observation yields information on how to assist
or extend learning, clarify or improve teaching strategies
and the environment, document growth and progress,
and communicate with parents and other teachers.
Why Do We Record
And Document Observations?
The typical day of an early childhood teacher is filled
with multiple tasks, decisions and emotions. At the
end of a week it is difficult to remember a comment
made by a child on Monday about block building, or a
problem solved by two children on Wednesday using
their words instead of their hands. Recording may, at
first, feel laborious. Teachers may feel it takes precious
time away from the children or necessary classroom
tasks. However, when the process of observation and
recording is organized systematically, it becomes an
invaluable planning and teaching strategy.
Reflections – How? Why?
Collecting observations, work samples and photos is of
no use without organizing and reflecting on the value
of what has been gathered. Reflecting is the process
of thinking seriously, contemplating and considering.
Reflection deepens our understanding of the child’s
learning styles and strategies for working with others or
alone in order to better interpret and plan. Reflection,
thus, is the key to observation and recording.
But reflection requires time for review and
interpretation. It also requires a willingness to
collaborate and rethink teaching processes and children’s
performances. Reflection requires listening to oneself,
to colleagues and most of all the children. By making
time for reflection teachers validate the observations
and information collected over time as being critical
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to real understanding of children. Reflection is often
best spent in collaboration with other professionals
on the same teaching team, and should involve lively
discussion. Interpretations and clarifications evolve as
growth is recognized and new directions and questions
are suggested.
Setting aside time is the critical key. Time
reserved for reflection, even if short at first, will become
more and more valuable. Devoting more time will
become easier as improvements in effectiveness of
planning and interactions with children are recognized.
How To Get Started
Think of the process of observing as an opportunity
to capture a moment, to create a photo in words of a
specific point in time. Create a system that sets aside
time each day, even brief 15-minute periods, just to
observe. Rotate this task so many perspectives are
“taken” on a child. One teacher observes and records
while teammates are facilitating to ensure that the
learning environment is maintained. Consider various
approaches for recording and collecting, such as
clipboards, organizing questions and post-its. Perhaps,
begin by focusing on a favorite area of the classroom.
Create a series of guiding questions, rather than waiting
for something to record. Consider focusing on specific
children. As a team, choose two or three children to
observe for short periods of time over several days. At
the end of a week collect the observations and spend
time as a team reflecting on the information gathered.
Look for patterns and try to answer questions such as,
What do we know about this child that we didn’t know
previously? What further questions do we have about
this child? Based on the information we have, what
should be planned or considered to further this child’s
growth and progress?
Eventually all of these techniques will become
comfortable. Teachers may even find themselves
stopping to record more often than expected because
they are noticing more subtle behaviors.
Questions And Language:
Tools For Creating Valuable Observations
Knowing what to observe and what to record are
critical skills. At times there may be specific behaviors
or activities on which the teacher should focus. At
other times there may be interest in questions children
raise, their use of language to communicate and solve
problems, their interaction styles with peers, materials
and adults, and their approach to tasks, to list just a
few possibilities. Pages 64-65 provide a list of reflective
questions associated with the developmental domains.