Narrative observation is the most popular, oldest, and most informative method to record observation done on child. It attempts to record everything that happens.

Anecdotal records

• Brief narrative
• Describes what happen, how, where and when it happened in a factual objective manner
• Records after the observation, therefore a camcorder is recommended to ensure nothing is being left out
• Qualitative in nature
• Provides clear, true-life account
• Conclusion in past tense

Advantages:

• No special training
• Open-ended, record everything not restricted to one kind of behaviour
• Catch unexpected incident no matter when it occurs
• Look for and record the significant behaviour and ignore the rest
• Rich source of documentation for charting developmental growth, such as language development
• Useful for curriculum and instruction planning, designing environment, an writing summaries for portfolios and useful for parents conference

Disadvantges:

• Does not give complete picture
• Depend too much on memory as it’s recorded after the event
• Incident taken out of contest, interpreted incorrectly or in a biased manner
• Difficult to code/analyze narrative record, not useful in scientific studies

Running records

• Detailed narrative in sequential manner
• Sits or stands apart from the children and write everything at specific period
• Does not interpret any specific information
• Qualitative in nature
• Conclusion in past tense

Advantages:

• Rich, complete, comprehensive record not limited to particular incident
• Open-ended, record anything, not restricted
• Written at the time the incident happens, more accurate
• No need special skill
• Can be referred to throughout the year
• Useful instructional planning

Disadvantages:

• Time consuming
• Might be interrupted by the children along the way and cannot record accurately
• Not suitable for observing a group
• Keep away from the children but it’s not easy for a teacher

Common observer errors:

• Insufficient evidence
• Omitting some facts
• Record things that did not happen
• Record things out of order

Guidelines:

• Record only the facts
• Record every details without omitting anything
• Do not interpret what you observe
• Do not record anything you do no see
• Use words that describe and not judge or interpret
• Record facts in order

Science can help children in various areas of developments:

• Build self-confidence
• Gain first hand experiences
• Develop basic concepts
• Increase observation skills
• Receive opportunities to use tools, equipments and familiar materials
• Receive aid in problem solving
• Stimulate curiosity
• Develop language skills

Skill children learn in Science:

• Observation
• Sequencing
• Patterning
• Counting
• Measuring
• Defining/Inference
• Comparing and contrasting
• Communicating
• Classifying
• Hypothesizing
• Predicting
• Testing/Recording
• Experimenting/Planning investigation

Planning Science lesson:

• Goals
• Science ideas
• Engage (ensure it can grab their attention)
• Explore
• Materials
• Explain
• Elaborate (how to real life)
• Evaluate

Incorporating Science processes in classroom:

• Set up Science center
• Teach what you know
• Use the surroundings
• Be a good observer
• Introduce new items and concepts to the group
• Answer question honestly

These are all short notes for my own reference.

Why observe?

• Different child reacts differently.
• Help in child growth and learning.
• Understand the child.
• Most effective way to assess and determine the child progress.
• Link theory and practice.
• Develop realistic curriculum and goals.
• Help parents keep up to the the child’s progress.
• Solve problem.

Attributes to observe:

• Interest and preferences.
• Level of cognitive and social development.
• Skills and accomplishments.
• Personalities and temperaments.
• Strategies for creating desired effects.

Ethical issues:

• Ensure families are comfortable with the observation and allow access to information if they request for it.
• Children needs to be involved as partners in process and documentation.
• Offer explanation of what is intended to be observed.
• Offer child rights to refuse at anytime.
• Ask questions that are developmentally appropriate.
• Take place in naturalistic environment.
• Information is confidential.

Who to observe?

• Children from own class or other class

Who can observe?

• Teacher/teacher’s assistant
• Other staff in the child care centre or kindergarten if the teacher is busy.
• Student interns.

When to observe?

• Anytime of the day that is considered appropriate.

Steps of observation:

1. Prepare to observe – identify time that all staff can meet to discuss and determine techniques for observation.
2. Clarify observation goals – why, what, when to observe.
3. Organize for success – prepare materials and identify place to keep records.
4. Involve the children – let children keep their records with materials.
5. Visit the classroom – find a suitable spot in the classroom to do observation that will not cause distractions to the learning process.
6. Ethics and confidentiality – all information should be confidential.

Guidelines

• Find comfortable place and with good view.
• Keep in the background.
• If a child ask you for help, direct him/her to the teacher.
• If a child ask you what are you doing in the class, just tell something ambiguous such as you are writing.
• Describe records objectively without interpretation.
• Do not be act too obvious when you are observing certain child.
• Include “staff comments”, have balance of positive and negative feedback.

Just for your information, these are just very brief notes for my own reference purpose, if you are thinking of getting elaborate details, I don’t think you can find it here.

Science is:

• A process
• A body of knowledge and associated to the world in which we live
• Sets of ideas
• Sets of attitude

Early years science:

• Cognitive development – knowledge and understanding
• Conative development – practical aspects of the development of scientific skills
• Affective development – emotional, social, cultural, and moral development

How children learn about science

• Curiosity
• Anxiety about the unexplained
• Pleasure in discovering
• Self-efficacy and learning

Multiple learning pathway

• Conscious thinking – aware of doing, use of language and information
• Unconscious thinking/implicit learning – no language involved, imagining, “pattern seeking”, usage of metaphor

Multiple Intelligences Theory

1. Logical-mathematical
2. Linguistic
3. Musical/rhythmic
4. Spatial/visual
5. Bodily kinesthetics
6. Interpersonal
7. Intrapersonal
8. Naturalist

Finally it’s over yesterday.

Did not do well in Plan, Organize Early Childhood Care, Educational Setting. Hate the multiple choice questions! I messed up there. Wonder will there be another A for me? sigh…

Yesterday’s Play & Learning is fine, I think I did quite well.

Having semester break now.

Finally, today’s class is the last class. It means this is the time to start preparing for coming exam!! Notice that the scope for this semester’s subjects are so wide. So many theories and very dry. Hopefully can cover all in these 2 weeks time.

I didn’t update much on notes for Plan,Organize Early Childhood Care,Educational Setting because they are all very lengthy and dry, lots of theories. It takes time to type them out. So I decided not to post them except for those short ones.

So… That’s the end of the 4th semester.

According to John Dewey, observation is exploration and inquiry for the sake of discovering something previously hidden or unknown.

Adult will watch and listen closely to children. Besides that alos work and play with them to find out their interests, their attention and their understanding of the world.

Ways to record obeservation:

1. Jot notes.
2. Make brief entries in spiral notebooks or clipboard pads strategically placed around the spaceused by children.
3. Capture photos or video.
4. Take mental “snapshots” if children actions and words.

Do not judge when recording observation:
Document children’s actions from a neutral, matter-of-fact perspective.

Reflective thinking:
Observer explores his/her observations, add overlooked details, related new information to what they already know about the child, speculate on possible meanings.

Try out strategies and talk about how thye are working:

• Watch for further instances
• Give time to solve own problem
• Add other materials to the play

Evaluating of sensory and manipulative experiences:

• Observe children on who does and who does not enjoy getting messy.
• Observe movement.
• Observe the child’s activity preferences.
• Reflect on the variety of experiences offered at the centre over a period of two weeks.
• Keep anecdotal records on individual children.

Preprimary Teachers should:

1. Give countless opportunities.
2. Do not expect the child to produce a finish product.
3. Move along with the child’s imaginative ideas e.g. provide materials that for the child to play with.
4. Reinforce the child’s production of ideas

Structured materials such as puzzle cannot give the child freedom to express themselve because there is only one outcome from the puzzle.

Provide non-structural/freeform/expressive materials such as blocks or play dough which can contribute to emotional health and increase divergent creative responses to problem solving.

Benefits of non-structural/freeform/expressive materials:

• A child can make no mistake as there is no right or wrong answer.
• Allow them to express themselves and come to terms with themselves.
• Involve in cooperative play and improve social interaction.
• Opportunities for rich sensory growth
• Contribute to intelleactual growth

Ways to encourage creativity using non-structural/freeform/expressive materials:

• Intervene only when needed.
• Never provide model for children to copy.
• Understand and respect the child’s developmental level.
• Understand the process not the end product.
• Give ample time for the child to express himself.
• Give comments that can enhance the child’s creative.
• Grant the child who is dubious the right to refuse.

Importance of creativity in play:

• Personality characteristic – For the child well-being by improving their self-esteem and self-worth. When they express their creativity, they express their emotions.
• Intellectual process – To develop intellectual growth as creativity allows children to explore ways to solve problems because a problem can have various ways to solve. They learn to grow and face the world with experiences they got.
• Creative product – There will always be a creative product produced at the end of the creative activity but the process is more important than the end result.

Stages of creative development in children

• Early stage – Cannot differentiate what is toy and non-toy, spend hours in exploring, manipulating and investigating the things that they manage to got hold of. For example, squeezing the sponge in the paint bucket.
• Nonrepresentational stage – Whatever they created will only For example, in painting, it seems to have more design and intention behind them but not recognizable by anyone but the children.
• Representational stage – The creative product can be recognised by other people. Fro example, they can draw a human that look more like a human now with proper eyes, mouth, nose, ears, fingers and so on.