The Importance Of Child Observation

1. Introduction

Children learn best when they are healthy, safe and secure and when their individual needs are met. Leaders, teachers and managers need to make every effort to ensure that all needs of children are fulfilled and they make good progress from birth throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). To achieve this goal, continues observations, recordings and assessments are needed to set up the appropriate plans and actions to enhance children’s learning and development (EYFS, 2012). Observation could enable caregivers to pay more attention towards the child instead of being distracted by the routine teaching practices. Observation is the most reliable way used by teachers to assess the reflection of their teaching practices

Collection of data

4.1. Sources to collect data about young children

Gathering of information about a child should not be limited to observing and communicating with the child during their daily attendance in the care settings but more information is required from other sources such as discussions with parents or guardians, other family members and any other settings that were previously or concurrently attended by the child (Zweig, et. al., 2015). This information is useful to determine what each child knows and understands, what things can be done or understood and what he or she is ready to learn next with more practice and experience.

4.2. Recording methods

Each child might be observed for a different purpose and consequently different recording techniques may be used; for example, free description (known as narrative description and written record), checklists and tick charts, time sample, event sample and target child method (Tassoni, P. et. al., 2005). Recording, however, should not be excessively written; simple codes or checklists could be used to simplify the recording process. Data provides caregivers with the required evidences to select the appropriate teaching approaches that fulfil each child’s unique