Observation Methods Flashcards
Information that’s always included when early years workers observe children
Name of child, date and time observation took place, name of person carrying out observation
Information added during the observation
Age of child, purpose of observation, where the child was and was doing, who the child was with
What is a narrative method
It is a written method describing what a child is doing
How do you carry out a narrative method
You need a pen and paper and write down precisely what the child is doing
Advantages of narrative method
Needs no preparation, can be used to observe all areas of development, and can be used to observe more than one area of development at once
Disadvantages of narrative method
Can be hard to write down everything quickly, the observer is likely to have to keep stopping and choose what to focus on and can be hard to record accurately without judgement
What is a checklist and tick chart
Simple way of assessing a child’s skills, a list of statements are prepared, and the observer ticks or writes a note when the child is doing the skill
Advantages or checklist and tick charts
Easy to fill in so can be done quickly, can be repeated to see if the child has made progress and keeps the observer focused on specific skills
Disadvantages of checklist and tick charts
Observer may come to a different conclusion to whether the child has mastered the skill or not and does not show how quickly or confidently a child has managed the task or skill
What is an event sample
It is a record of events used to look at a child’s behaviour
How an event sample works
A prepared sheet is drawn to record the child’s behaviour, when the event happens, the observer will fill in the sheet and record the time,what happened, who the child was with and what happened. After a few events, the observer will look back to see if there is any patterns in the behaviour
Advantages of an event sample
It is possible to pick up patterns or triggers for behaviours, can be used to check what strategies are working
Disadvantages of an event sample
Adults may not always be there to see what caused the event, adults may forget to fill in the sheet promptly
What is a time sample
It is used to see what a child is doing over an hour or a session. The information can help a setting to see what activities a child enjoys and who the child likes to play with
How to carry out a time sample
A sheet has to be prepared showing the timings and you write down what the child is doing for a few seconds. When the next time slot comes you need to record again.
