Center for
Early Childhood Professionals


Curriculum

Importance of Observing and Recording Children's Behavior

Children have many ways of expressing themselves and we can begin to understand what they are experiencing and the meaning they bring to their experiences by observing them, listening to them and ultimately recording these observations. In the context of a pre-kindergarten classroom, these observations help the teacher and other staff to create a more responsive program for each child and for the classroom community.

Explorations with Young Children cites eight reasons to observe the children in your class. Observing can help you:

  1. Keep track of a child's emotional, social, cognitive and physical development over time.
  2. Identify a child's strengths and interests.
  3. Identify concerns you may have about a child.
  4. Decide how best to respond in a certain situation.
  5. Figure out how to handle problem situations.
  6. Improve your physical environment and materials.
  7. Modify your curriculum.
  8. Give specific examples of behavior to share with parents, colleagues and specialists.
Explorations with Young Children, p.48-49

Recording helps the teacher organize his or her observations about a particular child and about the children as they play and learn together in a group.

The following suggestions from Explorations with Young Children may be helpful in order to begin observing and recording the children in your group:

  1. Develop a recording system that works for you.
  2. Make a plan for who and what you will observe
  3. Arrange for a staff person who speaks the child's language to observe that child and write up the observation.
  4. If you have co-workers, figure out a system that allows you to cover for one another while someone steps out of the action to observe for a few minutes.
Explorations with Young Children, p. 51

Observing and recording is not a passive procedure. You as the teacher may be a part of an observation you record. By observing and recording the child in a variety of settings and with a focus on different spheres of development, you will gain a richer picture of the child, which will assist you in responding to your students needs.

Combining the written observations with samples of child's art, writing, pictures of block work or photographs of outside play, helps you establish an active dialog with the child and his or her family, even as the child is growing and changing. Reflecting on these observations allows teachers to gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which children interact with their environment to construct meaning.