The Practice of Observation

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When you observe, you gain insights about children’s strengths, knowledge, interests, and skills. You may also discover barriers to children’s learning.

Let’s consider the observation cycle.

Step 1: Begins with a question about something a child is doing or saying.

Step 2: Sparks a wondering for you to watch and listen for more information about that wondering or question. During this phase you collect information and data to use in the next step.

Step 3: Here you will reflect upon what you noticed and learned about your question and the child. You will ask yourself questions such as “What did I notice?” “ What was the child trying to tell me through their behavior?”

Step 4. When you are ready to respond to the information you have gathered and reflected upon then you will move to step 4. Responding guides you to interpret the data you have gathered, put meaning to it and make educated guesses about what you have learned. With these interpretations, you will make a plan for the child. This can include your lesson plan, behavior plans or general goal setting.

Back to Step 1: This a continuous cycle and you will then move back to step one, as this process will always surface more questions and wondering. This is the beauty of it all!

Take some time to play with these steps in any observation you do. Watch you child at play, observe your partner at the dinner table. Any observation will do, just play!