Please follow instructions as implied apa format cover page 12 font double space , use resources for cites and references REQUIRED A MUST!!!
Observation Worksheet
Guidelines for Each Observation:
Observe for two, 10– to 15–minute time periods
During each time period:
Watch children with an open mind.
Avoid judging or making assumptions.
Tune into details, i.e., children’s behaviors, postures, facial expressions.
Recognize your own feelings and, as much as possible, set those feelings aside so they don’t get in the way.
Position yourself where you can see and hear clearly but will not distract the children.
Remember that you are observing at a particular moment in time without the benefit of knowing what has come before. Your goal is to be objective and take in information based on what you see and hear.
Be sure to change the names of any children you identify in your summaries to protect their privacy.
Write down—objectively and in as much detail as you can—anything that captured your attention.
Do not share any comments about the children you observe. Remember that you are the learner in this situation.
Be sure to thank everyone involved for the opportunity to observe.
Note: You may bring a laptop to the observation or make handwritten notes and record your observations on this sheet at a later time. Submit this Observation Worksheet as part of your Application this week.
FYI: Clarifying Objective and Subjective Observations:
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Objective Observations What you see and hear (e.g., actions, words)
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Subjective Observations Emotional reactions Questions Judgments/assumptions Side thoughts |
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Example: One child was stacking blocks. She placed small blocks on the bottom and large blocks on top. The structure toppled after a few blocks. This happened two times. A second child came over and watched. The structure fell twice more. The second child sat down with the first child. She showed how to put large blocks on the bottom. Asked the first child to put smaller blocks on top for their “tower.” Both girls looked excited as the tower got taller. |
Why wasn’t the child more frustrated? Frustrating to see her make same mistake.
Second child seems advanced. Kind. Leading and cooperating.
I smiled at their excitement. |
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© Laureate Education, Inc.
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Observation #1
Setting: Preschool three year old class room
Date/day: June 2,2016 Thursday 10:00 -10:15am
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Objective Description What you see and hear (e.g., actions, words)
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Any information you would like to know about the children, their behaviors, or questions you would like to ask adults who know the children that would deepen your understanding:
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Observation #2
Setting: Outside Preschool Daycare Playground Sunny warm day
Date/day:
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Objective Description What you see and hear (e.g., actions, words)
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© Laureate Education, Inc.
Learning Resources
This page contains the Learning Resources for this week. Be sure to scroll down the page to see all of the assigned resources for this week. To view this week’s media resources, please use the streaming media players below.
Required Resources
- Course Text: Marion, M. (2015). Guidance of young children (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
- Chapter 1, “A Teacher’s Role in Guiding Children” (pp. 3-28)
- Chapter 3, “Understanding Child Development” (pp. 61-71)
- Chapter 6, “Using Observation in Guiding Children” (pp. 158-180)
Media
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Video: Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Social and emotional learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 13 minutes.
Early childhood expert, Marilyn Gootman, Ed.D. talks about the importance of social-emotional learning.
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Video: Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Observation [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 9 minutes.
Noted early childhood specialist Janet Gonzalez-Mena offers advice about observing very young children. The principles and insights she shares can be applied to any age group.
Optional Resources
- Article: “Effective Behavior Management, Part I” by Kelly B. Cartwright, PhD
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/behavior-management - Web Site: About Temperament
http://www.preventiveoz.org/aboutemp.html - Document: “Stanford Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Rotation: A Guide to Preschool Observations”
http://depts.washington.edu/dbpeds/Observation-StanfordPreschool.doc - Research Paper: “Wondering with Children: The Importance of Observation in Early Education” by George Foreman and Ellen Hall
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v7n2/forman.html
As you have learned this week, young children often communicate through their behavior, making observation an essential tool for understanding children’s behavior and discovering their strengths and needs. Observation requires objectivity, i.e., not making assumptions or judgments about what you observe.
To complete this Application Assignment:
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Step 1: Plan and Prepare for the Observation
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Confirm your observation date and time.
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Click here to download and/or print your Observation Worksheet.
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Read through the worksheet.
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Review Chapter 6 in the text and the video program, “Observation” to prepare.
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Step 2: Observe
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Follow the guidelines on the Observation Worksheet.
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Step 3: Reflect
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Summarize y our observation experience:
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Include at least one personal goal for your next observation experience.
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Include insights you gained and/or misconceptions you corrected about observation from this experience.
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Assignment length: Approximately 2 pages (Including your Reflection and your Observation Worksheet)
This week, you will submit your Observation Worksheet and your written Reflection, combined into one Microsoft Word document.
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Any information you would like to know about the children, their behaviors, or questions you would like to ask adults who know the children that would deepen your understanding:
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