Child development primer

4. Observing young children

This page discusses how becoming an astute and sensitive observer of young children’s behaviour is key to understanding each child individually and providing them with the best care.

A focus on child development requires us to be keen observers. To observe a young child refers to paying careful attention to a child’s behavior, growth, skills and abilities; then recording in some systematic way what has been observed. 

There are a variety of reasons why we observe including:

• to track progress for individual abilities, skills and achievements
• to consider individual and group interests
• to analyze or plan a program, schedule or activities
• to share information with colleagues or parents
• to better understand challenging behaviours

When we write up the details of an observation, being objective is extremely important. Being objective means noting down facts only. For example, the statement ‘This coat costs $200’ is objective. When a statement includes your personal opinion, it is considered subjective. ‘This coat looks great on you’ or ‘this coat is so expensive’ are subjective statements.  

Recording an observation objectively is like being a human video camera – recording what one sees and hears from a child or children and the surroundings, without making judgments or interpretations. Interpretations come later when you consider what the observation means – for example, in order to plan appropriate activities or make schedule changes.

Try the following activity to see how well you can differentiate between objective and subjective statements.

Anecdotal records

People who work with young children always observe children in real life settings. A popular method of recording observations is the anecdotal record. This write-up tells a story (an anecdote) of what happened for a child or group of children.

Every recorded observation should start with some key details, such as: name(s) and age(s) of who is being observed, date, time, location/activity, and the observer’s name. If something out of the ordinary has transpired, that should be noted.

It can be hard to find time in the course of a busy day to observe and record events “live”, as they happen. A common situation is that an adult notices something of interest going on with a child or children, makes some quick notes to remember the main details, then soon after writes up the remembered anecdote more fully. The following is an example of an anecdotal observation.

An anecdotal record should include key information about what occurred, what was said, body language, facial expressions and reactions. Practice writing an anecdotal record using the videos below.  Use this worksheet to jot down highlights of what’s happening as you watch, then use those notes to write up the anecdote after the video ends. With another video, try recording it “live” by writing things as you watch.

For the next videos, you may not be able to record the dialogue but see if you can record what the children are doing and their facial expressions. The first video was filmed in Pakistan, the second in Afghanistan, and the third in Tajikistan.

As noted earlier, observations are written objectively but the second step is to make meaning of it with a subjective interpretation.  In order to make interpretations of what has been observed, you have to understand child development. For example, is a child doing something that is typical for children that age? Why is she behaving this way? Ideally, you should also know the children you are observing and be familiar enough to know whether what you observe on a given day is typical or unusual for them.

Let’s revisit our example and include a subjective interpretation.

When you have a series of anecdotal records and interpretations – for individuals or for groups of children – it provides a way to reflect on changes over time. For example, if a child has trouble transitioning (moving) from one activity to another, you could observe several instances and write up the details using anecdotal records. You would make interpretations, based on your knowledge of child development and familiarity with that particular child.  Then, reviewing the records and interpretations together may suggest possible reasons for the child’s difficulties as well as possible solutions. As you try different solutions, you could use anecdotal records to keep track of how the child responds. This can help you to identify the best way to support the child so that transitions go smoothly.

Anecdotal records are just one type of observation method and just one aspect of documenting growth and development. Some other methods involve watching for and counting instances of specific behaviours. Rating scales and assessments are other ways to observe and record development. Documentation can include things like photos, videotapes, and examples of a child’s art or other “work”. Having a complete picture of a child is really important for seeing each child as an individual.

Complete the following quiz to review the content on this page.

Knowing about the importance of observation, prepares you to explore the next topic: Positive Guidance. Observation enhances your understanding of children, equipping you to support and guide them in a positive and effective manner.