Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Observing Children: A tool for Assessment

Why is observation so important with young children?

• Observation provides vital information about each child's needs, interests, abilities and learning styles!

• It is one of the oldest and best ways of learning about children!

What makes an observation authentic?

There are a few things that need to be done for an observation to be authentic, most importantly they must be done over time in play-based situations

Fill in the Blanks

What kind of information does an authentic assessment provide?

When you are choosing what kind of assessment you will be doing it is important you consider

• What type of behavior do you want to assess and how much detail do you need

• how many children are you assessing

• how much attention do you the observer need to focus on the observation

How do we know if a statement is objective?

It must pass 2 tests:

First, it must describe only observable actions.

Second, it must be non evaluative.

Multiple Choice

Assessment information is confidential and should not be shared with the parents

• true

• false

Multiple Select

Advantages to rating scales are

• easy to use

• only fragments of actions

• require little time to complete

• requires the observer to have a good understanding of the behavior

Multiple Select

Disadvantages to checklists include

• no time constraints

• easy to use

• lacks detailed information

• only particular behaviors are noted

Multiple Select

The following is/are true of an anecdotal record

• it is the easiest method to use

• may not always be accurate

• can provide a running record over time and can show evidence of growth

Multiple Choice

The most important guideline when observing children is

• keep the information collected confidential

• keep your belongings out of the observation area

• avoid talking to the children

• avoid talking to the teacher in charge

Multiple Choice

Portfolios contain

• art projects

• child dictated stories

• summaries of parent conferences

• all of the above

Fill in the Blanks

What is used to indicate the degree to which a quality or trait is present