33.1: Observe and Document
- Page ID
- 142709
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Creating a responsive, individualized curriculum starts with observing each child: watching and listening to discover how infants actively make sense of their everyday encounters with people and objects, documenting observations, and connecting with each child's family to share information.[1] When caregivers intentionally observe and listen, infants and toddlers reveal clues about their thinking, feelings, or intentions. Infants’ actions, gestures, and words illuminate what they are trying to figure out or how they make sense of people and objects' attributes, actions, and responses.[2] Through documentation, caregivers make visible the ways infants and toddlers learn. Planning infant/toddler curriculum begins with caregivers discovering, through careful listening and daily observation, each infant's interests, abilities, and needs.[3] Written observations of infant and toddler play and interactions reveal emerging skills and ideas. As caregivers observe, they discover ways to extend learning experiences to support the infant in building more complex, coherent ideas. Caregivers' reflections of an individual infant lead to further review on the emerging interests, concepts, and skills of another infant in the small group.[3]
Anecdotal notes or photos make it possible to reflect on infant and toddlers’ learning experiences. Documentation supports caregivers in planning how to extend, expand, and add complexity to infants' learning through the curriculum offered.
By taking time to review and reflect on each infant's behavior, temperament, learning interests, developmental profile, and needs, caregivers deepen their understanding and appreciation of each infant. This reflection also gives caregivers ideas on supporting learning and development, responding to infants' interests, expanding on their ideas, and engaging them in planning learning experiences. (California Department of Education)
Gathering artifacts for documentation, including samples of an infant's work and other materials involving the infant, informs curriculum plans. For example, a caregiver notes an infant beginning to stand up with support and documents the behavior with a photo.
The caregiver, drawing on her knowledge of infant development, knows the next step in infant motor development will be cruising—moving from place to place while standing and holding on to something for support. As a result of the caregiver’s documentation, she knows to modify the environment to include supports on which the infant might pull up to a standing position to cruise around. When reflecting on documentation, the caregiver will note other children who could benefit from environmental modifications. The curriculum for the infant becomes intentionally designed time and space for the infant to engage with the environmental changes as their physical development unfolds. As caregivers observe, reflect, and document, they become more attentive and responsive to each infant's ongoing development. Caregivers must plan experiences that support infant/toddler learning and development in all domains and content areas.[3]
[1] Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families , ECLKC Early Head TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER NO. 16 INDIVIDUALIZING CARE FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS – PART 1. Is in the public domain
[2] Early Education and Support Division, California Department of Education. BEST PRACTICES FOR PLANNING CURRICULUM FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. The Integrated Nature of Learning . is used with permission.
[3] The California Infant/Toddler Curriculum Framework by the California Department of Education is used with permission