5.1: The Role of Observation

Learning Objectives

1. Define observation.
2. Explain the significance of observation in understanding child development and supporting intentional teaching.
3. Describe the various purposes of observation in early childhood settings, including curriculum planning, safety checks, assessment, and family communication.
4. Identify ways in which observation informs developmentally appropriate practices and supports diverse learners.

To provide children with a safe and nurturing learning environment and to maintain program effectiveness, professionals must incorporate observation, documentation, and assessment into their daily routines. To be truly effective, professionals must develop skills and strategies grounded in best practices.

Throughout this book, the "you" is considered either the observer and/or the teacher. You might be reading this book as a student taking an observation class at a college or university. "You" might be a teacher working in a classroom with young children, from zero to eight years old. "You" might be a professional working with young children in other capacities. In addition to being a professional, “you” might also be a student taking other college-level classes. In other words, you are wearing two hats at once. So, the terms professional and observer used throughout this chapter can be considered interchangeable depending on your role in the observation process.

What is Observation?

Observation is defined as “the process of gathering information about objects and events using senses of sight, smell, sound, touch and taste, noticing specific details or phenomena that ordinarily might be overlooked” (CDE, 2016 p. 64).2 According to Bentzen (2009) observation is “the ability to take in information through one or more of the five physical senses and to make sense of that information so that it can me used in meaningful ways” (p.4).

The Role of Observation

Observations are conducted every day in early childhood environments. Professionals are constantly surveying the environment and conducting safety checks to ensure the equipment and materials are safe for children to use. Professionals also perform daily health screenings to ensure their children are healthy enough to participate in program activities. Beyond the standard safety check and health screening, professionals have many other important tasks and duties that they must do to maintain a calm classroom environment.

Intentional professionals use their observations to plan and implement curriculum, set up engaging learning environments, monitor the children’s social interactions, track behaviors, communicate with families, and assess each child’s progress and development. Essentially, observations help professionals be more accountable.

By conducting regular observations, intentional professionals can:

1. Make improvements to ensure quality practices
2. Plan and implement a developmentally appropriate curriculum
3. Measure and assess a child’s development
4. Evaluate program effectiveness
5. Evaluate teacher effectiveness
6. Develop respectful family partnerships
7. Understand the cultural practices and family structure
8. Select effective learning strategies to support and accommodate the diverse needs of children
9. Ensure ethical conduct and professional standards of practice
10. Teach with confidence

If we want to understand children, we must first watch them and listen to them. Then, we must try to make sense of what we observed and give it meaning. The role of observation is to provide professionals with information and evidence that they will need to make informed decisions on how to best support the children in their care. With each observation, you will get a glimpse into a child’s developing mind. Not only will you see a child’s personality emerge, but you will also be able to see what a child can do. As you watch children, you will see how they problem-solve when conflicts arise and how they cope with the stress of being in a group setting. You will learn about their individual needs and their cultural practices. When you watch children closely, their interests and abilities are revealed. With each observation, you will gain valuable insight that will help you become more intentional.

References, Contributors and Attributions

This section is a derivative from:

Peterson, G., Elam, E. & Studinka, D. (2020). Observation, assessment, and participation in early childhood. College of the Canyons, CA. https://www.palomar.edu/childdevelop...rly-childhood/ CC BY 4.0.

Bentzen, W. R. (2009). Seeing young children: a guide to observing and recording behavior
(sixth). Thomson Delmar Learning.

California Department of Education. (2016). The Integrated Nature of Learning. Retrieved from https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/docu...arning2016.pdf