6.2: Monitoring

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the purpose and process of developmental monitoring in early childhood settings.
2. Explain how observation and documentation help identify young children's behavioral patterns, strengths, and developmental concerns.
3. Outline appropriate steps to take when a developmental concern arises, including communication with families and collaboration with specialists for further screening or evaluation.

The Process of Monitoring

Who can monitor a child’s development? Parents, grandparents, early caregivers, providers, and teachers can monitor the children in their care. One of the tasks of an intentional early childhood professional is to gather baseline data within the first 60 days of a child starting their program. With each observation, professionals listen to how a child speaks and if they can communicate effectively; they watch to see how the child plays and interacts with their peers; and they record how the child processes information and solves problems. By monitoring a child closely, not only can we observe how a child grows and develops, but we can also track changes over time. More importantly, we can identify children who fall outside the parameters of what is considered normal or “typical” development.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\). Children sitting at the table with their teacher as she observations their creative process. Image by Yan Krukau is licensed by Pexels.

When early childhood professionals monitor children, they are observing and documenting whether children are mastering “typical” developmental milestones in the physical, cognitive, language, emotional, and social domains of development. In particular, professionals are tracking a child’s speech and language development, problem-solving skills, fine and gross motor skills, social skills, and behaviors, so that they can be more responsive to each child’s individual needs. Even more so, teachers are trying to figure out what a child can do and if any “red flags” or developmental areas need further support. As early caregivers and professionals, we are not qualified to formally screen and evaluate children. We can, however, monitor children’s actions, ask questions that can guide our observations, track developmental milestones, and record our observations. With this vital information, we can make more informed decisions on what is in the child’s best interest.

What is the Child Trying to Tell Me?

With 12-24 busy children in a classroom, there are bound to be occasional outbursts and challenging behaviors to contend with. In fact, a portion of a teacher’s day is typically spent guiding challenging behaviors. With all the numerous duties and responsibilities that a teacher performs daily, dealing with challenging behaviors can be taxing. When a child repeats a challenging behavior, we might be bothered, frustrated, or even confused by their actions. We might find ourselves asking questions like:

• “Why does she keep pinching her classmate?"
• “Why does he put his snack in his hair?”
• “Why does he cry when it’s clean-up time or when he has to put his shoes on?”
• “Why does she fidget so much during group time?”

Without taking the time to observe the potential causes and outcomes associated with the challenging behavior, we may only be putting on band-aids to fix a problem, rather than trying to solve the problem. Without understanding the why, we cannot properly guide the child or support the whole child’s development. As intentional teachers, we are taught to observe, document, and analyze a child’s actions so we can better understand what the child is trying to “tell” us through their behavior. Behavior is a form of communication. Any challenging behavior that occurs over and over is happening for a reason. If you can find the “pattern” in the behavior, you can figure out how to redirect or even stop the challenging behavior.

How Do I Find the Patterns?

To be most effective, it is vital that we record what we see and hear as accurately and objectively as possible. No matter which observation method, tool, or technique is used (e.g., Event Sampling, Frequency Counts, Checklists, or Technology), once we have gathered a considerable amount of data, we will need to interpret and reflect on the observation evidence so that we can plan for the next step. Finding the patterns can be instrumental in planning curriculum, setting up the environment with appropriate materials, and creating social situations that are suitable for the child’s temperament.

Think About It...Patterns What does this tell you if Wyatt is consistently observed going to the sandbox to play with dinosaurs during outside play? What is the pattern? Is Wyatt interacting with other children? How is Wyatt using the dinosaurs? How can you use this information to support Wyatt during inside play? Here are a few ideas: To create a curriculum: Knowing that the child likes dinosaurs, I might lay down some butcher paper on a table, put a variety of dinosaurs out on the table, and add some trays with various paint colors to encourage the child to go into the art center. To arrange the environment: Looking at my centers, I might add books and pictures about dinosaurs and materials that could be used in conjunction with them. To support social development: I noticed Wyatt playing alone on several observations. I may need to do some follow-up observations to see if Wyatt is initiating conversations, taking turns, joining in play with others, or playing alone. As you can see, these are just a few suggestions. What ideas did you come up with? As we monitor children in our class, we are gathering information so that we can create a space where each child’s individual personality, learning strengths, needs, and interests are all taken into account. Whether the child has a disability, delay, or impairment, or is developing at a typical pace, finding their unique pattern will help us provide suitable accommodations.

Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\). Young boy is jumping and splashing in a puddle. Sometimes, early childhood professionals need to adjust the environment, time, or activity by which the observation is taking place in order to get a well-rounded picture of what is happening developmentally. Image by Luna Lovegood is licensed by Pexels.

What is a Red Flag?

If a “red flag” is identified while monitoring a child's development, it is the professional’s responsibility to inform the family, in a timely manner, about their child’s developmental progress. First, the professional and family would arrange a meeting to discuss what has been observed and documented. The teacher and family would share their perspectives about the child’s behavior, practices, mannerisms, routines, and skill sets at the meeting. There would be time to ask questions and clarify concerns, and a plan of action would be developed. It is likely that various adjustments to the environment would be suggested to meet the individual child’s needs, and ideas on how to tailor social interactions with peers would be discussed. With a plan in place, the teacher would continue to monitor the child. If, after a few weeks, there is no significant change or improvement, the teacher may then recommend that the child be formally screened and evaluated by a professional (e.g., a pediatrician, behavioral psychologist, or speech pathologist).

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.