Observation Plan

“According to child development specialists, one of the most accurate ways to learn about children is to observe them in daily activities” (Wortham, 2012, p. 117). Among the many types of observation discussed in Chapter 5, anecdotal records, running records, time sampling, and event sampling are widely used in schools and centers across the nation. For this discussion, you will begin to develop a plan for the observation types you will use in your written assignment this week, which involves the observation of an actual child. Here is what you are asked to do:

Choose either anecdotal or running records. Describe the record type and explain its characteristics. Discuss whether you will be observing social/emotional development, physical development, cognitive development, or language development (choose one), and what the purposes are for assessing that domain.

Next, choose either time sampling or event sampling. Describe the sampling method and tell what its characteristics are. Discuss whether you will be observing social/emotional development, physical development, cognitive development or language development (choose one that is a different domain from above) and what the purposes are for assessing that domain.

Attached is an example of the anecdotal and running record as well as the time and event sampling.

Here is a video to assist you with this discussion this, all about the observation process:

The Center for Early Childhood Education [EarlyChildhooldVideos]. (2013, January 30). Observing young children [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Xtr3RKjGc

Hardman, M.L., Drew, C.J., & Egan, M.W. (2011). Human exceptionality: School, community, and family. (10th edition). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Kostelnik, J., Rupiper, M., Soderman, A., & Whiren, A. (2014). Developmentally appropriate curriculum in action. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Morrison, G. (2009). Early childhood education today. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Wortham, S.C. (2012). Assessment in early childhood education. (6th edition) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson (Required Text)

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