Chapter 6 Observation and Assessment: Learning to Read · PDF fileu Piaget’s clinical...

Chapter 6 Observation and Assessment:

Learning to Read the Child

©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Defining Observation

u  Children in action during play provides clues

u  See children in relation to their peers u  Environmental factors that can influence

behavior u Noise level u Congestion u Time of day


What Is Observation?

u  Clues to the development and personality of each child

u  To “read” the child

u  To “see” a situation

u  To distinguish between details and trivia


Why Observe? u  To improve teaching

u  Become more objective and less biased, and use less inference

u  To construct and apply theory

u  Link research to practice

u  To build curriculum

u  Develop specific goals and objectives for planning and development


Why Observe (cont.)

u  To help families

u Share meaningful examples of abilities

u  To assess children

u  Document children’s progress

u  Use portfolios and screenings


Understanding What Is Observed u Children as individuals

u Tailoring what a child is ready and willing to learn

u Report what a child does (not feels) and interpretations

u Children in groups u Look at developmental norms u Children’s play patterns evolve u Understanding group and individual

behavior ©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Developmental Relationships u  Development is specific and integrated

u  Focus on major domains of physical-motor, cognitive/language, and socio-emotional development Children’s skills are multiple and varied

u  See how the pieces fit together


Influences on Behavior

u  Environmental influences are classroom arrangement, daily schedule, and the activities themselves

u  Transitions and time of day impact behavior

u  Relationships between children and adults


Understanding Self

u  Notice human behavior more accurately

u  One teaches children and learns from them

u  Capturing the unique personality, culture, and qualities develops self-awareness


Documenting What We See u  Systematic observations aid in

recording events and help teachers make sense of them

u Must develop a “language of recording” to practice

u Elements of observation u Focus on what you want to know u Develop a system u Find a tool or instrument u Select the environment


Types of Observations

u  Narratives u Record nearly everything that happens u Baby biography, diary, journal, or log u Modified running record or specimen

description (one thing at a time) u Advantages: rich information, detailed

behavioral accounts, take notes at any time

u Disadvantages: time consuming, tendency for judgment or inference


Types (cont.)

u  Time sampling u  What happens at a given time u  Less descriptive

u  Recorded at regular intervals

u  Can use a checklist

u  Advantage: focus on specific behaviors u  Disadvantage: difficult to get the whole

picture


Types (cont.)

u  Event sampling u  Defines an event and devises a system to

encode immediately

u  Looks at specific behaviors using checklists a number of times during a day

u  Advantage: clearly defined with a recording sheet

u  Disadvantage: lack of detail from a narrative


Modified Child Study Techniques u  Checklists with predetermined data are

simple to make and record but lack rich detail

u  Rating scales are checklists planned in advance that measure quantity and quality

u  Shadow study is done on one child at a time by several observers; data are descriptive; child is often aware of scrutiny and can affect study


Modified Child Study Techniques (cont.)

u  Experimental procedures (scientific procedures)

u  Use of control situation with defined variables

u  Observe a behavior

u  Make a hypothesis

u  Test the hypothesis

u  La Method Clinique

u  Information gathering with active interview

u  Questions and probes responses

u  Piaget’s clinical method

u  Observer intervenes to test hypotheses ©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

How to Observe Effectively u  Observing while teaching

u Gather and prepare materials

u Consider where you will observe

u Plan when it will take place, and arrange help if needed

u Prepare every adult to be an observer and reflect on children’s play


How to Observe (cont.) u  Beginning to observe

u  Plan and establish a time and place u  Have a specific goal in place u  Observe and record, writing only the raw data

of what you saw, not thought u  Observe professional confidentiality

u  Observe effectively u  Be unobtrusive

u Enter and leave quietly u Sit away from the active areas (not on

furniture) u Follow children as they move u Avoid conversations with children and adults


Assessment: Goals and Tools

u  Purposes for assessing children u  The support of learning u  Identification of special needs u  Program evaluation and monitoring of trends u  High stakes accountability


Assessment: Goals and Tools

u  Evaluations are made to: u  Establish a baseline of information about

each child by which to judge future progress

u  Document children’s learning u  Determine guidance and intervention u  Plan the curriculum u  Communicate with families u  Make administrative decisions


Concerns About Child Assessments

u  Unfair comparisons

u  Bias

u  Overemphasis on norms

u  Interpretation

u  Too narrow a perspective

u  Too wide a range

u  Too little or too much time

u  “Teaching” to the test ©2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Testing and Screening u  Practical and philosophical issues

u  Young children do not function well in common test situations

u  Disregard for the potential long-term negative effects of retention on children’s self-esteem

u  Standardized tests are frequently misunderstood

u  Teachers are pressured into running programs that overemphasize the testing situation and test items

u  Most tests focus on cognitive and language skills

u  Special training to administer tests is often overlooked


Testing and Screening (cont.) u  Disadvantages of standardized testing

u Has transformed kindergarten into a “watered-down” version of first grade

u Encourages teachers to alter activities to conform to what will be tested

u Fails to adequately reflect what children learn

u Engages only two of the eight intelligences identified by Gardner


Testing and Screening (cont.) u  Advantages of standardized testing

u Using valid screening tests to “identify children who, because of the risk of possible learning problems or a handicapping condition, should proceed to a more intensive level of diagnostic assessment”

u  Indicates if more investigative work is needed


Authentic Assessment: The Portfolio u  Must try to capture who the child is, what

the child knows or does not know, and what the child can or cannot do

u  Must occur in a variety of settings over time, draw on many sources of information, and focus on essential skills and dispositions valued by the program


Types of Portfolios

u  Display portfolio—collection of items without teacher comments

u  Showcase portfolio—the best pieces of the child’s work

u  Working portfolio—combines work samples with teacher commentary


Collection Plan

u  Do not try to collect everything

u  Look for work samples that demonstrate your educational objectives and a child’s progress over time

u  Be organized


Teacher’s Evaluation

u  Teacher adds his or her written comments to the work samples

u  Commentary enhances the documentation—the words are more essential than the work

u  Can evaluate children on their work and play, rather than with standardized tests or unnecessary screening


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Chapter 6 Observation and Assessment: Learning to Read · PDF fileu Piaget’s clinical...

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