3.1 Explain how to monitor children and young people??™s development using different methods
???Accurate observations and assessments are essential to effective educational practice.??™
We observe that we can recognize children??™s and young people??™s skills and abilities and identify their needs. This will make planning for their future development much more specific to the individual need. ???Observation is more than just watching; you are also noticing and thinking at the same time ???2
Observation enables the childcare practitioner, play worker or educator to compare a pupil??™s progress with the expected range for their age group, and to plan activities and support techniques that will lead to the next stage. Observation is primarily of children??™s normal daily activities, their use of language, social interactions with others and samples that demonstrate their work.
When we observe we have to record what we see and hear – not what we think or feel. A child may cry for different reasons; we don??™t know how the child is feeling, and we shouldn??™t make a subjective assumption that the child is sad. We should always focus on the child??™s strengths as much as we focus on any learning or behaviour difficulties. The observation must follow the school??™s policies and procedures regarding confidentiality and data protection.
Monitoring children and young people??™s development takes different forms depending on its purpose.
* Assessment frameworks are useful in deciding whether a child is reaching expected milestones of development in different areas, whether they have any particular needs and what these needs are. Assessment frameworks can be used to screen for disabilities, to assist in developing curricula and daily activities, and to provide feedback to parents and colleagues.
* Observations can be taken during lessons or playtime, and can be presented in a number of ways depending on their purpose
* Standard measurements include health assessments, reasoning tests and cognitive aptitude test. They are tools which measure a child??™s physical and intellectual development, and determine if that development is progressing at the expected rate for their age
* Information from carers and colleagues forms an important part of understanding the background of the child and can be a valuable indicator of which areas of observation will be most beneficial.
Observation
???Researchers suggest observations should occur on an on-going basis in natural settings and should be integrated into daily activities??™4
Formal observations are the observations which we take in order to support the teacher in assessing a pupil??™s level of development and match the relevant areas of the curriculum to the age-related expectations of pupils. They will also help us to understand the teaching and learning objective, the learning resources required and enable us to assess any additional needs of the children involved.
Every child or young person is asked the same questions – the results can be used to compare a child to developmental norms, or to children in similar circumstances. The usual methods of formal observation are:
* SATs – Standard Assessment Tests, taken at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2
* GCSE ??“ exams to measure academic achievement, taken at the age of 15
* Tick lists or check lists ??“ are a tool that can be used at any time as part of an assessment of a child??™s stage of development ??“ they can help in planning activities, and may form a basis for future observations for a child. Additional comments provide valuable additional information, and can help to link the checklist with other observations that have been made.
* Learning stories or learning journeys give a complete picture of an activity which a child has undertaken, explaining the goals achieved and the next steps, and the way a child might be supported. Photos of their work or taken during activities are often included.
Informal observations are more spontaneous, and could be based on seeing a child engaged in an activity that shows a particular aspect of behaviour or development.
Event sampling is another type of informal observation which focuses on particular events. They can be used to build up a pattern of a child??™s behaviour over a period of days or weeks.
Verbal feedback from a teaching assistant to a class teacher or from parents to the teacher is also part of the informal observation.
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All observation methods can be important tools in identifying which level the child has reached and for planning suitable activities for them – particularly in the earlier years when a child??™s rate of development is much faster.
???Observation is a skill and it is a fascinating one to have, because you are more aware of children??™s needs and strengths??™2
Bibliography and references
1.Louise Burnham (2010) Supporting Teaching and Learning in school (Primary), Heinemann
2.Sandy Green (2007),BTEC- First Children??™s Care, Learning and Development; Nelson Thornes
3.Christine Hobart and Jill Frankel (2009), A Practical Guide to Child Observation and Assessment, Nelson Thornes
4. www.Earlychildhoodnews /18 Oct 2012
Talk about, recognise and create simple patterns
Activity
* The teacher showed one of the children??™s drawings from the day before , in which the child had used a pattern to colour the sky
* The teacher asked the children if they knew the name of this type of colouring (a few children answered confidently )
* The teacher started making her own pattern on the paper and keep asking open question.
Which colour shall I use next ???Is it red again??™
After finishing the patterns, the teacher sends the first group to table 3.
I started doing my own pattern using two colours and asked the children at my table to tell me what colour should come next. We talked about patterns. Each child chose their own colour bricks;, some chose three colours. They started arranging the bricks. Some of them arranged their bricks in regular, repetitive patterns, others lost the pattern after a few blocks, or there was no pattern. After they finished with the bricks, we moved to the paper and started using felt-tip pens to draw the same pattern.
Resources
Four different colour bricks, pencils in the same colours, paper,
Example of check list Reception class
Date 11Oct 2012
Setting: Small group
Adult working alongside with children
Aim: Understanding and creating patterns
Objective: To assets the child had the knowledge of patterns and if they can create the pattern using blocks and colours.
Child ???sname | Pattern using blocks | Finish the pattern | Pattern on paper | Finish the pattern | Observation |
3 | X | X | X | X | Was happy to use the blocks and try a pattern |
6 | X | X | X | X | Concentrates for a long time, use the blocks and makes 2 big squares ??“ no patterns |
2 | V | V | V | V | Uses the blocks and pens to make the same pattern ??“with a little help |
4 | V | V | V | V | Uses the blocks to make a pattern of 2 colours and the same on the paper. He works on his own just asks for approval |
8 | V | V | V | V | Uses the blocks to make a pattern. On the paper she makes different pattern using the same colours |
7 | V | V | V | V | Uses the blocks to make the patterns. She makes them twice, using different colours .Can concentrate for a long time. |
9 | V | V | V | V | Makes a pattern using the blocks. On the paper he loses the pattern after the first colour. |
9 | V | V | V | X | Uses three blocks of each colour ???to make the same pattern I need the same colours??™ Her paper patterns are different to the blocks ones. |
11 | X | X | X | X | Uses the right colour blocks to make a short pattern. |
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