EC-S2: Ability to gather, document, and share information about the performance of individual children in all developmental domains under the direction of a licensed professional.

Summary

This unit focused on the importance of observation and data collection in the early childhood setting. You learned several observation methods to use when you need to gather and record data about children’s behavior and development. After behaviors have been recorded using any of the methods described in this unit, the educator must interpret the data and implement instructional and intervention strategies. Data results are only useful if they have some meaning, which can then be applied to a specific situation or problem. Ongoing evaluation depends on interpretation or making comparisons between something observed and a standard, expected outcome of behavior. In this way, what is observed is directly linked to children's instructional and developmental objectives. It is the role of the classroom teacher to interpret data from observations and to implement strategies to change, increase, decrease, or maintain the behavior at its current level.

Observing and recording skills are important within an early childhood program. Paraprofessionals should be well-trained in this area, because monitoring children’s behavior and progress on objectives is an essential part of both early intervention and early education services. Observation methods are especially important when addressing the needs of young children who engage in challenging behavior. By using the observation methods discussed in this unit to collect data about child behavior and development, paraprofessionals can help teachers deal with challenging behavior and with planning instruction and intervention.

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Information for this unit was gathered, in part, from the following resources:

Bentzen, W. R. (2000). Seeing young children: A guide to observing and recording behavior. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers Inc.

Rush, K. (1999). Early childhood: The role of the paraprofessional. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, Institute on Community Integration.

Salvia, J., & Ysseldyke, J. (2000). Assessment (8th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Sattler, J. M. (2001). Assessment of children: Behavioral and clinical applications (4 th ed.). San Diego, CA: Jerome Sattler.

The Para eLink is sponsored by the Minnesota Paraprofessional Consortium, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Education, located at the Institute on Community Integration in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota.

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