BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATION AND SCREENING IN CHILD CARE
MODULE 3: OBSERVATION AND SCREENING BASICS
Do - ANSWER-Do make notes during observation sessions
• Do document things like age of child, number of toys, number of playmates, amount of space, etc.
Do Not - ANSWER-Do not guide the child's responses.
• Do not misinterpret the child's ability
• Do not use emotionally charged relative terms (crowded, haphazard, messy, enthusiastically)
• Do not use terms that cannot be seen or measured (sloppy, chaotic)
• You cannot observe intelligence, feelings, reasons, or self-esteem.
Key Point - ANSWER-Participants should always make notes during the observation process. Making
notes before or after the observation process can compromise results.
Key Point - ANSWER-Participants must be objective in their observations. Subjective information is open
to interpretation and is not useful for describing behavior.
Know what to expect.
Awareness of normal developmental tasks can help reassure you that a child's behavior is "normal" and
can alert you when it is likely to change. - ANSWER-Observe a child over a period of time.
Be careful not to judge development based on one day's observation. Remember all of us have bad days
occasionally.
Keep in mind that difficulties in a single
area are not necessarily cause for alarm.
Rather, it may be an indicator that a child is experiencing some stress in his or her life that needs to be
examined further. - ANSWER-Record only what the child is doing.
When observing very young children you can create a running account of the child's movements,
sounds, and facial expressions and gestures on the record.
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MODULE 3: OBSERVATION AND SCREENING BASICS
Do - ANSWER-Do make notes during observation sessions
• Do document things like age of child, number of toys, number of playmates, amount of space, etc.
Do Not - ANSWER-Do not guide the child's responses.
• Do not misinterpret the child's ability
• Do not use emotionally charged relative terms (crowded, haphazard, messy, enthusiastically)
• Do not use terms that cannot be seen or measured (sloppy, chaotic)
• You cannot observe intelligence, feelings, reasons, or self-esteem.
Key Point - ANSWER-Participants should always make notes during the observation process. Making
notes before or after the observation process can compromise results.
Key Point - ANSWER-Participants must be objective in their observations. Subjective information is open
to interpretation and is not useful for describing behavior.
Know what to expect.
Awareness of normal developmental tasks can help reassure you that a child's behavior is "normal" and
can alert you when it is likely to change. - ANSWER-Observe a child over a period of time.
Be careful not to judge development based on one day's observation. Remember all of us have bad days
occasionally.
Keep in mind that difficulties in a single
area are not necessarily cause for alarm.
Rather, it may be an indicator that a child is experiencing some stress in his or her life that needs to be
examined further. - ANSWER-Record only what the child is doing.
When observing very young children you can create a running account of the child's movements,
sounds, and facial expressions and gestures on the record.
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