Unit 18
Justify approaches to assessment used for the early recognition and support for
18/BC.D2
children with differing needs.
Child 1:
For child 1, I used the observation method of participant observation which proved to be an
effective way of monitoring a child. One strength about this method is that it allowed me to
be able to get a better insight of child 1’s development. This is because it allows me to
develop empathy by drawing on personal experience. By taking on the role of being a
participant, you can gain insight into their meanings, viewpoints, values, and issues which
produce reliable data as I can join in with activities with child 1. It also enables me to
participate in activities and to maintain an open mind, which may inspire me to pursue other
ideas, paths and notions. Another strength of this observation method is that it allows
interventions to be put in place for child 1 if necessary. This can be done as data is collected
about child 1 and plans can be put into place such as creating learning plans. By using this
method it allows me to gain better insights which would allow me to identify if child 1 is
developing typically or atypically.
One disadvantage of this strategy is that it is possible for the observer to forget or miss
specific acts of the child 1. As child 1 is being observed through physical activities it may be
difficult to write down everything about them as they will repeatedly alternate in the activities
they do. For example, if child 1 was in the playground it would be challenging for me to note
down every action that child 1 did. This would be quite demanding for me as I will have to try
to follow everything to get the most accurate results when assessing their development.
Another disadvantage of participant observation is that biases can be unintentionally made.
For example, child 1 would only be observed at times where they were at their peak such as
in the afternoons after having their naps or after eating lunch. This creates a bias and
inaccurate results as these are peak times for their behaviour. This means that there may
have been other times where child 1 didn’t perform as good. While I may have gathered data
for these times, there were other moments where I could have observed, such as in the
mornings at school or before child 1 ate their lunch, but I decided not to, indicating a bias in
observing at the peak times, which were after naps and after lunchtime. Moreover, the child
could be influenced by my opinions as I'll be interacting with them which could change their
behaviour leading to inaccurate results.
One disadvantage of collecting data on every action that child 1 takes is that you're not able
to record all that child 1 carried out. As I'm taking notes on every action that child 1 does,
there's a chance I would forget about some of the things they did. This type of observation
might be risky to use because I might overlook some of the child's actions that may be vital
to decide if they are developing typically or not. This shows a limitation in the observation
method as the observer can write down what she physically sees child 1 performing in the
approach. Therefore, you cannot constantly make up the acts that the child has undertaken,
or the observation will be pointless. As a result, there's a chance you'll make inaccurate child
1 predictions and conclusions.
Justify approaches to assessment used for the early recognition and support for
18/BC.D2
children with differing needs.
Child 1:
For child 1, I used the observation method of participant observation which proved to be an
effective way of monitoring a child. One strength about this method is that it allowed me to
be able to get a better insight of child 1’s development. This is because it allows me to
develop empathy by drawing on personal experience. By taking on the role of being a
participant, you can gain insight into their meanings, viewpoints, values, and issues which
produce reliable data as I can join in with activities with child 1. It also enables me to
participate in activities and to maintain an open mind, which may inspire me to pursue other
ideas, paths and notions. Another strength of this observation method is that it allows
interventions to be put in place for child 1 if necessary. This can be done as data is collected
about child 1 and plans can be put into place such as creating learning plans. By using this
method it allows me to gain better insights which would allow me to identify if child 1 is
developing typically or atypically.
One disadvantage of this strategy is that it is possible for the observer to forget or miss
specific acts of the child 1. As child 1 is being observed through physical activities it may be
difficult to write down everything about them as they will repeatedly alternate in the activities
they do. For example, if child 1 was in the playground it would be challenging for me to note
down every action that child 1 did. This would be quite demanding for me as I will have to try
to follow everything to get the most accurate results when assessing their development.
Another disadvantage of participant observation is that biases can be unintentionally made.
For example, child 1 would only be observed at times where they were at their peak such as
in the afternoons after having their naps or after eating lunch. This creates a bias and
inaccurate results as these are peak times for their behaviour. This means that there may
have been other times where child 1 didn’t perform as good. While I may have gathered data
for these times, there were other moments where I could have observed, such as in the
mornings at school or before child 1 ate their lunch, but I decided not to, indicating a bias in
observing at the peak times, which were after naps and after lunchtime. Moreover, the child
could be influenced by my opinions as I'll be interacting with them which could change their
behaviour leading to inaccurate results.
One disadvantage of collecting data on every action that child 1 takes is that you're not able
to record all that child 1 carried out. As I'm taking notes on every action that child 1 does,
there's a chance I would forget about some of the things they did. This type of observation
might be risky to use because I might overlook some of the child's actions that may be vital
to decide if they are developing typically or not. This shows a limitation in the observation
method as the observer can write down what she physically sees child 1 performing in the
approach. Therefore, you cannot constantly make up the acts that the child has undertaken,
or the observation will be pointless. As a result, there's a chance you'll make inaccurate child
1 predictions and conclusions.
