Preschool Observation 

Oliver, Calvin, and Sophia have entered preschool! This week, you will still record what you see in the child’s video, but the observation will be in anecdotal formatting. This means that instead of using a developmental checklist, you will simply narrate what the child is doing. Remember not to submit your entire narration to the discussion forum. Save that for your assignment. For now, you will use your anecdotal notes to share some information with your classmates.

Parents or caregivers are the most important people in a child’s life. Families can be an invaluable source of information about the child. Families need to know that their knowledge and insights are important. When it comes to making educational decisions about a child, teachers can share important information about the child’s development, while also asking for feedback from families who see things at home that the teacher might not see in the learning environment. In this discussion, you will prepare for a meeting with the child’s parents or caregivers. It’s a scheduled check-in, so they can hear about their child’s progress.

Prepare

To prepare for this discussion,

• Read Chapter 7: Early Childhood Development (4–5 years).
• Watch Collecting and Using Anecdotal RecordsLinks to an external site..
• Watch Ian Playing With TrainsLinks to an external site., and review its completed sample Anecdotal Record Download Anecdotal Record.
• Watch the video for the child you chose to follow throughout the course:
  • Oliver: ECE205 | Oliver Discussion 4Links to an external site.
  • Calvin: ECE205 | Calvin Discussion 4Links to an external site.
  • Sophia: ECE205 | Sophia Discussion 4Links to an external site.

Write

In your initial post, develop a script of what you would say to a family member or caregiver of that child based on your observation, addressing each of the following items:

• State the name of the child you observed as the first line of your post.
• Begin the conference with a positive statement.
• Describe, using objective language and descriptive phrasing, three statements from the anecdotal observation you conducted on the child. (Write using the past-tense.)
• Create three questions to ask the child’s family to get a better understanding of the child’s developmental needs in the areas you were not able to observe in the videos.
• Explain to the parents which skills you want to observe next and the classroom activities that will give you the best opportunities to observe those skills.
• Wrap up the conversation in a positive way.