How to write observations for baby and toddler groups.

Recording observations for baby and toddler groups can be a challenge for early childhood educators but it just takes a little thinking outside the box!

You need to give yourself permission as an educator to work differently, use an alternate planning system,document then reflect and communicate in a way that perhaps you haven't used before when working previously with older children - but makes a whole lot more sense when it comes to meeting learning outcomes for babies and toddlers.

In this blog series - Planning & Play for Babies & Toddlers I'm sharing with you ideas to help make planning play experiences and programming for this age group not only easier and faster but also more meaningful and effective for the children and carers.

If you missed Part 1 you can catch up HERE first

What does this Baby/Toddler Planning & Play Series Cover?

The WHAT. The WHY. The HOW

This first post in the series shares with you WHAT it is we actually need to do as early childhood educators working with Babies & Toddlers, WHY we need to do this when it comes to meeting not only the planning cycle steps but also meeting the wellbeing, nurturing and safety needs of a child 0-2 years in care. And finally, a brief introduction into HOW we are going to make it happen!

How to Observe & Tools to Use

You will find out WHY recording the learning, meaningful moments and progress of a baby or toddler needs a different approach. We'll explore WHAT you can observe and HOW to use different observation formats and tools effectively.

Learning Environments, Voices & looking Forward

We finish the series with part 3 and it is in this post that you will find out how to create and support learning in Baby & Toddler environments, seek out , incorporate & use the child's voice in your planning (even when they are non verbal!) , empower and support educators working with this age group and end with some strategies for closing the planning cycle loop and taking some simple action steps to help get you moving forward!

Ready to get started on Part 2 of this series? Let's Do It Empowered Ed!

Planning & Play for 0-2 Years - Part 2 - Observations.

Why 'do' observations for babies and toddlers?

To help us understand them better.

To assess current and ongoing development.

To identify their interests, needs and what they are learning through everyday play.

To help you keep families in the loop about what their child is doing when away from their care - the special moments, developmental milestones and goals you can work on together as a collaborative partnership. This information can also help educators to support parents to continue the learning in their home environment as well.

To help you decide how to plan future activities, environments, challenges and whether what you are providing currently is effective.

You really don’t need to wait for that big 'wow 'moment that smacks you in the face when observing babies - you just need to know them well and then you will recognise the tweaks and twists when they occur.

So now that you know a little bit about WHY it is important to start with a well-informed baseline through your orientation and communication with parents, being observant during everyday routines and nurturing the individual child while getting to know them better…. let’s take a closer look at the HOW.

We take action and answer the HOW by recording our observations so I’m going to simplify that process by offering you a few suggestions to help you stop procrastinating and just make a start on documenting those observations for baby and toddler – without the uncertainty and overwhelm. That leads us to the WHAT part!

“You really don’t need to wait for that obvious 'wow 'moment that smacks you in the face when observing babies and toddlers - you just need to know them well, add that to your current knowledge of early years development, then acknowledge the magic moments unfolding through everyday routines and actions”

The Empowered Educator

What can Educators look for briefly when documenting an observation?

In the 1st part of this series you might remember that I mentioned the trick to simplifying observations for baby and toddler is not to overthink the moments you choose to record.

I encouraged you to narrow your focus and see the importance in the smaller everyday actions, moments and everyday routines. Compare to the knowledge you already have of the child. Let's briefly recap below some of the basics I listed that educators can start with when documenting an observation.You might look for and focus on:

Strengths
Interests
Needs
Changes in routine
Developmental Milestones
Interactions with educators, other children and adults.
Reactions & Emotions
Gestures and different movements to the usual.

Now let's break those down into more detailed observations and assessments.....

What can educators look for in more detail when observing babies and toddlers in an early childhood setting?

A specific and perhaps not immediately obvious skill or developmental milestone occurring (Developmental Checklists can be a helpful guide here).
Sensory processing red flags.
Something that might be impacting on or delaying their learning and development.
Progress against a specific EYLF learning outcome or developmental area.
An obvious interest in something you hadn’t noticed before.
A recent family, community or cultural celebration.
A change to routine and their reaction to this change (e.g cutting down from 2 to I sleeps a day)
Subtle dietary changes, food refusal or oral aversion issues.
First sounds, words and toddler conversations.
Social play moments and interactions.
Their participation in a 1: 1 game or activity with educators or other children – this could be as simple as observing something during nappy changes or sitting in the chair while you play peek a boo.

I think it is important here to mention again, that when you observe in this age group you don’t need to always be watching for an obvious big new skill or interest for it to be important and worth further reflection. The moment just needs to be significant in the day to day journey of the baby and toddler and stand out to you as important to record because of the knowledge you already have of this child.

So What is NOT a meaningful observation?

A description of a moment you might include briefly in your reflections or daily parent communication but not detailed enough to tell the whole story of what was happening before and after this moment.
Just a few ticks on a developmental checklist, 1 photo or a series of links to EYLF outcome numbers or the NQS (or the framework specific to your region that you are following).
Interrupting the experience or child’s work and efforts to make it easier to ‘find something to write about’ or extend further on your observation. Intentional teaching moments have their place and can provide meaningful moments for observation and further reflection but if you are trying to direct the play to reach a particular outcome this is different and not helpful to you or the child.
Getting too caught up in taking endless photos, video or audio to include on your app or for your observation that takes you away from being in the moment with children. Try to be unobtrusive – use those sticky notes and snap a pic here and there to use later but don’t let it become your sole focus!

“ The moment just needs to be significant in the day to day journey of the baby or toddler .”

- Jodie Clarke

How can educators record and document the meaningful observations?

Let's take a closer look at the HOW now that we know what we are looking for with our observations.

What observation tools, moments and documentation can early childhood educators use to help them assess and build a picture of each child’s progress on their individual learning journey?

It’s helpful to you as an educator and the children you are observing to incorporate a variety of different assessment and observation methods – remember there is no specific Australian regulation about what app, form, template or system you have to use and you don’t need to limit yourself to one format either!

If this is something your leader or coordinator is asking you to do then perhaps initiate a conversation around why you are being asked to only use one type of assessment tool and if there is an option for you to use a couple instead of one.

Make sure to explain WHY you want to do that – not just because you don’t understand the one you are being asked to use. You should always ask for clarification and extra training or support if you need it to complete your documentation. No one is going to give you a mickey mouse badge for sitting there feeling more confused and overwhelmed by the day because you are staying silent!

I have shared a few suggestions for you to consider below – I have split them into two categories to show how various forms of observation and documentation can give you different levels of information to assess learning and extend with.

Some you could combine to get a better overall picture e.g. – ideally you would not just use a developmental checklist on its own as there is not enough background information – you might add it to another observation format like an anecdotal record to help you identify the learning outcome area you want to focus on and give you a clearer picture.

Other types of observation can provide you with all the detailed information you need to further analyse and extend as you forward plan. For example, a running record or learning story will no doubt give you enough information to move forward with on its own.

Remember that you don’t need to do all of the things, all of the ways, all of the time to share the story of a child's learning journey meaningfully!! You should also aim to keep them simple and easily understood by parents so that you can effectively communicate the learning that is taking place. So, leave out all the complicated outcome numbers, codes and waffly words and just record what you see as best you can!

“You don’t need to do all of the things, all of the ways, all of the time, to share the story of a child's learning journey meaningfully”

- Jodie Clarke

Methods for Observation Recording & Assessment

If this is an area you struggle with try using one and build on it over a month by adding in other elements and moments then make your analysis and decide how you want to move forward and meet the goals you have set for the child involved.

Brief

Short sticky note jottings – I like to always have a pad of sticky notes in my pocket or close by on the sign in table. Quick and unobtrusive to just add a few dot points then stick straight away into your daily diary or onto a form like the one in my baby and toddler planning toolkit.
Parent Communication Methods– Our Day Forms, My Day Forms, parent communication booklets, photo collages, the information saved to a family’s folder in the cloud (read more about how I set up a digital portfolio for my family daycare families using dropbox here)
Daily & Weekly Reflections – Diary notes, reflections on the program, environment, group dynamics, what worked or didn’t and why, family input, changes in behaviour or routines etc.
Communication Station – Incorporate information compiled from a dedicated space and system for both educators and parents to write notes about current interests and learning – another way I like to incorporate either Dropbox or sticky notes and a special book that parents can stick their note straight into for you to review later and you can also reply.
Developmental Checklists – some educators and consultants prefer not to use these as a tool (which is definitely their right as we don’t need to use all possible forms of observation remember!) but I do feel if checklists are used as a simple guide while always keeping top of mind that all children develop differently
and reach milestones on their own timeline; then they can be a valuable source of information regarding a child’s progress against the common developmental milestones.It's up to you as an educator to decide what the information you collect tells you about the child as a whole! That is where your analysis and additional assessment sources come in. Developmental checklists are made up of some common milestone targets that are often reached by children within predictable age ranges…but they are not a ‘must do by…’ list!
Anecdotal Records – This is the format I have used most often over the years. They are usually a short and simple story of the play and actions you saw but written in the past tense. I like to combine this method with the sticky note jottings or reflections because I can unobtrusively make a few dot points here and there and then tell the story in full when I have the time to sit and focus. This allows you to stay in the moment with the younger children. You write the observation from the point you began observing the experience to the
end of that particular event.
Baby and Toddler Work Samples – Use mark making, drawings, photos of projects – group or individual, construction, crafts, photos of group play or interactions with educators, messy play, sensory play etc. Collect evidence of the work and then add a little text description of what you saw occurring as the event happened or for toddlers beginning to talk or verbalise with sound, you might record their exact words/sound. You can then link to relevant learning outcomes and milestones.
Apps & other digital devices – recordings, audio, video, family communication apps etc.

Below I have listed more in depth methods for recording observations and assessments.

Detailed

Photo stories of play and learning – Compile photos of a child engaged in an activity or experience an add a few lines to describe what you saw happening. I find this method particularly effective to help you communicate the learning and progress taking place from those ‘simple’ everyday play moments to help
families understand that their child’s routines, play and interactions are important at home and during care. I like to keep the text very brief and easy to read and insert the photos into a document or collage that help to show the steps or changes that took place. You could add a few more photos from different times and days in that week or month to help tell the story in more detail and better inform your observation.
Running Records – In this format, educators write in the present tense and include detailed information about the event as it unfolded. You can use running records to jot down an interest you see emerging, a developmental skill or stage achieved – anything you feel is important to note. Make sure to include the date, time and location.
Learning Stories – often seen as a more time consuming method to record an observation as they tend to be lengthy text descriptions accompanied by photos to tell a story - not only about the moment and experiences taking place but also including an educator’s input and analysis on the learning that has taken place in the moment and what the child can do (not what they can’t).

However, they can be a story about just one event or you can add a little here and there to them over time which makes them a useful tool for observing younger children. A bit like a learning journal or portfolio – but on a smaller scale!

I personally have not used learning stories very often as I think it is very easy for the story to become (unintentionally) a little too subjective unless the educator knows the child extremely well already (in regard to family life, culture, behaviour, wellbeing, social skills etc) and is confident in their skills and the process of writing observations.

However, they can be a good option for families as they are usually easier to understand as they are in a storytelling format – but then, remember they still need to have the time to look through and read. Also, a good option to help you record and assess babies to help you include a few brief moments into the one
longer observation story over time.

As long as the educator writing the observation is mindful of their own possible subjectivity or making inappropriate assumptions on the child’s actions because of their own values or feelings, learning stories can be a useful method for assessing learning.

As an educator, you can use your observations and the information gathered from them to support not only development and learning but also baby or toddler's individual needs.

Hopefully part 2 in this blog series has helped you to connect the WHY, WHAT & HOW of child observations and assessment and better understand how meaningful observations inform your forward planning, environment setup and day to day routines with baby and toddler.

Review for Planning & Play - Baby and Toddler Observations.

What have we learnt in Part 2?

Why we as educators seek out and record observations for this age group
What to look for when observing babies or toddlers.
How to record and document a meaningful observation.
What a meaningful observation isn't!
What observation tools and methods early childhood educators can use to help them assess and build a picture of each child’s progress on their individual learning journey - and how to use a combination of both brief and detailed records to help tell the whole story.

“Children’s learning is ongoing and each child will progress towards the outcomes in different and equally meaningful ways. Learning is not always predictable and linear. Educators plan with each child and the outcomes in mind.”

- Early Years Learning Framework Page 19 -

In Part 3 of this planning and play for babies and toddlers series you will find out how to create and support learning in Baby & Toddler environments, seek out , incorporate & use the child's voice in your planning (even when they are non verbal!) , empower and support educators working with this age group and takeaway some strategies for closing the planning cycle loop and taking some simple action steps to help get you moving forward! Read Part 3 Now.

If you are a subscriber to the Empowered Educator Academy make sure to look for the Baby & Toddler Planning & Play resources and templates mentioned throughout this post to give you a helping hand with some of the strategies I have mentioned here in Part 2 of this series (you already have access to them inside Academy - so go look now!)

Don't forget you can also download one of the hundreds of activity idea guides linked to learning outcomes when next logged into the Academy - especially created just for the 0-2 years age group!

Not a member yet but want to save time on your planning and access program ideas, activity guides for 0-12 years, templates and training videos? Join us inside here!

A Little About Me

Jodie Clarke is an early childhood professional supporting educators who want and need to stay passionate about the work they do! She has 30 years hands-on experience in the early childhood and human services sectors across many different roles.

Jodie is mum to 3 in Australia and has already helped thousands of educators with their work through her popular blog posts, activity ideas, online training and e-books.

Comments

hanan says

13/04/2020 at 12:33 pm

thank you so much for your helpful tips and ideas they were of great help for me i learned so much, thank you keep up the great work
stay safe

Claudia Camacho Delgado says

12/04/2022 at 3:13 pm

Very helpful, clear, detailed and easy to understand.
Thank You!