Observe a child or group of children in their Middle Childhood years
There is no predetermined length of time you must observe. Typically, students spend about half an hour to one hour observing for each age group.
You may choose to observe your own children, nieces, nephews, friends’ children, children in your care, or you may go to any 2 or 3 STAR rated OKDHS center approved by your course instructor, with permission from the elementary school principal and classroom teacher you may observe at a public/private elementary school.
Use the observation method Anecdotal Recording to write down notes as you observe.
The Anecdotal Recording method consists of observing the child and writing down ONLY the actual facts of what you see and hear. You do not put your opinion into the writing. For instance an observation like this, “little Jo Jo was sitting down happily playing in a room”, the Anecdotal Recording, might be written as: J. was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his left leg was crossed over his right leg. There were two other children in the room and one adult, the teacher. J. was building a block tower with wooden blocks. He had one small block in his left and using a fist hold. He picked up a medium size block using his forefinger and thumb of his right hand. He stacked the medium size block and the small block, placing the medium size block on the bottom and the smaller block on top. J. smile a big smile showing his two missing front teeth. In the Anecdotal Recording there is no opinion of Jo Jo being happy – just the fact that he smiled showing his two missing front teeth was written. Remember write only the facts of what you actually see and hear.
You may write your Anecdotal Recording on a blank piece of paper or you may use the form provided here, Microsoft Word – Form 07 Anecdotal and Running Record.doc.pdfDownload Microsoft Word – Form 07 Anecdotal and Running Record.doc.pdf
Middle Childhood (6, 7, & 8 years)
Review the anecdotal notes taken during your observation of Middle CHILDHOOD age children. Locate the Middle Childhood Observation Form
2113_Proficiency Project_Observation Forms_Middle Childhood_rvsdSu23.docxDownload 2113_Proficiency Project_Observation Forms_Middle Childhood_rvsdSu23.docx
Transfer one anecdote (activity and child’s behavior including any vocalization (words, cries, etc.) to the appropriate section of the form. Write the child’s age in months. Next transfer to the form the actions/behaviors/language and adults within the anecdote. Write the adult-to-child ratio (was there one adult to three preschoolers, or one adult to one preschooler, etc.). Be sure to write legibly without misspellings.
Specific to the transferred anecdote, determine a suitable domain of development; i.e. is the preschooler beginning to make friends? Social development would be a suitable domain. On the Middle Childhood Observation Form in the appropriate column, write the developmental domain you have determined. Keep in mind that once you select a domain of development, you may not use that domain for any other age groups.
Textbook Review, Selecting a Child Development Theory & Theorist; remember to write legibly and without misspellings.
Review the textbook(s) chapters covering Middle Childhood development, Identify a theory and theorist that supports the domain of development selected. On the Observation Form, write the theory & name of the theorists.
Explain the theory.
There are no ELGs for the Middle Childhood Observation Form.
Describe how the theory is applicable to the domain of development and the anecdote. Be sure to write the name of the textbook and page number on the Observation Form.
