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Blackhorse
07-03-2010, 11:54 AM
ok what exactly are they?

I mean what do you write down for example.
Is it like:
x enjoyed his snack today
x was very tired
x has managed to put on his own shoes
x is more confident at toddlers
x can count to 10


are these obs? or not? if not what is?
I am working through the paperwork I do for the children and I am not sure if maybe some of the things I write down could be classed as obs and other things.

thanks and sorry if this is a daft question

Ripeberry
07-03-2010, 11:56 AM
The first two I would say as just what would go into a daily diary. The rest are obs :thumbsup:

Ripeberry
07-03-2010, 11:59 AM
I'm trying to get to grips with obs myself and I've even written in my SEF that I'm slowly learning how to do them. Once it 'clicks' then it will feel SO much easier and less stressful.
Just don't know how people who work in pre-schools do it, when they have to do lots of obs each week :eek:

Blackhorse
07-03-2010, 12:03 PM
well in scotland we are not required to do obs but I think you do them anyways without maybe even noticing.
I have just now started with daily diaries which we dont necessarily have to do either....but I thought it would be nice for parents and for communication between me and the nursery for example.
I am sure some of the things I put into the diaries are obs...which again I think is fine as it doesnt say (for here anyways I think) that they need to be separate...

I dont actually mind doing paperwork in fact I do enjoy it especially now with the pogo printer for immediate pics for diaries but I am not sure how to organise it in the best way yet....

but it is all a learning curve and I find it quite interesting

sarah707
07-03-2010, 12:06 PM
ok what exactly are they?

I mean what do you write down for example.
Is it like:
x enjoyed his snack today This cannot be an observation because you do not know whether he enjoyed it or just ate it because it was there. If he had said 'Blacky I am really enjoying my snack' and it was the first time he had acknowledged it, then that would be an observation.

x was very tired Like Ripeberry says this is just a note about the child's day and would go in his diary.

x has managed to put on his own shoes This is a great observation and could be backed up with a photo and a comment from his parents saying that he is doing it at home or this is the first time and they are proud of him.

x is more confident at toddlers How do you know? Back it up with why you think he is confident... x appears more confident at toddlers today because he .....

x can count to 10 x counts 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6 etc getting the numbers in the right order! You could then add a comment from x's other setting about how he is doing that there as well.


are these obs? or not? if not what is?
I am working through the paperwork I do for the children and I am not sure if maybe some of the things I write down could be classed as obs and other things.

thanks and sorry if this is a daft question

It's never a daft question!

Observations focus on what the child CAN do... maybe something they have done for the first time or something that makes you think wow I REALLY want to share that with his parents.

Hth :D

The Juggler
07-03-2010, 12:06 PM
You've just caught me in full observation mode - typing up narrative from hours of video footage - aaargh.

Observations state what you see. Then you evaluate each observation or you can evaluate the behaviours you see over say, the month in one overall evaluation. Observations state the facts, evaluations, state what you think those facts mean for that child's development.

The main thing about observations is you state what you see not what you think. So you could say, Child A smiled whilst eating his snack. If you evaluate your observations at the same time you might add in brackets (so he seemed to be enjoying it) or you might do an evaluation at the end of the month of all the observations you've made, and you might just add a bit about 'x seems to enjoy fruit/crackers etc, as he smiles most of the time when he is eating his snacks. I've added some bits in below which might help!


ok what exactly are they?

I mean what do you write down for example.
Is it like:
x enjoyed his snack today smiles, laughed said 'yum' which seemed to show he enjoyed his snack

x was very tired was tearful and rubbing their eyes, indicating that they were tired then link this maybe to how they behave when they are not tired.

x has managed to put on his own shoesmaybe expand on how he did it/was he pleased with himself etc

x is more confident at toddlers seems more confident at toddlers as s/he...... (i.e. explores away from me now)
x can count to 10 counted to ten today reciting the numbers, pointing as s/he counted, counting in order, stopping when s/he counted all the objects - you need to put which parts of the counting process was involved to show the child was actually counting rather than just reciting numbers or practising pointing/knows when to stop


are these obs? or not? if not what is?
I am working through the paperwork I do for the children and I am not sure if maybe some of the things I write down could be classed as obs and other things.

thanks and sorry if this is a daft question not daft at all!

Blackhorse
07-03-2010, 12:14 PM
thanks guys...as always you are a great help.
I just have soo much to learn still and I find it quite challenging at the moment to be honest. Because I feel there is so much I dont yet know and it makes me doubt what I am doing....
but I guess it is the same in any new job you start.

first you start off and are just happy you made it through the day without anyone getting injured or being unwell.

then you start getting a good routine and are more organised and get things done quicker and more efficiently

then you start looking through what you do and you think,...oh maybe I should add this...or that..and maybe I should do that...

then you find out there are a million and one things you dont do and a further million and one thing that you dont do and you dont even know they exist... - that is the stage I feel I am at now...

argh...

but at least the sun is out!

The Juggler
07-03-2010, 12:31 PM
thanks guys...as always you are a great help.
I just have soo much to learn still and I find it quite challenging at the moment to be honest. Because I feel there is so much I dont yet know and it makes me doubt what I am doing....
but I guess it is the same in any new job you start.

first you start off and are just happy you made it through the day without anyone getting injured or being unwell.

then you start getting a good routine and are more organised and get things done quicker and more efficiently

then you start looking through what you do and you think,...oh maybe I should add this...or that..and maybe I should do that...

then you find out there are a million and one things you dont do and a further million and one thing that you dont do and you dont even know they exist... - that is the stage I feel I am at now...

argh...

but at least the sun is out!

just to add most of the weekly observatiosn I do are no more than a few lines long, like Sarah said things that make you sit up and take note that parents would love to hear.

theplayroom
08-03-2010, 05:32 PM
Hi, i am also in the same situation - im doing obs like D went and got his own shoes today and sat on the stairs when i said we are going to the park - i link it in with the stage that can relate to and make a note of how i can help him develop from that stage. is this enough? also EYS? what agae does that start?

Its all so confusing when you are new thank god for chat rooms!:clapping:

sarah707
08-03-2010, 06:36 PM
Hi, i am also in the same situation - im doing obs like D went and got his own shoes today and sat on the stairs when i said we are going to the park - i link it in with the stage that can relate to and make a note of how i can help him develop from that stage. is this enough? also EYS? what agae does that start?

Its all so confusing when you are new thank god for chat rooms!:clapping:

Yes that's enough for the observation :thumbsup:

Then you need to think about how you can encourage him to put on his coat maybe... something like that.

Eyfs starts from birth right up to end of reception :D