Observation Worksheet Guidelines for Each Observation: · Observe for two, 10- to 15-minute time periods · During each time period: · Watch children with an open mind. · Avoid judging or making assumptions. · Tune into details, i.e., children’s behaviors, postures, facial expressions. · Recognize your own feelings and, as much as possible, set those feelings aside so they don’t get in the way. · Position yourself where you can see and hear clearly but will not distract the children. · Remember that you are observing at a particular moment in time without the benefit of knowing what has come before. Your goal is to be objective and take in information based on what you see and hear. · Be sure to change the names of any children you identify in your summaries to protect their privacy. · Write down—objectively and in as much detail as you can—anything that captured your attention. · Do not share any comments about the children you observe. Remember that you are the learner in this situation. · Be sure to thank everyone involved for the opportunity to observe. Note: You may bring a laptop to the observation or make handwritten notes and record your observations on this sheet at a later time. Submit this Observation Worksheet as part of your Application this week. FYI: Clarifying Objective and Subjective Observations: Objective Observations What you see and hear (e.g., actions, words) Subjective Observations Emotional reactions Questions Judgments/assumptions Side thoughts Example: One child was stacking blocks. She placed small blocks on the bottom and large blocks on top. The structure toppled after a few blocks. This happened two times. A second child came over and watched. The structure fell twice more. The second child sat down with the first child. She showed how to put large blocks on the bottom. Asked the first child to put smaller blocks on top for their “tower.” Both girls looked excited as the tower got taller. Why wasn’t the child more frustrated? Frustrating to see her make same mistake. Second child seems advanced. Kind. Leading and cooperating. I smiled at their excitement. Observation #1 Setting: Date/day: Objective Description What you see and hear (e.g., actions, words) Any information you would like to know about the children, their behaviors, or questions you would like to ask adults who know the children that would deepen your understanding: Observation #2 Setting: Date/day: Objective Description What you see and hear (e.g., actions, words) Any information you would like to know about the children, their behaviors, or questions you would like to ask adults who know the children that would deepen your understanding: 1 © Laureate Education, Inc. · · Instructions 

Throughout this course, you will focus on developing your awareness regarding the importance of positive child guidance and the skills and knowledge that support responding to and guiding presc.

1. Observation Worksheet
Guidelines for Each Observation:
· Observe for two, 10- to 15-minute time periods
· During each time period:
· Watch children with an open mind.
· Avoid judging or making assumptions.
· Tune into details, i.e., children’s behaviors, postures, facial
expressions.
· Recognize your own feelings and, as much as possible, set
those feelings aside so they don’t get in the way.
· Position yourself where you can see and hear clearly but will
not distract the children.
· Remember that you are observing at a particular moment in
time without the benefit of knowing what has come before.
Your goal is to be objective and take in information based on
what you see and hear.
· Be sure to change the names of any children you identify in
your summaries to protect their privacy.
· Write down—objectively and in as much detail as you can—
anything that captured your attention.
· Do not share any comments about the children you observe.
Remember that you are the learner in this situation.
· Be sure to thank everyone involved for the opportunity to
observe.

2. Note: You may bring a laptop to the observation or make
handwritten notes and record your observations on this sheet at
a later time. Submit this Observation Worksheet as part of your
Application this week.
FYI: Clarifying Objective and Subjective Observations:
Objective Observations
What you see and hear (e.g., actions, words)
Subjective Observations
Emotional reactions
Questions
Judgments/assumptions
Side thoughts
Example:
One child was stacking blocks. She placed small blocks on the
bottom and large blocks on top. The structure toppled after a
few blocks. This happened two times. A second child came over
and watched. The structure fell twice more. The second child
sat down with the first child. She showed how to put large
blocks on the bottom. Asked the first child to put smaller blocks
on top for their “tower.” Both girls looked excited as the tower
got taller.
Why wasn’t the child more frustrated? Frustrating to see her
make same mistake.
Second child seems advanced. Kind. Leading and cooperating.
I smiled at their excitement.
Observation #1
Setting:
Date/day:
Objective Description
What you see and hear (e.g., actions, words)

3. Any information you would like to know about the children,
their behaviors, or questions you would like to ask adults who
know the children that would deepen your understanding:
Observation #2
Setting:
Date/day:
Objective Description
What you see and hear (e.g., actions, words)

4. Any information you would like to know about the children,
their behaviors, or questions you would like to ask adults who
know the children that would deepen your understanding:
1
© Laureate Education, Inc.
·
· Instructions Throughout this course, you will

5. focus on developing your awareness regarding the importance of
positive child guidance and the skills and knowledge that
support responding to and guiding preschool-age children's
behavior. Before you begin the Week 1 Application, review the
overview of Application Assignments. However, do not work
ahead. It is necessary to complete the readings and other course
assignments each week before working on each
Application. Click here for an overview of the Application
Assignments in this course. Application: Observation of
Young Children As you have learned this week, young
children often communicate through their behavior, making
observation an essential tool for understanding children's
behavior and discovering their strengths and needs. Observation
requires objectivity, i.e., not making assumptions or judgments
about what you observe. To complete this Application
Assignment:
· Step 1: Plan and Prepare for the Observation
· Confirm your observation date and time.
· Click here to download and/or print your Observation
Worksheet.
· Read through the worksheet.
· Review Chapter 6 in the text and the video program,
"Observation" to prepare.
·
·
· Step 2: Observe
· Follow the guidelines on the Observation Worksheet.
·
·
· Step 3: Reflect
· Summarize y our observation experience:
· Include at least one personal goal for your next observation
experience.
· Include insights you gained and/or misconceptions you
corrected about observation from this experience.
· Assignment length: Approximately 2 pages (Including

6. your Reflection and your Observation Worksheet) This week,
you will submit your Observation Worksheet and your written
Reflection, combined into one Microsoft Word
document. Submit this assignment by Day 7 of this
week. You have completed Week 1. Please proceed to Week 2.
·
·
Assignment 2 Turnitin - Week 1
Resources to use:
Learning Resources
This page contains the Learning Resources for this week. Be
sure to scroll down the page to see all of the assigned resources
for this week. To view this week's media resources, please use
the streaming media players below.
Required Resources
Course Text: Marion, M. (2015). Guidance of young children
(9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Chapter 1, "A Teacher's Role in Guiding Children" (pp. 3-28)
Chapter 3, "Understanding Child Development" (pp. 61-71)
Chapter 6, "Using Observation in Guiding Children" (pp. 158-
180)
Video: Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Social and
emotional learning [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 13 minutes.
Video: Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Observation

7. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Optional Resources
Article: "Effective Behavior Management, Part I" by Kelly B.
Cartwright, PhD
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/behavior-
management
Web Site: About Temperament
http://www.preventiveoz.org/aboutemp.html
Document: "Stanford Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
Rotation: A Guide to Preschool Observations"
http://depts.washington.edu/dbpeds/Observation-
StanfordPreschool.doc
Research Paper: "Wondering with Children: The Importance of
Observation in Early Education" by George Foreman and Ellen
Hall
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v7n2/forman.html