This document outlines the process for conducting a child study, which involves observing, assessing, and planning for an individual child's needs. It describes the roles and responsibilities of the teacher presenting the child, chair, note-taker, and other participants. The teacher presents information about the child using frameworks that describe their physical presence, temperament, relationships, interests, thinking and learning styles. Participants ask clarifying and probing questions, then make recommendations. The teacher responds with new insights before debriefing to reflect on how the discussion changed perspectives. The goal is to deepen understanding of each child's strengths.

1. The Child Study The descriptive review of a child Presented By: Lillian Vania, MEd November 10, 2010

2. Williamstown Community Preschool November 10, 2010 Name: 2 hours: Observation, Assessment, and Planning for Individual Need Presenter: Lillian Vania, MEd The Child Study The descriptive review of a child

4. The environment affects how, when, where, and what we observe.

5. We observe to provide information for assessment.

6. The end result:

7. Understanding of the whole child

8. Assessment and Evaluation

9. Communication with parents and caregivers

10. Understanding your Audience:

11. Perspective 1: The Arena

12. How you are viewed by others and what you know about yourself.

13. Friendly, approachable, patient, sociable, professional, hardworking, adaptable, dependable, skilled, multi-talented, educated

14. Perspective 2: The Blind Spot

15. How you view parents: what you know, but they do not know about themselves

17. This is approach was developed at the Prospect School in North Bennington, Vermont.

18. The teachers of Prospect School were committed to an examination of the children through observing, recording, and describing what happened in the classrooms on a daily and continuing basis.

19. The goal was simple: to have those observations fold directly into practice.

21. Patricia Carini, a founder of the school & teacher at the school, wrote a book: From A Different Angle.

23. The Elements of the Descriptive Review Participants and Their Roles Teacher- Presenter The teacher-presenter is the teacher of the child being reviewed. The teacher-presenter does the preparation for the review including gathering all notes, narratives, school work, pictures, and all other relevant information to present at the review. The teacher–presenter will work with the chair to create the flow of the review Chair of the Review The chair introduces the teacher-presenter, the process, the child, and the focusing question of the review. The chair will also be the timekeeper. The chair will maintain the focus of the review. The chair will emphasize confidentiality and respect and that the participants will speak about the child from a strength based perspective. Note-taker The teacher who keeps a record of main themes from the description of the child and the recommendations that are made as the descriptive review draws to a close. Listeners, Questioners, Reflectors The teachers, educators, and parents, who have been asked to participate in the descriptive review of the child. The participants who will bring different perspectives, insights, and expanded ideas for building on the child’s strengths and capacities. The participants come prepared with paper and pencils/ pens to take notes.

24. The Elements of the Descriptive Review Preparing for the Review This is the teacher-presenter’s responsibility. He or she is in the position to make regular observations and chart strengths, capacities, behavior, and learning over time. The teacher-presenter will meet with the chair to review all materials. This meeting is called the pre-conference. Together they will decide on the focus of the descriptive review. This focus may be the teacher’s opportunity to get know a child better or to understand a child’s behavior more clearly. What a teacher-presenter might bring to the descriptive review: Anecdotal records Creative Curriculum Reports Art Work Pictorial Documentation Writing Samples (If age appropriate) Completed Projects that demonstrate skills or areas of concern

26. Classroom

27. Age

28. Names of family members and other caregivers

29. Birth order

30. Length of time at Williamstown Community Preschool

31. Ethnicity

33. Focus Question: How can I capture what I need to discover about this child? Remember: Questions should be strength based!

38. Participants practice reflective listening by restating something specific from the teacher-presenter’s description that seems important.

39. Participants are not to analyze, interpret, or explain the information at this point in the protocol.

41. Recommendations The recommendations should focus on: Implications for classroom practice How to deepen a child’s strengths and interests (not to change the child) How to support and enhance the child’s school experience. They may be drawn from both the foregoing description and participants’ own experiences and knowledge of other children; they may contradictor build on each other. They serve as a resource for all present.

42. Teacher-Presenter Response The teacher-presenter rejoins the group and responds to the discussion by speaking to the comments/questions/suggestions that he or she found particularly intriguing. The teacher-presenter may share any new insights he or she has gained. Debrief, The Closing of the Review The chair asks participants to reflect on the discussion by responding to the prompt: How has our/your thinking changed as a result of this process? The chair leads a debrief of this experience in both content and process.

43. Teaching is not just a job. It is a human service, and it must be thought of as a mission. Dr. Ralph Tyler