Observing and Assessing babies and Young Children

3000 word assignment

Introduction
Define key terms: assessment, observation and documentation in an early years context.
Why are these important?
LO2: Use and explore a range of observation and assessment techniques and evaluate their effectiveness in supporting children’s development and learning.
Your task is to explore a range of (at least 3) observation and assessment techniques during your placement:
– Evaluate each technique
– What is it suitable for?
– Which questions might it help to answer?
– What are the challenges or limitations?
LO1: Explore and address a range of ethical considerations associated with observing and assessing children’s learning and development
Consider the ethical issues that are associated with observing and assessing babies and young children:
– What do you understand by the term professional ethics and why is it important?
– What are the key principles that relate to observation and assessment?
– How will you ensure that your own observations and assessments are ethical?
LO3: Summarise learning and plan for future development
Summarise learning from your observations
– What did the children learn in each of your areas of provision?
– Which areas of development were being promoted?
– What were the particular benefits of each of the three areas of provision?
Provide a plan for the next steps in the children’s development:
– How could each of the three areas of provision be enhanced?
– How could the practitioners follow and develop children’s interests?
– Which areas of learning could be developed in each of the three areas of provision?
– How could the Characteristics of Effective Learning be developed in the setting?
– You may present your plan in a table or diagram
– You must use academic literature to support your own ideas
LO4: Demonstrate the ability to use Standard English, referencing supporting evidence appropriately according to the Harvard system.
Plan the structure of your report and organise your ideas into the key themes to address each of the learning outcomes.
– Support every point with a reference to relevant academic literature.
– Use the module reading list and Summon to find suitable texts.
– Follow the Harvard guidelines
– Proof read carefully.
Conclusion
What have you learnt about observation and assessment?
What will you take into your own future practice?

-wider reading and refrences to use from below

Brodie, K. (2013) Observation, assessment and planning in the early years bringing it all together. Maidenhead: Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education.
–
• “Adults have not always observed children and tracked their newly ­ emerging skills.” Brodie (2013: 3)
• “In fact, childhood as a construct is a relatively modern phenomenon, developed in the last few hundred years (Aries 1962). Prior to this children were considered to be small adults and were involved in all aspects of the adult world.” Brodie (2013: 3-4)
• “More recently however, there have been many educators who have investigated child development by observing their own children and children in their care.” Brodie (2013: 4)
• “I use the word ‘educator’ because the theorists discussed here come from a range of backgrounds and disciplines, not just education. For example, Dr Maria Montessori trained as a medical doctor while Jean Piaget was a professor of psychology, sociology and philosophical studies (Pound 2005).” Brodie (2013: 4)
• “The thing they all have in common is that they were interested in how children learn and how knowledge about children’s learning may be used to improve young children’s lives.” Brodie (2013: 4)
Frobel:
• “It was more than two hundred years ago that he first suggested that the early years were the most important time of a child’s life.” Brodie (2013: 4)
• “He was one of the first people to suggest educational toys and to demonstrate the sort of educational uses these m

Wider reading:
– Fisher, J. (2016) Interacting or interfering? : improving interactions in the early years. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open University Press.
– Cremin, T. & Arthur, J. (2014) Learning to Teach in the Primary School. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
– Dubiel, J. (2016) Effective assessment in the early years foundation stage. 2nd edition. Los Angeles: SAGE.
– Arnold, C. (2015) Doing your child observation case study a step-by-step guide. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
– Hutchin, V. (2003) Observing and assessing for the Foundation Stage Profile. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
– Alderson, P. et al. (2011) The ethics of research with children and young people a practical handbook. 2nd ed. London: SAGE.
– Smidt, S. (2005) Observing, assessing, and planning for children in the early years. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.
– Howard, J. et al. (2017) Mary D. Sheridan’s Play in early childhood : from birth to six years. Fourth edition / Justine Howard. London: Routledge.
– Carr, M. (2001) Assessment in early childhood settings : learning stories. London: Paul Chapman.
-Birth to 5 matters

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