curriculumassessmentprofessional developmentfamily connection the creative curriculum ® system for...

Curriculum Assessment Professional Development Family Connection

The Creative Curriculum® System for Preschool and Teaching Strategies GOLD®

Observation: The Key to Responsive Planning

Observation: The Key to Responsive Planning 2© 2012 by Teaching Strategies, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool and Teaching Strategies GOLD®

Learning Objectives

• Explain why observation is a critical part of effective teaching.

• Discuss the qualities of useful observation notes and other documentation of children’s development and learning.

• Write objective observation notes.

• Identify the levels of children’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors with regard to particular objectives and dimensions.

• Use what you learn by observing to plan for each child and the group.



Reflecting on Current Practices

• How do you develop weekly plans?

• How do you choose experiences for your group?

• How do you make sure that you meet each child’s strengths and needs?

• How do you observe children?

• How do you assess children?



Caring and Teaching

• Creating a classroom community

• Guiding children’s behavior

• Teaching intentionally and responsively

• Assessing children’s learning



The Four-Step Assessment Cycle

Observe and Collect Facts

Analyze and Respond

EvaluateSummarize, Plan, and Communicate



Observation is critical to planning and individualizing instruction.

Individualizing

Planning



Collecting Facts: Observe and Document

• Observe children with curricular objectives in mind.

• Document only what you see and hear.

• Observe children at different times and in different places throughout the day.

1Collect facts

3 Evaluate

4Summarize,

plan, andcommunicate

2Analyze and

respond



“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”

— Sir John Lubbock



Why do you observe children?

Four reasons:

1.I’m curious about children and want to understand them better.

2.I want to get to know each child and build a positive relationship with him or her.

3.I want to find out about each child’s development and learning.

4.I want to teach more responsively.



Writing Observation Notes

Include:

• descriptions of gestures and other actions

• quotations

• descriptions of facial expressions

• descriptions of creations

Avoid:

• labels (shy, creative)

• intentions (wants to)

• evaluations (good job)

• judgments (beautiful, sloppy)

• negatives (can’t, won’t)



Evaluating Observation Notes

Objective

June 5

Luis put plastic tortillas on a plate and said, “Now they’re ready.” Then he handed the plate to Joanna, who was sitting at the table in the dramatic play area.




Objective and Subjective

June 5

During choice time, Sara was trying to write her name at the writing table. I asked her to name the letter I pointed to (the A). She shrugged her shoulders. I asked her whether it was an A or a B. She said, “A.”




Objective

June 5

Today during breakfast, Christopher sat at my table and said, "I go to Wilson’s and buy new shoes. Look, do you like them? Brandon no get new shoes.”




Subjective

June 5

Wyatt politely asked May to give him a chance to use the plastic phone. May angrily gave Wyatt the phone and stomped away.



Writing Observation Notes

• Watch the video.

• Write a brief observation note.

• Select an objective/dimension related to what the child says and does.

• Read the progression of development and learning for that objective/dimension.

• Select the level of the progression that describes the child’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors.



Identifying Levels of Development and Learning

• Review the progression of development and learning.

• Watch the video clip.

• Rate the child’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors as they relate to that progression.



Observing to Teach Responsively

• Observation is essential to responsive planning and teaching.

• Before you develop responsive plans for individual children and the group, you need to draw conclusions about their development and learning.

• Those conclusions inform your immediate response and your later planning decisions.



Putting It All Together

Responsive Plans

Observe purposefully.

Respond in supportive

ways.

Think about what you

learned about

each child.



What is responsive planning?

Teachers must observe children purposefully, think about what they learn about each child, and respond in supportive ways. You must always be open to following children’s interests and to addressing their strengths and needs.



Responsive Planning

• includes the learning environment,

• includes the structure of each day,

• addresses content area learning,

• includes a range of teaching approaches, and

• includes input from families.



Resources for Planning

Curriculum Assessment Professional Development Family Connection

The Creative Curriculum® System for Preschool and Teaching Strategies GOLD®

Observation: The Key to Responsive Planning

curriculumassessmentprofessional developmentfamily connection the creative curriculum ® system for...

Documents

behavior teaching

effective teaching

responsive planning

objective observation

individualizing planning

creative curriculum

learning slide

creative intentions