everything you need to know about observational...

Observational Assessment Gloria Maccow, Ph.D., Assessment Training Consultant

Copyright © 2015. Pearson, Inc., and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. 1

Everything You Need to Know About

Observational Assessment

Gloria Maccow, Ph.D.

Assessment Training Consultant

pearsonclinical.com/childhood

2 | Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.

Agenda

• Describe how to use observation skills in the

natural environment of young children to

determine what each child knows and can do.

• Describe what we can learn about children by

carefully watching them, listening to them, and

studying their work.

• Describe how to document factual observations,

and how to interpret the documented evidence to

make instructional decisions.



Observation and Assessment


Watch What I Can Do!

I try different ways to make a necklace with beads.

I read stories. I count blocks and write the number I have.

I use a magnifying glass to investigate.

I am the line leader.

I can draw and paint.

I write a story.




Observation is Watching

• Observation is watching or regarding with purpose in

order to see or learn something.

• Observation allows teachers to learn about children by

carefully watching them, listening to them, and studying

their work.

• Authentic assessment is focused on collecting

observations in the child’s natural environment.

Dichtelmiller, M. L., Jablon, J. R., Marsden, D. B., & Meisels, S. J. (2013).

The Work Sampling System Teacher’s Manual. Bloomington, MN: Pearson.


In authentic assessment, teachers . . .

and evaluate

children’s skills,

knowledge, and

behaviors

use actual

classroom

experiences,

activities, and

products

Authentic Performance Assessment




Assessing Children’s Performance

On-Demand

Assessment

Curriculum-

Embedded

or Authentic

Assessment

Using Observation Skills




Create an Observation Plan

What

Who

When

Where


• What teachers observe depends on

what they want to know about the

children in their classroom.

• The teacher observes skills,

knowledge, and behavior to determine

if children are performing according to

expectations (age-level; grade-level).

• Observation is used on an ongoing

basis as part of an

assessment cycle.

Determining What to Observe




A Plan for Observation

Ms. T. Pre-K

IIC4

IIA1

IIB3

IIC3

What to Observe

What do my students know about books and reading?

Are they

gaining

meaning by

listening?

Are they using

expanded

vocabulary and

language for a

variety of

purposes?

Are they

showing

appreciation

for and

understanding

of books?

Are they

recounting key

ideas and

detains from

text?



Ms. T. Pre-K

IIC4

IIA1

IIB3

IIC3

Who to Observe

Monday

4 children

Tuesday

4 children

Wednesday

4 children

Thursday

4 children

Friday

4 children





Ms. T. Pre-K

IIC4

IIA1

IIB3

IIC3

When and Where to Observe

Whole Group Small Group Individual Child


When To Observe

AM Class

8:00 Arrival

8:10 I Can Read!

9:00 Word Wall

9:30 Bathroom Break

9:50 Snack Time

10:00 I Can Write!

10:30 I Can Count!

11:00 Outdoor Activities

11:15 Centers

11:30 Dismissal




Where to Observe


Where to Observe

Block

Center

Math

Center

Easel

Area

Home

Cafeteria

School

Bus

Art Area Playground

Language

Center Bathroom

Classroom



What Can We Learn

From Observation


Observation Can Tell Us . . .

How children

interact with peers

How children

solve problems

How children use

body language

How children run,

jump & move




Lamayia – Grade 1


Lamayia: Documentation



Documenting Observations

and Interpreting the Evidence


Ms. T.’s Pre-K Class

What does the evidence tell us about

what the children in Ms. T.’s class know

about books and reading?




Code: = yes x = no

Date(s) of Observation

Weeks of

9/10 and

9/17

Gives accurate response to simple

comprehension questions (who,

what, when, where)

Draws picture and gives

information related to the story Acts out a character or

event from a story

Ahmed

Anna

Curtis

Da’Quan x x

Derek Sometimes Abs, never did this ?Giggled; did not act out

Elsie

Jacob x

Jashana

Kenny x

Kofi x

LaToya x

Magdalie x x

Maria x

Mina

Sasha Beginning to x x

Notes:


More About Mina

Mina

5/14 Library Corner

M: Prince Cinders (name of book)

M: I read it lots of times. (She points to each word left to right and begins

reading).

T: What is happening? (Points to picture).

M: He turned into a big hairy monkey.

T: (Notes her expressiveness when reading).

M: (Attempted 3 times to read a difficult word on the last page.

T: What did they have to do and why? What was your favorite part of the

book?

M: (Flips back through book and finds page). The fairy godmother turned

the prince into a big hairy monkey.

T: Is that a good lesson?

M: Yeah

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