On-the-Spot Observation Recording Tool

Is this required or optional?

Use of this Tool is optional.

What is it?
The On-the-Spot Observation Recording Tool is a checklist. Teachers may use it to collect information quickly, either for one child or a group of children.

Why use it?

Information about a child's behavior as it occurs during the course of play or planned small-group times contributes to the total picture of a child's development. Documenting children's learning means recording and preserving
your observations throughout the day. Documentation takes many forms: observation notes, photographs, video or audio clips, checklists, and samples of children's work.

How to use it?

Focus your observations on the particular objectives included.
Find the indicator and level that best describes a child's skills and behaviors. Write the date that you observed these skills or behaviors. If you used a particular Assessment OpportunityCard to gather the information, note this.
At progress checkpoints, refer to both the On-the-Spot Observation Recording Tool and other documentation before making your final ratings.
Objective 4: Demonstrates traveling skills

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Yet

Coordinates
Moves to explore Experiments with Moves purposefully Coordinates increasingly Uses a variety of traveling
Not multiple complex
immediate different ways of from place to place complex movements in movements, varying speed,
Yet movements while
environment moving with control play and games pathways, and direction
traveling

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 5: Demonstrates balancing skills

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Balances Designs and performs

Sustains Sustains
Balances Experiments Demonstrates how to balance on on movements that combine
balance balance
while with different body parts (feet, hands, apparatus traveling and balance into
Not during during
exploring different knees, elbows) at varying levels with a smooth, flowing
Yet simple complex
immediate ways of (e.g., up high, down low) while control sequence with intentional
movement movement
environment balancing making different poses and changes in direction and
experiences experiences
stability speed

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 6: Demonstrates gross motor manipulative skills

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Manipulates Manipulates and controls

Manipulates Manipulates Manipulates balls or similar
Reaches, Manipulates balls or balls or similar objects
balls or balls or objects by propelling them away
grasps, balls or similar similar with rackets, paddles,
Not similar similar from the body (throwing) and
and objects with objects with bats, and other
Yet objects with objects with receiving and controlling them
releases flexible body accuracy, long-handled implements
stiff body a full range (catching) with increased
objects movements fluidity, and (e.g., golf club, hockey
movements of motion accuracy
control stick, lacrosse stick)

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 7a: Uses fingers and hands

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Yet

Uses smooth Manipulates

Reaches for, touches, Uses fingers and whole-arm Uses refined Uses small,
Not finger and grade-appropriate tools and
and holds objects movements to manipulate and wrist and finger precise finger and
Yet hand intricate materials with
purposefully explore objects movements hand movements
movements control and precision

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 7b: Uses writing and drawing tools

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Yet

Grasps Demonstrates
Grips drawing and Uses three-point Moves writing or drawing utensils fluidly
drawing Holds drawing and control and
writing tools with finger grip and across the page with increasing speed
and writing tools by using a appropriate
Not whole hand but may efficient hand and accuracy; produces letters and
writing three-point finger grip but pressure when
Yet use whole-arm placement when number symbols having accurate
tools, may hold the instrument using writing and
movements to make writing and formation, size, proportion, slant, and
jabbing at too close to one end drawing tools;
marks drawing spacing; may use cursive writing
paper writes legibly

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 15a: Notices and discriminates rhyme

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Yet

Joins in rhyming Fills in the missing rhyming word; Decides Generates a group of Generates rhyming words without a prompt word;
Not
songs and generates rhyming words whether two rhyming words when identifies rhyming words in written text; uses rhyme
Yet
games spontaneously words rhyme given a word to decode text

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 15b: Notices and discriminates alliteration

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Not Sings songs and recites rhymes and refrains with Shows awareness that some words Matches beginning sounds Isolates and identifies the
Yet repeating initial sounds begin the same way of some words beginning sound of a word

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 15c: Notices and discriminates discrete units of sound

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Distinguishes short
Reads
Verbally from long vowel
Shows Shows Verbally blends, separates, grade-appropriate
blends and sounds in one-syllable
awareness awareness and adds or substitutes irregularly spelled Reads
separates words; reads
Not of of individual sounds in simple, words; uses word grade-appropriate
onset and grade-appropriate
Yet separate separate consonant-vowel-consonant families and irregularly spelled
rime in irregularly spelled
words in syllables (CVC) words; reads common analogy of known words
one-syllable words; uses word
sentences in words high-frequency sight words sight words to read
words families to read
unknown words
unknown words

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 15d: Applies phonics concepts and knowledge of word structure to decode text

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Yet

Deciphers
Deciphers multisyllable
Shows
Deciphers a few words using the Deciphers regularly spelled one- and two-syllable words regularly spelled words by
understanding
letter-sound associations of most (after breaking into syllables) using letter-sound two-syllable applying
that a specific
consonants and the five major vowels associations (including common consonant digraphs and words using letter-sound
sequence of
(long and short sounds); notices final-e and vowel teams), common roots, and inflectional letter-sound associations,
letters
different letter sounds in similarly endings; breaks words into syllables based on the number associations derivational and
represents a
spelled words of vowel sounds heard and common Latin suffixes,
spoken word
affixes roots, and
contractions

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 16a: Identifies and names letters

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Identifies and names 11-20 upper- and 11-20 Identifies and names all upper- and
Not Recognizes and names a Recognizes and names as many as 10
lowercase letters when presented in random lowercase letters when presented in
Yet few letters in own name letters, especially those in own name
order random order

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 16b: Identifies letter-sound correspondences

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Not Identifies the sounds of Produces the correct sounds Produces at least one correct sound for Produces short and long vowel sounds and most
Yet a few letters for 10-20 letters each letter in the alphabet frequent sounds for each consonant

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 17a: Uses and appreciates books and other texts

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Uses text features and

Locates information
Explains differences search tools (keywords,
Orients book using text features
Knows some Uses between types of texts; sidebars, hyperlinks)
correctly; turns (captions, bold print,
features of a book various locates information in proficiently to locate
Shows pages from the subheadings,
(e.g., title, author, types of text using basic text information related to a
Not interest front of the book glossaries, indexes,
illustrator, front books for features (main specific topic; explains
Yet in to the back; electronic menus,
and back covers); their headings, table of parts of stories, poems,
books recognizes icons) and
connects specific intended contents, glossaries, and dramatic plays
familiar books by dictionaries;
books to authors purposes electronic menus, (chapter, verse, scene,
their covers understands story
icons) act, etc.) and how they
structure
work together

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 17b: Uses print concepts

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Yet

Distinguishes
Shows Indicates where to Shows awareness of various features Matches a written word with a spoken word, but it
features of a
Not understanding that start reading and of print: letters, words, spaces, upper- may not be the actual written word; tracks print
sentence, including
Yet text is meaningful the direction to and lowercase letters, some from the end of a line of text to the beginning of
capitalization and
and can be read follow punctuation the next line
punctuation

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 18a: Interacts during reading experiences, book conversations, and text reflections

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Uses
third-grade-level
texts to ask and
Uses second-grade level
answer questions
texts to make
Engages in teacher-led referencing
Uses print and comparisons and
reading activities using appropriate
illustrations in connections; identify the
Identifies emergent reader books and illustrations and
Contributes Asks and first-grade-level main focus/main points,
story-related other simple texts; focuses specific text;
particular answers texts to ask and answer who,
problems, on major characters, events, makes
language questions describe and what, where, when, and
Not events, and and information; describes comparisons
from the about the compare how questions about key
Yet resolutions relationships between text between texts by
book at the text; individuals, details; describe
during and illustrations; makes the same author
appropriate refers to events, ideas, characters' points of view
conversations comparisons, inferences, or on the same
time pictures narration, and responses to events;
with an adult and draws conclusions; topic; explains
connections, explain how words,
identifies the author's how characters'
and information phrases, or
supporting points actions contribute
images/illustrations supply
to events;
meaning
differentiates own
viewpoint with
those in text

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 18b: Uses emergent reading skills

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Pretends to read, reciting language Tries to match oral

Pretends to read a familiar book, treating each
Not
page as a separate unit; names and describes
Yet
what is on each page, using pictures as cues
Pretends to read, using some of the language from the
that closely matches the text on language to words
text; describes the action across pages, using pictures
each page and using reading-like on page; points to
to order the events; may need prompts from adult
intonation words as he reads

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 18c: Retells stories and recounts details from informational texts

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Summarizes the
major points,
Summarizes the
Retells some Retells familiar Retells a familiar Retells stories Paraphrases central message,
major points and
events or stories and story and recounts and recounts grade-appropriate and underlying
central message in
information recounts an informational text informational literature and themes in
grade-appropriate
Not from a familiar details from a in proper sequence, texts with many informational grade-appropriate
literature and
Yet story or other nonfiction text including major details about texts and literature and
informational texts;
text with close using pictures events and characters, includes the informational
makes interpretive
adult or props as characters, as events, ideas, major points and texts; indicates
comments about
prompting prompts appropriate and story lines central message how key points
text
support the
central idea

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 18d: Uses context clues to read and comprehend texts

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Uses various strategies to make meaning

Uses different strategies to make
meaning from print (determines
Not patterns in text; uses known words;
Yet asks questions; sounds out words;
uses frequently occurring affixes and
inflections)
Uses various strategies to make
meaning when reading
first-grade-level content (monitors for
understanding; asks and answers
questions; uses sentence-level clues;
uses known affixes)
Uses various strategies to make
when reading third-grade-level content
meaning when reading
(monitors for understanding; uses
second-grade-level content (monitors
sentence-level clues; uses known affixes,
for understanding; uses sentence-level
roots, and individual words in compounds;
clues; uses known affixes, roots, and
distinguishes literal from non-literal
individual words in compounds)
content)

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 18e: Reads fluently

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Reads and comprehends emergent reader texts Fluently reads and comprehends Fluently reads and comprehends Fluently reads and comprehends
and other print materials first-grade-level texts second-grade-level texts third-grade-level texts

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 19a: Writes name

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Makes Writes Writes Writes accurate

Not Makes controlled Writes mock letters or Writes partially
scribbles or letter accurate first first and last
Yet linear scribbles letter-like forms accurate first name
marks strings name name

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 19b: Writes to convey ideas and information

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Yet

Produces simple
Produces very simple compositions Produces longer, more
Uses Uses Uses compositions (narrative, detailed compositions
Uses
drawing, drawing, Uses drawing, (narrative, informative/explanatory, (narratives,
drawing,
dictation, dictation, drawing, dictation, informative/explanatory, and opinion) to supply informative/explanatory,
dictation,
and and dictation, and and opinion) using information about a and opinion pieces)
and
Not controlled mock and early writing, drawing, and topic and narrate a that have a clear
scribbles
Yet linear letters or letter invented dictation to supply sequence of events structure (beginning,
or marks
scribbles letter strings to spelling information about a that include key middle, and
to
to convey forms to convey a to topic and narrate an components (reasons conclusion), revising
convey a
a convey a message convey a event, incorporating for opinions, facts, and editing by
message
message message message feedback from others some closure), incorporating feedback
as needed incorporating feedback from others as needed
from others as needed

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 19c: Writes using conventions

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Uses increasingly complex

Prints all upper- and lowercase
Prints many upper- and lowercase letters; writes a
letters; uses basic capitalization
letter or combination of letters for most consonants
and punctuation; spells using
and short vowel sounds; uses basic capitalization
learned spelling, phonemic
(first word in a sentence and the pronoun "I"); writes
awareness, and spelling
simple words phonetically based on knowledge of
conventions; makes simple edits
sound-letter relationships
to drafts
Uses capitalization and punctuation
capitalization and punctuation;
with increasing accuracy; spells using
spells most words accurately or
learned spelling, phonemic awareness,
with a close approximation;
word families, and basic affixes and
clarifies and edits own writing
syllable patterns; makes edits using
during and after composing to
suggestions from others or after
create a fairly polished final
proofreading
draft

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 20a: Counts

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Counts to
more than
Counts to 1,000 to 1,000 using
Counts to 120 to determine how number
Verbally Verbally counts to 20; Uses number names
Verbally determine how many; many; uses skip word
counts to 10; counts 10-20 objects while counting to 100
counts uses skip counting by counting (2s, 5s, patterns
counts up to accurately; knows the by 1s and 10s; counts
(not 2s, 5s, and 10s; 10s, and 100s); (e.g., tens,
Not five objects last number states how 30 objects accurately;
always begins counting begins counting at teens) and
Yet accurately, many in all; tells what tells what number
in the forward at any any number skip
using one number (1-10) comes comes before and
correct number between 1 between 1 and counting;
number name next in order by after a specified
order) and 120; counts 1,000; switches uses skip
for each object counting number up to 20
backward from 20 between skip counting by
counts 2s, 4s, 5s,
6s, 10s,
and 100s

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 20b: Quantifies

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Answers how much

Solves Answers how much
Makes sets of 6-10 questions about Compares
Recognizes and simple questions about
objects and then wholes partitioned fractions and
Demonstrates names the number equal share wholes partitioned
describes the parts; into equal shares of explains them
understanding of items in a small problems; into equal-size
identifies which part two (halves), four using physical
Not of the set (up to five) makes sets shares of two and
has more, less, or (fourths), and three models,
Yet concepts of instantly; combines of 11-20 four; verbally labels
the same (equal); (thirds); verbally pictorial
one, two, and and separates up to objects and each part and
counts all or counts labels each part and representations,
more five objects and then describes its
on to find out how describes its and number
describes the parts describes relationship to the
many relationship to the lines
the parts whole
whole

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 20c: Connects numerals with their quantities

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Represents
fractional
Represents how
Identifies Identifies quantities as
Identifies numerals to 20 Represents how many by many by writing
numerals to numerals to parts of a
by name and connects writing one-, two-, and one-, two-, three-,
Recognizes 5 by name 10 by name whole (a/2,
each to counted objects; three-digit numerals to and four-digit
Not and names and and a/3, a/4, a/6,
represents how many by 120; uses relational numerals to 1,000;
Yet a few connects connects a/8); uses
writing one-digit numerals symbols (<, >, =) to uses relational
numerals each to each to relation
and some two-digit indicate relationships symbols to compare
counted counted symbols (<, >,
numerals between whole numbers and order whole
objects objects =) to show
numbers
fractional
comparisons

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 20d: Understands and uses place value and base ten

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Indicates base-ten
equivalents for numbers
Not
11-19 using objects and
Yet
drawings; may use simple
equations
Uses place-value understanding to
represent and write two-digit numbers, add
one- and two-digit numbers (within 100),
and subtract multiples of 10 from multiples
of 10 (10-90)
Uses place-value understanding to represent
and write three-digit numbers (including
expanded form); adds up to four two-digit
numbers; adds and subtracts three-digit
numbers (within 1,000)
Uses place-value understanding to
represent and write four-digit numbers;
multiplies one-digit whole numbers by
10s (10-90); rounds three-digit whole
numbers to the nearest ten or hundred

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 20e: Applies properties of mathematical operations and relationships

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Solves, represents, and explains two-step word

Solves addition and subtraction
word problems of whole
numbers within 10 using a
Not
variety of strategies (counting
Yet
objects or fingers, counting on,
counting back); makes number
pairs within 10
Solves three-number word problems
with answers within 20 using addition
properties (associative, commutative,
and additive); solves addition and
subtraction equations of different types
with unknowns in various positions for
amounts up to 20
Solves one- and two-step word
problems of various types (equal-sized groups,
problems of various types using
arrays, measurement quantities) using
addition and subtraction (within 100)
properties of whole number operations and
and explains strategies; uses repeated
multiplication/division inverse relationships;
addition to find the number of objects
uses estimation strategies (mental number line,
presented in rectangular arrays (up to
rounding) to determine if answers are
five rows and five columns)
reasonable

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 20f: Applies number combinations and mental number strategies in mathematical operations

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Adds and Adds and subtracts whole numbers fluently within 1,000; multiplies
Adds and subtracts whole numbers fluently Adds and subtracts whole numbers
subtracts and divides whole numbers fluently within 100 using previously
within 10 using mental strategies (counting fluently within 20 using previously
whole learned mental strategies, the relationships between
on, making ten, decomposing/recomposing, learned mental strategies; knows all
numbers addition/subtraction and multiplication/division, and algorithms
addition/subtraction relationship, and easier the addition combinations of two
fluently based on place value; identifies the products of all one-digit
equivalent known sums) one-digit numbers from memory
within five numbers from memory

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 21a: Understands spatial relationships

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Yet

Uses and makes simple sketches,

Not Follows simple directions related to Follows simple directions related to Uses and responds appropriately to positional
models, or pictorial maps to locate
Yet position (in, on, under, up, down) proximity (beside, between, next to) words indicating location, direction, and distance
objects

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 21b: Understands shapes

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Classifies known
shapes into
Distinguishes
Shows that shapes Uses essential attributes higher and
Describes basic two- essential attributes
Identifies remain the same to label and create subordinate
and of triangles,
a few when they are quadrilaterals, pentagons, categories;
Matches three-dimensional rectangles,
basic moved, turned, hexagons, and cubes; provides rationale
Not two shapes by using own squares,
shapes flipped, or slid; visualizes and predicts for classifications;
Yet identical words; recognizes trapezoids, half
(circle, breaks apart or the results of combining divides shapes
shapes basic shapes when circles, and quarter
square, combines shapes to and taking apart into parts with
they are presented in circles; visualizes
triangle) create different two-dimensional and equal areas and
a new orientation and creates known
shapes and sizes three-dimensional shapes expresses the
shapes
parts as unit
fractions

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 22a: Measures objects

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Solves
one-step
Measures
Measures word
Uses and
Makes Compares and orders a Uses multiples of the length problems
measurement compares
simple small set of objects as same unit to measure; accurately and related to
Not words and some the length of
comparisons appropriate according to uses numbers to compare; expresses the measurement
Yet standard two objects
between two size, length, weight, knows the purpose of measurement of liquid
measurement using
objects area, or volume standard measuring tools in whole volume,
tools accurately standard
numbers mass, area,
length units
and
perimeter

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 22b: Measures time and money

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Yet

Solves
Knows Relates one-step
Uses some Tells and writes time in hours and
usual time to Tells and writes time to the nearest five minutes; word
time half-hours using both analog and
sequence daily indicates a.m. and p.m.; solves word problems problems
measurement digital clocks; makes amounts using
of basic routines involving coins (P, N, D, Q) and dollar bills, and related to
words and pennies (P), nickels (N), and dimes
daily and expresses the answer using currency symbols time to the
tools (D)
events schedule nearest
minute

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 22c: Represents and analyzes data

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Yet

Creates and reads Organizes, represents, and analyzes Organizes, represents, and interprets Reads and creates scaled
Knows a
simple graphs; uses data with up to three categories; uses data with up to four categories; picture or bar graphs where each
Not few
simple comparison and simple numerical summaries (counts, describes data points; asks and picture/bar represents more than
Yet ordinal
ordinal terms to describe tallies) and ordinal terms to describe answers questions related to the total one data point; uses the graph to
numbers
findings findings data set and to its parts ask and answer questions

Children

Grace
Chapman
Objective 23: Demonstrates knowledge of patterns

Not 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Yet

Recognizes
Extends
Shows Recognizes, creates, Notices more complex patterns Uses number patterns arithmetic
Copies and
interest in and explains more in numbers; identifies the core to count and to solve patterns and
Not simple creates
simple complex repeating unit of patterns; represents problems; uses and explains
Yet repeating simple
patterns in and simple growing patterns using numerical and explains patterns in them using
patterns repeating
everyday life patterns letter symbols counting and addition properties of
patterns
operations

Children

Grace
Chapman