Name Sam Facciolo Period 3 Date 4/30/19

Observation
Participation Chart

Objectives:
After completing this observation, you will be able to

● Use a participation chart to assess activity preferences during self-selected play

● Evaluate children’s activity preferences during self-selected play

Observe a small group of children in a preschool setting for a minimum of 30 minutes. Record
their participation in specific play areas/centers. Then evaluate and summarize their
preferences.

Child’s Name Age

Brendan Small 5

Gavin McGlynn 5

Mason McGlynn 3

Lincoln 5

Write the names of the children in the spaces provided. Insert the time of your observation in the
left-hand column. Review the codes listed under the chart. For each 10-minute segment, record
the activity or activities in which each child participated. For example, if a child only played with
block building for the first 10-minute segment, record a b in the space provided. If the child
moved from block building to dramatic play during that time period, both a b and dp need to be
recorded in the space.

Observation:
Activity Preferences During Self-Selected Play
Children’s Brendan Gavin Mason Lincoln
Names

12:00- “Jail” with “Jail” with Sand Box Sand Box

12:10 little jags little jags

12:10 -
12:20

12:20 - Circle Circle Circle Circle

12:30 time Time Time Time

12:30 - Circle Circle Circle Circle

12:40 Time Time Time Time

12:40 - Activity/L Activity/Le Activity/Le Activity/Le

12:50 esson sson sson sson

12:50 - Run Run Sandbox Sandbox

1:00 around around or or
outside outside playgroun playgroun
d d
a=art, b=blockbuilding, c=computers, dp=dramatic play, l=language, m=math/manipulatives,
r=reading/listening, s=science/sensory

Review:

1. Which child remained engaged in one activity for the longest period of time? Explain.
● Brendan is very good at engaging in one activity for a long time. He loves playing
tag with the big jags (Ex: Josh) and he would play for the whole time if he was
able to.

1. Which child moved most frequently from activity to activity?

● Lincoln moves around most from activity to activity. I would’ve expected Mason
to move around most since he is the youngest, but if he finds an activity he
enjoys, he does that for a while.

1. Which activities did the children engage in the most? Explain.

● The children engaged most in the outdoor activities. Since it is nice out, 80% of
the students are outside playing around. The children love playing on the
 playground, playing “jail” / tag, and also playing sports (tennis ball baseball). The
girls in our class love to play with Paint.

1. Which activities did the children engage in the least? Explain.

● The boys I observed do not engage in indoor activities as much. They do not
spend their time with legos, puzzles, or artwork because they like to be outside.
When the weather is bad, they prefer to be inside and play with animals, legos,
etc.

1. How could you use the information gained from this assessment?
● I could use this information to update Mrs. Dugan on their development and see
if they are progressing in a positive or negative way.