CHILD OBSERVATION CHART

Date ………3/16/2020…………

Initials of the pupil …….GG

Date of birth …………………Age……….. Class ……Driver…………

Boy/Girl

Completed by ………E Rabideau……………………….

For each sign, note its frequency: 1 = Sometimes, 2 = Often, 3 = Always

She/her also means He/his and vice versa

Be sure to read the notes on page 5 about preparation and how the results
should be used.
Not all observations will be possible for younger children.

Signs showed by the learner Frequency Remarks by the teacher

1. Bodily awareness 1 2 3 Has absolutely no problems with

bodily awareness.
Can point to on herself:
Her face 3
Her limbs 3
Her joints 3
Can point to on someone else:
His face 3
His limbs 3
Can name other parts of the body:
On herself 3
On someone else 3

2. Orientation in time and space 1 2 3 Remarks by the teacher

( Time Has no problems with sequence
of the day or year in relation to
self.
Knows the part of day 3
Knows the day of the week 3
Knows the month 3
Knows the year 3
Knows the season 3
Aware of the passage of time 3
Shows awareness of order; the 3
succession of events
( Space Has no problems with
orientation of self in space.
Finds her row in class 3
Finds her seat in class 3
Finds the other classrooms 3
Finds her way about the school 3
Can use a simple map 3

Can show with respect to herself:

right / left 2 Knows right and left, sometimes
forgets when not concentrating.
high / low 3
on / under 3
above / below 3
Can show on a worksheet:
right / left 3
high / low 3
on / under 3
above / below 3
Knows the direction of writing 3
Knows which way round letters are 3
( Rhythm
Can reproduce a given rhythm 3 She thought this was really fun.

3. Motor skills 1 2 3
Has good balance 3
Coordinates her movements
precisely:
- in everyday movements 3
(automatically)
- in creative activities (e.g. cutting 2 Choppy cutting, sometimes over
and pasting paper) lines and uneven.
- when writing (holding the pen or 3
colouring crayon correctly)
- forming letters the correct way 2 Some reversals, self corrects.
round
- with fluent movement of the 3
wrist
- with careful writing (few 2 No cross outs, but lots of
crossings-out) erasures when not satisfied with
her own letter formation.

4. Language 1 2 3
Problems with articulation: lisping 3
… ; note which particular sounds
Is intelligible 3
Makes phonological mistakes, 2
such as ‘disonaur’ for ‘dinosaur’
Recognizes a picture and can say 3
what it represents
Can speak some phrases 3
Understands verbal directions
Has good phonological awareness
Likes telling stories
3
2 Knows all her letter and blended
sounds, sometimes struggles to
match them correctly showing
signs of a deficit in this area
3

5. Memory 1 2 3
Easily remembers nursery rhymes 3
Can memorize shapes 3
Easily repeats phrases 3

Can retell simple stories having
heard them
Can carry out, one after the other,
several orders given at the same
time
2 Uses her own words, does not
repeat word for word, attention
gets in the way of her doing this
always
2 Gets overwhelmed remembering
what she is supposed to be
doing and keeping up with
groups of steps. This is a
component that could be a flag
for dyslexia

6. Behaviour 1 2 3
Is agitated or nervous 2 Worried about keeping up and
understanding what the group is
doing
Seems tired 2
Gets discouraged 2 She is tired of always needing
help, but asks for help when she
needs it and uses that to keep
working
Complains of aches 1
Has low self-esteem 1
Is aggressive 1
Not interested in activities or 1
listening

7. Reading ability 1 2 3 shows lots of flags that could be

components of dyslexia
Appetite for reading: likes taking 1
up a book
Appetite for reading: likes being 1
read to
Has good phonemic awareness 1 does a lot of guessing to get
words read quickly, another flag
that could be related to dyslexia
Reads regular words slowly 1
Reads pseudowords slowly 3 does not seem to have a basis for
reading these words, and this
could be a flag for dyslexia
Leaves out letters and sounds 1
Inverts letters does not do this
Substitutes parts of words, 3 may be a flag for dyslexia
transforms words, makes up word
endings
Leaves out words and lines 3
Cannot follow the reading of 1 Attention gets in the way
another child or adult
Repeats a word without realizing it does not do this
Does not observe punctuation 2
Makes visual confusions: p/b/d/q, no visual confusions
a/e, m/n/u, t/f, o/c
Makes auditory confusions: p/b, 2
t/d, k/g, f/v, ch/j, s/z
Cannot master any of the complex 2 sometimes confuses them
sounds:
ai, au, ei, ea, ie, ia, io, oa, ou, oi,
ua, ui
Cannot use the ‘magic e’ 2 really struggles with magic e
(can/cane, hop/hope)
Cannot retain rules such as: 2
-ation, -ition, kn-, gn-, -ight, -ought,
-ious, -qu-, consonant doubling
(hoping/hopping)

8. Writing ability 1 2 3
(Note the task which induces
mistakes: copying, dictation,
spontaneous writing)
Leaves out letters, syllables, words
Inverts letters, syllables, words 1 catches herself and makes self
corrections
Makes visual confusions: p/b/d/q, 1 this rarely happens
a/e, m/n/u, t/f, o/c
Makes auditory confusions: p/b, 1 listens closely and asks for
t/d, k/g, f/v, ch/j, s/z repeats, but this does sometimes
happen
Substitutes, transforms words 1
Joins words together which are not does not do this
normally joined together
Has difficulty in remembering the knows her letter shapes
graphic shape of a letter for long
 Shows difficulties in remembering 3 has a hard time remembering
or using contextual or grammatical the rules, much less using them
rules:
-ation, -ition, kn-, gn-, -ought,
-ight, consonant doubling
(hoping/hopping), ‘magic e’
(hop/hope)
Leaves out punctuation 2

General remarks

GG struggles in both math and reading to keep up with her peers in learning and
understanding. She is receiving additional help with both math and reading
throughout her day. She receives this help in math as small group time, but she is
still having trouble keeping up with this group and their learning of material. She
receives additional help with reading in a different small group setting as well as
a one on one setting to work on phonological awareness. This individual time
uses the Wilson Program along with the Orton-Gillinham Approach.

Signature or name of the teacher ………………S. Driver ……………………

Translated and adapted from French, with permission and thanks to:
Béatrice Colson, Speech Therapist, Fondation Dyslexie, Belgium

This chart appears in Génération Dyslecteurs – Bien Comprendre la Dyslexie pour

mieux Aider les Dyslexiques ('A generation of dysreaders'), in French, by Vincent
Goetry and colleagues. Erasme/Fondation Dyslexie, 2013. Available from
amazon.com.fr

NOTES

Please remember that some of these activities may be difficult for struggling
readers and so use your judgement in choosing the amount of time to spend
on them. Provide positive feedback wherever you can.

We advise you again that you are not diagnosing the child; you are
observing him or her and recording some notes systematically which
will help you adapt your teaching, and communicate with other staff,
specialists and parents.