Observing Children-

Writing Anecdotal
Records
 Research Methods

• When observing children, there

are many research methods
used to gain information such
as; observations/anecdotal
records, surveys and
interviews, standardized tests,
physiological measures, case
studies, correlational research,
experimental research, cross-
sectional and longitudinal
methods.
 Lab Observations

• In your lab assignments,

you will be observing
children using observations
called anecdotal records.
• More about anecdotal
records can be found in
your course pack on pages
6-14. Please read these
pages.
 Written observations of children
in anecdotal records allow us to;
 Assess development in all areas;
physical, social, cognitive and
emotional
 Learn more about the child as an
individual
 Identify interests for the group and/
or the individual
 Remember information
 Show progress and share
information
 Assess the curriculum
 Gather data to drive various
decisions
 Observing Children-
Anecdotal Records

Anecdotal records tell a

story as they describe
behavior, complete with
verbal responses in a
narrative style.
 Guidelines for writing
Anecdotal Records

1. Start with a statement;

setting, date, time of day,
name and age of child.
2. Describe the child’s behavior
NOT what you think of the
behaviors.
3. Use details of the child’s
actions and comments,
include other’s responses.
Guidelines for writing Anecdotal
Records (continued)

4. Write down the exact words

used in the conversation.
5. Most complete episodes have
a beginning, middle and end.
Documenting this helps your
understanding to be more
complete.
An example…
 An example…
It is ten-thirty on Wednesday morning, October 12, 2010, in
the Dino room at Grand Rapids Community College
Preschool Laboratory. Liam, a four year old, is standing at a
kidney shaped table with 5 other children and three different
tubs of blocks.
Liam watches the boy on his left pick up a block from the
floor, Liam moves over to the block on the floor and tries to
touch it with his foot. Liam returns to the table, he has a
blue tubular block in his right hand. He says, “ Whoa, watch
this.” and he begins to roll his block on the table and pushes
it across the table. He runs around the table and retrieves
the block. He takes his right hand with the block in it and
pushes the train in the center of the table to the side. Next
Liam returns to his original spot at the table and says, “Oh,
watch this, watch this.” He then rolls the tubular block again
on the table. Liam looks at the boy next to him and smiles
and rolls his block to the center of the table again. This time
the block goes to the center of the table and Liam reaches
out with his right hand and retrieves the block. He repeats
this motion with the block this once more.
 Some things to remember
about anecdotal records…
• Professionalism- Anecdotal
records are confidential!
• The objective analysis is
not conclusions or
diagnoses.
• Should not include any
bias.
 Observing Children
Watch the following 2 clips of children in
action located in the week 1 folder. Write
an anecdotal record for each clip. Post
your anecdotal record to the discussion
thread and give feedback to 3 classmates
using the guidelines listed below.
The anecdotal record includes;
 The setting, date, time, name and age of
the child
 Objective descriptions of the child’s
behavior
 Details of the child’s behavior such as;
actions, comments
 Evidence of exact words
 A beginning, middle and end