5.4.1
Observational Notes
When children start school, Teachers and Home Visitors immediately begin observing and gathering information about the children in order to write observational notes about each child. This is the first step in the Ongoing Assessment process.
Observation notes can include:
- “Anecdotal notes” – short notes about what was observed
- Work samples – artwork, writing, cutting, etc.
- Information from the families – parent observation and parent/child activity records
- Results from the screeners
- Information from other staff
Observational notes are captured on a tablet or desktop computer using an application called Learning Genie. Training workshops on Learning Genie are held periodically.
Refer to the Learning Genie: Staff Training Handbook for information on how to use Learning Genie. If Learning Genie is unavailable, form to capture observational notes and enter them into Learning Genie at a later time.
Teachers should gather enough observational notes needed in order to accurately rate the children using the Desired Results Development Profile (DRDP) assessment tool.
Tips:
When taking observational notes, be sure to:
- Be objective – capture exactly what the child said and /or did.
- Use proper grammar and complete sentences when writing observational notes.
- Link the observation to DRDP measures and custom tags (as necessary) when entering the observational note into Learning Genie (may be more than one measure).
Custom tags include:
- “Portfolio Collection” – to include the note in the child’s portfolio collection/binder
- “Child Goals” – to tag the note as a child goal observation
- “Parent Observation” – to tag a note that was shared by a parent
Refer to Tips for Taking Quality Pictures for helpful hints on how to take pictures to be included in observational notes.