ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the purposes of observation, focusing primarily on observing young children. It also acknowledges that educators, the student, have much to learn from observing other practitioners and from being observed. The chapter provides a brief overview of some of the different methods available for observing young children, and offers guidance on how to carry out accurate observations. Student practitioners will be encouraged to consider some of the ethical dilemmas faced by the observer, and bias in observations are explored. The chapter then provides an overview of how observational data can be interpreted and analysed to assess and support children's learning and development. It also focuses on the process of observation, it seems timely to consider some of the concerns students have before they observe. Development Matters suggests that the adult should model how they manage their own feelings and explain that while all feelings are understandable, not all behaviours are.
