The Importance of Teacher Observation in a Child's Development

Knowing children on a personal level helps teachers develop effective approaches to promote the kids' educational development. Child Care Information Exchange explains that observing, recording and documenting what children do and how they do it provides a basis for making a variety of important educational and child care decisions. Some of the decisions made on the basis of observation include assessment, curriculum development, preventing abuse and offering guidance.

  1. Assessment

    • According to Child Care Information Exchange, observation is the best way to assess children because it focuses on several aspects of development and learning. These aspects include cognitive, emotional, physical, social and cultural development. Consequently, it makes the observation a better assessment tool when compared to standardized tests, which majorly focus on cognitive development. Information documented from observation is vital in identifying a child̵7;s strengths and weaknesses. Based on such information, teachers and parents can jointly work on ways of helping children overcome their weaknesses.

    Guidance

    • Observation gives teachers an opportunity to establish a personal relationship with each child. This relationship is helpful in learning why children behave the way they do. According to the "Journal of Early Childhood Research and Practice," observation makes you aware of children̵7;s goals and the approaches they take to achieve those goals. As teachers, you can then use this knowledge to offer guidance to children and help them choose appropriate ways of achieving objectives.

    Curriculum Development

    • According to the Umatilla Morrow Head Start, observation enables teachers to identify curriculum components that they need to introduce, revise or discard. This implies that observation is a critical step in curriculum development. The website Teachingexpertise advices that effective observation leads to effective planning and development of a curriculum that addresses each child̵7;s individual developmental needs. Curriculum developers can best achieve this goal if they focus on observing the emotional and relational aspects of learning.

    Preventing Abuse

    • Because of the position school occupies in the community, teachers are in a prime location to recognize and report signs of abuse and neglect in children. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, teachers have the expertise and training to identify signs of child abuse and neglect. The Child Welfare Information Gateway also reports that some schools have integrated measures to help children who suffer from abuse and neglect into school curricula. They include training in life skills, socialization and self-protection.

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