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Observation

Running Record 1:

Date: December 3, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Setting: Homeschool Classroom, Science Exploration
Activity: Observing the physical properties of different materials (feeling and comparing different types of leaves and flowers)

Observation:

Troy is seated at the table with a variety of leaves, including a large maple leaf, a small oak leaf, and a few other textured plant materials. He is focused on the different textures and sizes of the leaves.

10:00 AM:
Troy picks up the large maple leaf and holds it close to his face. He touches it gently with both hands, feeling the rough edges. He says softly, “This one big.” He places the maple leaf down on the table and picks up the small oak leaf. He holds it in one hand and stretches it out to examine it.

  • Troy: “Little leaf.”
  • Teacher: “Yes, that one is small. What do you think the small one feels like?”
    Troy turns the leaf over in his hand, inspecting both sides.
  • Troy: “Soft.”

10:10 AM:
Troy moves to the next part of the activity where he uses a magnifying glass to look closely at the veins of the leaves. He peers through the magnifying glass and watches carefully.

  • Troy: “Lines...lots of lines.”
    He tilts the magnifying glass from side to side, observing how the veins look bigger. He repeats, “Big lines, lots of lines,” showing an interest in the structure of the leaves.

10:20 AM:
Troy smiles and holds up the magnifying glass to show the teacher.

  • Troy: “See? See lines? Big lines?”
  • Teacher: “Yes, I see them too. The lines are the veins. Do you think the veins help the leaf grow?”
    Troy pauses for a moment and looks at the leaf more intently, then nods his head slowly as if processing the information. He turns back to the teacher and says, “Lines for food,” as if he has made the connection that veins are important for carrying nutrients.

 

 

Running Record 2:

Date: December 5, 2024
Time: 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Setting: Homeschool Classroom, Art Activity
Activity: Drawing and coloring a picture of a bee

Observation:

Troy is sitting at the art table with a variety of crayons and markers in front of him. He has a picture of a bee that he is trying to replicate, referencing a picture on the screen of an iPad.

1:00 PM:
Troy picks up a yellow crayon and starts coloring the bee’s body. He focuses intently on his task, coloring within the lines but occasionally going outside the lines.

  • Troy: “Bee yellow. Big bee.”
  • Teacher: “Yes, that’s the bee’s body! What color are the wings?”
    Troy looks at the picture, then at the screen of the iPad. He picks up a blue crayon.
  • Troy: “Blue wings.”
    He colors the wings with a few strokes of blue, pausing for a moment to look back at the picture. He then picks up the yellow crayon again and colors over part of the wing, correcting his initial choice.
  • Troy: “Yellow wings.”
    He smiles as he colors.

1:15 PM:
Troy seems to focus intently on the legs of the bee, drawing several thin lines.

  • Troy: “Bee has legs.”
    He points at the picture on the iPad, referencing the legs of the bee, and repeats, “Bee legs.”
  • Teacher: “Yes, those are the legs. How many legs does the bee have?”
    Troy counts with his fingers, holding up three on one hand and two on the other.
  • Troy: “Six legs.”
    He then draws three more lines on the picture.

1:25 PM:
Troy completes the drawing, looking at the picture on the iPad and comparing it to his own.

  • Troy: “Done. Bee’s done.”
    He shows the teacher his work with a sense of pride.
  • Teacher: “It’s a great bee, Troy! You did a great job coloring and drawing its legs and wings. Do you like the bee?”
  • Troy: “Yes, bee is good.”
    Troy then looks around at other students, as if sharing the accomplishment silently.

 

Documented Conversation 1:

Date: December 4, 2024
Time: 9:30 AM
Setting: Homeschool Classroom, Science Discussion on Bees

Conversation:

  • Teacher: “Troy, can you tell me what we learned about bees yesterday?”
  • Troy: “Bees fly, bees sting.”
  • Teacher: “That’s right, they do fly, and sometimes they sting to protect themselves. Do you remember what we saw on the iPad about bees? What part of the bee did we look at?”
  • Troy: “Wings, stinger.”
  • Teacher: “Yes! The wings help the bees fly. What do you think the bee uses its stinger for?”
  • Troy: “Stinger hurts. Protect.”
  • Teacher: “Yes, the bee uses the stinger to protect itself. Can you think of any other animals that protect themselves?”
  • Troy: “Bear. Big bear protect.”
  • Teacher: “Good thinking! Bears protect themselves too. What else do bees do besides sting?”
  • Troy: “Get honey. Go home.”
  • Teacher: “Yes, bees make honey! And they have a home, like us. They live in hives. Where do you think the bees sleep?”
  • Troy: “Sleep in hive.”
  • Teacher: “Yes, the hive is their home. They rest there when they’re not out collecting pollen and making honey.”
  • Troy: “Bees good.”
  • Teacher: “Yes, bees are very important. They help plants grow. You did great, Troy. You remember so much about bees!”

Analysis:
This conversation shows Troy’s developing comprehension of the concepts surrounding bees. His use of short sentences and repetition highlights his growing language skills. He was able to recall key facts about bees (flying, stinging, and honey production) and actively participated in the conversation. Troy’s ability to provide answers that build upon each other ("Get honey. Go home.") indicates developing cognitive and language skills in conversation.

Documented Conversation 2:

Date: December 6, 2024
Time: 11:00 AM
Setting: Homeschool Classroom, Art and Science Integration

Conversation:

  • Teacher: “Troy, what are you drawing today?”
  • Troy: “Bee.”
  • Teacher: “That’s right! You’re drawing a bee. What color is the bee?”
  • Troy: “Yellow.”
  • Teacher: “Yes, bees are usually yellow. What about the wings, what color should they be?”
  • Troy: “Yellow wings.”
  • Teacher: “You’re right, bees’ wings can be yellow. What else do you know about bees? What else do they have?”
  • Troy: “Legs. Six legs.”
  • Teacher: “That’s right, bees have six legs! How many wings do they have?”
  • Troy: “Two wings.”
  • Teacher: “Great job, Troy! Bees have two wings. Can you show me where their wings are?”
  • Troy: He points to the drawing he is working on, tracing the shape of the wings with his finger.
  • Teacher: “Perfect! That’s where the wings go. Bees work hard. What do they do?”
  • Troy: “Make honey. Fly.”
  • Teacher: “Yes! Bees fly and make honey. You’re doing such a good job remembering everything about bees.”
  • Troy: “Bee good.”
  • Teacher: “Yes, bees are very important and good for nature!”

DRDP Child Assessment





Social Emotional Development (2 Measures)

SED 3: Relationships and Social Interactions with Familiar Adults

Developmental Level:
Building Middle: Seeks a familiar adult’s ideas or explanations about events or experiences that are interesting to the child.

Evidence:

  1. During sensory play, Troy asked their caregiver, “Why is the rice noisy?” and listened as the caregiver explained.
  2. While reading a book, troy. pointed to an image of a bird and asked, “Do birds live in nests?” waiting for the caregiver’s response.

SED 5: Symbolic and Sociodramatic Play

Developmental Level:
Building Earlier: Uses realistic objects in pretend play or imitates everyday actions.

Evidence:

  1. Troy pretended to “cook” in a toy kitchen, using a pot to stir invisible food and serving it to the caregiver, saying, “Dinner is ready!”
  2. While playing with dolls, Troy tucked them into bed and said, “Goodnight, baby,” imitating bedtime routines observed at home.

Language and Literacy Development (2 Measures)

LLD 4: Reciprocal Communication and Conversation

Developmental Level:
Building Earlier: Uses short phrases or sentences in conversations with a caregiver.

Evidence:

  1. During snack time, Troy said, “I like apples,” and added, “Can I have more?” initiating a short exchange.
  2. While looking at a picture book, Troy commented, “The dog is funny!” and pointed at the illustration, prompting a conversation about the story.

LLD 8: Phonological Awareness

Developmental Level:
Exploring Middle: Responds to or repeats familiar rhyming words in songs or games.

Evidence:

  1. Troy joined in singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and repeated rhyming phrases like “star” and “are.”
  2. While playing a rhyming game, Troy correctly identified that “cat” and “hat” rhyme after the caregiver modeled examples.

Cognitive Development (2 Measures)

COG 2: Problem Solving

Developmental Level:
Building Earlier: Attempts a solution to a problem and modifies actions if the first attempt is unsuccessful.

Evidence:

  1. During a puzzle activity, Troy rotated a piece multiple times until it fit correctly, showing persistence in solving the challenge.
  2. While building a block tower, Troy adjusted the base after noticing it was unstable and successfully built a taller structure.

COG 4: Memory and Knowledge

Developmental Level:
Building Middle: Recalls past events and applies knowledge in new experiences.

Evidence:

  1. While playing with toy animals, Troy said, “We saw a giraffe at the zoo!” recalling a recent trip.
  2. During snack preparation, Troy remembered the steps to make a sandwich, stating, “First the bread, then peanut butter, then jelly.”

Physical Development - Health (2 Measures)

PD-HLTH 2: Active Physical Play

Developmental Level:
Building Earlier: Engages in short bursts of active play with minimal prompting.

Evidence:

  1. While outside, he ran to kick a ball back to the caregiver and continued the activity for 10 minutes.
  2. Troy participated in a hopscotch game, jumping carefully from square to square with enthusiasm.

PD-HLTH 4: Personal Care Routines

Developmental Level:
Exploring Later: Attempts basic personal care tasks with some adult assistance.

Evidence:

  1. He attempted to put on their shoes independently, successfully fastening the Velcro straps with minimal guidance.
  2. During handwashing, he needed a reminder to rinse the soap but otherwise completed the task with little help.



Curriculum:

Child’s Current Level of Development (Based on Observations)

  • Social Emotional Development:
     seeks interaction with familiar adults and uses pretend play effectively. They are building relationships and social understanding.
  • Language and Literacy Development:
    uses simple sentences in conversations and recognizes rhyming words, indicating early phonological awareness and emerging communication skills.
  • Cognitive Development:
     demonstrates problem-solving and recall, adjusting strategies for puzzles and applying knowledge from past experiences.
  • Physical Development - Health:
     participates in active play, showing coordination and independence in personal care tasks with minimal assistance.

Areas of Concern or Support Needs

Troy is progressing well across domains. Needing to continue practice with personal care routines and problem-solving activities will support further development.

Reflections on Play Observations

  • What are they investigating or understanding?
     explores textures, tools, and cause-effect relationships during sensory play.
  • How do they represent their play?
    Through questions, naming objects, and imitating real-world actions in pretend play.
  • What new ideas or solutions are they creating?
     adjusts block towers for stability and finds alternative strategies for puzzles.
  • What do they know how to do?
    Communicate basic ideas, solve simple problems, and engage in imaginative play.
  • What are they learning?
     is building foundational skills in communication and independence.

Extending Learning Experiences

  • Social Emotional: Cooperative play or dramatic scenarios with themed props.
  • Language: Reading rhyming books and encouraging storytelling.
  • Cognitive: Complex puzzles or STEM-based cause-effect activities.
  • Physical: Outdoor play for gross motor skills and independence in care routines.



Collaboration With Parents

Story:

Troy, today you were deeply engaged in exploring nature with me. While we were outside, you noticed a bright red flower and immediately pointed to it, saying, “Pretty.” Your excitement in noticing the color and beauty of the flower showed your growing ability to engage with the environment around you. You then touched the petals gently and said, “Soft,” showing that you were using your sense of touch to further explore and understand the flower.

As we continued walking, you spotted two different leaves on the ground. You picked up a large, broad leaf and said, “Big leaf,” and then picked up a smaller, pointy one and said, “Little leaf.” This demonstrates your ability to compare and contrast different objects, as well as recognize their unique characteristics. Your ability to focus on the differences in size and shape showed your developing observational skills.

Later, I introduced a magnifying glass, and you were eager to look at the leaves more closely. As you peered through the lens, you noticed the veins in the leaves and exclaimed, “Lines! Lots of lines!” Your excitement grew as you discovered the intricate details of the leaves that weren’t visible to the naked eye. You carefully moved the magnifying glass over the leaves, taking time to notice all the small features, showing patience and curiosity.

Throughout the activity, I was amazed by how you focused on each element of nature. You weren’t just observing—you were actively engaging with the world around you, expressing your thoughts, and asking questions. Your ability to describe what you were seeing, like “big leaf,” “little leaf,” and “lines,” showed progress in your language development as well.

What learning is happening here?

Troy, your exploration today demonstrated learning across several areas.

  • Science: You engaged in an inquiry process, making observations about the natural world and connecting what you saw with the terms “big,” “little,” and “lines.” Your curiosity and use of a magnifying glass showed your interest in discovering more about nature and the importance of close observation.
  • Language Development: You expressed your discoveries with clear language—describing objects you encountered with terms like “big leaf” and “soft,” and identifying details like “lines” when using the magnifying glass. This demonstrates your growing vocabulary and ability to communicate your observations.
  • Social-emotional Development: You showed patience and focus as you carefully examined the leaves, and your excitement grew as you discovered new things. You were also very comfortable engaging with me and sharing your thoughts, showing confidence in expressing your ideas.

Opportunities and possibilities. What's next?

As we continue our nature exploration, we will deepen our understanding by looking at different plants, animals, and insects through tools like magnifying glasses and microscopes. This will help you gain a closer look at details that are often hidden from view, further strengthening your observation and scientific inquiry skills.



Reflection

The observation process improved skills in assessment and documentation.

Learned to identify key behaviors indicating developmental progress.

Gained experience using the DRDP2015 assessment tool effectively.

Recognized the importance of collaboration with families in development.

Reflected on challenges faced during observation and assessment processes.

Identified areas for personal growth in professional observation practices.

Developed strategies to enhance accuracy and consistency in future work.