Observing and Recording the Behavior of Young Children

by Cohen, Dorothy H.

• ISBN13: 9780807748824
• ISBN10: 080774882X
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-06-01
• Publisher: Teachers College Pr

Summary

With more than 120,000 copies in print, this classic text has been widely acclaimed as a highly effective tool to help teachers better understand children's behavior. The thoroughly revised and updated Fifth Edition outlines methods for record-keeping that provide a realistic picture of each child's interactions and experiences in the classroom. Numerous examples of teachers' observations of children from birth to age 8 enrich this work and make it accessible, practical, and enjoyable to read. Based on the latest thinking in the field, the new Fifth Edition is an even more valuable resource for pre- and inservice educators of young children. New features include updated observations that reflect the diverse population in contemporary classrooms, recent research on language and children with special needs, and a total revision of the chapter that relates thinking to Piagetian theory, with more relevant descriptions of the processes of assimilation and accommodation

Author Biography

Nancy Gropper is Coordinator of Instructional Support, Department of General Education at Bank Street Graduate School of Education.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Fifth Edition	p. ix
Getting Started	p. 1
Why Records?	p. 1
Keeping Records	p. 6
Language as a Tool in Recording	p. 10
Importance of the Environment	p. 13
Recording a Child's Behavior During Routines	p. 15
Organizing the Information	p. 15
The Meaning of Routines to Young Children	p. 19
Recording Eating Behavior	p. 21
Recording Toileting Behavior	p. 24
Recording Behavior at Nap Time	p. 26
Recording Behavior During Transitions	p. 28
Patterns of Behavior	p. 29
Recording a Child's Use of Materials	p. 34
The Meaning of Materials to Young Children	p. 34
What to Observe	p. 40
Records of Use of Materials	p. 42
How the Child Does What	p. 43
Records Illustrating Detail	p. 46
Interpretation-The Last Dimension	p. 49
Patterns of Behavior	p. 49
Recording Children's Behavior with One Another	p. 53
How Children Learn to Socialize	p. 53
Do We Really See What Is Going On?	p. 57
What to Observe	p. 59
Patterns of Behavior: Summary of a Child's Response to Other Children	p. 65
Group Membership	p. 67
Recording Children's Behavior in Dramatic Play	p. 70
Capacity for Symbolic Representation	p. 72
A Framework for Recording Dramatic Play	p. 77
Focusing on Dramatic Roles	p. 81
Social Aspects of Dramatic Play	p. 87
Patterns of Behavior	p. 94
Recording the Child's Relationships with Adults and in Adult-Directed Activities	p. 96
Teachers Observe Themselves	p. 96
Recording a Child's Interaction with an Adult	p. 97
Gaining Information About a Child's Larger Social World	p. 102
Recording a Child in Teacher-Directed Group Activities	p. 104
Patterns of Behavior	p. 107
Clues to Cognitive Functioning: Developmental Approach	p. 110
How Do Children Learn?	p. 110
Developmental Approach to Thinking in Early Childhood	p. 112
How Can We Know a Child's Approach to Thinking?	p. 116
Clues to Cognitive Functioning: Individual Approach	p. 128
Idiosyncratic Approach to Thinking	p. 128
How Much Does a Child Know?	p. 138
Observing Children Develop the Power to Think	p. 142
Forming Generalizations	p. 142
Ability to Differentiate	p. 143
Ability to Perceive Similarities and Differences	p. 144
Ability to Draw Analogies	p. 144
Ability to Perceive Cause and Effect	p. 145
Time Orientation	p. 146
Ability to Classify	p. 147
Perceiving Patterns	p. 148
Understanding Spatial Relationships	p. 149
Recording Children's Developing Language and Emerging Literacy	p. 152
Language and Culture	p. 152
Recording Children's Use of Language	p. 154
Observing Speech Patterns	p. 164
Observing Emergent Literacy	p. 170
Observing and Recording the Behavior of Infants and Toddlers	p. 172
Making Sense of What You See	p. 172
The Value of Recording	p. 173
Time	p. 174
What to Observe	p. 175
Recording the Behavior of Children for Whom There Are Special Concerns	p. 205
Sensory Reactivity and Self-Regulation	p. 207
General Impression	p. 223
Patterns-Summary-and Interpretation	p. 225
Patterns	p. 225
Features of the Final Summary	p. 228
Interpretation	p. 233
Final Summary	p. 235
References	p. 239
Index	p. 245
About the Authors	p. 253
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