Table of Contents
Preface to the Sixth Edition ix
1 Getting Started 1
Why Records? 1
Keeping Records 6
Language as a Tool in Recording 9
Importance of the Environment 12
2 Recording a Child's Behavior During Routines 14
Organizing the Information 14
The Meaning of Routines to Young Children 18
Recording Eating Behavior 19
Recording Toileting Behavior 22
Recording Behavior at Nap Time 24
Recording Behavior During Transitions 26
Patterns of Behavior During Routines 28
3 Recording a Child's Use of Materials 32
The Meaning of Materials to Young Children 32
What to Observe 37
Records of Use of Materials 39
How the Child Does What 40
Records Illustrating Detail 43
Interpretation: The Last Dimension 46
Patterns of Behavior in Use of Materials 46
4 Recording Children's Behavior with One Another 50
How Children Learn to Socialize 50
Do We Really See What Is Going On? 53
What to Observe 55
Patterns of Behavior in Children's Responses to Other Children 61
Group Membership 63
5 Recording Children's Behavior in Dramatic Play 66
Capacity for Symbolic Presentation 68
A Framework for Recording Dramatic Play 73
Focusing on Dramatic Roles 76
Social Aspects of Dramatic Play 82
Patterns of Behavior During Dramatic Play 89
6 Recording the Child's Relationships with Adults and in Adult-Directed Activities 91
Teachers Observe Themselves 91
Recording a Child's Interaction with an Adult 92
Gaining Information About a Child's Larger Social World 97
Recording a Child in Teacher-Directed Group Activities 98
Patterns of Behavior in Children's Relationships with Adults 100
7 Clues to Cognitive Functioning: Developmental Approach 104
How Do Children Learn? 104
Developmental Approach to Thinking in Early Childhood 106
How Can We Know a Child's Approach to Thinking? 110
8 Clues to Cognitive Functioning: Individual Approach 121
Temperament of a Child 121
The Influence of Culture and Social Experience 123
How Do We Know What Children Are Thinking About and Learning? 123
How Can Teachers Discover What Children Know? 129
9 Observing Children Develop the Power to Think 133
Forming Generalizations 133
Ability to Differentiate 134
Ability to Perceive Similarities and Differences 135
Ability to Draw Analogies 135
Ability to Perceive Cause and Effect 136
Time Orientation 137
Ability to Classify 138
Perceiving Patterns 139
Understanding Spatial Relationships 140
10 Recording Children's Developing Language and Emerging Literacy 143
Language and Culture 143
Recording Children's Use of Language 145
Observing Speech 155
Observing Emergent Literacy 160
11 Recording Behaviors That Are Disquieting 163
Value of Gathering Information 163
Examples of Unusual Behavior 164
12 Observing and Recording the Behavior of Infants and Toddlers 169
Making Sense of What You See 169
The Value of Recording 170
The Influence of Time of Day 171
What to Observe 172
13 Patterns: Summary and Interpretation 200
Patterns 200
Features of the Final Summary 202
Interpretation 208
Final Summary 209
References 213
Index 217
About the Authors 229
