Observation methods in Early Years – How they’re evolving

Written By:
Dr Helen Edwards
Subject:
Observations

Recording children’s development is an essential part of any setting’s role. But observation methods in Early Years are continually changing, as Dr Helen Edwards explains…

Group observations

It seems that group observations are on the up. A quarter of early years educators reported that they had increased the number they were carrying out at their setting – just one of a number of trends highlighted in the Tapestry survey.

This is good news. Group observations are a great method for demonstrating curriculum coverage and a reminder of the activities with which children engage in Early Years.

They provide a record of what has worked well, inform future planning, and provide inspiration. They offer different insights to individual observations, demonstrating the breadth and depth of the learning experiences that you provide for children as well as how your provision is working.

However, group observations, whether they’re in a floor book or a digital learning journal, don’t demonstrate the learning of individual children very well.

At parents’ evenings, flicking through a floor book containing observations of multiple children isn’t an efficient method of sharing a particular child’s learning and development in Early Years.

For this, we still need individual observations, sensitively created in the minimum amount of time.

Individual observations

A fifth of educators reported that the number of individual observations they undertook had decreased in the past year, and a quarter reported that the number of written observations had also decreased.

The revised EYFS (2021) may well have led to this drop. We don’t want to return to the stressful practices of multiple observations per child and lots of time away from children, but observations are an essential part of an early years educator’s role. You cannot do your job effectively without them.

So how can we find the right balance? I think it’s about being realistic about what we can retain in our heads, as Dr Julian Grenier explains: “When we are noticing what children can and cannot do, and they are changing rapidly, we have to jot down notes. It will not be possible to remember all this information at the end of a busy day.”

Whether your method is a quick written note or a short video, individual observations provide the means to remember this important information.

Parent and carer observations

Another trend we’ve noticed is the growing emphasis educators are placing on sharing observations with families. Our survey found that 91% of educators use observations in this way.

Educators also reported that a similar proportion of parents and carers shared their own observations of their child through the online platform.

This involvement is an encouraging trend. Recent research from Kate Cowan and Rosie Flewitt for the Froebel Trust looked at the power of parent and carer observations in the early years.

They found that many parents underestimated the importance of sharing their knowledge about their child with educators.

The research also identified that parents and carers enjoyed the insights their children’s learning journals gave in terms of their child’s development, and that they often “bridged the gap” between home and setting. Families valued a child’s journal as a future keepsake of their early years.

Captured on camera

The growing popularity of using photos and video doesn’t look like it’s diminishing: 21% of educators reported increasing their use of video in observations, and 25% had increased their use of photography.

Similarly, they reported that along with creating their own observations, families added photos and videos.

Information from families about a child’s activities and experiences outside of the setting really helps educators to know the child’s interests well and to plan for their future learning.

AI and observations

Many commentators have discussed how artificial intelligence can support the early years. As far as writing observations are concerned, we need to reflect on what we want from new technology, particularly as we want to ensure that the early years workforce is one of qualified and highly skilled individuals.

Undertaking an observation is a human-specialist activity that early years educators are skilled in, requiring an ability to note tiny changes and an understanding of the nuances of a child’s communication skills.

AI can’t replace this professional judgement, but it can be a tool to support us, and I’m sure over the next few years we will see some very innovative uses of such technology in the education sector.

Evolving but remaining

I’m a huge advocate for observations, as I think most early years educators are. And as Dr Stella Louis, an early years consultant, trainer and author, states: “We can only develop observation practice if we cultivate the central place given to observing children, building it into initial and continuing professional training and qualifications, and if we proactively encourage educators to think about what they see and to act on their observations.”

The welcomed changes to the EYFS framework and requirements for assessment have seen many pause for thought, and I think it’s one of the reasons why we’re seeing a greater variety of observation methods in Early Years.

The involvement of families is exciting, and I wonder whether it would have developed so much if we’d not all experienced a pandemic during which online communication was our main way to stay in touch.

The statutory summative assessments (progress check at age two and the EYFSP) can only be effective if we can reflect on the formative assessments we’ve completed throughout a child’s time with us.

To do this, we need to have captured the evidence; some can be in our heads but not all of it.

Observations also play a key role in staff discussions that help us to moderate decisions about each child’s learning. Without observations, it’s hard to imagine how these kinds of discussions could be conducted.

Understanding a child’s next steps in their development and learning is central to our role as educators. Creating the right opportunities and learning environment in which they can thrive requires our experience, expertise and our professional judgement.

The ongoing evolution of observations is really positive, but equally, the ongoing use of observation is essential.

Things to consider

Reflect on group observations in your own practice and as a team. Do you use them to keep families up to date with collective learning experiences? Do they inform your curriculum? What is the balance between group and individual observations?
Support your provision and professional learning with video observations. Use them as discussion opportunities around child development and how children make use of the learning environment or to nurture less experienced team members as they notice good practice in colleagues.
Consider why you are making an observation. Is it to inform future provision? To remember an important milestone? To celebrate and share with a child’s family? An observation is only necessary if it will have a direct, positive impact on the child.
Use video observations as a way of sharing ideas for learning at home. For example, educators at Wentworth Nursery School encourage parental engagement by sending parents video clips of learning happening in the setting that they could also be doing at home.