CHCPR509A: Document, interpret and
use information about children
Monitor children’s developmental progress and
develop understanding of individual children
Contents
Use observations and information to assess and monitor child’s
play preferences, social interactions, communication and
language, thinking styles, physical abilities and emotional status
Use observations to assess and monitor
3
Sociocultural approaches to documentation
4
Interpret information and observations to identify individual
emerging skills, capabilities, potential, interests, preferences of
child to guide program strategies to foster development
Interpretations
7
7
Decoding
11
Monitor and interpret behaviour that is out of character for an
individual child and respond appropriately
Monitor and interpret behaviour
Demonstrate understanding and application of inclusive
principles in interpreting observations
Inclusive principles and understanding
2
3
14
14
15
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Use observations and information to
assess and monitor child’s play
preferences, social interactions,
communication and language,
thinking styles, physical abilities and
emotional status
Use observations to assess and
monitor
Observations can be used to assess and monitor the child's play preferences,
social interactions, communication and language, thinking styles, physical abilities
and emotional status.
Observing children at play
A great time to observe children is when they are engaged in play. From babies
through to primary-aged children, observing children at play gives us a wealth of
information about the child’s development, strengths, emerging skills and
interests. When observing play we can see:
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what children do and say
the toys and equipment they use
the skills they are developing
what is influencing or triggering aspects of the play
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problem solving as the play develops
imitation, collaboration and negotiation during play
social relationships and friendships
and much, much more.
Of course, children play in different ways at different stages of their development.
These differences in play reflect changes in the child’s overall development—
particularly their thinking and social skills. For example, the dramatic play of
preschoolers and primary-aged children is often very involved and tells us a lot
about the children’s understanding of the world in general as well as peer
relations, social roles and appropriate behaviour. When observing babies, special
note should be made of their developing fine and gross motor skills, their evolving
attachment relationships and growing interest in other babies and children. When
observing school-aged children, focusing on the child’s leisure and recreational
choices and pursuits often reveals important information.
Sociocultural approaches to
documentation
So far we have looked at observation methods that focus on an individual child
and their development. There are other methods that reflect a sociocultural
approach and aim to paint a picture of children in the context of their influences
and relationships. Sociocultural methods attempt to avoid studying the child in
isolation and instead aim to capture interpersonal relationships, learning
influences and cultural and institutional contexts. They aim to look at our
interdependence as humans rather than independence (Fleer and Richardson,
2004).
The following excerpts from a preschool profile are rating scales that refect a
sociocultural approach by applying Vygotsky’s theory of the 'zone of proximal
development' (ZPD) to a preschooler’s level of literacy and numeracy (Fleer and
Richardson, 2004). The three columns in the rating scale indicate where the child
is in the ZPD by looking at how much assistance from others is needed.
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Profile of print literacy awareness and understanding (excerpt)
Shows awareness
of the print
literacy they see in
their home
In child’s
first
language
Shows awareness
that printed texts
are read from left
to right and from
top to bottom
In child’s
first
language
Can recognise own
printed name
In child’s
first
language
WITH ADULT/PEER
JOINTLY
CHILD TAKES
SUPPORT AND
UNDERTAKEN BY
LEADERSHIP AND/OR
MINIMAL CHILD
CHILD AND
WORKS
INPUT
ADULT/PEER
INDEPENDENTLY
(MODELLED)
(SHARED)
(INDEPENDENT)
WITH ADULT/PEER
JOINTLY
CHILD TAKES
SUPPORT AND
UNDERTAKEN BY
LEADERSHIP AND/OR
MINIMAL CHILD
CHILD AND
WORKS
INPUT (MODELLED)
ADULT/PEER
INDEPENDENTLY
(SHARED)
(INDEPENDENT)
In English
In English
In English
Can write some
letters
In child’s
first
language
In English
Profile of numeracy awareness and understanding (excerpt)
Demonstrates an
understanding of
time
In child’s
first
language
In English
Demonstrates an
understanding of
number
In child’s
first
language
In English
Recognises and
In child’s
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uses symbols
appropriately
first
language
In English
Can group things
together
In child’s
first
language
In English
(Adapted from Fleer and Richardson, 2004, pp 21–22)
Rating scales such as these do not look at the child’s acquisition of skills in
isolation. They acknowledge the influence of social interactions on learning and
development and the interdependence of humans.
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Interpret information and observations
to identify individual emerging skills,
capabilities, potential, interests,
preferences of child to guide program
strategies to foster development
Interpretations
It is important to remember that the main purpose of observing and interpreting
is to get to know each unique child in depth and to learn more about the
relationships, play and interactions in groups of children. We need to be alert to
what the observations tell us about the children's interests, perspectives,
capabilities and individual characteristics.
Observations and interpretations do not have to be lengthy to be worthwhile. By
this stage in your training you should be aiming to record shorter observations
and interpretations that focus on significant behaviour and child characteristics.
Look at the following observation. In the left-hand column is recorded what I saw
Lyle do in a short period of time. As much as possible, I have tried to be objective
and to record actual behaviours rather than impressions. The sentences in bold
type are the ones I have interpreted. In the right-hand column and in the
evaluation below I have tried to draw out meaningful information from this
observation. This information can be used later to help with planning and
evaluating the program in a service.
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Running record
Name: Lyle
Setting: Toddler room, Indoor Play
Age: 17 months
Date: 24.2.05
Observation
Lyle has both of his hands on the
back of a small chair pushing it
from behind, along the Playroom
floor for 2 metres. The chair
reaches the strip separating the
lino from the carpet. L pushes the
chair but it will not go over. He
brings back the chair and tries to
push it again. He tries a third
time. L goes to the front of the
chair. He bends over and picks up
the whole chair, turns around 180
degrees so that the back of the
chair is now next to the bump. He
places the chair back on the
ground, reaches for the top of the
chair with his left hand and drags
the chair across the bump for
several metres.
Interpretation

Is able to manipulate large objects in
efficient manner – push objects

Repeats behaviour 3 times. Lyle is
persistent in reaching his goal.

Using trial and error – solves problem
in a different way from first attempt
– experimentation.

Demonstrating aspects of Piaget's
theory – substage 5 of Sensorimotor
stage

Lifts large objects without
overbalancing

Can also pull large objects across
floor
In the left-hand column I have observed the child's behaviours. This column
should be based on what I saw when I observed the child. It should be nonjudgmental, clear and accurate.
In the right-hand column I have interpreted the observation based on what I saw.
I have tried to apply my understanding of child development and have also looked
out for individual capabilities and qualities in Lyle. Even in such a short, everyday
incident the individuality of each child shows through.
Above are three of the four parts that make up a complete Running record:
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2
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the information about the child
the actual observation
my interpretation of the events.
Now summarise or evaluate this information. To do this, put all the comments in
the interpretation column into a more readable format. You can then form the
evaluation.
Evaluation
Lyle is able to push and pull objects along the floor. He can also lift large
objects and manoeuvre them without overbalancing. On previous
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occasions when Lyle reached the 'bump' he would start to yell until a
caregiver came over to help him. In this observation he has shown signs of
being in Piaget's substage 5 of the Sensorimotor period, by using trial and
error to solve a problem (Nixon and Gould, 1999). He is showing
indications of developing persistence in achieving his goals as he learns to
problem-solve. Lyle is also showing an interest in exploring his
environment in novel ways by using the chair as a part of his explorations.
Let’s see how the same event would look if it were recorded and interpreted later
from memory in an Anecdotal record.
Anecdotal record
Name: Lyle
Setting: Toddler room, Indoor Play
Age: 17 months
Date: 24.2.05
Observation
Interpretation/Evaluation
Lyle was pushing a child-sized chair
along the Playroom floor. When he
came to the 'bump' between the
lino and the carpet, he continued
to push the chair. It wouldn't go
over the bump. He tried a couple
of times. He then lifted the chair
up, turned it around and dragged it
across the bump onto the carpet
for several metres.
Lyle is able to push and pull objects along
the floor. He can also lift large objects and
manoeuvre them without overbalancing. On
previous occasions when Lyle reached the
'bump' he would start to yell until a
caregiver came over to help him. In this
observation he has shown signs of being in
Piaget's substage 5 of the Sensorimotor
period, by using trial and error to solve a
problem (Nixon and Gould, 1999). He is
showing indications of developing
persistence in achieving his goals as he
learns to problem-solve. Lyle is also showing
an interest in exploring his environment in
novel ways, by using the chair as a part of
his explorations.
You can see that it is very similar except the observation has been written after
the event in much briefer terms. It has, however, been decoded it and arrived at
similar conclusions.
In the above interpretation/evaluation I have also linked the new information
from this observation to other information about this child ('On previous
occasions when Lyle reached the 'bump' he would start to yell until a caregiver
came over to help him'). I am not just looking at this child through this short
narrative recording—this would be too limiting. Instead I am trying to make
meaningful connections between information gathered at different times in order
to better understand him.
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Let’s recap what we should be looking for when interpreting our observations of
children. We are looking for evidence or indications of:
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a child’s individuality
a child’s interests
a child’s emerging skills
a child’s thinking or perspectives
a child’s particular expertise or strengths
a milestone reached
unusual or unexpected behaviour for this child
a need for practice, experience or assistance.
If you would like to read more about interpretation, go to Martin (2004) Take a
Look, pages 17–20 (see Additional resources) and read her ‘Plan to Assist the
Analysis of an Observation’. Martin uses the term analysing rather than
interpreting. She offers some useful guiding questions for interpreting or
analysing the information in observations in this section of the book.
Activity 1
Activity 2
Interpretations based on photographs
Written records are not the only kind of information about children we can
interpret. You can gather information from a range of sources, not just from
written records. Try practicing writing interpretations based on photographs and
work samples.
Look at the following series of photos and write your evaluation of this toddler.
What do you know about her from the photos? What is she interested in?
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Screen dumps of Elizabeth
Activity 3
Activity 4
A good way to record your interpretation or analysis is to structure the
information into each of the developmental domains. Most people find it useful
to include a section for 'interests' too.
Decoding
One process used in analysis is called decoding. In decoding we attempt to
identify developmental information about the child. You may choose to decode
each observation immediately after you complete it or you may want to decode
when you have a collection of observation material and you are ready to
summarise the child’s development to that point. Generally this type of detailed
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analysis is used with narrative observations such as anecdotes and running
records.
Here are some suggestions of what to look for when decoding:
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physical development, for example physical description of the child,
health and fitness, general characteristics of activities, large and small
muscular coordination, eating, dressing, toileting, rest
social development, for example attitude towards other children, main
attachments to others, ability to lead and follow, special friends,
social techniques used with other children (sharing, cooperation, etc)
and attitude towards adults, regular carers, student teachers, visitors)
cognitive and language development, for example attention span and
persistence, reasoning and problem solving, comprehension, abstract
concepts, memory, imagination, receptive and expressive language
and vocabulary, ability to express needs and ideas
emotional development, for example adjustment to change and new
situations, ability to control emotions, expression of anger, fear,
affection, joy and pleasure, spontaneity, reactions to guidance –
testing, resistance, temper outbursts, etc
interests, for example activities preferred, favourite toys, ideas expressed
in play, interest in stories and books, use of art materials, interest in
music, experiences in science and other areas.
Here is an example of decoding a running record.
Child’s name: Rajinder
Age: 1.4
Date: 23/08/05
Setting: In the kitchen with his grandmother,
father, mother, Sukhadeep (sister 4) Mena
(cousin 5) and observer present.
Time: 8.00 – 8.05 pm
Observation
8.00
Rajinder is near the birdcage
when he hears the dog barking in the
kitchen (1). He crawls in on his hands and
knees. He stands up and moves to a chair
(2). His father calls him, ‘Come here,
Rajinder’. Rajinder ignores his father (3)
and toddles (4) off to a kitchen cupboard,
(5) where there are utensils hanging on
the wall. He tentatively touches one (6)
and it moves. He jabbers to it (7) and
pushes it. He pulls the utensil, seemingly
to try to get it off its hook (8). He finally
leaves it (9) and toddles over to the
table. Grandmother gives him a biscuit,
which he takes in his left hand saying,
‘Ta’ without being prompted (10).
Dropping his biscuit, he bends down to
pick it up with his left hand (11). Rajinder
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Decoding
1 Auditory perception—location of sound
2 Motor skills—crawls, stands from prone
position, needs no support
3 Father not the focus at present,
environment too interesting
4 Locomotion balance still uncertain
5 Exploring skills
6 Reaching, hand-eye coordination
7 Language still babbling but has purpose in
communication
8 Piaget’s tertiary circular reactions trial and
error process problem solving
9 Attention span short (15 sec)
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then begins to blow bubbles, laughing
and chortling. His laugh is high-pitched
(12). Sukhadeep calls him, ‘Rajinder’. He
turns his body towards her and gabbles
away (13). Seeing something on the
floor, he drops to a prone position and
crawls after it (14). It is a piece of
cellophane, which he picks up with
thumb and index finger of left hand (15).
He crumples the paper, laughing at the
sound (16). His mother takes it from him.
He is not concerned by this loss and does
not look for the lost plaything (17).
Picking up an empty ice-cream container
with two hands, he drops it to the floor
several times (18). Then, putting it on his
head, he toddles across to his father,
laughing (19). His stance when walking is
inclined forward, feet slightly splayed
and arms hanging loosely. He tends to
run, as if he is afraid he will fall (20).
10 Primitive knowledge of social role
11 Hand-eye coordination; fine motor
control, gross motor—can stoop from
standing; using left hand
12 Non-verbal communication
13 Recognises his name and answers nonverbally
14 Curiosity—crawls to desired object
15 Fine motor—using pincer grasp and left
hand
16 Pleasure in sounds
17 Accepts removal of the toy—can use
alternatives
18 Repetitive behaviour for its own sake
19 Pretending it is a hat?—beginnings of
pretend play
20 Not yet walking confidently
Sometimes an observer will classify the decoding as it is recorded, deciding which
developmental domain each specific decoding relates to. One way to do this is to
use a colour code for each developmental area or perhaps a number code that
identifies the relevant developmental domain. It is a lengthy process but it can
yield a great deal of detail-rich information about all areas of the child’s
development and interests and makes it easier to group all the information
quickly.
Activity 5
In this example you can see that the observation has mainly illustrated knowledge
about Melanie’s social and emotional development. If Voula put this knowledge
into context with the other observations in Melanie’s portfolio she would be able
to plan strategies and opportunities to enhance Melanie’s social and emotional
development.
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Monitor and interpret behaviour that is
out of character for an individual child
and respond appropriately
Monitor and interpret behaviour
Annelise is a well-settled child who normally engages enthusiastically in
the centre program and routines and plays happily with a stable group of
children her age. Lately, however, our observations reflect significant
changes in her behaviour. She is sometimes reluctant to let her mother
leave in the morning and spends a lot of time staying close to caregivers,
‘helping’ them with routine tasks and only briefly engaging in play
experiences with other children.
Annelise’s behaviour has changed markedly and no-one at the centre
knows why. There are many different reasons why her behaviour may
have changed.
Activity 6
It is important in these circumstances that changes in behaviour are noted so that
caregivers can devise strategies to find out the reasons for these changes and can
plan appropriately for the child.
Activity 7
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Demonstrate understanding and
application of inclusive principles in
interpreting observations
Inclusive principles and understanding
'Tom is such an academic child, he loves to sit and read books and
complete puzzles and never wants to run and play outside with the other
boys. But as he is Filipino this is to be expected, as Asian children are
never interested in gross motor play.'
'Alison is very aware of her appearance and only engages in activities that
will not spoil her beautiful clothes. She needs a program that allows her to
continue playing with dolls and strollers while maintaining her
immaculate standards of dress.'
'Bernie is a rather shy, uncertain child. This is because he has same-sex
parents and his mothers are lesbians.'
Activity 8
These stereotypical views are likely to lead to poor understanding of these
children and inadequate programming for them. There are many other reasons
why they may display the preferences and behaviours summarised in these
statements and there are many other strategies that could be explored with
them. Stereotypical views of children limit our vision for planning.
We do need to understand the family and cultural context of each child but we
need a full, informed understanding, not a narrow, stereotypical view based on
preconceptions about family, culture and gender.
Children don't come to you without a past or a context. The family they belong to,
the family’s cultural background and the community and society they live in
influences them. For young children the most significant influence is their family.
Parents are also a wonderful source of information about their children, as we
discussed earlier, and they are usually happy to be asked about their children!
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Situational analysis
A situational analysis (sometimes known as an environmental analysis) is a
method of gathering information about the total environment that surrounds and
influences the children, caregivers and families in a service. It provides a way for
you to become quickly familiar with the service and the people that use and
influence the service, in order to plan effectively for the children that attend.
Developing a situational analysis for a service is another way of gathering
information about the children in your service. It focuses on the wider perspective
of the context they live in and are developing in. It discourages us from looking at
the child in isolation. It highlights the interconnected layers of family,
neighbourhood, services, culture and beliefs that surround a child and play a part
in their development. These layers impact on the child, and the child too has an
influence on them. In this sense it is a type of observation or information
gathering, and it is one that both informs you about the children in your care and
informs your planning for them.
The list below contains headings and guiding questions needed to develop a
situational analysis. When we do a situational analysis we need to find out about
the community in which the service is situated.
The community: we need to find out the:
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language and cultural groups in the community
available resources in the community
values and beliefs in the community
types of workplaces and jobs available in the community
interests and leisure pursuits of the community members
socioeconomic groups in the community.
The service: we need to find out situational factors in the service itself, factors
such as:
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the management model used (ie privately owned and run, council run,
community based, etc)
staff qualifications, hours, special roles
equipment and resources available, building type
philosophy, goals and policy of the service
regulations, funding, accreditation requirements.
The children: we also need to find out about the children themselves—details
such as:
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their home language and cultural backgrounds
their interests and experiences
their developmental stages, and their developmental emerging skills and
strengths
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how the children are grouped (eg peer grouping, mixed-age grouping,
small developmental groups, etc) in the service
friendship groups and kinship groups among the children.
The above guiding questions are adapted from Arthur et al (1996) Programming
and Planning in Early Childhood Settings (2nd edn), Harcourt and Brace, Australia.
You can read more about conducting a situational analysis in this textbook.
Activity 9
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