Preschool-Child-Observation-Record

PreschoolChildObservationRecordDevelopedbyHigh/ScopeTheCORdevelopmentalassessmentforages2½-6PurposesforAssessment•Todeterminethecognitive,linguistic,social,emotional,andphysicaldevelopmentofchildren•Toidentifychildren’sinterestsandlearningstyles•Toplan•Tomeettheneedsofindividualchildren•Todetermineprogress•Toprovideinformationtoparents•Toprovideself-insightsEarlyChildhoodNewsJanuary/February2004WhatistheCOR?TheHigh/ScopeChildObservationRecord(COR)isanassessmentinstrumentdesignedforusewithchildrenages2½-6yearsoldinanearlychildhoodsetting.Afterkeepinganecdotalrecordsofthechild’sbehaviorinregularprogramactivitiesoverseveralweeksormonths,theobservercompletesaparentreportformbynotingbehaviorsthatbestcharacterizesthechild’sexperiencesineachofthesixgeneralcurriculumareas.SixcategoriesincludedintheCOR•Initiative•SocialRelations•CreativeRepresentation•MusicandMovement•LanguageandLiteracy•MathematicsandScience32CORItemsIncludedwithinthesecategoriesareatotalof32preschoolCORitems.Fivestatementsdescribingthechild’slevelofbehavior,numbered1to5,arelistedundereachitem.Baseduponobservationsofthechild,theobserverchoosesthestatementundereachitemthatbestrepresentsthehighestlevelofbehaviorcharacteristicofthechild.Initiative•Makingchoicesandplans•Solvingproblemswithmaterials•Initiatingplay•TakingcareofpersonalneedsSocialRelations•Relatingtoadults•Relatingtootherchildren•Resolvinginterpersonalconflict•UnderstandingandexpressingfeelingsCreativeRepresentation•Makingandbuildingmodels•Drawingandpaintingpictures•PretendingMovementandMusic•Movinginvariousways•Movingwithobjects•Feelingandexpressingsteadybeat•Movingtomusic•SingingLanguageandLiteracy•Listeningtoandunderstandingspeech•Usingvocabulary•Usingcomplexpatternsofspeech•Showingawarenessofsoundsinwords•Demonstratingknowledgeaboutbooks•Usingletternamesandsounds•Reading•WritingMathematicsandScience•Sortingobjects•Identifyingpatterns•Comparingproperties•Counting•Identifyingpositionanddirection•Identifyingsequence,change,andcausality•Identifyingmaterialsandproperties•IdentifyingnaturalandlivingthingsMathematicalLanguage“LogicalandMathematicalknowledgeistheleastteachableknowledgethereis.Atleastatthepreschoollevel,thisknowledgeisinevitablymasteredbynormalyoungchildrenastheyworkwithobjectsinthephysicalworld.However,thelanguageforthesebasicconceptsoflogicandmathematicsmustbelearnedbychildrenfromadultsorotherchildren.”High/ScopeEducationalResearchFoundation1992FormatforAnecdotes•Dateeachanecdote•Beginning-Identifywhen,where,andwho•Middle–Describewhatthechilddidandsaid,usequotestodocumentthechild’slanguage•Ending–Whenapplicable,statetheoutcomeObjectiveAnecdotes•Focusonwhatthechilddidandsaid•Befactual•Bespecific•BeBriefHintsfortakingAnecdotes•Useabbreviations•Writeonstickynotes•Sharenotesduringpost-lab(thishelpsmotivatepracticumstudentstohelptakenotes)•Savechildren’sdatedartwork•Takepicturesofwhatthechildhasbuilt•Cross-referenceanecdotes•Sortnotesduringnon-busytimes•FocusonaCORcategory•DogroupobservationsfocusingonseveralchildrenConclusionWhyuseobservationratherthantestingtoassesschildren?Asadultswhoworkinearlychildhoodprograms,weknowthatchildrencometouswithwidelydifferingexperiences,abilities,temperaments,andtalents.Inlearningenvironmentsthatnurtureeachchild’suniquepatternofstrengthsandabilities,childrenlearnthattheyarecapableandcanbesuccessfulinpresentandfutureendeavors.TheCORwillhelpyouidentifytheskillsandstrengthsofeachchildthiswillallowyoutoplanandadjustyourteachingmaterials,techniques,andactivitiestomatchtheindividualinterestsanddevelopmentalneedsofthechildren.