Anecdotal Records Young Kids Development 
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1/23/08
12:44 PM
Page 31
Written records that objectively describe children’s abilities and progress are the basis for planning curriculum, communicating with families, and tracking children’s development. Adapt these observation strategies to fit any group of young children.
Anecdotal Records:
Valuable Tools for Assessing Young
Children’s Development
Laura McFarland tifying possible developmental delays (Bredekamp & Rosegrant,
Gather meaningful
1992; Cicchetti & Wagner, 1990; information about children.
Dodge, Heroman, Charles, &
Maiorca, 2004).
An anecdotal record is a detailed descriptive narrative recorded after a specific behavior or interaction occurs
(Beaty, 1986). Thus, when a teacher observes children
April 27, 2006 engage in a behavior that sheds light on their developArea of Development: Large Motor ment, the behavior is recorded in detail. This anecdote
Sammy D., 3 years
Sammy climbed into the large wagon without help. She lifted her right can then be filed and referred to later for a variety of purleg into the wagon and then her left. After Arianna pulled Sammy poses (Jones, 2004).
January 21, 2006
Area of Development: Cognitive
Sammy D., 2 years 9 months
Sammy spent 15 minutes exploring color paddles during indoor free-play. She held the yellow paddle on top of the blue paddle and asked Devon, who was standing nearby,
“What color do they make? They make green!”
around in the wagon for 5 minutes, she climbed out by herself.
Assessment involves observing and documenting children’s development, their learning experiences and relationships, and how they interact with the world around them.
The purpose of assessment is to gather meaningful information about children in order to make informed decisions to benefit their education and development (Bredekamp &
Rosegrant, 1992; Jones, 2004). Common observational techniques include:
• narrative records of observations
• checklists
• rating scales
• time sampling
1/23/08
12:44 PM
Page 31
Written records that objectively describe children’s abilities and progress are the basis for planning curriculum, communicating with families, and tracking children’s development. Adapt these observation strategies to fit any group of young children.
Anecdotal Records:
Valuable Tools for Assessing Young
Children’s Development
Laura McFarland tifying possible developmental delays (Bredekamp & Rosegrant,
Gather meaningful
1992; Cicchetti & Wagner, 1990; information about children.
Dodge, Heroman, Charles, &
Maiorca, 2004).
An anecdotal record is a detailed descriptive narrative recorded after a specific behavior or interaction occurs
(Beaty, 1986). Thus, when a teacher observes children
April 27, 2006 engage in a behavior that sheds light on their developArea of Development: Large Motor ment, the behavior is recorded in detail. This anecdote
Sammy D., 3 years
Sammy climbed into the large wagon without help. She lifted her right can then be filed and referred to later for a variety of purleg into the wagon and then her left. After Arianna pulled Sammy poses (Jones, 2004).
January 21, 2006
Area of Development: Cognitive
Sammy D., 2 years 9 months
Sammy spent 15 minutes exploring color paddles during indoor free-play. She held the yellow paddle on top of the blue paddle and asked Devon, who was standing nearby,
“What color do they make? They make green!”
around in the wagon for 5 minutes, she climbed out by herself.
Assessment involves observing and documenting children’s development, their learning experiences and relationships, and how they interact with the world around them.
The purpose of assessment is to gather meaningful information about children in order to make informed decisions to benefit their education and development (Bredekamp &
Rosegrant, 1992; Jones, 2004). Common observational techniques include:
• narrative records of observations
• checklists
• rating scales
• time sampling
References: Beaty, J. (1986). Observing the development of the young child (3rd ed.) Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (Eds.). (1997). (1992). Reaching potentials: Transform- DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD