Early Childhood Observation and Assessment - Shellharbour TAFE NSW

This assignment documents a child observation, focusing on a 4-year-old's painting activity. It includes anecdotal notes detailing the child's concentration, planning, and attention to detail while creating a painting of underwater life. The assessment interprets the child's skills and developmental domains, linking them to theoretical perspectives such as Vygotsky's and Piaget's theories of learning. It also connects the child's development to the Early Years Learning Framework, emphasizing becoming, being, and belonging. The document outlines learning possibilities for inclusion in the curriculum, objectives for future learning and development, and references relevant academic sources. The assignment is based on work completed at Shellharbour TAFE Higher Education.

DOCUMENTATION, PLANNING & ASSESSMENT RECORD
Date: Context: Child Name: Age:
Observation:
Anecdotal
Narrative written like a
story after the event in
PAST tense. Describe
what the child did
during the creation of
the work.
(the observation should be like a story, each and everything that the child does should be recorded)
The Child took had the white sheet of paper spread in front of him. He seemed very concentrated and planned. The child did not really feel confused. It
seemed that he was –prepared with the theme that he needed to paint on the paper. It might also be the case that what he was drawing was related to
some stories or some kinds of imagination that is stored within his mind from a long time. The child seemed very concentrated and he also seemed to
enjoy his work. This is really very important because enjoying one’s work make the work very easy. He painted the paper with blue colour. In the next
step he used his fingers to create orange dots all over the paper. This part seemed quite exciting because it was not easy to make out what the student
was actually trying to create. After creating those orange dots all over the paper, he took his painting brush again. This time he dipped his brush in the red
colour and started drawing some lines below those orange dots and he also drew some find like structure at the side. He was drawing some fish. Then he
drew the eyes of those tiny fished by creating black dots. While making this painting, the child was trying to use every detail so that nothing is missed out.
The child did not want to miss any details in his painting.
Referenced
Interpretation of the
skills and/or
developmental
domains. Add specific
information on
behaviour/skills from
research
The child is really very skilled at painting. This is resident because usually children of 4 years of age are often restless and are not that focussed in making
any painting with deep intricate details. However this child seemed very organized and concentration his work. He made sure that he is finishing his
painting with all the required details. He drew the fishes and made sure to draw the eyes and also the bubbles in white colour in front of their mouth. So,
the child did not forget to depict that the fishes need to breathe under water. So, the child is sympathetic toward the animals or any living beings So, he
was drawing the bubbles very attentively in order to show that the fishes are breathing. He also had a good and detailed understanding of the
underwater world. It might show that he has an aquarium in his house and he has recorded the activities of the fishes very attentively. Its shows his deep
attentive nature. He also knew that there are some underwater plants as well. So he drew the plants with green water. So, it is evident that he did not
use any wrong colour for any objects. He could have also painted the trees in red rather than green. However this shows that he has a lot of
concentration and he believes in understanding everything by paying deep attention.
Learning and
development linkage to
Theoretical Perspectives Early Years Learning Framework
Shellharbour TAFE Higher Education

DOCUMENTATION, PLANNING & ASSESSMENT RECORD
The development of the child can be connected
with the theory of learning as given by Vygotsky.
Even if painting is an inbuilt quality of the child
he may have excelled in it by social interaction
and under the guidance of the other people like
his parents, siblings or teachers (Lotfi & Joybar,
2015). So, the opinion given by Piaget is that
children learn from the inbuilt qualities present
in them (Siegler, 2016). However even if the child
is good at painting he had to be encouraged by
his family or by his teachers at school.
From becoming, being and belonging from DEEWAN 2009
The child is belonging to a group that is in his school. It is from this group that he is developing the
feeling of belongingness. So, this ensures that he will be staying at a very comfortable position and
his mind will be at peace. Family members will also have to play a very important role in this matter.
They will try to analyse their position and their belonging in the community and the society. This will
be done through family meetings and social or community gatherings. Preschool in particular and the
schooling in general has a very important role to play. Teachers at school must help the students at
every step do that they can understand their roles. Being is that phase where the children will realize
their roles in family and in their schools as well. They will realize that they are being a student at
school, they are being a sibling at home, and they are being a good friend and other such roles
(Cranley et al., 2018). The becoming phase is the one where the children will have to learn what they
are becoming in life and in their society.
Objective for future learning and development Learning Possibilities for inclusion in the curriculum
To be more clean while making the intricate parts of the panting.
To nurture their skills like concentration, detailed and deep understanding of their
surrounding.
A group discussion session where the child psychology experts and talk with the
children and can understand their areas of interest.
There can be some parent- teachers meeting as well. This will help the families to
play an important role in their development.
Reference
Cranley, L., Johnson, G., Robinson, C., & O’Connor, D. (2018). Belonging, being and becoming active citizens. Asia Pacific Journal of Advanced Business and Social Studies, 4(1).
Lotfi, A. R., & Joybar, B. (2015). Theoretical Frameworks of Language Development" A Library Research". Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 5(4), 420.
Shellharbour TAFE Higher Education

DOCUMENTATION, PLANNING & ASSESSMENT RECORD
Siegler, R. S. (2016). Continuity and change in the field of cognitive development and in the perspectives of one cognitive developmentalist. Child Development Perspectives, 10(2),
128-133.
Bibliography
Bredekamp, S. (2014). Effective practices in early childhood education: Building a foundation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press.
Renninger, K. A., Hidi, S., Krapp, A., & Renninger, A. (2014). The role of interest in learning and development. Psychology Press.
Saxe, G. B. (2015). Culture and cognitive development: Studies in mathematical understanding. Psychology Press.
Shellharbour TAFE Higher Education