EYFS Best Practice: All about ... Assessment through observation

In our view, listening to young children is an integral part of understanding what they are feeling and experiencing, and what it is they need from their early years experience. It is important to remember that all children are 'experts in their own lives' (Langsted 1994(1)) and are active 'co-constructors of meaning.

These ideas about childhood, children's rights, democratic participation and voice have profoundly affected our research and development work at the Centre for Research in Early Childhood in Birmingham.

Observation is one of the most important professional skills a practitioner uses in their day-to-day practice. It is the process of systematically watching and listening to children and documenting what practitioners see and hear. Regular, focused observations of children are at the heart of effective assessment and planning for learning and development. High-quality and systematic observational-based assessment is at the heart of the AcE Programme, a new learning outcomes assessment technique for early years practitioners that we have developed along with Maureen Saunders (2010)(2).

Observation is a way of collecting information about the child and their individual capacities. It enables practitioners and parents to understand a child's unique approach to the world, the level of their current competencies and skills; to recognise any particular talents and gifts they are developing, any particular needs they have, the state of their emotional well-being; and to make sense of how the child's understanding and thinking is evolving. The information gained also allows the practitioner to track children's learning and development over time and in different contexts, and to plan for the next steps of learning.

Skilled practitioners assess children's progress by analysing and interpreting their regular observations of children engaged in a range of daily experiences and activities. The information gained from observations of the child in the setting is strengthened when the parent's observations of the child at home are added.

Observations can be formal (planned and structured) and informal (spontaneous and narrative). Practitioners need both kinds of observation to ensure they capture the child's learning and development profile as a whole. Practitioners plan for learning at an individual and group level on the basis of the information gained by their observations of children. This enables the learning experiences planned to be pitched at the right level of challenge to extend the child's capacities.

Observational skills

The EYFS Curriculum Guidance (2008) suggests five key observation skills that the AcE observation strategy requires:

1. Looking - being clear about what aspects of learning and development the observation is focusing on

2. Listening - paying attention to the child's interactions and narratives as they engage with the world

3. Recording - noting what is significant in an efficient and accurate way

4. Thinking - reflecting on what has been seen, and linking this into assessing and planning

5. Questioning - asking questions in dialogue with parents, children and other adults to clarify, confirm or reject judgments about what has been observed.

Types of observation

There are many types of observation, but generally practitioners will be using 'participant observations', which means they carry them out in the course of their normal, daily activity with the children. The AcE assessment process draws on each of the types of observation detailed here.

Some observations will be spontaneous and take the form of incidental notes (Post-its are often used), which capture a child's response to an activity or event as it occurs.

Some observations will be more carefully planned. These will be carefully timetabled, as the practitioner needs to be able to stand back and watch the child engaged in their day-to-day activity, and in particular, when the child is at play or engaged in a self-chosen activity. The observation is generally focused on certain aspects of the child's development and learning.

These observations are often documented in an agreed format, which may map on to the EYFS defined areas of learning. These planned observations usually last for around two to ten minutes, with some information being recorded as the observation progresses, with additional notes added afterwards.

The advantage of these kind of observations are that, when several of them are built up over time and contexts, they can provide more reliable and valid evidence of the child's developmental profile.

Some observations may be specifically focused on an adult-directed learning activity or task to allow the practitioner to focus on a particular aspect of a child's development. It is recommended that observations of children engaged in adult-directed tasks or tests are used minimally to gather assessment evidence.

Some observations are also captured with photographs, audiotapes and video footage. This kind of information is useful as it contextualises the learning, but it can require more time for systematic analysis and interpretation. Such recorded observations have the advantage of supporting the dialogue with parents and children about the observational evidence. They are a very useful supplement to notes taken and documented in a shortened format.

Some observations may also be carried out by another professional, for example, a speech therapist or another specialist worker.

How to observe systematically

It is important that observations are carried out regularly and systematically to ensure the evidence gathered is trustworthy, accurate and valid. The AcE assessment process requires that the observations should include different times of the day, different activities and different groupings of children and that all key staff (particularly a child's key person) should be involved. All children in a setting should be observed over time, and it is important that judgments of a child are not made on the basis of one observation but on a series of observations carried out over time and capturing the child in different contexts and activities.

Where there are few additional staff around, for example, for childminders or those who work with babies, and the children require intense and close support, it can be more difficult to step back and observe. In these cases, it is recommended that practitioners observe the child while they also participate in the activity, and then document later what they see.

Involving parents and children

Ethical practice suggests that children from the earliest age and their parents should be involved in the observational and assessment process. All observations should be shared with these partners in the learning process, as it provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate a child's achievements and plan for the next stage of learning. Parents and children also know a lot more about the child's competencies and so can strengthen, validate and extend the observational evidence.

The AcE assessment process not only includes children and parents in the sharing of observations, but also encourages the children and parents to carry out their own observations and to record these in the form of a Learning Story in any way they choose. This joint assessment work provides an authentic and positive process of active partnership and involvement of parents and children in learning.

Becoming an active listener

Parents come first. They are the child's first educator and the most important influence in the child's life. Children learn from the moment of birth, if not sooner, and their parents and extended family provide both the context in which learning occurs and the continuity between home, nursery and school.

As the child progresses into early education and care settings, their learning continues to be most strongly influenced by the home, so it follows that the closer the links between parents and the early years setting, the more effective that learning becomes.

Parents have a unique knowledge of aspects of their child's development, which is central to an effective and accurate assessment process. An essential feature of effective parental involvement is an ongoing, symmetrical dialogue between parents and practitioners. This is based on one of the key principles of the EYFS - that 'parents and practitioners should work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect within which children can have security and confidence'. The Foundation Stage Guidance (2008)(3) emphasises the following features of good practice:

• practitioners use a variety of ways to keep parents fully informed about the curriculum

• parents and practitioners talk about and record information about the child's progress and achievements - for example, through meetings or making a book about the child, to which the child can contribute.

Real partnership demands a shared sense of purpose, mutual respect and a willingness to negotiate. It requires open, regular and reciprocal communication, where achievements are celebrated, problems confronted, solutions sought and policies implemented, jointly and together. It takes time, effort and trust. It implies that parental competence is on a par with professional expertise. Research(4) has demonstrated the benefit to children of the active involvement of parents in early childhood education. The role of parents is seen as one of the five defining and 'non-negotiable' features of high-quality early education (National Strategies, EYQISP, 2008)(5).

Getting to know parents

Parents are not an homogeneous group. Each family and their lives are different, and practitioners can find communicating and getting to know parents challenging. There is no one way of engaging parents. What suits one will not suit another, so different ways need to be thought through and tried. Settings must also be prepared to adapt the ways in which they work to suit the changing needs of families and to experiment and innovate where existing practices have not worked well.

But a starting point for most settings could be the initial visit of the key person or family worker to the family home before the child starts attending the setting. This is an ideal opportunity to begin to build positive relationships with the child and family and to exchange knowledge and information. Often, settings offer introductory meetings before a child starts attending, to help parents understand the setting's philosophy and approach to learning and development. This is another way to begin to build up good relationships and mutual respect and understandings.

Developing open and respectful relationships can be challenging for some parents and practitioners, for many reasons. Freire (1970, p71(6)) says there is a series of steps that have to be taken before participants can begin to develop a symmetrical dialogue with each other. These steps require participants to:

• perceive their own ignorance and give up the idea that they are the exclusive owners of truth and knowledge

• identify with others and recognise the fact that 'naming the world' is not the task of the elite

• value the contribution of others and listen to them with humility, respecting the particular view of the world held by different people

• get in touch with how much we need other people and have no fear of being displaced

• be humble; have faith in others and believe in their strengths.

Why listening matters

Listening is one of the most important skills a practitioner can have. How well practitioners listen has a major impact on their job effectiveness, and the quality of their relationship with others. Practitioners listen to obtain information, to understand, to enjoy and to learn.

Studies have shown that people remember a dismal 25 to 50 per cent of what they hear(7). That means when a person talks to someone for ten minutes, they only really hear up to half of it. By becoming better listeners, practitioners will improve their ability to influence, to persuade and to negotiate.

Active listening

Good listeners listen with their faces and all their senses. Faces contain most of the receptive equipment in our bodies, so it seems obvious that practitioners can be better listeners when they look at the other person. Eyes pick up the non-verbal signals that all people send out when they are talking. A speaker will work harder at sending out the information when they see a receptive audience in attendance. Eye contact helps to complete the communication circuit that must be established between speaker and listener for effective listening.

Once face and eye contact is established, it is important also to send out non-verbal signs to the speaker. A listener's face must move and give the range of emotions that indicate whether they are following what the speaker has to say. A good listener also stops talking about themselves and uses receptive language instead. 'I see ...', 'Oh really ...' and other such phrases that follow and encourage the speaker's train of thought are helpful. This kind of response forces the listener to react to the ideas presented, rather than the person. They can then move to asking questions, instead of giving their opinion on the information being presented.

A final skill for active listening is for the listener to totally concentrate on what the speaker is saying. A listener cannot fully hear the speaker's point of view or process information when they judge what they are hearing before it has been completed.

An open mind is one that is receiving and listening to information. Effective listening is an active rather than a passive activity. The listener must be an active participant for the cycle of communication to be complete.

Five elements of active listening

1. Pay attention: Give the speaker undivided attention and acknowledge their message. Recognise that what is not being said also speaks loudly.

2. Show you are listening: Use your own body language and gestures to convey your attention, nod occasionally, smile and use other facial expressions. Note your posture and make sure it is open and inviting. Encourage the speaker to continue with small verbal comments like 'yes' and 'uh huh'.

3. Provide feedback: Our personal filters, assumptions, judgments and beliefs can distort what we hear. As a listener your role is to understand what is being said. This may require you to reflect on what is being said by paraphrasing, 'What I am hearing is ...' or 'It sounds like you are saying ...'. Ask questions to clarify certain points - 'What do you mean when you say ...?', or 'Is this what you mean?' Summarise the speaker's comments periodically.

4. Defer judgment: Interrupting frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message. Allow the speaker to finish and do not interrupt with counter-arguments. Active listening is a model for respect and understanding. You are gaining information and perspective. You add nothing by attacking the speaker or otherwise putting him or her down.

5. Be candid, open and honest in your response: Assert your opinions respectfully. Treat the other person as you would want to be treated.

Listening to children

Much of what has been said above is equally important when listening to young children. Listening to children is an integral part of understanding what they are feeling and what it is they need from their early years experience. It acknowledges their right to be listened to and helps their views and experiences to be taken seriously. Listening can make a difference to our understanding of children's priorities and interests and it can make a difference to our understanding of how children feel about themselves.

Listening is a vital part of establishing respectful relationships with the children we work with. Listening can challenge assumptions and raise expectations. Seeing and hearing children express their interests and priorities can provide unexpected insights into their capabilities.

Listening is an active process of receiving, interpreting and responding to communication. It is a necessary stage in ensuring the participation of all young children and an ongoing part of tuning in to all young children as individuals. Understanding listening in this way is key to providing an environment in which all young children feel confident, safe and powerful, with the time and space to express themselves in whatever form suits them.

When listening to babies or children with disabilities, look to their body language, different tonal patterns, facial expressions and bodily movements. These signals help build a picture of what life is like in the setting for these children, what their preferences are and how competent and confident they feel. Remember that all children are experts in their own lives.

Our responsibility

Our work to support democratic, equalising and participative encounters within early years settings for practitioners, parents and children has shown us that children are able to express their opinion in ways that are very perceptive and that give a real insight into what their lives are and what meaning they are making of them. These insights provide a profoundly challenging alternative dimension to our knowledge and understanding of early childhood education and care and what shapes the lives of young children. It is clear that supporting and catching children's voices is complex, challenging and multi-layered.

We are reminded of Woodhead's (1999(8)) perceptive comments a decade ago: 'Morally, it seems to me that as teachers, students and researchers, we have a responsibility to be attuned to how the tasks of childhood are perceived, felt and understood by those children, their parents and other carers who have to solve the problems of living and growing up, in circumstances that may be vastly different from those that shape our own personal and academic priorities.' And: 'The question is about the status we accord the child through the methodologies we adopt and the conclusions we draw, and about whether we allow children the space to alter our agenda of presuppositions.'

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is now part of our thinking and discourse, but it is far from being realised in our actions. It is the responsibility of all of us engaged in working with young children to strive to ensure that children's right to active participation maintains a high profile, in practice as well as in theory. For this to happen, we all need to improve our listening skills.

- Professors Chris Pascal and Tony Bertram are directors of the Centre for Research in Early Childhood, in Birmingham, and co-authors of 'Accounting Early for Life Long Learning' (AcE), a training package focusing on what constitutes long-term and effective outcomes in early learning. For more information, visit: www.crec.co.uk

FOOTNOTES

1. Langsted O (1994) 'Looking at quality from the child's perspective', in Valuing Quality in Early Childhood Services: New Approaches to Defining Quality, ed. Moss P and Pence A, pp28-42. London: Paul Chapman

2. Bertram T, Pascal C and Saunders M (2010) The Accounting Early for Life Long Learning Programme, Amber publications

3. Foundation Stage Guidance, ibid

4. Parents as Partners in Early Learning (PPEL) project (2007) Parental Involvement - a snapshot of policy and practice, PPEL Project Phase 1 Report

5. EYQISP: http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/123129

6. Freire P (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Herder and Herder

7. Dale E (1969) Audio-Visual Methods in Teaching (3rd edition). Holt, Rinehart and Winston

8. Woodhead M (1999) 'Towards a global paradigm for research into early childhood education', European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, vol 7, no 1.

Photographs by Justin O'Hanlon at Kate Greenaway Nursery School and children's centre.