Anecdotal Recording Coursework Example

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Anecdotal Record
This is a highly detailed and a specific form of observation in the occurrence of an incident or event. It is mainly for a specific interest. It gives accurate details of the event that took place within a specific period of time. It is used to observe and monitor the behavior of a child and it is effective because it captures most of the details if not all. Using the anecdotal method I captured the behaviors of a child playing between a time span of ten to twenty minutes.
During this observation Adrian, a three-year-old that was playing with other children were arranging blocks on top of one another. In the process of doing this, they counted the number of blocks up to a certain level that is from number one to six. This gave them a consistency on knowing on when to stop rather than interrupting the play with talks. They would then count again as they knocked over these blocks to fall down.
This act of knocking down the blocks and seeing them fall down got them excited and would all laugh in unison. Watching them all laugh and have fun made me feel happy and eager to see what they would next. They did this repeatedly until Adrian suggested that they should start being airplanes.
He lifted his hands and spread them outside to fit the description of the appearance of an airplane and started running around cheerfully at the center of the block making sounds like “vroom, vroom.Bruzz”. As he was acting like an airplane with his arms spread and running around one of his arms hit another child accidentally this caught him and the child by surprise.

He said sorry to the child.
During this observation, Adrian and the other children were playing, interacting, learning, having fun and also learning proper etiquette. As they were counting the number of blocks they placed on each other they counted. They also coordinated counting in unison as they dropped blocks. After he hit the other child accidentally and said sorry that showed proper etiquette. During this whole process and observing them there were feelings of eagerness and happiness.
This form of recording is applicable when one wants to learn about a child’s social interaction. How well a child can corporate and get along with other children. A child’s level of ability to interact with other children affects how they perceive the world as a whole. Therefore this form of interaction serves a very important role in the life of young children.
It can use in observing the behavior of a child, their skills, and perspective about different outcomes of an event. The way a child behaves around other children can be well captured using the anecdotal recording. The skills of a child can be identified when doing this record as each individual skills stand out (Rhodes et al, 509).
It is also applicable for teachers with the aim of collecting the children’s development and learning. It is able to record what a child says or does and identifies a child’s different needs. Therefore a teacher can be able to focus on a child’s specific needs. Some behaviors in children are well identified by observation.
The anecdotal recording is, therefore, an effective and better way of assessing children. During this recording, a teacher is able to observe a child in different aspects of their development. They are able to learn about a child’s need and assist them to tailor learning according to a child’s specific needs. This improves the quality of learning and makes it more effective and fruitful.
Works Cited
Rhodes, Lynn K., and Sally Nathenson-Mejia. “Anecdotal records: A powerful tool for ongoing literacy assessment.” The Reading Teacher 45.7 (2010): 502-509.