There are many reasons why we observe children. The reason may influence the nature of the observation in terms of who is observed or who is doing the observing. Although specifications for observation may be varied, the purpose is to find out more about:

• a child or group of children.
• the effectiveness of provision.

It is the responsibility of all practitioners to note important information from what they observe. Children have different relationships with different adults. Through observation, each adult will bring an individual perspective to the assessment process for each child.

Sometimes, chances to make vital observations can be lost amongst our daily routine. Choose one of the scenarios below to take a step backwards and have an in depth look at some of those everyday happenings. As you work through the scenario, you will be given prompts to help your analysis.