Importance of Observation Research in Childcare

Unit 5
Explain the reasons for conducting observations and the format that these can take:
Reference 1 and reference 6
In a nursery setting it is very important to carry out observations.
Reasons of observations:
The reason why observations are important is because it helps children know how they are improving on their development. Observations also help key workers know how to support children in their playful activities. Observations help children to go up a level. In a observation the child and the key worker gets to know each other, they get to talk and the key worker gets a chance to play along with children and help children to socialise.
Methods of observation:
The main observation nurseries use is writing down and taking photographs. This helps nursery know more about the child.
How to carry out observations:

You must sit and watch children play
If children do not know how to play you show them and give them something to play with.
You then talk to children as they get to know you and get used to you
You seat their and spot the child’s weakness and try to put it correct
You then begin to write down what the child is doing such as analyse as they get talking and get to know you.
You must understand how they are improving with a key worker observing children.
When a key worker writes down on a post it note, they must write everything a child is doing with the puzzle.
The key worker can also ask the child questions.
Observations are mainly one to one observations.
Key worker will then take photo and write up a report on this child on how they are doing in their development.

Children can be observed on many activities accoutring to their age:

Ball activity
Play dough
Lego
Football
Communication
Drawing
Cutting
Numbers
Alphabets
reading

Discuss the importance of parental permission for carrying out observations on children and babies aged 3 and under:
Reference 2
As a nursery we ensure we report everything we have to, to parents, regarding their children. This includes observations and collecting information which we have to about their children.
We might take photographs of children’s, vidieo recordings of children.
In some setting it is up to the student’s to get permissions from parents to carry out observation and it is up to the students to build relationship with both children and parents to build up student’s career.
Nurseries also have to keep in touch with the third parties when information needs to be passed on, such as a child who is ill in health, this information must be reported to them and their report and the child’s information so the third parties can support the nurseries on this issue.
Most parents are okay with their children being obsevered as it helps them to know how their children are improving.
Observations are carried out according to the child’s age. Such as in the baby room a child might be observed on their crawling or walking. They must tell their parents as they are babies to keep them up to date and help them know their child is in good hands.
The reason for parental permission is if a stranger was to walk in and take a photograph of a child, the stranger can do anything with the child’s photograph. It is important a key worker or a member of staff CRB checked is always there to keep an eye out for children. a child who has been observed in writing, someone might have left this observation at the reception desk for someone to easily pick up this can be a document to unwanted visitors to read. This can cause the nursery big problems and lead to the nursery a penalty of closing.
Identify the process for carrying out a risk assessment within the nursery environment and the steps to be taken for those items requiring attention:
In a nursery a key worker has been asked to look for all hazards’s and assess what can happen:

You must identify all hazards such as:

Computer wire left lying and not plugged, children can trip over, and these can be protected by ensuring the plug is plugged to the socket and that worker’s check up on this.
Children’s cups and plates unwashed, children become unclean, to keep protected it is up to key workers to ensure these are always washed.
Chairs left in the middle of play area where children play and walk, children can fall; to keep all protected children must be shown how to seat on a chair and push the chairs under the table.
Children swinging on their chair, children can fall backwards – children should be told not to swing on the chair.
Toys left where children run around, children can trip over – toys must be cleared and put in the correct place.
Children pushing each other, we ensure children talk to children not to push each other and report this then discuss why this happened in a meeting and find ways on how to protect children.
Children playing with broken toys – it is important worker’s check all toys before children come in the morning and that this is reported and discussed at the meeting and find out why this happen so it can be reported to parents.
Sharp adult scissors left for children on cutting table – this should also be put away, and reported to discuss during the meeting times in the mornings.
Knives left on playing tables when should be in safe hands of an adult while cutting fruit for children during snack times- it is important to report this and be honest even thou you picked it up.
Children not washing hands after toilet times- this is very important because children have to keep clean, this must be report and ensure a key worker is informed to help children wash their hands.
Children running around, children can trip over and hurt themselves it is important children keep calm and walk.
Children’s drawing all over the floor, staff member not seeing this and children may be walking on this and running, children’s work half ripped apart and therefore nurseries have to do double work, this must be reported and discussed.
To many workers and less children, it is important this is discussed to have less worker during certain days.

As a nursery we must pay attention to the risk and watch all children around us
Process

Administrator of the nursery creates a table of all the hazards in the nursery.
The administrator then gives this to the assessment team to carry out
The assessment team then rates these hazards to see if it is minor or extreme for children to be in.

Reference 3
After completing the assessment this must be discussed at the meeting and then a staff meeting must be organised to inform the staff which has to check up on these risk’s at all times. We must find ways on how to stop these risks from happening; we must carry out this risk assessment once every month for regular checks. We must also write a report on how this can be protected.
Evaluate in which communication can be encouraged for learning and play among your children:
Reference 4
My finding on this question is that children need to be listened to when they talk on everyday life. Children and key worker’s build relationship to make it easier to communicate this give children great confidence. It is important to reach children to their chosen goal of communication, we must allow children to talk up to the level they must talk at.
As children talk key worker must give contact that you are there and listening to them, children can talk about anything they like this will give children more encouragement.
In a nursery setting I found that 3 years age children begin to talk full sentences. Key workers encourage children to read books, gives them talking times during circle times. Pre-schoolers like to talk more about their past life what they did. They enjoying talking rather than playing as they like to be more like adults and learn more about how adults are.

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To encourage pre-school children key workers ask children question as many as they can in a day to keep them confident and talking and active at all times. As key workers we encourage children to talk about the world, whatever they can think of something good. We encourage our workers to tell children to talk to each other while they play, we ask children what they are playing with as these type of question’s are common to ask.
Communication can also be encouraged by giving child the time to reply back, we give children rewards on when they communicate well, we ensure all members of staff listen to children when they talk, we repeat if children do not understand the question when it is there time to talk, we show children how to answer to questions, we build children’s talking up to the highest level they can talk.
In a nursery, key workers put a group of children with a similar interest in a communication activity. Key workers support children by carrying out role play. This can be a communication role play on London zoo. They can talk about animals and have an acting show to perform in front of the group. To support children we encourage children to talk, we provide as many activities we can. When key workers play with a group of children they talk more to children and ask as many questions they can.
Reference 5
From my other finding while working in nurseries in my area’s I also found that there are so many communication activities, which are:

Saying out alphabets and numbers out loud
Talking times during circle
Reading books out loud
Socialising and talking while playing
Question times

When putting all the above together, encouragement is the best way to improve children’s communication learning.
References:
Reference 1: http://www.childrenscentres.org.uk/ps_step_by_step_observations.asp (I used the link to give me an understanding and wrote it into my own words.
Reference 2: I used the hand book pages 91 – about how parents are happy the way children are observed.
Reference 3: I used page 93 – 94 in the hand book to give me an understanding then wrote into my own words. I used the meanings.
Reference 4: http://extension.missouri.edu/p/GH6123 – I used this and wrote it into my own words and used mostly my own words based on the question.
Reference 5 – working for nurseries
Reference 6 http://www.homelearningcollege.com/HLC/media/PDF/SampleMaterial/ChildCare/Diploma-In-Early-Learning-And-Childcare-Sample.pdf – I used this link to give myself an understanding
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