Why are observations so important?

Observations are important as they give key foundations for a lot of Year 1 teachers. Although, observations can help to give all teachers an insight into the types of children within their class. According to Observation, Assessment and Planning (2014) "each child has a unique set of abilities and talents, observations in different situations capture these first hand." This shows how observations allow teachers to gain a greater knowledge of the child as a whole.
What to look for within observations?
When observing children there are six main aspects that we focus on. Most observations focus on the holistic development of a child. However, sometimes a specific area may be centered on. The six main areas are physical skills, intellectual skills, language skills, emotional skills, social skills and spiritual skills.

How do observations help?
Observations of children help the teacher to have a better relationship with the child as they are able to determine the child's likes and then be able to incorporate these within their lessons. If a teacher creates activities that the children are interested in then they are more likely to concentrate for longer. Observations also help to diagnose any problems that the child may be experiencing, the teacher can then support the child in their learning of these subjects.

"Analyse your observations and highlight children's achievements of their need for further supports." 

                                                                  Every Child Matters (2005)
Types of Observations
There are many types of observations that practitioners use these include: 

• Time sampling
• Checklist
• Narrative
• Photographic/ video/ audio
• Note-taking/ post it's

Temple.S (2014)