Objective Observation
Ken Breeding
Words are Important
Writing your observations allows you to reflect on them to inform how you choose to respond to issues with children. They can also help you train to be more objective.
The following exercise focuses on practicing objective observation when examining social environments for young children. As you complete this activity, think of yourself as a video camera. Your role is to record only what you can see and hear, without adding opinions, interpretations, assumptions, or conclusions. Objective observation requires gathering factual information, not explaining why a behavior occurred or what it means.
When observing adult–child and child–child interactions, pay close attention to observable actions and spoken words. For example, note what an adult says to a child, how materials are shared, or how children are grouped during activities. Avoid describing emotions, intentions, or motivations unless they are directly stated aloud. If an adult models helping behavior or acknowledges a child’s action, record the exact words used and the specific behavior that occurred.
It is easy to move from observation into judgment by using cognitive shortcuts, words that summarize or label behavior rather than describe it.
Exercise
The words and phrases listed below should never be used in this exercise. Instead, describe exactly what happened. Use the child’s name in place of “X” rather than pronouns such as he, she, or they.
The goal of this exercise is to strengthen your ability to separate facts from interpretations. By practicing precise, neutral descriptions, you will develop a clearer understanding of how social environments are structured and how adult behaviors may support or limit children’s opportunities to engage in prosocial interactions.
- X seems
- X tried
- X appears
- X wants
- X avoids
- X likes
- X doesn’t like
- X can’t
- X meant
- X understands
- X feels
- X got
- X gets
- X leaves
- X goes
- X moves
- X plays
- X comes
- X puts
- X grabs
- X decided
- X chose
- X thought
- X became aware
- X knew
- X saw
- X got/was (any emotion)
- X was aware
- I believe
- I feel
Include the child’s own words. Use quotation marks to document what the child says. Write it exactly as the child (or adult) says it.
Be positive. If the behavior is negative, state what occurred exactly as it occurred, without opinion or judgment.
Be specific; record the events in the order that they happen and give details. For example, it is better to say, “Billy counts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 10.”, instead of saying, “Billy tries to count to 10.”
Describe what the child is doing. Do not use “Carlos takes a block.” Instead, describe, “Carlos picks up a block with his right hand.” Also, instead of saying, “Zoe gets up,” describe her actions: “Zoe stands up and walks to the sink.”
Also, the use of the word “friend” to describe other children is a judgment. Just use the child’s name, or the words “girl” or “boy” instead.
Let Them Help You Find Subjective Judgment and Replace it with “Just the Facts”
Key Takeaways
Given this research, here are some practical implications for guiding educators:
- Recognize “fast thinking” traps
Know that your mind is predisposed to snap to interpretations quickly. Pause and ask: “What exactly did I see/hear? What else could explain it?” - Lower cognitive load where possible
When you are fatigued, distracted, or handling many demands, observation becomes more error-prone. Try to schedule observation slots when you have mental bandwidth or use pair‐observers or rotating breaks. - Use structured tools and multiple data points
Because of these interpretive biases, relying solely on memory or on a single impression is risky. Combining observation methods (running records, event sampling, time sampling, etc.) helps provide a richer and more checkable dataset. - Reflect on your assumptions
After recording observation, set aside time to reflect on potential bias (e.g. “Did I assume motive? Did I ignore context?”). You might ask a colleague to read your record and ask “What else might have been happening?” - Track patterns over time rather than isolated incidents
Because single incidents are more susceptible to misinterpretation, look for consistency across settings, times, peers, and tasks before drawing strong conclusions.
