Tools and Techniques
Tools and Techniques to Monitor and Screen Children’s Development
Time Sampling or Frequency Counts
When a teacher wants to know how often or how infrequent a behavior is occurring, they will use a Frequency Count to track a child’s behavior during a specific timeframe. This technique can help teachers track a child’s social interactions, play preferences, temperamental traits, aggressive behaviors, and activity interests.
Checklists
When a teacher wants to look at a child’s overall development, checklists can be a very useful tool to determine the presence or absence of a particular skill, milestone or behavior. Teachers will observe children during play times, circle times and centers, and will check-off the skills and behaviors as they are observed. Checklists help to determine which developmental skills have been mastered, which skills are emerging, and which skills have yet to be learned.
Technology
Teachers can use video recorders, cameras and tape recorders to record children while they are actively playing. This is an ideal method for capturing authentic quotes and work samples.
Information gathered by way of technology can also be used with other screening tools and techniques as supporting evidence. (Note: it is important to be aware of center policies and procedures regarding proper consent before photographing or taping a child).
Event Sampling and the ABC Technique
When an incident occurs, we may wonder what triggered that behavior. The Event Sampling or ABC technique helps us to identify the social interactions and environmental situations that may cause children to react in certain ways. If we are to reinforce someone’s positive behavior, or change someone’s negative behavior, we must first try to understand what might be causing that particular behavior. With an ABC Analysis, the observer is looking for and tracking a specific behavior. More than the behavior itself, the observer wants to understand what is causing the behavior – this is antecedent. The antecedent happens before the behavior. It is believed that if the observer can find the “triggers” that might be leading up to or causing the challenging behavior, then potential strategies can be planned to alter, redirect or end the challenging behavior. In addition to uncovering the antecedent, what happens after the behavior is just as important, this is the “consequence.” How a child is treated after the incident or challenging behavior can create a positive or negative reinforcement pattern. In short, the ABC technique tells a brief story of what is happening before, during, and after a noted behavior.
The ABC observation method requires some training and practice. The observer must practice being neutral and free of bias, judgement and assumption in order to collect and record objective evidence and to portray an accurate picture. Although it may be uncomfortable to admit, certain behaviors can frustrate a teacher. If the teacher observes a child while feeling frustrated or annoyed, this can possibly taint the observation data. It is important to record just the facts. And to review the whole situation before making any premature assumptions.
Collecting your Data
If you have a concern about a child’s behavior or if you have noticed a time when a child’s behavior has been rather disruptive, you will schedule a planned observation. For this type of observation, you can either video record the child in classroom environment, or you can take observation notes using a Running Record or Anecdotal Record technique. To find a consistent pattern, it is best to tape or write down your observations for several days to find a true and consistent pattern. To document your observations, include the child’s name, date, time, setting, and context. Observe and write down everything you see and hear before, during and after the noted behavior.
Organizing your Data
Divide a piece of paper into 3 sections:
A – for Antecedent
B – for Behavior
C- for Consequence.
Using your observation notes you will organize the information you collected into the proper sections. As you record the observation evidence, remember to report just the facts as objectively as possible.
Afterwards, you will interpret the information and look for patterns. For example:
- Did you find any “triggers” before the behavior occurred?
- What kind of “reinforcement” did the child receive after the behavior?
- What are some possible strategies you can try to minimize or redirect the challenging behavior?
- Do you need to make environmental changes?
- Are their social interactions that need to be further monitored?
With challenging behaviors, there is not a quick fix or an easy answer. You must follow through and continue to observe the child to see if your strategies are working.
Examples
Here is an example of how the ABC Method can be used.
- (A) Antecedent: Right before an incident or challenging behavior occurs, something is going on to lead up to or prompt the actual incident or behavior.
- For example, one day during lunch Susie spills her milk (this behavior has happened several times before). Rather than focusing solely on the incident itself (Susie spilling the milk), look to see what was going on before the incident. More specifically, look to see if Susie was in a hurry to finish her snack so she could go outside and play? Was Susie being silly? Which hand was Susie using – is this her dominant hand? Is the milk pitcher too big for Susie to manipulate?
- (B) Behavior: This refers to the measurable or observable actions.
- In this case, it is Susie spilling the milk. (
- C) Consequence: The consequence is what happens directly after the behavior.
- For example, right after Susie spilt the milk, did you yell at her or display an unhappy or disgusted look? Did Susie cry? Did Susie attempt to clean up the milk? Did another child try to help Susie?
And here is a template to document this information.
Observer:
Date and Time:
Child:
Child’s Age:
Location and Setting:
Background Information:
| Antecedent | Behavior | Consequences |
|---|---|---|
Interpretation:
Plan of Action / Strategies:
The Practice of Screening and Evaluating
Beyond monitoring, once a child has been “red-flagged” they will need to be assessed by a professional who will use a formal diagnostic tool to evaluate the child’s development. Families can request that a formal screening be conducted at the local elementary school if their child is 3 to 5 years old. Depending upon the nature of the red flag, there are a battery of tools that can be used to evaluate a child’s development. Here are some guidelines:
- Screenings are designed to be brief (30 minutes or less)
- A more comprehensive assessment and formal evaluation must be conducted by a professional in order to confirm or disconfirm any red flags that were raised during the initial monitoring or screening process
- Families must be treated with dignity, sensitivity and compassion while their child is going through the screening process
- Use a screening tool from a reputable publishing company
Screening Instruments and Evaluation Tests
The instruments listed below are merely a sample of some of the developmental and academic screening tests that are widely used.
- Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ), Brookes Publishing Company (available in Spanish, French, and Korean)
- Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening Test, Riverside Publishing
- Developmental Indicators for Assessment of Learning (DIAL) III, Pearson Assessments (includes Spanish materials)
- Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), University of Oregon Center on Teaching and Learning
- Early Screening Inventory-Revised (ESI-R), Pearson Early Learning (includes separate scoring for preschool and kindergarten)
Key Takeaways
Reliability and Validity Defined
- Reliability means that the scores on the tool will be stable regardless of when the tool is administered, where it is administered, and who is administering it. Reliability answers the question: Is the tool producing consistent information across different circumstances? Reliability provides assurance that comparable information will be obtained from the tool across different situations.
- Validity means that the scores on the tool accurately capture what the tool is meant to capture in terms of content. Validity answers the question: Is the tool assessing what it is supposed to assess?
