A good observation note in preschool is a short, factual record of what a child did and said in a specific moment, written so that someone who was not there could picture it. It includes the date, the setting, who was involved and the child's actual words, and it keeps description separate from interpretation. Teachers mostly use brief anecdotal records, with longer running records and time or event sampling for particular questions.
Observation is the raw material for every other kind of early-years assessment. Learning stories, portfolios and development records are only as good as the notes underneath them. This guide is for teachers who are new to writing observations, for experienced teachers moving into a bilingual setting, and for curriculum leads who want a shared standard across a team. It covers the main methods, what separates a useful note from a vague one, and how to make observation fit into a day that is already full.
The four main observation methods
Each method answers a different kind of question. Most of the time teachers write short anecdotal records, and they reach for the other three when they need something more systematic.
| Method | What it looks like | Best used when |
|---|---|---|
| Anecdotal record | Three to six sentences describing one episode, written during or soon after it | Capturing everyday learning, new skills, interests and significant moments |
| Running record | A continuous, detailed account of everything a child does and says over five to fifteen minutes | Understanding how a child approaches an activity, or a puzzling behaviour |
| Time sampling | Brief notes on what a child is doing at fixed intervals, for example every ten minutes across a morning | Seeing how a child spends time, who she plays with, or how engaged she is |
| Event sampling | A note each time a particular kind of event happens, with what came before and after it | Understanding a recurring behaviour, such as conflicts at the snack table |
Event sampling is often written in an antecedent, behaviour, consequence format: what happened just before, what the child did, and what happened next. It is especially helpful when a team is worried about a pattern of behaviour, because it shifts attention from the child to the circumstances that tend to trigger the behaviour, which are usually easier to change.
What a useful note contains
A useful note answers a few basic questions. When did this happen? Where, and during what part of the day? Who was involved? What exactly did the child do, and what did she say? Did an adult help, and how? Notes that include these details can be read months later by a teacher who has never met the child, and they still make sense.
Children's actual words matter more than teachers often realise. "She explained how the bridge worked" is a summary. "She pointed at the two piles of blocks and said, in Vietnamese, the bridge needs feet on both sides or it falls in the river, then added the English word bridge when the teacher asked" is evidence. It shows language in two languages, reasoning about balance, and a connection to a story read earlier that week. In a bilingual classroom, notes should record which language the child used, because that information is impossible to reconstruct later.
Context belongs in the note too. Whether the child chose the activity or was asked to join it, whether a friend was nearby, whether it was the first time she had tried it, and how long she stayed with it all change what the episode means. A child who builds a tower alone for twenty minutes during free play is showing something different from a child who builds one because the teacher set the task, even if the towers look identical.
A note should also be short enough to write. Three to six sentences is plenty for an anecdotal record. Teachers who try to capture everything usually end up capturing nothing, because the task becomes too large to start. It is better to write one precise note about one child than a long paragraph about the whole group that says little about anyone.
Description versus interpretation: rewriting weak notes
The most common weakness in observation notes is mixing what was seen with what the teacher concluded. Interpretation has a place, but it belongs in a separate line, clearly marked. The examples below show weak notes and stronger rewrites.
| Weak note | Stronger rewrite |
|---|---|
| Minh Anh was shy today. | During morning circle Minh Anh sat at the edge of the group and did not answer when invited to share. Later, at the water tray, she talked to her friend continuously in Vietnamese for ten minutes. |
| He was naughty at lunch. | At lunch he pushed his plate away twice and stood up three times before the food arrived. When the teacher sat beside him, he stayed seated and ate. |
| Good at puzzles. | Completed the twelve-piece farm puzzle in about four minutes, turning pieces to test them before placing. Asked for a harder one. |
| Understands English well. | Followed the English instruction to put the red cups on the top shelf without a gesture from the teacher, and answered "this one?" while holding up a cup. |
The names in the table are invented for illustration. Notice that the stronger rewrites avoid labels such as shy, naughty or good. Labels close down thinking, and they tend to stick to children long after they stop being true. A description leaves room for different readings and invites the next question: why was she quiet at circle but talkative at the water tray?
Adding a careful interpretation
Once the description is down, a teacher can add a short interpretation, usually in a separate line beginning with something like "What this might show". Interpretations work best when they are tentative, connected to the curriculum and pointed toward action. For example: what this might show is that she is more confident speaking in small groups than in the whole circle; next week, try inviting her to share with a partner first.
In the Global Nexus curriculum, interpretations are linked to one or more of the six dimensions: language, emotion, life skills, independence, creativity and thinking. Linking is not the same as forcing a note into a box. Many episodes touch several dimensions at once, and saying so is more accurate than choosing one. The links simply make it possible, at the end of a theme, to see whether the team has noticed each child across the whole range of development or only in one or two areas.
Teachers should also be honest about uncertainty. One note proves very little. An interpretation is a hypothesis that later notes may support or overturn, and good teams treat it that way.
Observing in a bilingual classroom
A bilingual setting adds one more layer to every note: language choice. Children in a Vietnamese and English classroom move between the two languages constantly, and the pattern of those moves is itself information. A child who answers English questions in Vietnamese is showing that she understands English even if she is not yet ready to speak it. A child who mixes the two languages inside a sentence is using every resource she has, which researchers such as François Grosjean have long argued is normal bilingual behaviour rather than confusion.
For this reason, notes in a bilingual classroom should say who spoke which language, to whom and in what situation. "Asked for more rice in English at lunch, after the international teacher sat down at the table" says something different from "asked for more rice in English to a Vietnamese friend". Over a few weeks such details build a picture of where and with whom each language is growing.
Teachers also need to watch their own reading of children across languages. An international teacher who does not speak Vietnamese may underestimate a child who is articulate and witty in Vietnamese but quiet in English. A Vietnamese teacher may do the reverse with a child from an English-speaking home. The simplest safeguard is for co-teachers to read each other's notes and compare impressions of the same children regularly, so that no child is described only through the language in which she is weakest.
This matters for planning. If the notes show that a child understands far more English than she produces, the next step is not more vocabulary drilling but more low-pressure chances to speak, such as partner work, songs and role-play, where trying out a new phrase costs nothing.
Fitting observation into a busy day
Observation competes with everything else a preschool teacher does, and it usually loses unless the team builds it into the routine. A common approach is the focus-child system: each week, each teacher takes responsibility for observing a few named children more closely, so that over a cycle of several weeks every child is observed in depth. The rest of the time teachers still write quick notes on anything significant they see.
Co-teaching helps. In a bilingual classroom with a Vietnamese and an international teacher, one adult can lead an activity while the other observes, and they can swap roles across the day. The observing teacher often notices more, because she is not also managing the group. Teams that plan these roles in advance get far more observation done than teams that hope to fit it in.
Tools should be light. A small notebook in an apron pocket, sticky notes transferred to a file at the end of the day, or a tablet used to dictate a short note are all fine, provided the school has clear rules about where notes and photographs are stored and who can see them. What matters is that writing a note takes under a minute, and that the notes reach the weekly planning meeting.
Mistakes that make notes less useful
Writing everything at the end of the day. Memory fades and blends episodes together within hours. A single word or phrase jotted in the moment is enough to rebuild an accurate note later.
Observing only when something goes wrong. If the file on a child is mostly about conflicts, it describes a problem rather than a person. Teams should check that notes on each child include interests, ideas and successes.
Observing the easy children. Talkative, outgoing children generate notes almost by themselves. Quieter children need deliberate attention, which is another reason the focus-child system works.
Writing for the file instead of for the team. Notes that use private shorthand or vague phrases such as "did well today" cannot be used by a co-teacher, a substitute or next year's teacher. A useful test is whether a colleague who was absent that day could picture the episode from the note alone.
Never reading the notes again. A note that is written and filed but never discussed has cost time and changed nothing. Bringing a handful of notes to every weekly planning meeting, and asking what they mean for next week, keeps the whole system honest.
Recording only the result. "Finished the puzzle" says less than how the child approached it, whether she persisted, and whether she asked for help. The process is where most of the learning is visible.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
How many observation notes should a teacher write each week?
There is no single correct number. Many teams aim for a few short notes per child per week, with deeper observation of focus children on a rotating cycle. Quality and coverage across all children matter more than volume.
Should teachers write notes in Vietnamese or English?
In a bilingual team, each teacher usually writes in the language she writes most precisely, and the record is shared in a common format. What matters most is recording the child's actual words in whichever language the child used.
Is it acceptable to use a tablet or phone for observation?
Yes, provided the school has a clear policy on where photographs and notes are stored, who can see them and how long they are kept. Personal devices that hold children's images outside school systems should be avoided.
What is the difference between an anecdotal record and a learning story?
An anecdotal record is a short factual note of one episode. A learning story is a longer narrative that describes a significant episode, explains what learning the teacher sees in it and proposes a next step, often written to the child and family.
How do teachers avoid bias when observing?
By separating description from interpretation, observing every child deliberately rather than only the ones who stand out, checking patterns across several notes and several adults, and avoiding labels. Team discussion of notes is one of the best safeguards.
Do children notice when they are being observed?
Sometimes, especially older preschoolers. Observation works best when it is part of the ordinary rhythm of the room and teachers stay warm and available, so that children see an interested adult rather than an examiner.