Observing Children In The Primary Classroom

This revised edition of "Classroom Observation of Primary School Children" is based on case studies of particular children and teachers and is designed to be used for school-based in-service training and in college, polytechnic university-based initial-training.

Observing children is a fundamental aspect of learning to teach and a vital component of primary English teaching. Observing Primary Literacy focuses on observing children and teachers in the primary classroom. Its purpose is to enable trainee teachers to make sense of what they observe in classrooms. This book aims to help make explicit the reasons for the professional decisions teachers make before and during lessons, as well as encouraging critical and reflective thought on key aspects of primary English. Using a detailed examination of real-life case studies, Margaret Perkins provides a framework for understanding the literacy learning processes of primary-age children and how this can inform good teaching practice. She demonstrates to readers how to re-focus on children's learning and develop a critically informed approach to literacy in the modern primary classroom. This is essential reading for all students studying primary English on primary initial teacher education courses including undergraduate (BEd, BA with QTS), postgraduate (PGCE, SCITT), and employment-based routes into teaching. It is also useful for practising teachers who wish to develop their understanding and practice of literacy teaching. Dr Margaret Perkins is Senior Lecturer at the University of Reading.

In a sequence of observations of six children aged 5-11 in six different state schools this book offers a slice of classroom life, a microcosm of the educational scene. Since the book was first written there have been many changes in the curriculum, structure, governance and funding of British primary schools, as well as in the language used to describe these changes. But Observing Children in the Primary Classroom remains as valid now as earlier, as a lively and entertaining indicator of children’s daily school experience. We see the reception class of an infants’ school through the eyes of Mike, a lively five-year-old traveller boy. Six-year-old Rashda, a girl of Asian heritage, grapples with English as a Second Language at her multi-ethnic city school. Slow-learner David finds school life rather overpowering, despite receiving expert extra help. Lucy, eight, is a star in everything she does at her Roman Catholic school, while Lorraine, one year older, is cheerful but utterly bewildered. Finally, Peter, organises his work in an open-plan setting and makes some surprising choices.

In a sequence of observations of six children aged 5-11 in six different state schools this book offers a slice of classroom life, a microcosm of the educational scene. Since the book was first written there have been many changes in the curriculum, structure, governance and funding of British primary schools, as well as in the language used to describe these changes. But Observing Children in the Primary Classroom remains as valid now as earlier, as a lively and entertaining indicator of children’s daily school experience. We see the reception class of an infants’ school through the eyes of Mike, a lively five-year-old traveller boy. Six-year-old Rashda, a girl of Asian heritage, grapples with English as a Second Language at her multi-ethnic city school. Slow-learner David finds school life rather overpowering, despite receiving expert extra help. Lucy, eight, is a star in everything she does at her Roman Catholic school, while Lorraine, one year older, is cheerful but utterly bewildered. Finally, Peter, organises his work in an open-plan setting and makes some surprising choices.

Systematic observation is essential for educators to evaluate properly the effectiveness of curricula and to address the problems of individual students. This new third edition emphasizes early childhood, and focuses on those skills that will enable the observer to make appropriate, valid inferences and to arrive at decisions based on objective observation data gathered in natural learning environments and diverse educational settings. Includes new focuses on: Procedures for observing environmental factors that affect learning and behavior The importance of understanding the cultural and linguistic characteristics of children’s learning environmentsThe key role of observation in the assessment processThe forms of observation, with illustrative examplesThe exploration of reliability, sampling behavior, recording formats, summarizing observational outcomes, and validity Using photographs, sample worksheets, a simple format, and straight-forward language, the authors cite fascinating real-life examples from early childhood that can be applied to a variety of classroom experiences. “The Classroom Observer provides the foundation for learning how to watch children in systematic and child-focused ways. The authors make the critical and often underappreciated point that keen insight into children’s development may be learned, and that while many early childhood educators already watch children, much can be gained from systematic observation. I believe that this book provides a basis for critical reflection upon one’s own observation skills.” —From the Foreword by Jeanne Brooks-Gunn

A detailed text on early childhood classroom observation, uniting solid methodological instruction with a broad understanding of children's development. This second edition integrates concepts from the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Code of Ethical Conduct, and illustrate

A detailed, accessible and literacy-focused textbook for those training to teach in primary education using real life classroom scenarios to explore aspects of good teaching practice.