Observing and Recording the Behavior of Young Children

''Responds to new knowledge about how children think, learn, and develop language, and about the influences of families, culture, and other environmental influences.'' --Zero to Three

''By providing detailed descriptions of the important aspects of a child's life (routines, use of materials, language, interactions, and more), giving specific questions to guide thoughtful observations, and offering a wealth of real examples, the authors inspire and teach us to observe and record more carefully. This new edition contains powerful lessons about child development, cultural influences, and why we should focus on understanding rather than measuring children.'' --Diane Trister Dodge, Founder & President of Teaching Strategies, Inc.

With more than 120,000 copies in print, this classic text has been widely acclaimed as a highly effective tool to help teachers better understand children's behavior. The thoroughly revised and updated Fifth Edition outlines methods for record-keeping that provide a realistic picture of each child's interactions and experiences in the classroom. Numerous examples of teachers' observations of children from birth to age 8 enrich this work and make it accessible, practical, and enjoyable to read. Based on the latest thinking in the field, the new Fifth Edition is an even more valuable resource for pre- and inservice educators of young children. New features include updated observations that reflect the diverse population in contemporary classrooms, recent research on language and children with special needs, and a total revision of the chapter that relates thinking to Piagetian theory, with more relevant descriptions of the processes of assimilation and accommodation.