Ongoing child assessment determines how children are developing across all developmental domains. It also measures and documents growth, development, and learning over time. Assessment tools support this process. Some of these tools involve formally observing children and documenting those observations and other related examples of children’s knowledge and skills. Discover resources for using observation as part of your ongoing assessment of infants and toddlers.

Child Observation: The Heart of Individualizing Responsive Care for Infants and Toddlers

Explore this technical assistance paper to learn how to support staff in Early Head Start and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start programs who provide professional development. Find helpful information and strategies to support and strengthen observation skills. Use this resource with teachers, family child care providers, and home visitors who work with infants, toddlers, and their families.

Look at Me! Using Focused Child Observation with Infants and Toddlers

Watch this video for tips on using focused observation with infants and toddlers. There are also chances to “try out” some of the techniques discussed in the podcast.

Clearing Your View: Staying Objective in Observation

Early Head Start and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start staff watch and observe babies every day. In this podcast, learn about ways to use everyday observations to help create a true picture of a baby. Find out how to observe babies and record what is seen in an objective way. By doing so, staff can better understand the meaning of a child's behavior.