The Power of Observation for Birth Through Eight

by Judy R. Jablon, Amy Laura Dombro, Margo L. Dichtelmiller

The Power of Observation explores the vital connection between observation and effective teaching. Much more than a set of skills, observation is a mind-set of openness and wonder that helps teachers and caregivers learn more about each child in their care. The link between observation and relationship building is an important theme of this book.

The authors share their own experiences, and those of many others, to illustrate how observation helps teachers and caregivers become more effective in the child care center, preschool, family child care home, and elementary classroom. They offer guidelines for effective observation and specific strategies to help you refine your skills and make observation an integral part of your teaching.

This second edition includes expanded guidance on applying what you learn from observation to your daily practices. It also features a new study guide that is informed by recommendations from the many university and community college professors who use the book as a textbook for their courses.

We are pleased that the National Association for the Education of Young Children has chosen to make this book a 2007 Comprehensive Member Benefit.

Genres: Education

194 pages

First published November 1, 1999

Reviews

[Tony Laplume]

The kind of educational tool that has no clue who its audience is. Most of the book is written from the perspective of teachers who are basically already doing advanced observations, or quickly adopt such practices. It’s not written in a very convincing fashion; the anonymity of every reference and uniform observation samples doesn’t present a portrait of authenticity.

I find this troubling because observation is so crucial, and yet this book makes it seem the only way to obtain any use out of it is to find time to write extensive notes. It assumes a teacher can’t generate useful observations without them.

The focus should instead be on mindful practices that help teachers observe without crutches, not to lean heavily on them. If a teacher can’t learn something as basic as the students under their care, if they’re busy taking every possible shortcut, they are not likely going to read a book like this much less settle into its ideas so easily.

This is the second edition of the book. Perhaps a third, or scrap it and try better later.

[caleb]

3.5

[Angela]

This is a great book for teacher's who are new to observation-based assessment as well as a fantastic way for seasoned "observers" to be reminded. The well-organized and sub-divided chapters along with the discussion questions and activities at the end of the book lend themselves to using this for group discussions.

"You can use the information you learn from observing to create your classroom's physical and social environment and to plan your daily routines and activities. The environment you crate leads children to certain kinds of discoveries and thinking and to the acquisition of certain skills. Your role is to facilitate children's thinking and learning gas they discover their won meaning of their experiences." (p. 23)

[Holly]

An extremely straightforward guide to the power of observation and how to do it. This book basically hits you over the head with a repetition of reasons and ways to observe individual children, or a group of children. An easy quick read for any teacher or child care provider.

[Jennah]

What a great book that explains, very easily, the "Power of Observation." I wish I had this book at the beginning on my major, it is very helpful. We used it for discussions, observations, and the midterm in our Intro to the Teaching Profession class. Now we are on to the next book.

[Kate]

This is a helpful book for practitioners striving to use observation as a method of individualizing interactions with children. A nice complimentary text for an Observational Methods course.

[Jess]

A pretty straightforward, readable guide to being an effective teacher-observer. Glad I got a big chunk read before my first day at elementary school--helped my notetaking.

[Christine]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11464587

[Nadiene]

Great book on thinking about how one should observe their classroom. Really made me reflect on my role as a teacher.

[Stephanie]

I think that this is a good book for anyone who wants to become a preschool teacher. I would say the down side this book is there is no index so it is hard to fins a topic when you are in a hurry

[Kay Kay]

This book was wonderful! It was encouraging and practical! Vital for any classroom teacher!

[Jill]

This is a great read for a new teacher of young children.