Chapter 3: Using Anecdotal Recordings to Look at Self Care 

 
Fact Reflection 
3-1 (Using the Anecdotal Recording)  Our minds cannot remember every detail, 
❖ Facts written at the scene very  as we are constantly taking in new 
shortly after are the most accurate.  information. Note-taking is important 
➢ Certain incidents need to be  because it leaves less room for human 
remembered exactly as they  error.  
happened 
➢ Best remembered in its 
entirety, leaving out room 
for 
judgments/interpretations 

3-1a (Narrative)  When I first read the word incident in the 

❖ Anecdotal Recording: ​narrative  definition, I perceived is as negative. 
account of an incident anywhere  However, incidents just implies an event 
from a few seconds to several  (good or bad) You can note down 
minutes in length  humorous events or good behavior as well.  
➢ Tells the reader when,   
where, who, and what.    
➢ Most factual recording   
method   
❖ Can be used to portray:  Helps the teacher to prep for relaying 
➢ Incident that indicates child’s  information back to the adult about the 
development in a specific  child.  
area   
➢ Funny event to share with   
families later   
➢ Note child’s repeated   
behavior   
❖ When an effect occurs that is   
important to remember, a few notes   
are jotted down to refer to later  Going back to the notes on the same day 
➢ Notes are rewritten at end of  helps to alleviate any information being 
day bc the details are still  left out or forgotten, intentionally or 
fresh  otherwise. 

3-1b (Open Method)  I like the wording of the reader getting a 

❖ Open Method: ​preserves raw data,  “mental picture” of the event that occured. 
details so separate conclusions can  It does its best to eliminate any bias that 
be drawn  may creep through and ensures that 
➢ Reader gets a mental picture  observation was ethically taking place.  
of the event by reading the   
 words   
❖ Anecdotal recording is a written   
replay of an incident.    
❖ Difference between note taking and  The distinction between the two is 
making:  important to note in order to ensure that 
➢ Taking→ (seeing, hearing,  the information put in the anecdotal 
feeling, smelling) descriptive  recordings is up to par.  
field notes that give reader a 
recreation of the sensory info 
➢ Making→ interpretation of 
what is being observed 

3-1c (What to Write About)  Having the ABC method is helpful for first 
❖ A-B-C Method  time observers. If there was no format to 
➢ Antecedent: setting and  follow, I would probably end up noting 
what took place before the  information that would not be beneficial 
event  later. 
➢ Behavior: describe it in   
detail, not a summary   
➢ Consequences: of the   
behavior   
■ What was the effect   
on child and other   
around?   
❖ The observations should mainly be  Observations are never meant to catch the 
positive  child doing something they shouldn’t be 
➢ Record “can-dos”   doing in order to punish them. They are 
➢ Ex:  not on trial for anything. Noting 
■ Toys, books of  unacceptable behavior and stopping it 
interest  before it affects the safety of the child 
■ Topics of interest  and/or others is important, but trying to 
■ Activities (duration,  rat out the child is never the main goal.  
preference) 
■ Child taking 
responsibility for 
safety of self and 
others 

3-1d (Learning Stories)  Learning stories help the child, adult, and 
❖ Learning Stories is another name  teacher understand each other’s 
for Anecdotal Recording  perspectives in a way they might have not 
➢ Concentrates especially on  been able to without the recording.  
the child’s disposition toward 
learning 
➢ Able to capture the action 
 and communication, then 
adds the observer’s 
comments to make meaning 
from what is observed and 
what can happen next 
➢ The child can also hear it 
back and can give 
explanations of the incidents 
that took place 
➢ These short observations can 
be turned into a learning 
opportunity for all parties. 

3-2 (Keeping Inferences out of Anecdotal  I think it is vital to record information in 
Recording)  the way that textbook provided. By folding 
❖ Inference​: informed judgment or  it in half when sharing, you allow the 
conclusion based on observation  person to still add their perspective (which 
➢ A.R. itself does not answer  can be different from the recorders), 
the “why”, which is why  without having any cloud of judgment 
inferences are important  peaking through.  
❖ Inferences are typically written on   
the right hand folded side to make   
sure that each reader has a fresh,   
unbiased view of situation  Again, the child is never to be put on trial, 
❖ Everyone reads the same words,  so the words should be written with this in 
but their inferences are different  mind.  
because of their perspectives.  
❖ Everything written should be done 
so with care, as the words that we 
use can convey positive or negative 
connotations. 

3-2a The Language of Observation  Our words have power. This is something 
❖ Can use:  I learned in high school, and throughout 
➢ verbs (walk, strut)  my life it has proven to be true time and 
➢ Adverbs (softly, quietly,  time again.  
confidentally)   
➢ Adjectives (mournful cry,   
toothy grin)   
➢ Tense   
■ For accuracy in the   
timing of the writing   
to the actual event,   
the selection of tense   
makes a difference.   
 ■ When writing an   
account as it is   
happening, use   
present tense   
❖ Observer bias: i​ nterpretation is  To avoid this, I feel like it must be 
conveyed by the choice of words  practiced and to build out of a habit of 
➢ Ex:   writing with our own judgments in mind. 
■ Jumped and fell NOT  It is something that we might easily do 
was clumsy  without even knowing we are doing it.  

3-2b (Anecdotal Differs from Diary)  Like I previously mentioned, it is 

❖ A.R. differ from reflective  important to build the habit of notation in 
journals/diary entries  both forms: for personal reflection and for 
❖ A.R looks at  anecdotal recording.  
➢ Body positions   
➢ actions/reactions  We have to train ourselves to know what 
➢ Exact words  we are writing for and about and what is 
➢ Inflection and pronunciation  appropriate in each form. 
❖ Use all of the senses   
➢ Visual cues may lead the   
observer to make inferences  Having a format or template to follow will 
about children  help greatly.  
■ body appearance,   
hygiene   
➢ Hearing   
■ Many areas of   
development can be   
assessed   
● Emotional   
state, cognitive   
and physical   
dev, health,   
family   
➢ Touching   
■ Muscle tone, illness,   
stress, injury,   
response to touch   
(accepting,   
withdrawn)   
➢ Smell   
■ Hygiene, home odors,   
safety   
➢ Taste   
■ Not a reliable method   
 ❖ The observer should be aware of  Open communication is key. Knowing 
instinctual or gut feelings  what and why you wrote something is 
❖ A.R. can serve as stepping stones  important because then you can better 
when discussing and reflecting with  communicate your notes to the parents. 
parents  The goal is not writing just to write.  
 
 

3-2c (How to Find the Time)  I personally feel that audio recording 
❖ Keep a pen and paper handy at all  (voice to text) would be most beneficial for 
times  me as I can not write or type very fast.  
❖ Different technologies to use 
➢ Small tape recorder 
➢ Smart phones/tablets 
➢ Audio recording 
■ Can be transcribed 
later by a typist 
● Making it 
easier to print 
out a copy for 
families 
➢ Video recording: best way to 
capture all the details of an 
incident 
■ However, it can take 
a long time to 
rewatch and difficult 
to focus camera on 
one child without 
them being aware and 
acting different for 
the camera 
➢ Voice-to-text software 
➢ Text on smartphone 
■ For privacy, make 
sure phone is on 
airplane mode and 
photos and texts 
should deleted from 
phone after prompt 
use. 
❖ Electronic recording devices can be 
used because they capture what is 
happening at a faster and more 
 accurate rate 

3-2d (What to Do with This Information)  Another common theme with the 
❖ A.R. contributes to the overall  observation process is that privacy and 
assessment and evaluation of the  security is key. If this is broken, there can 
child when combined with other  be legal consequences, but also the trust 
information-gathering resources.  between the child, family, and teacher is 
➢ Stored in child’s portfolio  now broken.  
❖ If incident recorded involves more   
than one child, it can be copied but   
the names of the other children   
need to be blocked out.   
➢ Confidentiality and because   
it is unpredictable what   
judgments the reader will   
make about the other   
children involved   
❖ Class activity plans and intentional  The teacher is able to learn from these 
teaching lessons come from close  notes and further the success of 
observations  themselves as an educator but also for the 
❖ The record can decide to further  child’s academic and personal success as 
question a concern   well.  
➢ Being aware that a student   
may need to go to a speech   
therapist or another   
professional   
❖ Seeking the advice of colleagues not   
responsible for the child is also a  As a future speech pathologist, I need to 
way to gain the perspective of an  establish a solid relationship with my 
uninvolved professional.   client’s teachers in order to ensure the 
❖ Teacher should always be aware of  child's needs are being met. I need to be 
the protocol of program/school  able to understand the notes of the teacher, 
when sharing info with family  add my perspective, and tend to the child 
➢ Students may share info as  on an individual and group level. 
long as it has been approved 
by the teacher 
❖ A child is an extension of the family 
and this is a very sensitive area 
❖ Actions or behavior are recorded 
descriptively as a way to explain 
development to the family 
➢ With permission from 
family, A.R.’s can be read by 
helping professionals 
 ❖ A.E. are considered acceptable 
evidence to document a child abuse 
disclosure 

3-3 Looking at Self-Care Skills  If you don’t allow the child to try activities 
❖ The accomplishment of taking care  and routines for themselves, you are a 
of one’s own needs is a progression  babysitter and not a teacher.  
throughout childhood.   
❖ Self-care skills involve all areas of  Not allowing the child to develop this 
development-physical, social,  practice of self-care will as a consequence 
emotional, cognitive, and  affect your ability to properly met curricula 
language-and contribute to self  standards.  
worth.   
❖ Self-care skills such as eating,  Even when you are an adult and out of 
sleeping, personal hygiene, and  school, self-care is important. More 
toileting are affected by separation  recently, there has been a self-care trend 
anxiety  on twitter promoting its need and 
➢ These routines can serve as  importance for all ages. It is not a habit 
assessments of development,  that stops when you reach 3rd grade, it is 
and serve as basis for  continuous and needs to be constantly 
intentional and individualized  adapted and worked on.  
teaching for the group or   
child who needs assistance in   
a specific area.    
❖ Cultural differences can vary in the  Tolerance and patience are key in allowing 
definition and practice of self-care  this bridging to occur.  
➢ Being aware and tolerant of 
varied beliefs and practices 
can make everyone more 
comfortable. 

3-3a (Development of Self-Care Skills)  The more the child is able to understand 
❖ Each self-care skill follows a  themselves, the more they build the habit 
sequential path of development  of self-care. 
➢ Series of actions follow the a   
progression because it   
depends on physical growth   
and development and builds   
on the skills and experience   
previously learned   
➢ The skills do not appear and  If times like this do occur, it’s important 
then disappear; unless  that the child have a solid understanding of 
trauma or drastic event  their self-care needs prior to the incident in 
occurs and effects  order to be able to get back to meeting 
❖ We care about knowing the typical  those goals, and possibly adding new ones 
 progression because it serves as a  for proper healing.  
milestone/marker.  
➢ The adult or caregiver can 
then be prepared the the 
next series of events and 
encourage the child in doing 
so.  

3-3b Self Care and Autonomy  Children crave routine and structure. It is 
❖ Autonomy: ​the process of governing  important for their development in all 
oneself and providing for one’s own  areas. The role of a teacher is not to inhibit 
needs is the goal of childhood  the child from reaching their full potential, 
➢ To develop autonomy,  but instead recognizing and helping them 
children need both ability  reach it.  
and opportunity   
❖ Teachers still need to be protective   
and restrictive while allowing the   
child opportunity to begin to be   
more independent   
❖ Individualists: t​ radition, political,  There will always be different schools of 
cultural system that values  thought. Luckily there is common ground 
independence  in every situation. No matter what you 
➢ Autonomy is related  believe, the child is of importance. Sharing 
❖ Collectivists: t​ radition or political  this knowledge is a gift because it gives 
system where individual is  you the foundation to build on.  
devalued; focus on the group and 
interdependence 
❖ In the routines of the early 
childhood classroom, these two 
perspective can conflict each other 
➢ The role of the teacher is to 
be aware of the differences 
and act in a way that 
supports the values of each 
side 

3-3c (When to Help and when Not to)  Again, you are the teacher and not a 
❖ Fine line between giving assistance  babysitter. No true progress can be made 
and being motivated  in their minds if they are treated like 
➢ “Children are just learning  robots and controlled in every area of 
these skills, so it is important  development.  
not to force them… The   
important thing, as I have   
tried to suggest, is to find a   
healthy middle ground   
 between doing everything   
for children and doing   
nothing for them and   
expecting them to cope with   
the adult-sized world (David   
Elkind)   
❖ Learned helplessness: f​ eeling of   
inadequacy resulting in lack of   
motivation and increased   
dependence on others   
➢ Could be because of their   
roles at home   
➢ Some teacher fall into the   
trap of making it a habit of   
over-caring for the   
dependent child    
❖ Children who have had no  Aside from stunting their educational and 
experience of success in becoming  physical development, you stunt their 
independent have a fundamental  emotional and by default mental health as 
lack of confidence in their own  well.  
self-worth. 

3-3d Observing Self-Care Skills  Knowing what the child needs and does 
❖ Self-care skills are points of  not need will only make the day to day 
observing and recording used to  routines a lot smoother.  
recognize milestones, plot and share   
progress, and plan learning   
activities   
❖ Physical care routines that make up   
most of the infant/toddler day are   
ideal times to observe the child’s   
physical, social, emotional, and   
intellectual development.   
➢ Eating and feeding usually   
occur at regular times   
throughout the day, so you   
could take note of not only   
the times they eat but the   
amount they are eating as   
well.   
❖ In the second year, or when they   
are able to, they should be given the   
opportunity to practice eating on   
their own under supervision   
❖ Good nutrition is important to  Teachers need to have a good 
learning, which is why many  understanding of every place a child’s 
schools have a breakfast program  development can be affected so that if a 
and/or weekend meal plans  certain area goes awry, they will have a 
➢ School breakfast leave out  better chance at pinpointing the root of the 
room for adult conversation,  issue. 
modeling, direct instruction   
of table manners, and social   
behavior   
➢ Meal Times dramatically   
demonstrate acquiring   
self-help skills   
■ When children   
participate in helping   
make a meal, it builds   
a feeling of   
competency   
➢ Children learn they are  Children want to be independent. 
trusted when they are given  Sometimes that is not possible, sometimes 
autonomy over choices  it is. Doing everything for them only takes 
among healthy foods.  us more of the time that they could be 
■ Toddlers are  learning and growing as individuals. 
encouraged in   
self-feeding, and   
mealtimes conducted   
in a relaxed   
environment   
❖ Control of body eliminations is truly  This is important to understand in the case 
an illustration of development  that a child is lacking skill in this area. 
❖ Adults give many messages to the  From there, you can talk to the family or a 
child when changing diaper or  professional about the situation.   
toileting about safety, hygiene,   
acceptance of body, etc.    
➢ Important to note diaper   
changes and toilet training,   
but also gives the child and   
caregiver one-on-one time   
❖ When toileting, the physical growth   
of muscles is occuring, along with   
the mental attention to body signals   
❖ If child needs assistance in stalls,  The child’s comfortability and safety are of 
perform the task with door propped  the utmost importance 
open to avoid any room for   
allegations   
❖ Dress-up clothes give practice in   
buttoning, zipping, and tying.   
❖ Remember: Never do for children   
what they can do for themselves   
❖ Recognition of the need for washing  I always wondered why my younger 
hand is a difficult lesson. Children  family members would be reluctant to, or 
are concrete thinkers and since they  lie about washing their hands. The why is 
cannot see the germs, they have a  a lot clearer when given a chance to be in 
hard time understanding.   the mind of a child again.  
❖ Sleep needs and patterns are   
individual, but follow a   
developmental pattern.   
➢ Prior to nap time, consistent   
routines might help prepare   
the children for sleep.    
➢ Should note what works for   
the child and what doesn't   
(positions, songs)   
➢ Sleep habits can directly   
affect their ability to pay   
attention and participate in  I worked at a daycare as a music director 
learning  with primarily preschool age students. My 
❖ Job charts are an organized way to  role was to sing and play nursery songs on 
ensure care of the environment  my guitar for them as a part of their daily 
➢ Children feel a sense of  routine. Songs and rhymes are huge 
responsibility  motivators because the child feels 
➢ Adults should make cleaning  accomplished when they’ve completed a 
up fun by using songs or  task but not feeling that they were forced 
jingles  into doing so.  
❖ The role of the adult is to mediate 
the environment to be child friendly 
and child accessible, and to provide 
realistic expectations, positive role 
models, and direct, specific 
instructions.  
➢ When there is difficulty with 
self-care, teacher should take 
a closer look at the 
environment 
❖ Family culture, values, and 
expectations influence what and 
how families promote and support 
children’s self-care skills. 
3-3e (Self Care Skills and Intentional   
Teaching)  Seeing that a child or several children in 
❖ Observations become assessments  the class prefer eating goldfish can allow 
and tools for intentional teaching  for you as the teacher to bring that 
and planning learning opportunities.  information in when teaching. 
❖ Area of self care is not always   
recognized as a curriculum  For example, when teaching a math lesson 
❖ Early childhood environments can  on addition, you could say 
support self-care by:   
➢ Giving appropriate, clear  “Sally ate 7 goldfish and Roger ate 3. How 
expectations for a task, age,  many goldfish did sally and roger eat?” 
and thinking about child’s   
ability to do so.  The child will be more inclined to pay 
❖ Many thinking processes involved in  attention and the information might be 
physical activity  retained easier. Without observation and 
➢ Child learns cues of hunger,  understanding these observations, this 
tiredness, ache, temperature,  would not be possible.  
etc 
❖ Self-care skills necessary for social 
acceptance 
❖ Intentional teaching for toileting 
involves environmental prep, 
positive role models, and sometimes 
direct instruction 
➢ Even school-age kids have 
accidents and should be 
handled sensitively. 
➢ Frequent accidents at 
school-age could be 
indicators of health issues 

3-3f Helping All Children with Self-Care  Being truly open-minded is of the utmost 
Skills  importance when you are in a field where 
❖ Info on the child’s self-care skills  you have to interact with so many people 
can be gathered from families and  from drastically different backgrounds. 
observed in the natural routines of 
the day in the group setting 
❖ Physical, social, racial, cultural 
influences and differences may 
affect self-care development. 
❖ The program needs to bridge two 
different cultures when it comes to 
eating 
❖ Teacher needs to be sensitive to 
 different attitudes and practices. 
➢ Can be done through home 
visits, research, family 
questionnaires, and by 
observing child and family 
together 
➢ Adjustment of routine for 
these differences is the 
appropriate action rather 
than forcing the child to 
conform. 
❖ When it comes to toilet training and 
sleep, a negotiation between the 
caregiver, family, child, and 
program are is vital to address 
everyone’s needs.  
❖ Education, communication, and 
trust can assist in a mutual solution 

3-3g Children with Special Needs    

❖ Should be allowed to do what they 
can for themselves, if no assistance 
is necessary.  
❖ Assistive technology equipment: 
designed to facilitate learning and 
communication for individuals with 
disabilities 
❖ A checklist of self-care skills as a 
test can be used to plan for 
intervention and development of 
skills the child is able to complete 
❖ Adaptive skills: skills necessary in 
functioning in the community or 
culture in which the child lives  
❖ All children need to feel competent 
and responsible 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANECDOTAL RECORDING
Child’s Name: _____________

Center Name: _____________

Time: _______________

Location: _________________

Observations:

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Date: _______________

Recorder: ________________

Comments:

Referral:
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Social Plan:
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Intentional Teaching
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