CHILD OBSERVATION CHART

Date …12.03.2020.. (Month, if observation spread over several weeks)

Initials of the pupil L.J

Date of birth 06.05.2013…Age= 7 Class =1 Boy/Girl=Girl

Completed by V.D

For each sign, note its frequency: 1 = Sometimes, 2 = Often, 3 = Always

She/her also means He/his and vice versa

Be sure to read the notes on page 5 about preparation and how the results
should be used.

Not all observations will be possible for younger children.

Signs showed by the learner Frequency Remarks by the teacher

1. Bodily awareness 1 2 3
Can point to on herself: 3
Her face 3
Her limbs 3
Her joints 3
Can point to on someone else: 3
His face 3
His limbs 3
Can name other parts of the body: 3
On herself 3
On someone else 3

2. Orientation in time and space 1 2 3 Remarks by the teacher

 Time
Knows the part of day 2
Knows the day of the week 2
Knows the month 2
Knows the year 2
Knows the season 1
Aware of the passage of time 2
Shows awareness of order; the 2
succession of events
 Space
Finds her row in class 3
Finds her seat in class 3
Finds the other classrooms 3
Finds her way about the school 3

1
Can use a simple map 3

Can show with respect to herself:

right / left 3
high / low 3
on / under 3
above / below 3
Can show on a worksheet:
right / left 2
high / low 2
on / under 2
above / below 2
Knows the direction of writing 1
Knows which way round letters are 1
 Rhythm
Can reproduce a given rhythm 2

3. Motor skills 1 2 3
Has good balance 3
Coordinates her movements 3
precisely:
- in everyday movements 3
(automatically)
- in creative activities (e.g. cutting 3
and pasting paper)
- when writing (holding the pen or 3
colouring crayon correctly)
- forming letters the correct way 3
round
- with fluent movement of the 3
wrist
- with careful writing (few 3
crossings-out)

4. Language 1 2 3
Problems with articulation: lisping
… ; note which particular sounds
Is intelligible
Makes phonological mistakes, 2
such as ‘disonaur’ for ‘dinosaur’
Recognizes a picture and can say 3
what it represents
Can speak some phrases 3
Understands verbal directions 3
Has good phonological awareness 3
Likes telling stories 3

2
5. Memory 1 2 3
Easily remembers nursery rhymes 1
Can memorize shapes 1
Easily repeats phrases 1

Can retell simple stories having 1

heard them
Can carry out, one after the other, 1
several orders given at the same
time

6. Behaviour 1 2 3
Is agitated or nervous 1
Seems tired 2
Gets discouraged 2
Complains of aches 2
Has low self-esteem 2
Is aggressive 1
Not interested in activities or 3
listening

7. Reading ability 1 2 3
Appetite for reading: likes taking 3
up a book
Appetite for reading: likes being 2
read to
Has good phonemic awareness 2
Reads regular words slowly 2
Reads pseudowords slowly 2
Leaves out letters and sounds 2
Inverts letters 2
Substitutes parts of words, 2
transforms words, makes up word
endings
Leaves out words and lines 2
Cannot follow the reading of 3
another child or adult
Repeats a word without realizing it 2
Does not observe punctuation 2
Makes visual confusions: p/b/d/q, 3
a/e, m/n/u, t/f, o/c
Makes auditory confusions: p/b, 3
t/d, k/g, f/v, ch/j, s/z
Cannot master any of the complex 3
sounds:
ai, au, ei, ea, ie, ia, io, oa, ou, oi,
ua, ui
Cannot use the ‘magic e’ 3
(can/cane, hop/hope)
Cannot retain rules such as: 3

3
-ation, -ition, kn-, gn-, -ight, -ought,
-ious, -qu-, consonant doubling
(hoping/hopping)

8. Writing ability 1 2 3
(Note the task which induces
mistakes: copying, dictation,
spontaneous writing)
Leaves out letters, syllables, words 1
Inverts letters, syllables, words
Makes visual confusions: p/b/d/q, 3
a/e, m/n/u, t/f, o/c
Makes auditory confusions: p/b, 3
t/d, k/g, f/v, ch/j, s/z
Substitutes, transforms words 3
Joins words together which are not 2
normally joined together
Has difficulty in remembering the 2
graphic shape of a letter for long
Shows difficulties in remembering 2
or using contextual or grammatical
rules:
-ation, -ition, kn-, gn-, -ought,
-ight, consonant doubling
(hoping/hopping), ‘magic e’
(hop/hope)
Leaves out punctuation 2

General remarks

L.J struggles when it comes to auditory confusion. She often gets b and p confused,
as these are similar phonemes. Additionally, there is some visual confusion between
graphemes as well as inversion between letters. L.J also either substitutes or
guesses words based on the first letter. She does not take the time to truly follow the
word through and decode properly. She may say, “should” for “shovel” because of
the “sh” digraph. I recognized that she read the article at a really slow pace, which
indicated that her ability in automaticity----the speed of word processing is weaker
than the peers’.

4
Signature or name of the teacher V.D

Translated and adapted from French, with permission and thanks to:
Béatrice Colson, Speech Therapist, Fondation Dyslexie, Belgium

This chart appears in Génération Dyslecteurs – Bien Comprendre la Dyslexie pour

mieux Aider les Dyslexiques ('A generation of dysreaders'), in French, by Vincent
Goetry and colleagues. Erasme/Fondation Dyslexie, 2013. Available from
amazon.com.fr

NOTES

Please remember that some of these activities may be difficult for struggling
readers and so use your judgement in choosing the amount of time to spend
on them. Provide positive feedback wherever you can.

We advise you again that you are not diagnosing the child; you are
observing him or her and recording some notes systematically which
will help you adapt your teaching, and communicate with other staff,
specialists and parents.