•Making a Book Using
the Digital Camera
•Millie’s Deck
•Calendar Concepts and
Organizing Data
•Single Switch
•Urban Environments
•Home-School Connections
•Observation Checklist to Track Children’s Work
•Make-a-Bug Game
•Chart Showing Individual Characteristics
•Making Weather Stations
•Working With Shapes
•Making a Special Person Card
•Sorting Game
•Awareness of Stereotypes
•Screen Saver
•I'm Me, I'm Special: An Electronic Portfolio
•Yo Hablo Espanol, I Speak English: Learning Together at the Computer

 

 

Observation checklist to track children’s work

Type of Submission:

This idea is a submission for:
X A curriculum idea
__Cool things to do
__A special issue
Age group for whom this activity is appropriate:
3-5 year olds
 
Brief description of activity:
I created observation checklists so that I could see how children work with the different software programs
 
What I did to set this up and how I followed through:
I made up a chart showing the different software programs we have. Down the side of the chart, I typed in each child’s name. Each week I printed out a new chart to use. I hung the chart next to the computer with a marker attached to it.
Materials used:
Paper, marker, MS Word or other word processing software

What the children had to do and what I wanted them to learn:
Each time a child used the computer, he or she put a mark in the appropriate box. I also used this chart to help the children keep track of taking turns.
Images of the Activity:
 
   
Background: How I got the idea:
I wanted to have a better idea of which software programs the children were using. I noticed that some software (for example, JumpStart and Franklin) offers a report on what kids are playing on the software. I realized I could make up my own system to accomplish this. It’s important to know what they are exploring and playing with. Kids were complaining to me that some kids were "hogging" the computer and wouldn’t give others a turn. I thought I needed a system that would be fair, would help the kids take responsibility for themselves and how they were using the computer, and would also help me keep track of what they are doing.
 
Analysis: How the kids and/or parents responded:

This is a very simple tool but it gave me good information over time about how the kids were using the software. It also gives the kids a good opportunity to have responsibility in recording their choices.

 
Extension

To follow up, we made a graph showing how many birthdays occurred in each month.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN PROMISING PRACTICE