How To Monitor Children And Young People's Development Using Different Methods

Explain how to monitor children and young people’s development using different methods.

Child development is a complex and multifaceted process which is dominated by several personal and external factors. It is very important for professionals working with children to assess that every child follows an expected pattern and reaches full potential. In order to achieve this professionals, have to observe children in different situations.
Qualified professionals do observe children in educational setting for different purposes
• To assess effectiveness of current practices.
• To get insight of child’s needs and plan effective activities.
• To assess child’s overall developmental progress.
• To provide information to support transition
• To assess
child’s strengths or interest.
• To understand child’s behaviour.
• To form basis for planning.
• To assess effectiveness of certain activities.
• To help reflect on implemented practice.
• To gain information for parents/carer.

Monitor Things to Monitor
Physical development Physical Growth
Speech and listening skills
How child moves around
How child uses the equipment and environment
Child’s movements & co-ordination
Communication and Intellectual development How Child plays independently or in group
How child uses his/her imagination
How child memorise things
Solves problems
Use senses to gain new information
Social and Emotional
Development How child behaves in everyday situation
How child expresses his/her feelings
How child relates with peers and adults

Various methods can be used to monitor children and young people.
 Growth/Health assessment: to assess physical development height, weight, head circumference measurements are taken on periodic basis.
 Digital recording: taking pictures, video recordings or audio recording of child performing activity. These can help to provide detailed information about child’s actions-reactions. As it is possible to replay or view multiple times there is less possibility to miss anything.
 Checklists or tick list: it’s a closed data format where focus is very narrow. Attention is concentrated on what is mentioned in the list. It can be used to monitor group of children at a time. Possibility of losing additional information besides checklist items.
 Snapshots: these are Open data format where observer can jot down every interesting action-reaction, behaviour, movement, interaction with others of a child being monitored during observation period.
 Time samples: observations are taken on timely intervals which help monitor the progress in various activities.
 Graphs and charts: These are very quick and easy to collate. They provide general information.
 Sociograms: These are used to record the friendship patterns or preferences of a child. Can be used to assess or support social and communication development.
 Information from parent/carer: these are used to understand the behavioural pattern of a child in different situations. Observations from different sources are used to plan the support for child’s development.
 Structured observation: it’s a factual recording method where child’s reactions to pre-set activities are assessed.
 Event samples: this helps monitor specific type of behaviour or event over a period of time.

For young people there are additional methods to assess language or intellectual development through formal and informal assessments.
 Tests and assignments at various stages of learning are carried out to assess understanding of the topic and ability to demonstrate understanding.
 Quizzes, talks, debates and presentations are informal methods to monitor communication, social development