How to write group observations of learning

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Hey educator! Are you feeling lost and stretched for time when it comes to observing children? All group observations might be the trick to save you time and effort. If you’re wondering how to write group observations in childcare, focusing on the dynamics within a group of children can offer a holistic view of interactions, behaviours, and developmental milestones.

Observing children’s behaviour, learning and development is an essential part of early childhood education. It is also a requirement of the NQS Quality Area 1 – Educational Program. It is a part and parcel of our job as educators. However, conducting individual observations for every child can be time-consuming for educators. A practical and efficient solution is to use group observations. In this article, we’ll explore how group observations can save time, provide valuable insights into child development, and offer three examples of effective group observation practices.

Dancing – is the perfect time to observe children

What Are Group Observations in Early Childhood Education and Care?

Group observations involve observing multiple children simultaneously, usually during group activities like free play, art projects, or collaborative tasks. This method allows educators to gather information on how children interact with peers, work as part of a group, and engage in learning together. Instead of focusing on one child at a time, group observations capture a broader picture of social dynamics, cognitive development, and communication skills.

Why Use Group Observations in Childcare?

1. It saves time!!! – Group observations reduce the need for individual observations, which can be time-consuming. By observing several children at once, you can collect data faster without missing out on key developmental milestones.

2. You can choose the focus – Group observations are particularly useful for tracking social and emotional development. By watching how children cooperate, resolve conflicts, and share resources, educators gain insight into their emotional maturity and social skills.

3. Aligned with the socio-cultural theory – Children often learn and develop best in natural settings, especially when interacting with their peers. Group observations allow educators to see how children apply their learning in real-world scenarios, such as collaborating on tasks or problem-solving together.

How to complete group observations of learning?

To make the most of group observations, it’s important to have a plan.

  • I usually use video, if my presence is required for supervision. As a student, I used to sit back and observe, making notes. You can choose activities that promote interaction, such as building blocks, cooperative games, or group art projects. You can also focus on one group of children at a time and this will help to turn group observations into individual jottings or learning stories later on.
  • Decide on the specific behaviours, dispositions and skills you want to observe, such as communication, teamwork, or problem-solving.
  • Jot down the children’s exact words. I mean it! If the child says “Snakey snake”, you need to write it down or you will forget. During the activity, take clear, concise notes. Focus on key behaviours and interactions that show development in the children.
  • Relate your observations to early learning frameworks to ensure they align with educational goals.

EXAMPLE 1

Pollock style painting

Today, the children played with a new sticky table, which was set up as an extension of their interest in pasting and using sticky tape.

The table was covered with contact paper, making it delightfully sticky and allowing assorted items to stick to its surface. Ethan and Olivia enthusiastically stuck a few leaves onto the table. Olivia, with excitement in her voice, touched the sticky surface and exclaimed, “It’s sticky!”

Ethan, inspired by the sticky tape, came up with a creative idea. The children were fully engaged in this experience, actively exploring, and constructing their knowledge about different materials through hands-on activities and observations.

Their confidence was evident as they fearlessly approached this new experience. The sticky table provided them with an opportunity to explore and experiment, fostering their curiosity and understanding of materials in a fun and interactive way.

Overall, it was a delightful and enriching experience, allowing the children to express their creativity and learn through play.

Possibilities for extensions and future learning

After observing the children’s enthusiastic engagement and the valuable learning experiences they had with the sticky table, we have come up with three questions:

  • Based on the children’s questions and curiosity, educators can design a more structured investigation around the sticky table. They could prepare different materials and objects, varying in textures and sizes, and encourage the children to predict and explore which ones will stick and why. This investigation could involve recording their findings, making graphs, and engaging in group discussions to promote communication and critical thinking.
  • Building on the children’s interest in sticking objects, we can encourage them to create art pieces using the sticky table as a base. They could provide various art supplies and materials, such as coloured paper, feathers, buttons, and fabric, allowing the children to design and assemble their unique masterpieces.
  • Collaborate with the children to design simple science experiments related to stickiness and adhesion. For example, they could explore how temperature affects stickiness or investigate which liquids can weaken or strengthen adhesion. Encouraging hands-on experiments will help nurture their scientific inquiry skills.
  • Take the children on a nature walk where they can collect leaves, flowers, and other natural items. Back at the sticky table, they can experiment with sticking these items, making observations about the different adhesive properties of nature’s treasures.
  • Use the sticky table exploration as an opportunity to enhance language and literacy skills. Read books about adhesion, sticky materials, or nature, and have discussions about the stories. Encourage the children to describe their experiences and discoveries, either through drawings, dictations, or simply written observations.
  • Share the children’s sticky table experiences with their parents or guardians through newsletters, photos, or short videos. Encourage families to continue the exploration at home and involve them in contributing new ideas and materials for the sticky table.

Example 2

Example 3

Observation of art experience (group level)

“Like Pollock” Splat Painting

Before we began the activity, I introduced the children to the renowned artist, Jackson Pollock, by reading a story about his unique painting style. We learned that Pollock used an interesting technique, dipping brushes in paint and flicking them, swinging the paints over his canvas, and even walking on it, adding sand, glass, and other textured materials.

Excited about the “like Pollock” experience, I set up the table with wool on pegs, paints, and sturdy paper. Manaki, Ella, Kokoda, Carter, and Tyrelle eagerly joined in. They picked up the pegs with wool, dipped them into paints, and let the colours touch the paper. Each child had a choice of colours; some chose black and yellow, while others mixed all the colours on the paper or selected three specific colours. Ella was particularly fond of splatter painting and made three pictures in a row.

Analysis

This experience is part of our ongoing project, “Painting Like Great Artists.” We previously explored abstract paintings like Kandinsky, and now, Pollock’s splatter painting continues our investigation.

Throughout the activity, the children embraced a new way of painting and welcomed the challenges it presented. They discovered that wool picks up colours, leaving snakelike traces on the paper. The children at Pinecones are developing their creative skills and expressing their unique personalities through their artwork. Their enthusiasm for painting grows with each day, and they are becoming more confident with every new artistic experience.

What’s Next?

Inspired by the success of our Pollock splatter painting, we plan to explore the techniques of other famous artists. Next, we’ll try “Painting with Scissors” like Matisse, creating Warhol-style pop art with self-portraits, and experimenting with Mondrian’s iconic blue, red, and yellow rectangular compositions. These experiences will further ignite the children’s creativity and appreciation for the diverse world of art.

Group observations provide a window into how children interact with their peers, work through challenges, and grow together in social and cognitive skills.

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How to write observations of child’s wellbeing (EYLF observations)

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

Hey educators! Want to learn to write better observations? Let’s do it together!


WORKSHOP

Read the following scenario and then answer the questions.

Kate is an educator in a four‑year‑old kindergarten program. Over the past two weeks, she has been observing Mia, a child who recently returned after a short illness, to better understand how Mia’s wellbeing is being supported in the group.

During free indoor play, Mia often chooses the home corner. She carefully sets out plates and cups and talks softly while pretending to prepare meals. On Tuesday, another child reached for one of the cups Mia was using. Mia pulled the cup back toward herself and said, “I’m not finished yet.” When the other child persisted, Mia stood up quickly and moved to a different area of the room without speaking. Kate noticed that Mia resumed play independently, but her movements were tense and rushed.

In the outdoor environment, Mia spends most of her time near the climbing structure. She watches other children climbing and sliding, occasionally stepping closer but rarely climbing herself. On Thursday, when Kate asked if Mia would like support to climb the ladder, Mia shook her head and said quietly, “I’ll just watch.” After a few minutes, Mia joined another child rolling balls down the slide and laughed when the balls bounced away.

During group music time, Mia sits close to Kate and participates in familiar songs, smiling and doing the actions. When a new song is introduced, Mia covers her ears briefly. She leans into Kate. She slowly re‑engages once the song becomes predictable.

At lunch time, Mia confidently opens her lunchbox and begins eating. She chats easily with a nearby child about their food but becomes upset when her yoghurt spills. Mia says, “It’s all messed up,” and pushes the container away. With Kate’s reassurance, Mia takes a few deep breaths. Kate helps her clean up. Mia accepts a replacement snack. She remains quiet for the rest of lunch.

At pick‑up time, Mia waves excitedly when her mum arrives. She runs over, talking quickly about the day. However, when Kate approaches to share an observation, Mia looks down and holds onto her mum’s arm until the conversation ends.

Let’s reflect on Mia’s learning?

  • What behaviours indicate positive wellbeing on Mia’s part?
  • What behaviours suggest that Mia might benefit from additional support?
  • What could Kate do to support Mia’s wellbeing and sense of security throughout the day?

How to Support Children’s Curiosity?

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Curiosity-driven thinking is our ability to explore the world and organise our approach to learning. It begins with “why?”

All young children have it — yet sadly, for many, it fades with age.

When a child enters our lives, adults are given a rare opportunity to remember what it feels like to be inquisitive. Almost all children are born researchers. But this natural desire to observe, ask questions, and make sense of the world needs to be supported, nourished, and actively protected.

Seeing a whole world in a grain of sand

“A scientist is not someone who gives the right answers, but someone who asks the right questions.”Claude Lévi-Strauss

From the very beginning of life, a child discovers what sticky means, what fluffy feels like, what is smooth, warm, cold. They learn about leaves, buttons, seeds — what tastes good, why the television needs a remote control. Step by step, children build their own mini-theories about how the world works.

Developing cognitive thinking means asking questions about the world. It also means experimenting, observing, and searching for evidence. Every child can develop strong cognitive thinking if their questions are welcomed, if their observations are valued, and if experimentation becomes a natural part of daily life.

The most important task is not to teach children how to use reference books or the internet — that will come later. Our task is to help children learn how to think. To nurture their natural abilities. To offer activities that support cognitive development and help them understand how scientists actually make discoveries.

An ordinary walk can become research

Take a simple walk, for example. Each outing can be more than just a destination — it can have a purpose. What are we looking for today?

Ideas for a purposeful walk

  • Collect new leaves for a herbarium
  • Look for insects you have not seen before
  • Record sounds worth remembering
  • Draw what you notice along the way
  • Take photos and store them in “Our Observations” — add captions together

These simple acts turn everyday life into research.

One hundred thousand “whys” walking the earth

Why does the moon not fall? Where does a rainbow come from? Why is water wet? Why is one plus one two? How do mushrooms grow?

Every child is a scientist at birth. A child only stops being one if adults silence their questions and replace curiosity with ready-made answers. Encourage questions. Praise good ones. Especially praise questions that no one can answer right away.

Tony Buzan once described a hypothetical conversation between Einstein and his child:

Child: What is a rainbow?

Einstein: A rainbow happens when light enters a drop of water and splits into colours.

Child: And what is light?

Einstein: Light is made of tiny particles moving incredibly fast.

Child: How fast?

Einstein: Three hundred thousand kilometers per second.

Child: Wow. Can anything go faster?

Einstein: I do not think so.

Child: Why not?

Einstein could have replied in two ways. He could have said, “Stop talking during dinner.” Or: “If I knew the answer, I would receive another Nobel Prize.”

Everyday life generates hundreds of questions. Sometimes a child asks something at exactly the wrong moment — while you are cooking or working. Try at least to remember the question. Better still, write it down so you can return to it together later.

When a child’s interest becomes strong and sustained, it helps to surround them with information. When my son became fascinated by Ancient Egypt, we watched National Geographic films about mummies and pyramids. We borrowed encyclopedias. We made plaster masks. We listened to stories. Books, crafts, films, museums — all become fuel for a growing brain.

Still, information should never become an attack. It is enough to return gently to favourite topics, involving all the senses. And do not forget to play. Sometimes playing mummy with bandages or toilet paper is exactly what is needed.

Change the questions you ask

Instead of asking after kindergarten, “What did you eat?” or “What did you do?” — try asking: “What did you learn today?”

When physicist Isidor Rabi was a child, his mother asked him whether he had asked a good question at school. Decades later, when he received the Nobel Prize, he credited his mother for nurturing his curiosity and cognitive thinking.

“I do not know” can be a gift.

Tony Buzan believed it was essential for parents to try to answer children’s questions, understanding that there are no foolish ones. A good answer often ends with another question. For example, if a child asks how trees grow, explain water, soil, sunlight — then ask: “How do you think plants use sunlight?”

Sometimes, we truly do not know the answer. My son once asked why all people smell different. I did not know. I asked him what he thought. He replied that his father smells like darkness.

Some questions do not have easy answers. And that is perfectly fine. It is important for children to see adults admit that they do not know everything. This teaches them that not knowing is the beginning of inquiry — and the foundation of science.

Science is a way of life

A scientist’s work is similar to a detective’s. Information is gathered carefully and patiently. This comparison often resonates with children.

Cognitive thinking begins with observation. The better a child learns to observe, the more they will notice. Sometimes this means slowing down — allowing children to watch, study, and immerse themselves. Once, in a botanical garden, a three-year-old sat by a pond watching frogs for over an hour. He was learning more than any organised lesson could offer.

Simple tools help. A magnifying glass. A microscope, even a basic one. During walks, bring lenses. Show children that the ordinary world contains hidden wonders.

Science everywhere

Children need to understand what science is — and that it exists everywhere. At home, in the kitchen, on television, in the yard. Paper airplanes are geometry and aerodynamics. Candles are physics. Drawing leads naturally to Leonardo da Vinci. Many scientific documentaries are suitable from around age four. Kitchen experiments, nature films, illustrated books — all help children see science not as something distant, but as part of daily life.

From hypothesis to discovery

The research method is a path to knowledge through independent inquiry. Children can learn this process step by step — beginning with questions: What do you think? What could be happening here?

Children can gather information by thinking, asking others, reading, watching, observing, experimenting, or using technology. If a child cannot write yet, that is no obstacle. Adults help. Symbols replace words. Stickers replace notes. What matters is thinking.

In your yard, birds can become a research subject. Which birds live here? What do they eat? Do they have babies? Children like Gerald Durrell spent entire days exploring nature freely, supported by adults who never pressured learning — only enabled it.

The curious child’s toolkit

To prepare children for a complex future, they do not need expensive kits. Everyday tools are enough.

  • Magnifying glass
  • Ruler
  • Microscope
  • Scales
  • Flashlight
  • Thermometer
  • Binoculars
  • Encyclopedias & how-things-work books

Curiosity grows best in simple environments filled with attention, time, and trust.

Glenn Doman: A Reflection from once aYoung Mum and an experienced teacher

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As a young mum, I was genuinely allured by Glenn Doman’s approach.
It sounded scientific, ambitious, and hopeful. Who would not want to give their child every possible advantage? I tried it. I made the cards. I followed the routines. I believed I was opening doors that might otherwise stay closed.

But over time, questions began to creep in.
Quiet ones at first. Then louder.

Who Was Glenn Doman?

In the 1940s, Dr Glenn Doman began working with a small interdisciplinary group that included a neurosurgeon, physician, physiotherapist, speech therapist, psychologist, methodologist, and early childhood educator.

The group formed in response to an urgent challenge: how to support children who had suffered severe brain injuries. At the time, no one had ever fully recovered from such injuries, and the outlook was bleak.

Doman and his colleagues decided that the only way forward was to focus directly on the injured brain. But after years of work, they realised something important. It was not enough to work with the damaged brain itself.

What mattered was returning to the earliest stages of development. The brain needed the chance to go back and relearn fundamental developmental steps, such as crawling and moving on all fours. These stages, they believed, were essential for healthy brain development.

As their work progressed, neurosurgeons joined the group and began performing radical procedures. In some cases, large areas of disorganised brain tissue were surgically removed. These areas were thought to interfere with healthier regions, creating neurological noise.

After surgery and intensive developmental intervention, some children showed remarkable improvement. A small number were even able to pass standard IQ tests, sometimes achieving above average results.

Doman later said:

“Even in our most fantastic dreams, we could not have imagined that a child who had lost billions of brain cells could achieve results equal to or sometimes better than the average child.”

The Question That Changes Everything

Let us pause and think.

If a child who has lost part of their brain can perform just as well as a child with an intact brain, what does that say about the so‑called “normal” child?

Why does a child with twice the neurological capacity not automatically achieve more?

The conclusion feels uncomfortable but clear.
If we invested the same level of time, attention, and deliberate teaching into typically developing children as we do into children with brain injuries, many of them might far surpass average expectations.

In other words, the “normal” child may not be the gold standard we assume.

From my own perspective, as a follower of Vygotsky, this resonates deeply. I believe in social learning. The more adults engage with a child, talk with them, listen to them, and genuinely care, the more the brain develops. Neural connections strengthen. Language expands. Understanding deepens. And happiness grows.

The Doman Method: Why I Question It

Glenn Doman went on to develop his method of early childhood development through the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia. The idea was simple and compelling. The younger the child, the greater their capacity to learn. Parents, not institutions, should be the child’s primary teachers.

Learning, according to Doman, should begin as early as possible.

The method combines physical exercises based on innate reflexes with structured exposure to knowledge through flashcards. Programs promise early reading, encyclopedic knowledge, and even foreign languages.

Doman famously said learning should be a game that stops before the child gets tired. Interest, he argued, is sustained through speed and novelty.

As a young mum, this made sense to me. I wanted to do something meaningful. Something proactive. Something backed by science.

But as an experienced educator, I no longer support this method.

There are gentler, more ecological ways to support learning. Play. Conversation. Exploration. Shared curiosity.

The Good and the Difficult

To be fair, there are positives.

The method encourages deep parental involvement. It connects physical development with cognitive growth. Many children raised with the method show impressive abilities, both mentally and physically. It is also accessible, designed for home use, and well-documented.

But there is a cost.

In this approach, the child often becomes an object rather than a subject of learning. Adults decide what matters. Adults decide the pace. Adults decide the knowledge target.

Anyone who has watched the documentary Smart Babies may feel the tension. At some point, learning becomes tiring. Maintaining attention becomes the main struggle. Flashcards are waved in front of faces that simply want to move, explore, or rest.

There is also a strange discomfort in watching very young children perform adult knowledge on command. Sometimes it feels less like learning and more like training.

As a parent, the question that stayed with me was this:

Why do I need my toddler to distinguish a crow from a raccoon at eighteen months?

Will this encyclopedic knowledge still matter later? Will it stay? Will it nourish curiosity, or replace it?

In the documentary, a seventeen‑year‑old who had been raised using the Doman method could not recognise the airplane models he once learned as a child. The knowledge had not endured.

I found myself wondering whether it might have been better to play in the garden. To experiment with water. To listen to stories. To simply be together in learning.

Where I Stand Now

I understand why parents are drawn to the Doman method. I was one of them.

But with time, experience, and a deeper understanding of learning, I have come to value slower, relational, play‑based approaches. Learning that grows from interaction, not instruction. From joy, not urgency.

And I am curious.

What do you think?

The Kumon Method

~ Storykate ~ Leave a comment

I remember the first time Kumon was suggested to me.
Daily practice. Short sessions. Guaranteed results.
It sounded reassuring. Structured. Safe.

As a parent, that kind of promise is hard to ignore.
As an educator, I wanted to understand what actually sits behind it.

Tori Kumon

Toru Kumon (1914–1995) was a Japanese mathematician and educator. He was born in Japan, in Kochi Prefecture. Kumon graduated from Osaka University with a degree in mathematics and worked for many years as a private tutor, preparing students for university entrance exams.

In 1954, Kumon’s son came home from school. His mother found a crumpled piece of paper in his pocket. It was a mathematics test. And the results were, sadly, disappointing.

It felt painful and unfair. A mathematician’s son, and yet he was failing math.

Kumon began teaching his eldest son himself and soon realised that the problem did not start in that particular year. The gaps went back to the early grades. It was these missed foundations, Kumon concluded, that were causing his son’s difficulties.

Every evening, Toru Kumon prepared a single page of math problems for his son. Solving them took about thirty minutes. The tasks matched the child’s actual abilities. When addition became fluent, Kumon made the material slightly more difficult. Only slightly. Always just within reach.

This is how his approach to teaching one of the most challenging school subjects was born.
This is how Kumon began.

What the Method Is About

The core of the Kumon method is very simple. Children regularly solve examples in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They practise until these operations become automatic, almost effortless.

Only once a strong foundation is built does the child move on.

For Kumon, mastery meant being able to complete examples within a set amount of time. Two elements were essential.
Speed and accuracy.

In 1956, other parents became interested in the method. Kumon opened his first center in Osaka. In 1958, he founded an educational institute, developed unified standards, and the Kumon expansion began. Today, Kumon centers operate in 44 countries around the world.

Every Child Can Do This

Through the experience of thousands of students, Kumon became convinced that with the right approach, all children can cope with the school curriculum. More than that, almost every child has hidden potential, and this potential needs to be revealed.

The foundation of the Kumon method is self‑learning. Children work independently at home. Adults are needed mainly to check completed work.

Assessment and Enrolment

Enrolment is an opportunity to become familiar with the Kumon method, to understand how it works, and to ask questions. Most children undergo diagnostic assessment before starting.

The purpose of diagnostics is simple. To determine the child’s starting level.

Why does this matter?
So that a child can complete tasks with near‑perfect success and experience ease rather than struggle.

The goal is to reinforce a positive message.
“Math is easy. I can do this.”

Ideally, both parents or primary caregivers attend the assessment. After enrolment, children usually attend the center twice a week. On non‑attendance days, they complete short homework sessions lasting 10 to 20 minutes.

Inside the Classroom

In Kumon centers, children typically submit homework, receive new worksheets, and then complete classroom tasks. While waiting for results, they engage in math games.

For successful work, children receive stickers and Kumon dollars from the instructor. Then they go home.

Homework

Kumon is a year‑round program. This means seven days a week, 365 days a year. Yes, including holidays and weekends.

By choosing this path, parents and children commit to consistency and effort. The good news is that homework usually takes no more than 10 to 20 minutes per day.

Parents check work using answer books. The instructor selects homework carefully so the child progresses without developing resistance or aversion.

Motivation

At first glance, Kumon can feel boring and repetitive. Its essence lies in daily practice and gradual complexity.

Children complete only what they are capable of doing, step by step. Because of this, stress and emotional overload are usually avoided.

Stickers, Kumon dollars, and other small rewards are an integral part of the method. Studying every day becomes a habit.

Supporters claim that joy in learning does not disappear.

This is a debatable claim.

A small informal study I conducted online, across forums and YouTube, revealed many negative reactions. Statements like “I hate Kumon” and “Kumon steals precious minutes of my life” appeared surprisingly often.

The Program Structure

The program begins with many examples of basic arithmetic. Once this stage is completed, children move on to more complex operations. Multi‑digit division, fractions, equations, and beyond.

Progression is individual. Children move according to their abilities and mastery, not according to a fixed school schedule dictating when fractions or probability must be learned. This flexibility is one of the distinctive features of Kumon.

The Kumon math program contains 23 levels, from basic counting to calculus. There are 460 steps in total. Each step includes 10 worksheets. Altogether, this means completing approximately 4,600 worksheets.

Kumon believed that if a child does not want to learn, it is not the child’s fault. Teaching materials are often boring, and explanations unclear. Repetition, in Kumon’s view, is essential. Regular arithmetic practice builds the fluency required for mathematical confidence.

Kumon workbooks are sold worldwide. You can try them at home. Perhaps your child will enjoy solving problems. If so, you can consider enrolling in a nearby center or choosing distance learning.

Although, as an educator, I do not support this approach for preschool children.

Storykate