ANECDOTAL RECORDS

Assessment
Assessment comes from a Latin word meaning to sit beside and get to know. It is the process of
observing, recording, and documenting children’s growth and behavior. To be an authentic assessment,
observations must be done over time in play-based situations. This type of assessment is best because it is
the most accurate. It is used to make decisions about children’s education. Information is obtained on
children’s developmental status, growth, and learning styles. Sometimes the terms assessment and
evaluation are used interchangeably, but they are two different processes. Assessment is the process of
collecting information or data. Evaluation is the process of reviewing the information and finding value in
it.
Purposes of Assessment
 Information and data from assessment informs teachers about children’s developmental
needs.
 The information collected is used in planning developmentally appropriate curriculum.

 Assessment should provide information on each child’s unique needs, strengths, and interests.

 It also charts progress over time.

 During the assessment process, you, as teacher, gain insights into children’s learning styles and
needs.

 Individual and classroom problems can often be identified through the assessment
process.
 Assessment also allows you to identify children who might have special needs.Perhaps a child
has a hearing or vision impairment. May be a child has an emotional or behavioral problem that
requires counseling. These needs can be identified and specialized services obtained.

 It will also help you decide how to set up the environment and stimulate each child’s
development. The information gained through assessment can also be useful during parent
conferences.

When to Do Assessments
Initial assessment:
Assessment at the beginning of the academic year.this will provide entry data and a baseline to use for
each child. Developmental, Culture, economic status, and home background will impact each child’s
development. Therefore, the purpose of an initial assessment is to get a “snapshot” of each child in the
group. Observing children and acquiring information from the families are the most common ways to
gather this information.
Ongoing assessments
It will provide in depth information and the information gained will be useful in tracking child’s progress
and documenting change over time. It should provide evidence of a child’s learning and maturation.
Ongoing assessment may take more time, but it will also provide more in-depth information helpful in
making decisions for enriching or modifying the curriculum and classroom environment when necessary.
Choosing a Method of Assessment
There are three considerations for choosing a method of assessment.

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 First, the method chosen depends on the type of behavior you want to assess.3-4
sSecondly, whether the information needs to be collected for one child or the entire group.
Finally, the amount of focused attention required by the observer needs to be considered. Some methods
of assessment will require more of your attention. For example, it is difficult interacting with children
when you are in the process of writing an anecdotal record.

Formal and Informal

Observation
Two different methods of observation are used for assessing young children—formal and informal.
Formal methods include standardized tests and research instruments. As a result of such
research, developmental milestones for children have been identified. Developmental milestones are
characteristics and behaviors training for recording data on carefully designed forms. Training is also
needed for analyzing and interpreting the data.
Preschool teachers usually use informal observation methods to collect data. These methods are easier to
use and more appropriate for program planning. They include observing children in the classroom,
collecting samples of their work, interviewing parents, and talking with children.
Assessment Tools
There are several types of assessment tools that are used in early childhood programs. These include
anecdotal records, checklists, participation charts, rating scales, samples of products, photographs, and
tapes. Teachers can also interview families to obtain information.
Anecdotal Records
The simplest form of direct observation is a brief narrative account of a specific incident called an
anecdotal record.
Anecdotal records are short, factual, narrative descriptions of child behaviors and skills over time.
Narrative observation is the most popular, oldest, and most informative method to record
observation done on child. It attempts to record everything that happens.
An anecdotal record is a description of student behavior or a report of observed behavioral incidents. For
example, the teacher of a disruptive student may write a description of the disturbances caused by the
student to keep track of performance concerns.

Definition:
 It is a brief description of an observed behavior that appears significant for evaluation purpose.
 A factual record of an observation of a single, specific, significant incident in the behavior of a
student.
 It is the written description of a specific incident for which a teacher has observed.
MEANING:
Informal device used by the teacher to record behavior /important happenings of students as observed
by him /her from time to time which provides a lasting record of behavior which may be useful later in
contributing to a judgement of a student for future reference.
It gives useful information concerning an individual . The observer should be objective and has to
mention various kinds of social relationships in which the individual takes part. Eg: parent-child, pupil –
teacher, social interaction etc.
The teacher describes the events he/she observed carefully and writes his/her comments , takes the
signature of student , he/she will also sign and keep it into the file, and will be considered for evaluating
the particular student.
CHARACTERISTICS OF ANECDOTAL RECORDS:
 A factual description of an event.
 How it occured
 What happened

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  When it occurred
 Under what circumstances the behavior occurred
 Will be described by the observer .i.e. objective behavior of pupil’s behavior recorded from time.
 With observer’s comments
 The treatment (the interpretation and recommended action should be noted separately from the
description)
 Each anecdotal record should contain a record of a single incident.
 The incident recorded should be one .i.e. considered to be significant to the pupil’s growth and
development.
 Brief narrative
 Describes what happen, how, where and when it happened in a factual objective manner
 Records after the observation, therefore a camcorder is recommended to ensure nothing is being
left out
 Qualitative in nature
 Provides clear, true-life account
 Conclusion in past tense

PURPOSES
 A fundamental purpose of assessment is to communicate what the child knows and is able to do.
Teacher-generated, anecdotal records provide an insider’s perspective of the child’s educational
experience .
 This perspective is vital to communication with the child and the child’s family about academic
progress.
 Anecdotal records also facilitate assessment conversations as educational professionals describe
their observations of student learning and consider ways to develop appropriate strategies to
build on strengths and address academic needs.
 Helps in making daily decisions about instructional approaches.
 To provide information about students' development over an extended period of time

 To identify the instructional needs of students

 To furnish the multiplicity of evidence needed for good cumulative record.
 To substitute for vague generalizations about students specific exact description of behavior.
 To stimulate teachers to look for information .i.e. pertinent in helping each student realize good
self – adjustment.
 To understand individual’s basic personality pattern and his/her reactions in different situations.
 The teacher is able to understand her pupil in a realistic manner.
 It provides an opportunity for healthy pupil – teacher relationship.
 It can be maintained in the areas of behavior that cannot be evaluated by other systematic
methods.
 Helps the students to improve their behavior, as it is a direct feedback of an entire observed
incident, the student can analyse his behavior better.
 Useful in supplementing and validity observations made by the other means.
 Can be used by students for self – appraisal and peer assessment

.Anecdotal records

Recommendations

 To be useful, anecdotal records should be brief and focused.

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  Anecdotal comments may be recorded in binders with a single page for each student, in a
notebook with each entry dated to provide a chronological record of classroom activities and
students' growth and development, or on checklists.
 Record an accurate description of the situation and comments or questions that may guide further
observations.
 Anecdotal comments should be recorded daily and immediately after the observation.
 Anecdotal records should include information about students' strengths and weaknesses.
 Comments should be recorded during different times and during different activities of the day in
order to develop a complete profile of students' language abilities, interests and attitudes.
 Examine the records regularly to be sure that comments are made for each student on a variety of
skills and behaviours.

 Individual entries may or may not be shared with students or parents

Contents of Anecdotal Records

 Identifies the child and gives the child’s age
 Includes the date, time of day, and setting
 Identifies the observer
 Provides an accurate account of the child’s actions and direct quotes from the child’s
conversations
 Includes responses of other children and/or adults.

STEPS
1. Observing children in instructional settings
2. Maintaining a standards-based focus
3. Making anecdotal records
4. Managing anecdotal records
5. Using anecdotal records for assessment
1. Observing children in instructional Settings

 Observations must be recorded before the moment is lost to short-term memory.

 Observing children requires planning and preparation.
 In order to address the time constraints of the classroom, select which students to observe
ahead of time. Avoid attempting to observe everybody all at once.
 Prior to observing, write the current date and the student’s initials on each label.
2. Maintaining a standards-based focus
 Teachers require a dominant focus to avoid being distracted by disruptive or unusual behaviors,
personality differences.
 With lesson planning; therefore, it follows to use the selected content standard for observational
purposes.

 The focus, initially established by the content standards, guides observation for assessment.
3. Making anecdotal records
Writing quality anecdotal records is facilitated by keeping in mind the following considerations:
Write observable data, use significant abbreviations, write records in the past tense, support
records with examples as evidence, don’t use the C-word (can’t), and avoid redundancy.
Write observable data. In order to ensure writing quality records, there are several questions that
clarify the word choice for observable data. First, Does the wording tell me what the student is doing?
avoid using phrases that imply an embedded interpretation, such as “a lot,” “a few,” or “many times.”

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Meaningful verbs for writing anecdotal records
Use significant abbreviations. Table 3 provides some helpful abbreviations to speed the writing of
records.

Meaningful verbs for writing anecdotal records

Strategies Listening Writing Reading Speaking
Uses (strategies) Distinguishes Writes Blends States
Organizes Determines Prints (legibly) Reads Describes
Generates Recognizes Spells Tracks Shares
Classifies Identifies Illustrates Decodes (information)
Compares Responds Capitalizes Follows words Recites
Contrasts Asks Defines Rereads Represents
Matches Questions Indents Uses references Relates
Plans Clarifies Describes Studies Recounts
Provides Discerns Summarizes Highlights Retells
Connects (ideas) Analyzes Organizes Reports
Arranges Follows directions Concludes
Supports Reacts Quotes
Confirms Points out Delivers
Selects Points to Requests
Chooses Gestures Asks
Demonstrates Indicates
Presents Confirms
Clarifies

Write records in the past tense. Remember that the moment after an event takes place, it moves into
the past. Knowing to write records in the past tense streamlines the composing process. There is less
need to consider how to conjugate verbs. Maintaining the past tense makes for consistent and more
accurate records.
Support records with examples as evidence.
Include an example of what the student did. Any time the observer can cite a specific example, the
record will more accurately generate a clear recommendation for instruction
Don’t use the “C-word.” There is a temptation to use the word can’t when attempting to record
an observation about what the student did not do. It is much more accurate to simply state that the
student did not do a particular task than to imply that the student is unable to perform the task by
writing can’t. Note the difference in the following statements: “Can’t write a five-line poem” versus
“Did not write a five-line poem.” The first statement is not an observation but an indictment
against the student, whereas the latter expresses what did not happen, without implying a lack of
ability on the student’s part.

Avoid redundancy. A frequent problem in writing anecdotal records is including needless repetition

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when the implication is obvious.
4. Managing anecdotal records

The form has several design features to facilitate managing records. There is room for up to
eight observational records, and then there is a section for sorting observations into strengths or
needs. After that, there is space for instructional recommendations based upon the child’s identified
strengths and needs. The final section is a boxed area for noting any special needs accommodations.

5. Analysis of anecdotal records

Periodically, analyze the compiled records for each student. The time between analyses
may vary according to your own academic calendar. Consider analyzing the records every six to
eight weeks. Decide whether or not the student met the standard.

Anecdotal Records Must Be Objective

During the observation process, it is important to record only objective statements.
To be objective, a statement must pass two tests. First, it must describe only observable actions. Thus,
generalizations about the motives, attitudes, and feelings of the children are not included. Secondly, the
recorded information must be non evaluative. It should not include an interpretation of why something
happened, nor imply that what happened was wrong, right, good, or bad. Labeling should be avoided. No
judgments or conclusions should be inferred at this point. Notice that only an objective description of the
observed behavior is recorded.

Interpretation of the Data

An attempt is made to explain the observed behavior and to give it meaning. Why did the child behave as
he or she did? What might have been the child’s motives? Did someone or something cause the child to
act in this way? This interpretation takes knowledge and skill. It should not be attempted without a
thorough understanding of how children grow and develop. The observation itself serves no purpose
without the interpretation of behavior to give meaning to the data. Though an observation may be factual
and unbiased, various interpretations are sometimes made. Since no two people are exactly alike, no two
people will interpret facts in the exact same way. Each person who interprets a child’s behavior may
determine different motives for the behavior based on their own personal experiences. Their personal
feelings, values, and attitudes may also influence the interpretation of behavior.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Anecdotal Records

Advantages:

 No special training
 Open-ended, record everything not restricted to one kind of behaviour
 Catch unexpected incident no matter when it occurs
 Look for and record the significant behaviour and ignore the rest
 Rich source of documentation for charting developmental growth, such as language development
 Useful for curriculum and instruction planning, designing environment, an writing summaries for
portfolios and useful for parents conference .
 Provide cumulative record of growth and development.
 They provide specific and exact description of personality and minimizes generalization.
 The new members may use these records and acquaint themselves with the students.
 These records help in clinical service practices.

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  They stimulate the teacher to use the records and contribute to them.
 They record the critical incidents of spontaneous behavior in natural settings.
 They provide the teacher with objective description.
 They are very good for young children, who are unable to use paper – pencil test.
 They direct the teachers attention to a single student.
 They provide cumulative record for growth and development.
 They can be used by the counselor as a source of information for giving evidence.
 They provide specific and exact description of personality and minimizes generalizations.
 They provide more complete description of behavior better suited to understanding and guided
students than the observational tool available.
 They can be used as a supplement to quantitative data.
 The new members can use these records and acquaint themselves with the students.
 Supplements and validates of other structured instruments.
 Provision of insight into total behavior incidents.
 Use of formative feedback.
 Economical and easy to develop.

Disadvantages:

 Does not give complete picture

 Depend too much on memory as it’s recorded after the event
 Incident taken out of contest, interpreted incorrectly or in a biased manner
 Difficult to code/analyze narrative record, not useful in scientific studies
 Time consuming.
 Depend too much on memory as its recorded after the event.
 Less formal and systematic , therefore they tend to be less reliable than other observational tool.
 They are time consuming to write.
 It is difficult for the observer to maintained objectivity when he/she records the incident
observed.
 Only undesirable incidents are noted and recorded neglecting the positive incidents.
 They present only a verbal description of the incident not revealing the causes.
 If carelessly recorded , the purpose will not be fulfilled.
 Subjectivity.
 Lack of standardization
 Difficulty in scoring.
 Time consuming
 Limited application
 Teachers biasness, hopes, and pre convinced notions inevitably enter into the observations and
reports.

HOW TO USE ANECDOTAL RECORD EFFECTIVELY:

 Specify the behavior to be assessed in advance.

 Limit observations to those categories and qualities.
Although the Anecdotal records has certain limitations, it is possible to make Anecdotal records
defective by keeping following principles in the minds of the observers.
 Limit observations to those aspects of behavior which cannot be evaluated through other
means and specify the behavior in advance.
 Concentrate on only one or two behaviours and limit it.

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  Observation should be selective and record enough of the situations to decrease subjectivity.
 An observation blue print or guide should be prepared in advance.
 A single specific incident has to be recorded (positive and negative aspects) and consider
both in making inferences.
 Record the incident or action as soon as possible after it has happened.
 Avoid too much dependency on memory by recording the incident completely time to time
which will increase its objectivity ,validity and reliability.
 They should be kept by all teachers and not only by the student’s teacher.
 They should be compiled and filed.
 They must be available to specified school and college personnel.
 They should be emphasized as an educational resource.
 They should be recorded regardless of the directions of behavior.
 Record should be complete.
 Should not be confined to recording negative behavior pattern.
 They should have an interpretation value.
 The teacher should have practice and training in making observational and writing anecdotal
records.

ANECDOTAL RECORDS DURING CLINIC EXPERIENCE

ITEMS IN ANECDOTAL RECORDS:

Anecdotal records is a brief account of critical incidents that occur during a student’s clinical
experience are quite useful , provided focus is on incidents that reflect effective behavior and
ineffective behaviors. Both types of incidents should be recorded briefly.to relate the incident
correctly for drawing inferences the following items to be incorporated:

1. The first part of an anecdotal record should be factual, simple and clear.
 Name of the student
 Unit/Ward/Department
 Date and Time
 Setting background of the client
 Brief report of what happened (interpretation of the behavior)
 Recommendations concerning the behavior
 Signature of the observer.
2. The second part of an anecdotal record may include additional comments, analysis and
conclusions based on interpretations and judgements.
The first part answers :
 Who is involved
 Where did it take place
 When did it occur
 What happened
The second part answers:
 Howand why the behaviors occurred.
Follow ABC Rule in writing Anecdotal records
A Accuracy
B Brevity
C Clarity

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DESCRIPTIVE REPORT

The Instructor writes a brief report on student nurse’s performance over a given period. These
reports are quite useful if Instructor highlights student strengths and weaknesses in a systematic way.
Anecdotal report form

CLASS 4TH grade

STUDENT Bill Johnson

DATE 24-06-2009

PLACE Classroom

OBSERVER Mrs. Natalie

INCIDENT :

As class was about to start , Bill asked if he could read a poem to the class one
he had written himself about “spring”. He read the poem in a low voice,
constantly looked down at the paper, moved his right foot back and forth, and
fulled on his shirt collar. When he finished, Jack ( in the back row) said “I could
not hear it.Will you read it again louder?” Bill said “no” and sat down.

INTERPRETATION:

Bill enjoys writing stories and poems and they reflect considerable creative
ability . However, he seems very shy and nervous in performing before a
group.His refusal to read the poem again seemed to be due to his nervousness.

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References:

Norman E gronlund, Robert L Linn. Measurement and Evaluation in Teaching .6 th edition. New York:
Collier Macmillian Publishers , Macmillan Publishing Company.377-383.

W James Popham . Educational Evaluation .2nd Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Publications.100

KP Neerja. Textbook of Nursing Education .(Reprint). Jaypee Publications.2008.436-438.

B T Basavanthappa .Nursing Education (Reprint). Jaypee Publications.514-520.

http://home .gwu .edu.

http:// Anecdotal _Records .htm.

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