Who:  Any student, of any age, can be observed and the results of such observations analyzed.

 

What:  Kidwatching is when a student is observed in every day circumstances: walking through the hallway, playing at recess, eating lunch, working in class, etc. These observations are used to identify strengths and weaknesses in social or emotional areas that may play a role in the student's reading difficulties.

 

When:  This observation can be done at any time while working with a student; however, it would be most effective and objective before the child has been introduced to the person observing. When the child is acting and behaving as they normally would, the most sincere observations will be made.

 

Why:  The purpose of this assessment is to gather data regarding the student's interaction with others, attention span, listening skills, etc.

 

How:  Schedule times to observe the student in normal activities throughout the school day. Record everything that is occurring. Most importantly: record the teacher's expectations and what is actually occurring. Observations recorded should include what the student should be doing, and what the student is actually doing.

By comparing these two columns, conclusions can be made of how behavioral/social strengths and weaknesses may come into play when identifying reading difficulties. It may be helpful to also include what the other children in the classroom are doing in comparison to the student who is being observed.