Observations

Here is my target observation chart... 

Activity Record	Language Record	Context/ Task	Other Particpants
1. Gabby follows along with reading		Decoding B1 Lesson 28 Small group lesson Each student takes turns reading a sentence. Continues for entire passage
2. Gabby read when it was her turn	1 insertion (added the word day after every)
3. Stops for comprehension questions	Answers question #3 “He tricks people and lies about everything” “What do we know about the Con Man?”
4. (student elbows) Reads again	error substitution (a for the) error (a for and)	Corrects/ rereads	Another student corrects error
Interpretations: -Distracted after 1st reading	- syntax errors. -Errors did not change meaning -activated prior knowledge -connected to previous reading
Instructional ideas:	-review sight words -teaching point- look for information in the word. letters, clusters

I couldn't get a clear picture of the hand-written chart, so I typed my notes in a word doc this time. (The student name is a pseudonym).


The chart is used to document a ten minute observation of one student. During the first half of every minute I observe the student's actions and record under the activity section. The other half minute is used to record what the child says or reads, this is recorded under the language section. One great aspect of this chart is the area for interpretations and instructional ideas. It gives me the opportunity and space to write my own thoughts immediately after I have described my observations. 
I didn't quite complete the full ten-minute observation this time around. We ran out of time and students had to return to class before completing the lesson. I plan to continue using the target observation chart to record my observations. I hope to uncover patterns and themes in students' reading behavior as I conducted repeated observations of each child in my focal group. 


The template and description of the Target Observation Chart can be found in:

Pappas, C. C. & Tucker-Raymond, E. (2011). Becoming a Teacher Research in Literacy Teaching and Learning: Strategies and Tools for the Inquiry Process. New York: Routledge.