All about participation charts
In week 7 of our class one of the topics discussed was participation charts, this is covered in chapter 5 in our textbook from pages 178-184. Participation charts can be used when observing one or more children in a certain setting. The purpose of these charts is to see how often one or more children are participating in the numerous indoor or outdoor learning centers. The charts have a high value for the parents as well, “participation charts are a point of reference from which teachers and parents and parents can begin to develop discussions (pg.180). Meaning parents and teachers can look at the data collected about their child’s participation and see what their child is doing well away from home. The format of the chart is just like a regular chart with columns but there is key information to include: where the children are, what the options of activities are, how many children are being observed, their names, your name, the date, time and age. Other sections that can be added are: comments box for the parents or yourself, a frequency column (how often are they at one activity), or a duration column (how long they are at one activity). Below is an example of a participation chart done on three children.
Example of Participation Chart for 1+ Children
Observer: Claire Setting: Outside at Playground
Date(s): Week 7 (mon-fri) Time: Morning Recess 10:30am-11:10am
Children’s Names: A, B, C Age Group: 6-7 Grade 2
After one has gone out and collected data and their data is complete the next step is interpreting what the chart means and reflecting on what the results mean. When reflecting all aspects to be put into consideration, one needs to think about all the possible reasons for the outcomes one example in the textbook I found was “a child’s upbringing will influence how the child plays and spends his or her day” (pg. 184). Using the example of my participation chart we could use this information for child C. He/she may spend a lot of time alone at home because he/she may not have any siblings and is used to playing alone. This is important to consider because if true than child C social skills needs to be looked more into and see how they can be developed. Many questions and thoughts will arise when reflecting and interpreting, it is our job to make sure we pick up on the important details.
