Anecdotal record

How it is used

Common in American and international early childhood courses; British settings more often say observation or snapshot observation. It is usually written soon after the event, in the past tense, with the date and time.

Example sentences

1. I wrote an anecdotal record of how Maya solved the puzzle with her friend.

2. An anecdotal record should describe what you saw, not what you think it means.

Common collocations

• write an anecdotal record
• anecdotal notes
• snapshot observation
• running record

Related terms

• observationWatching and listening to a child carefully, often during play, and writing down what they do and say in order to understand their development and plan for them.
• learning journalA record of a child's time in a setting, with observations, photos, drawings and notes, showing their interests and progress; it is often kept online and shared with parents.
• formative assessmentOngoing assessment that happens during everyday activities and is used to understand what a child knows and can do and to plan the next steps in their learning.
• next stepsThe learning goals and activities planned for a child after an observation, based on their interests and what they seem ready to learn next.

More terms: Observation and Assessment

• developmental screening