Observations in informal assessment can include which method?

• A. Anecdotal records, or short written descriptions of observed behaviors.
• B. Checklists
• C. Time sampling
• D. Norm-referenced tests

Answer: (A)

In informal assessment, you capture how a child behaves in everyday settings by writing concise, descriptive notes about what you observe. An anecdotal record is exactly that kind of documentation—a short written description of a specific behavior, including the setting, what happened, who was involved, and when it occurred. This approach gives a qualitative view of a child’s interactions and skills in real moments, helping you notice patterns over time without using formal scoring or rigid checklists.

Checklists and time sampling are also ways to observe, but they are more structured and focus on marking whether certain behaviors occurred or recording observations at set intervals. Norm-referenced tests, on the other hand, are standardized assessments rather than observations from the natural classroom context.