Anecdotal Records

Anecdotal Records

Significant incidents or specific, observable behaviours can be recorded by teachers in anecdotal records. These records provide cumulative information about students' development in the learning objectives of the language arts as well as their physical and social growth and development. By systematically collecting and analyzing anecdotal comments, teachers can evaluate students' progress and abilities to use language and then plan appropriate instruction.

Purposes

to provide information about students' development over an extended period of time
to identify the instructional needs of students

Teacher Note:

To be useful, anecdotal records should be brief and focused.
Anecdotal comments may be recorded in binders with a single page for each student, in a notebook with each entry dated to provide a chronological record of classroom activities and students' growth and development, or on checklists.
Record an accurate description of the situation and comments or questions that may guide further observations.
Anecdotal comments should be recorded daily and immediately after the observation.
Anecdotal records should include information about students' strengths and weaknesses.
Comments should be recorded during different times and during different activities of the day in order to develop a complete profile of students' language abilities, interests and attitudes.
Examine the records regularly to be sure that comments are made for each student on a variety of skills and behaviours.
Individual entries may or may not be shared with students or parents.

Anecdotal comments may be recorded on post-it notes and then affixed to a large chart that lists the students and the days of the week. At the end of the week, the recorded information is transferred to each student's file and the chart is reused the following week.

	Joanne	Greg	Gail	Shelley	Rory
Monday	- prefers to work alone	- having difficulty with report - conference Tues.
Tuesday				- editing story with J.R.'s help
Wednesday		- working on sorting ideas - prioritizing, outlining			- great group discussion -shared ideas
Thursday	- 15th entry in Reading Log - chose first biography		- reviewed writing portfolio and evaluated 4 pieces
Friday

(Saskatchewan Education English Language Arts, June 1992)