Senior Thesis Project

Abstract From Thesis Report

This Senior Thesis Project researched the question “How observations influence play in the early years of a child’s development”. The aim of this research project was to explore how observations in Early Childhood Centres are used by educators to identify children’s interest and developmental gaps. As a result, educators make informed decisions to address these areas to ensure all children meet the Early Years Learning Framework outcomes for the best transition into formal schooling. Primary and Secondary data such as journal articles and discussions with educators were collected to support the research on observations as they are valuable informative pieces of documentation used to guide future directions in the Early Childhood Industry.

The observations and discussions provided a variety of quotes, realistic examples and information about how observations have a positive impact on a child’s development and play interests. The outcome of this thesis project was for the researcher to have a better understanding of how observations were used at a local Early Childhood Centre and to investigate and confidently answer the thesis question.