Overview

Use the Frequency Count Observation form to track how often different activities or behaviors occur in your early learning environment. For example, things like Benny’s talking or Hazel’s biting can be tracked over the course of a week with this form.

Using The Frequency Count Observation Form

The Frequency Count Observation form is helpful if you’re trying to figure out if a behavior or activity is time-related. For example, if you have a child who is doing a lot of biting, it may be useful to know if it’s happening at a particular time of day when you’re working on a strategy to curb the behavior.

To use the form, start by filling out:

• The name of the child to be observed
• The start and end date of the observation
• The name of the person or persons doing the observation
• The activity or behavior to be observed

If more than one person will be observing, color code their observations with different colors of ink.

Next, place the form on a clipboard and keep it handy so that you can add a tally mark in the appropriate box each time you observe the activity or behavior you are tracking.

Use the Notes area to track any additional observations.

At the end of your observation, you’ll have a clearer picture of when the observed behavior occurred over the course of a week. This data may prove useful in sussing out reasons for a behavior or a clearer understanding of why an activity occurs at certain times.

Here’s a link to an episode of the Child Care Bar And Grill podcast where we discuss this form

Below are a couple examples of completed forms. Scroll down for the free PDF.

Here’s The Free Frequency Count Observation Form

Download it, print it, and use it to help better understand what’s happening in your early learning environment:

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