Observation & Assessment Made Simple

A Practical Guide for Early Years and Primary Educators

Clare Devlin

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9781351615860
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Early Childhood Education

This practical guide presents a clear step-by-step approach to observation, assessment and planning in early years and primary education with one powerful aim: to ensure that no child goes unseen. It transforms observation from a paperwork task into a meaningful way of understanding children's learning through a simple "What? So What? Now What?" framework.

Drawing on classroom experience and years of mentoring educators, the book combines clear explanations with real-life examples and reflective prompts. It guides readers through noticing and recording children's learning, making sense of observations, and planning responsive next steps.

Chapters cover:

• The "What, So What, Now What" observation process and what this looks like in practice
• Observing learning outdoors
• Embedding observation in daily practice
• Linking involvement, wellbeing and learning
• Making assessment work in practice including effective use of AI
• Planning and creating the conditions for responsive practice

Offering a fresh approach to observation that moves beyond tick-boxes and encourages authentic engagement with children's thinking and development, this is an essential resource for students on Early Childhood and Primary Education courses and practicing educators.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• About the Author
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 Observation as a Pedagogical Tool: Adopting the What, So What, Now What Process as an Observation Tool
• 2 Why Observation Matters: Why This Approach Matters
• 3 Beginning the Process: What? The Observation Stage
• 4 Choosing the Right Tools: Getting the Balance Right
• 5 Observing Learning Outdoors
• 6 Embedding Observation in Daily Practice: Who, When, Where and How
• 7 Managing the Process of Observation Within a Large Group
• 8 Linking Involvement, Wellbeing and Learning
• 9 The Heart of the Process: So What? The Assessment Stage: From Observation to Understanding
• 10 Making Assessment Work in Practice: When, How Often, Who and How to Write Well
• 11 AI in Assessment: A Support for Practice, Not a Substitute for Thinking
• 12 Responding to the Individual Child: Now What? The Planning and Development Stage
• 13 What Is Planning? Creating the Conditions for Responsive Practice
• 14 Bringing It All Together: Translating Observation Into Whole-Class Planning
• 15 Observation and Evaluation: Two Lenses, One Purpose
• Conclusion
• Appendix 1 Note-Lets for Collecting Observations
• Appendix 2 Blank Assessment Proformas
• Appendix 3 Completed Assessment Proformas
• Appendix 4 Blank Group Plan
• Appendix 5 Completed Group Plan
• Bibliography
• Index