What is a running record in early childhood observation?

• A. A chronological narrative of a child’s behavior as it occurs with time stamps.
• B. A numeric tally with no context.
• C. A single sentence summary at end of day.
• D. A video log.

Answer: (A)

A running record is a method of observing a child by writing down what happens as it happens, with exact times noted. The observer records actions, words, facial expressions, and interactions in the order they occur, creating a chronological narrative. This time-stamped narration lets you see patterns, triggers, and the sequence of events that lead to a behavior, helping you plan supports and track progress over time. It differs from a numeric tally, which only counts how often something occurs without describing what happened or in what order, and from a single-sentence end-of-day summary, which lacks detail about context and sequence. It’s also more focused on live, descriptive notes than a video log, though video can be useful for review, a running record emphasizes written, time-anchored observations you can quickly analyze.