This book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of observation in early childhood education, a range of practical techniques (both qualitative and quantitative) for practitioners, and a section, mainly for researchers, on ethics and also recording, analysing, and reporting observational data. It is rich in examples and draws on a variety of New Zealand studies to illustrate different approaches:•time sampling•category observations•rating scales•running records•ethnography•Learning Stories•Teaching Stories.Note that this edition is the most suitable for use by New Zealand students and practitioners.