RIE Principle #6: Sensitive observation of the child

Sustainable Play Approach

Our staff RIE Leader Rosie shared the following reflection with our Educators on this principle:

“Sensitive observation is necessary to build the foundation of a respectful relationship. Observation is an art that allows the adult to perceive better the wants and needs of a child, to foster the authenticity of a child. RIE supports Educarers in learning to observe the child and develop their own capacity to guide, using their judgement to know when it is better to give no guidance, or just a little. The child’s self-initiation is valued and knowing when not to intervene is just as important as knowing when to intervene.

Magda Gerber says,

“Observe more, do less.”

The more we do, the busier we are, the less we really pay attention. To spend some time sitting peacefully while a child is doing their own thing, without wanting to play with them, teach them, care for them – just being available to them – will make you much more sensitive to a child’s needs, tempo and style. We also have a tendency to see what we “know”, what we believe in, rather than what is happening in front of our eyes. Sensitive observation encourages us to clear our minds, focus fully on what the child is doing, try to understand their point of view, what interests them, how they handle little frustrations, or solve little problems. If you learn how to understand the personality of your child, the quality of your interactions will also improve.

How do we do this in our busy setting?

• Prepare ahead: set things up for the day ahead of time. Make sure you have areas ready and well stocked so that you are not needing to leave or have your mind elsewhere.
• Create a safe space: by creating a space that is totally safe for children you will be able to sit back and observe more without worrying about anyone being harmed. Provide appropriate resources and engaging set ups that are interesting to the children.
• Utilise primary Educators and small groups: by breaking off into primary educator groups throughout the day, we will be able to more easily observe the small group of children, and therefore strengthen relationships.
• Work together to allow for educators to spend time being present in observation, try not to interrupt if possible. If you can see an Educator observing a child/children try to step up and do the other tasks that might need doing in that moment (supporting behaviours, preparing for a meal, room tidy/reset, being available to the other children, supporting a transition etc). This is especially important as primary Educators get to know new enrollments.

How RIE describes ‘sensitive observation’

Ruth Anne Hammond (RIE Associate) describes this principle of sensitive observation on the RIE website:

“A central concept in RIE is that we use sensitive observation in order to understand the child. Observation is a human default mode. It’s part of our survival system. But when we’re talking about understanding children, we have to tune our attention a little bit differently.

When a child needs some help from us, we use what we have as our first impulse to try to intervene on their behalf. And sometimes that doesn’t work. And so when our first instinct doesn’t work, we step back a little bit and we start consciously observing to see what might be needed. We pay attention in a more focused way to the cues the child is putting out to the clues in their communication.

The goal of sensitive observation is to increase our attunement with the child, to give the child the genuine sense of being understood, and when the child feels understood, then there’s more likelihood that we’re going to be operating in harmonious ways with the child. So the purpose of sensitive observation is improved communication and more well-targeted interventions.”

Dr. Dunham states, “when it comes to our babies, the best source that our intuition can draw from is our observations of our unique child that we accumulate day by day by being with them and getting to know them better and better. That’s something that we cannot ever read in a book or learn from scientific papers. It’s something that we learn by being with them and nurturing our intuition…

And also we don’t necessarily have to spend large amounts of time specifically thinking like, Well, this will be the time when I will nurture my intuition. I think it comes organically through the day when we spend time with our babies changing diapers, feeding. It comes in these little tiny glimpses, sometimes, tiny snippets, but they accumulate over time into this very unique knowledge.”

Sensitive observation requires making time to be together with your child and be present to be able to record those observations mentally and feed that intiution you have as a carer.

Magda Gerber, Founder of RIE

Magda Gerber writes about the ‘wants nothing time’ that Dr. Dunham mentioned – you can read on the Magda Gerber Legacy website. She states,

“”Wants Nothing” Quality Time. That’s when the parent doesn’t want to do anything with the child, has no plans other than wanting to simply be with the child. Just floor-sitting, being available, being there with all the senses awakened to the child; watching, listening, thinking of only that child. It sounds easy, but few can truly do it.”

Magda continues writing that, “most of us are used and conditioned to doing something. This is not “I’ve got-to-do-this” kind of time. It’s more a time for taking in and waiting. We fully accept the child’s beingness just by our own receptive beingness. We are telling the child that we are really there and aware. Not, “What shall I cook, clean, whom to call,” etc. If you really feel that you should do something during this time, then it’s not the right time. This is a free-flowing space in which the child shouldn’t feel he has to perform, because the parent is not sending out the kind of demanding messages that say, “I am here now, what would you like to do?” Most relationships are based on performance. We tend to stimulate our children to produce listening and watching. If the child seems to ignore you and is doing something completely on his own, don’t leave. It is very comforting to know that the parent is there, really there without the little person under pressure to have to do something to keep the parent’s attention.

For an infant, it’s a peaceful presence—a quiet assurance in this beingness. This play, separate from the parent, teaches the child to depend on his own inner security. If you do this with a newborn, you learn to see the child fully; you really observe and discover a person unfolding. This separate time doesn’t produce immediate results. Please remember this. Everything, especially something new, needs time and patience. You must plant and then reap. First put in what you feel is right and then slowly it takes. This instant, ready-made society expects instant results. Not so with quality time. It’s more like an investment in the future of your child as well as in the present. You are available, waiting; the child is the initiator.”

We hope you enjoyed learning more about the sixth RIE principle and will try to engage with this principle of sensitive observation more in how you care for your child/ren.

Read more about the other RIE principles in our ‘RIE‘ blogs.