Observations after the Observational Chart by Joelle Huser

by Hanna Vock

The highly recommendable book „Lichtblick für helle Köpfe“ („A ray of hope for bright minds“) by Joelle Huser (see bibliography), which has in 2011 been published in its 6th edition, contains valuable copy templates which are presented in the IHVO Certificate Courses and then used by participants in their work. For example, the „observation sheet“, which fortunately also takes kindergarten age into account.

The questionnaire was developed to select the children for a support programme of the city of Zurich/Switzerland. It is tailored to the support programme there and therefore does not take into account all areas of giftedness (see: Domains of Giftedness), but five essential areas when it comes to discovering giftedness:

- general characteristics of high intelligence,
- linguistic intelligence,
- mathematical-logical intelligence,
- interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence and
- naturalistic intelligence.

In addition, characteristics of underchallenged children have been included in order to identify those children for whom additional advancement appears most urgent in the case of a shortage of space in the support programme.

Huser points out that the chart should not be used in isolation in order not to misjudge children. I would like to emphasise this.

Careful handling of the observation sheet is a prerequisite for us in the IHVO,

- that the chart is part of an observation instrument,
- that, where possible, observations made by team colleagues and parents are included,
- that the statements of the chart are related to as concrete observations as possible of the child’s actions and utterances,
- that the chart is used again at intervals in order to check and refine assessments.

In the following you will find examples of the work with the chart at kindergarten, related to the individual child who is suspected of having a special talent. They come from the homework of participants in IHVO Certificate Courses.
Examples:

Jasmin, 3;4 Years
Ergün, 3;10 Years
Rachel, 4;6 Years old
Felix, 4;8 Years old (German version)
Manuel, 5;0 Years old
Malte, 5;0 Years Old
Katja, 6;10 Years (German version)

All names are changed to protect the anonymity of the children.