Using a Mobile Device for Early Childhood Classroom Behavior Data Collection

Over one-third of preschoolers with disabilities are fully included in the classroom with their typically developing peers and another large percentage receive some instruction in the inclusive classroom. In order to support young children and increase the likelihood of the desired learning and behavior outcomes, teachers must use individual data for each child to guide decisions regarding instructional and behavioural interventions. Many early childhood special educators are busy and struggle to find an efficient way to collect data on a regular basis. One solution is the use of smartphone or tablet tools. This article provides early childhood special educators with recommendations for individual child data collection through the use of easy-to-use tools that can be customized to meet teacher and classroom needs. Specifically, we recommend the use of: (a) Google forms, (b) video and audio recordings, (c) speech-to-text technology, (d) counter apps, and (e) the smartphone stopwatch function.