Behaviour

What parts of the body is the child using - total body, upper/lower half, arms, legs?
What body postures are involved - hunched, upright, awkward, graceful, stiff?
What type of body gestures is the child making - fast, slow, jerky, definite?

Below are some examples to explain this.

Piece of paper with writing on it saying, 'Sam was sitting on the floor reading a book'. This observation does not give you much understanding about the child. He could be kneeling or sitting with his legs stretched out in front, he could be showing relaxed behaviour or looking worried as he reads.

Piece of paper with writing on it saying, 'Sam was sitting cross legged on the floor with his right leg crossed over his left leg. His upper body was hunched over, and he was gripping a book firmly with both hands'. This observation lets you understand more about how Sam might have been feeling as he was reading.

Facial expressions

A child's face will tell you a lot about how they feel.

eyes - are they solemn, tearful, flaring, smiling, bright, surprised, shining or dull?
mouth - is it drooping, open, smiling, drawn, puckered, trembling?
smile - is it full, wistful, shy, dimpled, wide, or beaming?

Have a look at these examples.

Piece of paper with writing on it saying, 'Sam was looking at the book'. This observation doesn't tell you how Sam was reading the book. Was he glancing at it in a bored manner, or was he looking interested as he read it?

Piece of paper with writing on it saying, 'Sam was staring intently at the book, his eyes bright. His mouth had a wide smile'. This observation lets you understand how Sam was reading the book, and what body language he was displaying as he read.

Language

When a child speaks, what they say and how they say it can tell you a lot about how they feel and what their needs are.

language - what are they saying?
voice - is it loud, soft, demanding, angry, questioning, shrill, subdued?

Can you see the difference between what these observations tell you about the child?

Piece of paper with writing on it saying, 'Christine sang as she walked'. Although this tells us that Christine was singing, we don't know if she was singing a sad, little tune, or a happy, bubbly tune. Describing her voice can add a lot of meaning to our understanding of Christine.

Piece of paper with writing on it saying, 'As she walked, Christine sang with a high pitch while smiling broadly'. We get much more meaning from this observation, as we can understand how Christine is feeling.