Child Development

OBSERVATONS

As a way to bridge what you are learning in class with what you see in real life, you will complete a portfolio based on your experiences at your placement. Your portfolio will begin with a set of written observations. Attached you will find an example of such an observation. These recount some incident of behavior, and should include the date and time you observed the behavior, a description of the setting, including the people present, any background information you think may be relevant, and then a step-by-step account of what transpired. Your goal in writing these observations is to create a picture so well that I can clearly imagine the incident as I read your account. Try to refrain from including editorials on your observations, as this is what you will do in your final portfolio. As with verbal reports that you give in class, written observations must include pseudonyms for both the children and other participants.

An important point to remember when you are making your observations is that you want to be as detailed as possible when you make the observation. This will allow you to use the information more effectively when you do your placement portfolio. You do not want to give an overview of the day. For an example: As the children arrived they took off their coats, placed them in their cubby's and then went to the circle for calendar time, songs and stories. Then each child went to a station in the room. Marcia went to water works where she played with water, then she went to the art table where she made a bunny. The day ended with the children returning to the circle for music. This does not give you any specific information of a developmental nature. Rather describing what the child did at water works, what type of fine motor skills they used, how they interacted with children that joined them, or how they watched another child do something and then changed their behavior will give you much more to work with.

You will need to complete at least one observation each day you are at your placement. You will turn these observations into me each week. I will read them and give you feedback if necessary. You will forfeit 1 point per day that the observations are turned in late. All observations must be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and a standard size font (10-12).

While you are at your placement, I would suggest you keep a small notebook with you and jot down instances as they occur. You should then write up the full observation as soon as possible after leaving the facility while it is still fresh in your mind. I guarantee that if you attempt to wait until Friday morning your observation will not be as exact and it will be more difficult for you when it comes time for you to create your final portfolio.

Your observations can be of many kinds of things. For example, you might observe some behavior or interaction that puzzles or intrigues you. But you should also be looking for examples of "normal" behaviors. Some prime examples of things you are likely to see are:

• language development
• gender roles
• pro-social behaviors
• motor skill development
• cognitive development
• temperament
• play
• emotional regulation
• intelligence
• aggression

As we discuss different issues in class it will most likely give you ideas of typical age-appropriate behavior of normal development.

Each observation is worth 5 points making - 10 points a week.

Observation Example

December 12, 2003

Bailey age 4 is playing at the table with a puzzle. It is a cardboard puzzle with a picture of Angelina Ballerina on it. She states that this is a new puzzle in the classroom. She dumps the puzzle and begins putting the pieces back. I hear her say… I need a straight piece, here is a straight piece, where does it go? This puzzle is hard! She looks up at me and asks me if I can help her. She says she can't figure out where this one goes. I take the piece for her and say hum, let's see this piece has a pink piece of Angelina's dress on in and here is the picture of Angelina. Look it goes here. Bailey smiles and picks up another piece. Here is another straight piece where does it go? I ask her what colors or pictures are on the piece she says a tree. I ask her if there are any trees in the picture? She says yes, right here. I say do you think the piece you have would fit there? She says yes and becomes excited. She takes the piece and puts it on the puzzle. She then picks up a corner piece and states that it is a corner piece. What does that mean I ask her. She says it goes in one of these spaces and points at the corners. I ask her which one she thinks it goes in and she begins trying to manually put it in with her hand, turning it as she does this. I ask her if any of the colors match. She then stops and looks at the corners again and points to each one looking for the same colors. When she finds the correct spot she puts the piece down but has to rotate it a couple times before she can get it in correctly. She then picks up another piece, it has a straight edge. I ask her why she is doing all the straight edge pieces first. She informs me that is the way you do a puzzle. I inquire why can't you do a middle piece and she says it is easier if you do the outside pieces first. She continues to pick up pieces and look for the spot. Sometimes I still need to ask her questions about the color of the piece but other times she does this on her own. On one occasion she picks up a piece and knows it goes in that area because of the color on the piece but as she rotates the piece she does not get it into position just right. Bailey becomes agitated and says "this is a dumb piece". I help her rotate the piece so she can get it in correctly. After we do she states that she knew it went there. She continues working. Natalie comes over and tries to join us. Bailey informs her that this is "one person work" so she can't do it and she is already working with me. Natalie walks away with a sad look on her face but then joins a girl who is polishing brass. Bailey finishes the puzzle and puts it away.