Description
- For this assignment, you will be conducting an observation. You can observe the infant in any setting or exploration of interest to you. The infant might be with someone else (another infant, a group of infants, or an adult) or on their own. For the purposes of our course, it is best to choose a time when the infant is engaged in some type of play or exploration, or full engaged in a routine like eating solid foods. But for this observation, it can be an exploration of any kind.
- Observe the child for at least 30 minutes. Watch and listen carefully. Pay attention to details of children’s gaze, eye movements, facial expressions, gestures, sounds and vocalizations, fine and gross motor movements, interactions with objects, and interactions with other people. Similarly, pay careful attention to and record the details of the adult’s behavior (for any adult involved in this interaction in some way).
- You’ll want to take notes during this observation. And you may want to add to the notes you made during the observation shortly after the observation is over. Your notes should be VERY detailed and should, as much as you can, describe events as they are connected in time-try to capture the ‘story line’ of what is happening, not just isolated images. We can hold a lot of detailed information like this in our heads for only a short period of time before we forget it. So get it down on paper as soon as you can.
- Use the Observation form to document your observation-use as much space as you need. Refer to the Observation form with prompts or “notes” for guidance.
- Read and think about what you observed. Draw on your knowledge of the individual child as well as what you know about development and learning in general. For each moment or segment of the observation, provide an interpretation:
- What do you think the child is trying to figure out or accomplish?
- What do you think the child’s hypotheses might be?
- What might the child be feeling?
- If there is an adult, what is the role of the adult in this observation/experience?
Assignment-specific reflection questions
This observation assignment reflection will focus on 3 areas:
- Components and stages of cognitive development: For these observations, it will be important to reflect about what aspects of cognitive development that we have discussed in class did you observe the infant exhibiting. Also, did any of the observations of the infant (and/or adult) remind you of any cognitive theories that we have studied? Identify 2 components of cognitive development that you observe for each child, define that component, and at what stage you think the infant is in related to those components, and how you know that.
- The child’s individual context/approach: It is important to note what you know or have learned about the child as an individual to inform your observation and next steps. Did you notice anything about this child’s temperament, approach to learning, relationship with others? What did you notice about the child’s interests or motivations? Did they child persist? What strategies did the child use to engage with objects or people?
Next steps to support development: Write down your initial thoughts about next steps in support of this child’s explorations. How might you offer this child an opportunity to take his/her exploration further? How might you scaffold development in the next stage in a way that follows the child’s interests and motivation? How might you learn more about what they child knows and is able to do?
Unformatted Attachment Preview
Purchase answer to see full attachment
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Outline
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
References
ECED 312 Observation Form with prompts
Date of Observation: 9/17/2019
Context:
I am observing a one-year-old girl at daycare facility where my nephew goes. The girl is
playing with other children seated around her. They close to each other, playing with
stacking toys, with the adult watching them sitting close by. The distance between her other
kids is not that much, but there is space between them to allow their caregiver to move
around
OBSERVATIONS
• The child doesn’t seem to want to play
on her own, and raises up her head every
once in a while to watch the other kids
play and occasionally tries to reach out
and grab some of the toys of the kid
sitting next to her.
• Every once in a while, she crawls out of
her position and gores to play with other
kids who are interested in ‘receiving’ her
in their circle.
• However, when the other kids reach out
for one of her toys, she lets out a
menacing shout and reaches out to
retrieve her toy from the other kids.
• She seems extremely energetic,
throwing toys around and occasionally
holding the adult in the room when she
comes to sit close to her, and standing
upright while depending on her for
support. She makes playing sounds while
waving her hands, hitting her feet and
hands on the floor and crawling all over
the place. Even when the adult caregiver
puts her back in her position, she is
persistent enough to try and crawl back
to the other kids and try to grab their
toys or play with them. Her eyes move
very fast, looking around for toys that
interest her, while she smiles regularly,
especially while gazing into the eyes of
another kid or their adult caregiver.
INTERPRETATIONS
•
•
•
•
•
I believe that the child’s main intention
is to involve other kids and play with
them. At her age, she is more interested
in playing with other kids, becoming
more wary of strangers and extremely
excited to see other kids; hence
exhibiting a form of social development.
She is probably thinking that the other
kids have better toys than her, and
therefore she should go and confirm her
suspicion.
Her motivation is finding toys that
interest her more than the ones she
currently has. When she sees other
children enjoying their toys, she is
motivated to try and copy them, and
enjoy their games as they are.
While crawling around, she might be
exhibiting independence, feel...