The goals for these assignments are to familiarize you with the development patterns and deviations of children (infants through adolescence).  There are 3 assignments for each age level, you are to choose one from each grouping for your 2 observations.

Please use the following format for both assignments.  They will be graded on neatness, spelling, level of organization, understanding of material, adherence to directions, and objectivity.  Each observation is worth 100 points.  See the calendar for due dates.

Click here to print your copies of:

• Affiliated centers to visit
• Observation verification form (to be signed upon completion of your observation)
• Observation policy

II. Body of Observation

• This is where you document, without giving a running record of your visit. Be descriptive, offer visual accounts of the surroundings.
• Formulate your report based on your notes and all the questions asked for each assignment.
• This is to be written in paragraph format, and  please be objective and be sure to include many concrete and descriptive examples.
• This portion of the paper is where you demonstrate the synthesis of knowledge:  incorporate experience, text, or outside sources in your thought process.
• Remember that I can only grade you on what you write, when in doubt, err on the side of offering too much information...or e-mail me with questions beforethe assignment is due.
•  Please use your text and/or other references to support you findings.  Omission of text support will have an automatic deduction of 10 points.

III. Conclusion
Please reflect honestly and thoughtfully about what you have gained by this observation.

• What   were significant findings for you?
• What conclusions did you draw?
• Were there drawbacks to this particular assignment?
• Has this observation left you with any unanswered questions?
• Explain your thoughts in detail.  This is where your subjectivity can come into play, but remember to back it up based on objective obervation material.

Many of you work in centers currently.  You may choose only one observation in your center, the others must be completed at another location.  See listing for possible center suggestions.  You may also choose camp settings, friends of the family, and other arrangements pending instructor approval.

Sources:  Trawick-Smith, Jeffrey.  Early Childhood Development:  A Multicultural Perspective.  Prentice-Hall, Inc.  1997.
 
 

Pre-school observation #1

Observe two preschool children of different ages (at least one year difference) but of the same gender as they play in a group setting.  The children may or may not be interacting together.  Take notes on their physical characteristics and motor activities.  Write a report comparing the two children, guided by the following questions:

1. What ages are the children?  How do they differ in stature and body proportion (approximate height and weight, build, etc)  Are their facial features different?  What other physical differences did you note?  What can you conclude about change in physical appearance in the preschool years?
2. How would you characterize differences in motor competence?  What specific motor abilities did you observe in the two children?  What similarities and differences did you see in their running, jumping, climbing, throwing, or balancing?  Was there a difference in their general activity level?  Please give concrete examples of what you saw so that the reader can have an image of what you observed.
3. How would you describe the activity levels of the two children?  Did you observe differences between the two in this area?
4. Describe any rough and tumble play that you observed.  Did the two children differ in the amount or quality of this type of play?

Pre-school observation #2

Perform conservation tasks with two pre-school children of different ages (ages 4-9).  Each child should be individually tested away from distractions.  Write a report on your experiments, guided by the following questions: (related to chapter 12 and Piaget’s tasks)

1. Did children perform on these tasks as Piaget would have predicted?  In what ways were the two children different in their problem solving?
2. How was each child’s performance influenced by perception-based thinking?  By uni-dimensional thought?  By difficulty in reversing an operation?
3. What can you conclude about young children’s thinking?  In what ways were you impressed with these children’s problem solving strategies?  In what ways did you find their thinking limited?

Pre-school observation #3

Observe an entire classroom of preschool age children.  Watch for examples of the following behaviors:  cooperative play, altruism (kindness, sharing, nurturance), and empathy (showing concern).  Write a detailed description of several examples, be sure to include a minimum of one example from each category listed.  Write an essay which answers the following question:  Based on your observations, why do you believe that the children performed these behaviors?  Be sure to relate the examples to text or other sources.
 
 

Middle childhood observation #1

Observe a group of children just before, during, and after “recess” time at school.  Later write a report on your observations guided by the following questions:

1. Describe the behavior of children just before “recess.”  Did you note any wiggling or inattention?  What behaviors did you notice the moment children were sent outside?
2. What specific motor skills did you observe being exercised (running, climbing, kicking…)
3. What kinds of play did you observe on the playground?  Did you see pretend play?  Rough and tumble?  Teasing?  Rituals?  How involved were children?  Adults?
4. What evidence did you see of play organization, rules, and realism?  How common was competition?  Cooperation?
5. What were children’s reactions when the end of “recess” was announced?  Describe behaviors after playtime.  Were there differences in activity level or attention level between the before and after?
6. What is your position about the decreasing time children are allowed for physical activity during school time?  Why do you feel this way?

Middle childhood observation #2

Observe the social language of two children in a classroom.  Later, write a report on their pragmatics, based on the following questions:

1. Were the children effective in communicating with and persuading peers?  Were both children equally competent in language to peers?  If the level of language mastery differed, what was the response?
2. What examples did you observe of the rules of communication?  In what context did these conversations happen (formal instruction, free time, “recess,” transitions, etc)
3. Analyze differences between the children in terms of their language use (focusing on their semantics.)

Middle childhood observation #3

Interview two boys and two girls of primary age who are of diverse cultural backgrounds.  Interview each child separately.  Ask the following self-evaluation questions and write down their responses.  (These questions are quite sensitive.  They should be asked with humor and playfulness in mind or the children may believe that they are being evaluated or tested.)

1. “What do you think you are good at?”  If the child seems confused or is unable to answer, try rephrasing, “What can you do very well?”  Follow up by asking, “Is there anything else you can do well?”
2. “Name all the people in the world who really like you.”  Follow up by asking, “Who else likes you?”
3. “Let’s say there is a new way of reading books called “rumpf.”  Do you think if you wanted to be good at “rumpf” you could be?  Why or why not.”
4. “If you work hard, do you always do a good job in school.”
5. “Are you usually a nice person, a naughty person, or sometimes nice and sometimes naughty?  Why do you think so?  You may wish to have the children explain what nice and naughty mean for clarification.

Based on the child’s answers, write a report using these questions as a guide:
1. To what degree did the gender or cultural background vary their feelings of competence?  Were there variances?  Why do feel this is so?
2. How did their answers vary?  Did their lists vary in length?  What do you conclude from this?
3. How did the children define nice and naughty?  What did you conclude from their comments and the variations in their answers?
 
 

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Observation letter