Child Observation Critique Essay

PSY 122 Child Growth and Development *Key Assessment: OBSERVATION *OF A CHILD and GROUP OF CHILDREN (This key assessment will be in 2 parts; *a total of 4 separate observation papers*) NAEYC Standards and Supportive skills: Standard 1 Promoting Child Development and Learning a Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs 1b Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on development and learning Standard 3 Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families 3b Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and techniques 3c Understanding and practicing responsible assessment
Supportive Skill 2 Mastering and Applying Foundational Concepts from General Education Supportive Skill 3 Written and Verbal communication Skills Supportive Skill 4 Skills in Making Connections between Prior Knowledge/Experience and New Learning Observation 2: Observe a different child in 2 new area/activities* Part 2: *Observation 3: Observe a group of children inte*racting in one of the following *area/*activities* Observation 4: Observe another group of children interacting in a different area/activities* *Areas/Activities include: PSY 122 Child Growth and Development Key Assessment: OBSERVATION *OF A CHILD and GROUP OF CHILDREN (This key assessment will be in 2 parts) Observation Paper Format Observation Paper # 4 REMEMBER: To use pseudonym (not real name) Describe what the child (ren) are doing and saying (use quotation marks) during the length of your observation. Be specific, objective, and descriptive. Avoid judgmental statements (i. e. “That little boy was bad. ”). Kids Towne day care is located in an industrial park in Branford, CT. It currently has 75 children enrolled. Inside, the daycare is broken up into class rooms by age.
On this day, I chose to observe the preschool room. The classroom currently has 20 children enrolled but not all the children attend daily. On this day there were 14 children in the classroom. The ages range from 3 years old to 4. 5 years old. The ratio of boys to girls is 2:1. Around 8:00am, I began watching the entire group of children. The structure of their day begins at 8:00am with “circle time. ” Miss Sam, the teacher of the preschool room, announces to the children “Circle time! ” I watched as they all came running. “Sit on a letter. ” Miss Sam instructs the children.

In the middle of the room there is a huge carpet with all the letters of the alphabet on it. Each child sits on a letter of their choice. “I want J” says a little boy named Jonah. Once all the children are seated Miss Sam begins with the date and the weather. “Its chilly outside today” she tells the students. “Mommy made me wear my jacket but I didn’t want to. ” Says a boy named Alex. Shortly after the date and weather, the room breaks out in song. “The wheels on the bus go round and round…” sing the children. I notice that one girl is not singing. She is sitting with her legs crossed with her elbows on her knees and her head down.
When the song finishes, Miss Sam asks Meghan, “What’s wrong? ” “I have a headache Miss Sam. ” “Well, maybe you’ll feel better after we make our monster puppets? ” Meghan didn’t answer. “Who wants to make monster puppets? ” asks Miss Sam. “Meeeeeeee! ” several children proclaimed. I watched as the kids ran to the art center where two long rectangular tableswere side by side. All the boys sat at one table, and all the girls sat at the other. Miss Sam gave each child a brown lunch bag and spread crayons, markers, feathers, pom poms and glue on the table. Miss Sam showed the children a monster puppet that she had made. Mine is going to be pink” said one of the little girls. “Mine too” said another. I watched as the children worked on their puppets. “Roarrrrrrrr” said one boy who was coloring his bag green. When the children finished their puppets they all held them up and shared them with pride. Section II. Inferences/Interpretations: Section III: Theorist: Choose a theory/theorist (i. e. Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson, Skinner, Bronfenbrenner, etc. ) and include a discussion on how this theory would explain what you have observed about the child (ren)’s behavior and development.