Conduct an observation of a preschooler (3 to 5 years) whom you do not know. Preschoolers can be observed in a child care facility, a public school preschool classroom or another location in which the preschooler has the opportunity to interact with other non-related children and non-parental adults. Observing your own children, siblings, cousins or nieces and nephews is not acceptable. Expect to spend at least 25 – 30 minutes observing.
Observation should be 2 typed pages in length. Check all spelling, grammar etc. Please, do a complete, professional job. The observation should include some basic
demographic information such as the date, time and location of the observation, approximate age of the child and a general description of the environment in which the
observation took place. DO NOT USE THE INDIVIDUAL’S REAL NAME. Instead, make up a fictitious name that you can use when describing him or her.
For the paper, include a description of the child as it relates to his/her:
Physical Development – How does the child compare to the descriptions in our text? (Consider gender, approximate height/weight, movement, coordination, comparisons to other children, etc.)
(1) Discuss what you observed with regard to development and (2) make 2 comparisons/connections to the textbook.
Cognitive Development – How does the child compare to the descriptions in our text?(Consider language development, cognitive functioning, how you are assessing the child’s development)
(1) Discuss what you observed with regard to development and (2) make 2 comparisons/connections to the textbook.
Social/Emotional Development – How does the child compare to the descriptions in our text?
(Consider reactions to stress, displays of emotions, interactions with other children/adults, time alone vs. time with others, temperament, etc.)
(1) Discuss what you observed with regard to development and
(2) make comparisons/connections to the textbook.
If you make comments such as, “This is the most wonderful child in the world” or “This is the biggest brat I’ve ever seen”, please be sure to document the events that led you to your conclusion and justify from the text why you consider this behavior to be abnormal.
Many of the questions are taken from The Developing Person Through the Life Span: Instructor’s Resources, by Richard Straub, Worth Publishers, 2005.