This assignment addresses the following NAEYC Standards:

• Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs.  [NAEYC Standard 1a]
• Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments [NAEYC Standard 1c] 
• Knowing about and using observation, docu­mentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches. [NAEYC Standard 3c]
• Understanding positive relationships and sup­portive interactions as the foundation of your work with children [NAEYC 4a]
• Knowing about and upholding ethical standards and other professional guidelines [NAEYC Standard 6b]
• Mastering and applying foundational concepts from general education [NAEYC Supportive Skill 2]
• Written and verbal skills [NAEYC Supportive Skill 3]
• Making connections between prior knowledgeable/experience and new learning [NAEYC Supportive Skill 4]

Course Competency: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 12

For this assignment, you will observe a child between the ages of birth and 8 years for 3-4 clock hours in a natural setting.  Observations will be for a minimum of 4-clock hours. The ideal situation is to do this assignment in no more than 2 clock hour increments for a minimum of 2 separate visits over a 3 week period of time; however, this is not always possible. It is more important to complete the minimum of 4-clock hours for the observation.

During your observation of the child you will:

• Focus on 3 of the child’s developmental areas – physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development and record objective anecdotal notes based on facts of what you see, not your opinion or interpretation.
• Your objective anecdotal observation notes will include:

ü  At least 10 objective anecdotal notes for each of the 3 developmental areas (a total of 30)

ü  The date of each observation

ü  A description of the behavior

ü  A description of the environment – including what adults and children were present

ü  Your 30 observation anecdotal notes will need to be typed and submitted with your written report

Sample anecdotal notes:

8:05 a.m., 4/11/12, Child Care Center (Socio-emotional Development)

When Sarah’s mother dropped her off at child care, Sarah cried and reached for her mother when she was walking out the door.

10:30 a.m., 4/11/12, Child Care Center (Cognitive Development)

While playing with Sarah, Miss Jane hid the stuffed teddy bear under the blanket. Sarah did not look for it.

1:45 p.m., 4/11/12, Child Care Center (Physical Development)

Sarah sits without the adult support of her primary caregiver, Miss Judy.

ü  Complete the Child Observation Documentation Form including appropriate signatures. Turn in the Documentation Form with this assignment. Note: you must have both a written signature with a printed name of a parent, director, or site teacher to verify your observation. If you have any questions, ask your instructor.

After you have completed your observations, reflect on your notes, and apply the information you have learned regarding theories and stages of development to your notes to determine the child’s stages of development.   You will need to refer to the following theorists and their theories in your written report (please also feel free to reference other theories presented in your textbook):

• Arnold Gesell – detailed normative information on milestones
• Sigmund Freud – Psychosexual Theory [id, ego, superego]
• Erik Erikson – Psychosocial Theory – [eight life-span stages, stages consist of unique developmental tasks that confront individuals with crisis that must be solved]
• Ivan Pavlov – Classical Conditioning [behaviorist] 
• B.F. Skinner – Operant Conditioning [behaviorist]
• Albert Bandura – Social Cognitive Theory [imitation / modeling]
• Jean Piaget – Cognitive Developmental Theory [Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, Formal operational]
• Lev Vygotsky – Sociocultural Cognitive Theory [culture and social interaction guide cognitive development]
• Urie Bronfenbrenner – Ecological Systems Theory [child develops w/in a system of relationships microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem]

Next, you will create a 3 page computer generated report that summarizes your findings.  In your report you will:

1. Identify why you chose this specific child.
2. Identify what stage the child is at in the area of physical development – based upon theories & stages of development.
3. Provide at least 2 examples [from your objective observation notes] to support your findings
4. Identify what stage the child is at in the area of cognitive development – based upon theories & stages of development
5. Provide at least 2 examples [from your objective observation notes] to support your findings
6. Identify what stage the child is at in the area of socio-emotional development – based upon theories & stages of development
7. Provide at least 2 examples [from your objective observation notes] to support your findings
8. Write a brief summary explaining how you will use what you have learned in your work with young children in support of each of the three area of development.
9. Provide a computer generated copy of your objective anecdotal notes & all information included in the above description of your notes
10. Thoroughly explain how the new information you gathered supports ethical responsibilities to children as noted in NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct. Research and select one specific ideal or principle to reflect on: www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/ethical_conduct.

Child Observation Assignment – Sample Write-up Format

Below I have included a sample format that you can use when writing your Child Observation paper:

Introduction:

*summary of child (age, sex)

*dates and times of observations

*settings of observations and people present

*why you selected this particular child

Summary of Child’s Physical Development:

*behaviors / characteristics observed

*identify stages of development – ex. “typical” developmental milestones at this age for fine and gross motor skills

*provide 2 specific examples (from anecdotal notes) to support each stage of development or connection to a specific theory

Summary of Child’s Cognitive Development:

*behaviors / characteristics observed

*identify specific theories / stages of development (ex. Piaget’s Cognitive Developmental Theory, Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, Information-processing Theory, etc.)

*provide 2 specific examples (from anecdotal notes) to support each theory / stage chosen

Summary of Child’s Socioemotional Development:

*behavior / characteristics observed

*identify specific theories / stages of development (ex. Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory, Freud’s Psychosexual Theory)

*provide 2 specific examples (from anecdotal notes) to support each theory / stage chosen

Conclusion:

*An explanation of how the information that you gathered about physical development can be applied to your work with young children

* An explanation of how the information that you gathered about cognitive development can be applied to your work with young children

* An explanation of how the information that you gathered about socioemotional development can be applied to your work with young children

*Thoroughly explain how the information you gathered supports ethical responsibilities to children as noted in NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct.  Select one specific ‘Ideal’ or ‘Principle’ to reflect on.

Anecdotal Notes:

*Remember, you need a total of 30 (10 for each domain) attached to the end of your paper

Samples:

8:05, 11/10/17, Child Care Center (Socioemotional Development)

When Sarah’s mother dropped her off at child care, Sarah cried and reached for her mother when she was walking out the door.

10:30, 11/10/17, Child Care Center (Cognitive Development)

While playing with Sarah, Miss Jane hid the stuffed teddy bear under the blanket.  Sarah did not look for it.

11:45, 11/10/17, Child Care Center (Physical Development)

Sarah sits without adult support.

*Remember, anecdotal notes are objective.  They are based only on facts of what you see, not your interpretation.