8080 Mod 2 Assignment 1
CHILD DEVELOPMENT: OBSERVATION AND REFLECTION
Angel Winslow
Module 2 Assignment 1
“Child Development: Observation and Reflection”
Date Due: June 21, 2021
The goal is to provide descriptive anecdotes for each developmental domain direct observation of children aged 3 to 5. This will also provide descriptions of the observed children's developmental domains and their interrelationships. This research will also include a comment based on the observation experience on how the experience affected my decisions on how to do child observations, problems encountered, and techniques used when obtaining data.
Social-emotional
Preschool-aged children are developing skills that will help them connect with others in the social-emotional developmental domain. These abilities will enable them to become more conscious of how to engage with people and reap the benefits of social support in developing and functioning healthily. Children benefit from favorable long-term interactions with adults because they foster healthy social and emotional development (California Dept. of Ed., 2015c). It is in this domain, children begin to delve deeply into their own and others' emotions. In the video, a boy is shown assisting another wheelchair-bound boy; this is evidence of this child's awareness of others' feelings and his ability to form and maintain friendships (Laureate Educ., 2015b).
Cognitive
Early childhood cognitive development occurs when children engage with their surroundings and other individuals. "When children are healthy, emotionally comfortable, and socially attached, their cognitive development is enhanced." Cause and effect are included in cognitive growth to help solve problems, make predictions, and understand how their action affects others (California Dept. of Ed., 2015a). Children learn through seeing, listening, and doing, and as they become older, their cognitive growth grows in these areas. Children begin to solve issues by playing with objects, mimicking others, and employing trial and error through their cognitive development. Children's cognitive development will be enhanced if we connect with them and provide the opportunity to solve problems and engage with people and their environment. One of the children in the video was working in this developmental area to figure out how to turn the toy. Another illustration of children's cognitive growth occurred when the girls in the video sat for a lengthy period while listening to the caregiver read a book. Children at this age are more active learners and have longer attention spans during cognitive development (Cherry, 2019).
Language
Language is one of the most important developmental areas during the preschool years. "Beyond simply connecting with the outside world, language development in the formative years of ages 3 to 5 is crucial for a child's healthy intellectual and social development" (Murphy, 2017). Language awareness, phonemic mindfulness (letter clues), spoken and written language are all part of this developmental area. Children have many language experiences throughout the preschool years; they grasp sentences, makeup phrases for words they don't know, identify rhyming words, and organize sounds and words into meaning (Anthony, 2019). The capacity to read is directly related to a child's linguistic development. Children learn letters and the sounds they produce and listen to skills between the ages of three and five, understand what is spoken to them, and follow verbal orders (Murphy, 2017). The video shows children speaking in entire phrases to one another and their carers. The children in the film were observed efficiently expressing their opinions through their language development. A group of girls sat and listened to a caregiver read a book aloud in one scene; by sitting and listening to the caregiver read, these children expanded their vocabulary, which will help them strengthen their language and reading skills.
Physical.
Physical growth and development include changes in size and strength and the result of fine and gross motor abilities. Nutrition and health have a substantial impact on a child's physical development (Fraser-Thill, 2019). Hand-eye coordination, puzzles, writing utensils, riding a tricycle, and climbing are among preschoolers' activities to develop and enhance their fine and gross motor abilities. The majority of the children were involved in some physical development during the video. A girl was shown writing with a marker in one scene, which is an example of developing fine and gross motor abilities. Children are seen riding tricycles, climbing on playground equipment, and playing with blocks and puzzles throughout the film (Laureate Educ., 2015b).
The interrelationship between Domains.
A young child is seen reading a book to her caregiver in the video. Children use all four developmental domains as they learn to read. Because reading is a kind of communication, the language domain is readily visible. The child reading the book is engaging in cognitive growth by comprehending the written words. She is also engaging in physical development by using her finger to trace the words and turn the book's pages. "The social emotional domain is also involved in reading, both in terms of an individual's willingness to persevere and take risks in acquiring a new skill and in terms of an individual's capacity to relate to and comprehend the motivations of book characters ” (Fravel, 2013, para. 12).
The children playing with the trucks together in the film is another example of how the developmental domains are interconnected. Moving the toy trucks allows the kids to work on their physical development. Because the kids are playing together, they are also engaging in social and emotional activities. To play together, the youngsters must be able to communicate with one another. The children use their language development to communicate successfully as they play together. When children are permitted to connect and speak with other children, they can build on their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.
A caregiver was seen in the video loading a boy who uses a wheelchair onto the back of a tricycle for a young girl to ride. While the boy was riding, the caregiver gave the girl explicit directions on how quickly she should cycle. The physical, cognitive, social, and emotional developmental domains were all linked in this scene. The girl demonstrated physical growth as she turned the tricycle's pedals and manipulated the grips to steer the tricycle. By showing empathy for the disabled kid and forming a relationship with him, the girl also set an example in the social and emotional sphere. During this moment, the girl was also engaged in the cognitive developmental domain by listening to and following the caregiver's directions on how quickly to ride the tricycle.
Reflection
The data obtained during the observations assist me in my work as an educator by allowing me to understand better how children advance through developmental domains as they mature. The information acquired from the observations and the method utilized to perform them aided my capacity to perform observations by giving me specific examples in the first video segment, which depicted infants passing through each developmental stage. The second video allowed me to apply what I learned in the first video while observing preschool-aged children.
Observing the children in the media segments raised several issues about the children's home lives and gender. Keeping the preschool-aged children, I saw that the girls engaged in more pretend play, whereas the boys' play concentrated around objects. While watching the video of the infants, I noticed sure newborns that appeared to be behind their peers in terms of development; this made me wonder how much engagement these youngsters received at home.
Knowing something about the children's home environment, such as whether they come from a home with two parents, if they have siblings, if they live in poverty if they live in a stress-free environment, and how much interaction they get with other children and adults, would be beneficial when observing them. This information would help determine whether children are developing differently than their peers of the same age. Parents could be asked to fill out questionnaires that ask them these questions, or interviews with the parents might be conducted to help acquire this information.
The data acquired during the observations broadened my understanding of children's development and learning, as well as the interactions between developmental domains. I discovered that every child, regardless of age, learns and grows differently and achieves distinct milestones. Infants' developmental domains develop and grow slower, but as they grow and become more active and independent, their skills improve, and each part develops more. Every child learns and develops at their own pace, but there are some developmental milestones that each child must reach by a particular age. Each developmental domain is interconnected and, to grow and develop, relies on the others. While each age group has its own set of milestones, the developmental domains are linked together to help them achieve each one. If one developmental domain is weak, it can affect the others.
What I'm learning about early life is exemplified by the observations made. I've discovered that play is a vital aspect for children of all ages and benefits their academic performance. The findings from the video segments supported the idea that play is important for children's development in the areas of social and emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development. I also learned the value of the caregiver in assisting a child's development and providing the support that a child requires.
Children's developmental domains are interconnected and serve as markers of a child's ability to achieve. It is possible to assess whether a child is developmentally behind, on track, or advanced by seeing them. Observations aid in the tracking of a child's development in each developmental domain.
References
Anthony, M. (2019). Language and literacy development in 3-5-year olds. Retrieved from, https://www.scholastic.com/parents/family-life/social-emotional-learning/ developmentmilestones/language-and-literacy-development-3-5-year-olds.html.
California Department of Education. (2015a). Cognitive development domain. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/itf09cogdev.asp
California Department of Education. (2015b). Perceptual and motor development domain.
Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/itf09percmotdev.asp
California Department of Education. (2015c). Social-emotional developmental domain. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/itf09socemodev.asp
Cherry, K. (2019). Cognitive development milestones. Retrieved from,https://www.verywellmind.com/cognitive-developmental-milestones-2795109
Fraser-Thill, R. (2019). Domains in human development. Retrieved from, https://www.verywellfamily.com/definition-of-domain-3288323.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2015b). Child development: Preschool children [Video file].
Baltimore, MD: Author.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT: OBSERVATION AND REFLECTION 1
CHILD DEVELOPMENT: OBSERVATION AND REFLECTION 1
CHILD DEVELOPMENT: OBSERVATION AND REFLECTION 1
CHILD DEVELOPMENT: OBSERVATION AND REFLECTION 9
Murphy, P. (2017). Early development in children ages 3-5. Retrieved from, https://healthfully.com/160473-early-language-development-in-children-ages-3-5.html