80MOD 2 ASSIGN 2

Lua Shanks

Dr. Edwards

Child Development: Observation and Reflection

80MOD 2 ASSIGN 2

06-27-2021

Child Development: Observation and Reflection

The observation data that I gathered and the process that I used to observe significantly informed my ability to conduct observations in the field. For instance, I learned the most important steps in observation such as familiarizing myself with the subjects and taking note of all the activities that take place since they are all useful in the final analysis. The observation data made me realize the value of being keen during field observations so that no detail is left out.

Some of the questions that emerged during the observation process about the children in the media are whether children have similar developmental capabilities and whether play can be used to rectify a child’s developmental delays. The overall experience of observing made me question teachers’ ability to understand all the unique aspects of child development and how they use them to create unique and engaging learning activities. I experienced the challenge of remaining objective since my personal feelings were consistently influenced by judgments and observations.

As I reflect on the observation process and the overall experience, the question that arises is how infants and young children can exhibit an interest in problem-solving yet their mental faculties have not fully developed. The question exposes the complexity of cognitive development in children since it reveals that children develop cognition from social, emotional, and perceptual experiences.

I would like to know the cognitive capabilities of the children I observed by having one on one sessions with them so that I could test their abilities. I believe that intelligence varies not only in adults but also in children an indication that a child’s developmental milestones are unique and different from that of another child. The only similarities are the age of occurrence for each developmental milestone.

The data that I obtained during my observations deepened my understanding of children’s development and learning. I realized that the developmental domains are interlinked since the development of one domain builds onto another domain. For instance, the development of the social and emotional domains contributes to the emergence of the cognitive domain. I realized that the domains do not operate in isolation but instead strengthen each other as the child develops. I also learned that the environment plays a significant role in a child’s development. For instance, when a child grows up in an environment that values cognitive functioning, the child will show improvements in cognition and vice versa. Although infants are naturally active, engage, and motivated, the environment plays a crucial role in their development.

The additional information that I need to acquire about how children develop focuses on the role of play and culture in influencing their development. I also need more information on how the developmental domains build onto each other so that I can understand the interrelationship and the value of every domain. I could obtain this information through extensive research on the internet for peer-reviewed articles that discuss child development.

What I observed reinforced what I was learning about within the course about child development. The observations exemplified the fact that children between the ages of 3 and 5 have unique developmental milestones that take time to perfect.

The data that I gathered during observations will significantly support my future role in the field since it acts as an important foundation for understanding the complexities of child development. The observations will also give me an idea of how to deal with different children given the uniqueness of their development. I believe that the observation will strengthen my future role in the field since I will be capable of recommending appropriate interventions for the developmental challenges of children.

References

Laureate Education (Producer) (2015e). How to observe children [Video file] Baltimore MD: Author.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2015b). Child development: Preschool children [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.