Observation
I will make notes during my observation, then copy it up into a written report, using graphs and charts to display my results. There will be two graphs for each task. The first graph will show how many of the children could complete the task successfully, and the second will show the gender of the children who completed the task.
Conclusion
During my observation I discovered that most of the children could complete the tasks asked by them. I asked the children to complete a list of simple physical tasks, (i.e. running skipping etc) I asked them to copy what I did and then repeat. I also asked them to play a simple game of ‘cat and mouse’. I noticed the children could play together with each other displaying feelings of competitiveness and a general display of tact within the game. I.e. Gary and James would be running away from Erica and they would split up and run behind her to escape being captured. The children can work with a great deal of co-ordination. I noticed that the girls were slightly more developed in my observation, more girls than boys could complete the tasks I asked. That is with exception, of using tactics, the boys were more competitive and planed to win using tactics and plans. The girls had a more of a “Handle it as it comes” attitude, a more hands on approach.
Learning for me
The children all worked diffrently and on different levels.
I learnt a lot from with class 1 / 2 K and this was a typical session. Everyone in the class has different view on things and even though there are definant social groups every one is friends with everyone else. The teachers and other staff need to practice anti-discriminatory and anti-bias practice. It is important to portray equal opportunities.
Children are to be treated equally but at the same time their personal needs need to be taken into consideration. In class 1 / 2 K there are friends who are in definite social groups then there are groups that inter-change and mix with the whole of the infant’s school. This observation points out how children can work together to the get tasks completed. They all work together to form a good team. It is a clear that the team works well; they all have roles to play. There’s the team leader Hannah, the quick thinker Erica and the “do-er” Lydia who always works hard to complete necessary tasks. Shannell is a hard worker and tries to fit in even if she doesn’t always understand.
I learnt to set up and clear away activities with the children’s help and how to encourage exploration of space and creativity. I managed to gain the children’s confidence and by helping them to reach their full potential.
Evaluation
Children that are 7 years old should be able to explore and express ideas their movements, form and space experiment. Use a variety of materials, tools and techniques comment on differences in others' work, to help stimulate them you need to use and suggest ways of improving their own work. All of these things a 7 year old child should be able to do in PE, sports and creativity.
Around age 7, most children are able to:
- remember and repeat skills, performing them with control and co-ordination choose the right skills for what they are doing so that they can:
- use tactics in simple games to score points against an opponent
- make up and perform short gymnastic sequences that join actions together
- move in time to a beat, showing their ideas and feelings in short dances
- pick out and copy actions, describing what they and others do well, and suggesting how to improve them
- describe how their bodies feel in different activities (for example, if they run a lot, their heart will beat faster and they will get hot)
- Enjoy being physically active.
Katherine Diltion identifies this. (The ages and stages of children, 2001) Of course all children are different and some develop faster/slower than others so this needs to be taken into consideration when teaching or just observing a child. Most of the children have individual ideas and can express own ideas and style using physical techniques. We showed the children how to use many different equipment and tools to develop their gross motor skills. They can learn to develop they’re techniques and skills in both group and individual work.
Children need to do activities that suit their age and stage of development. It is important to get the age and stage right for the children you are working with, activities that are too hard will be discouraging and the child will feel as it is failing. Children can learn from new activities and experiences that are interesting and a little bit challenging.
I feel that I accomplished my aim. I observed the children while they completed their task, and I recorded development levels and observed gross motor skills. The children have good hand-eye co-ordination that enables them to control the movements of limbs.
Many of the children have strong determination and strong individualities and as a consequence they always try to do they’re best even if they do have a few disagreements.
In this observation I discovered that the children like to work as a team but also like to express themselves with feeling and expression. The children displayed the correct development levels for the average 7 yr. the concrete operational stage, which means they can think with a concrete structure but they need concrete evidence which they base their thoughts and structures.
In his stages of development Piaget states that children of the concrete operational stage can think in a logical way but their thinking depends upon concrete sources. Lydia does this in most of the activities and tasks that she has to face. She thinks for herself if given the correct encouragement.
Bibliography
Piaget, J. (1929). The Child's Conception of the World. NY: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich.
Tassoni, P (2000). Diploma in Child Care and Education. Oxford, Heinemann’s.
Baldwin, D (1985). All about children. Oxford university press, Oxford.
