CHILD OBSERVATION STUDY

MODEL REF: SS2033

PART 1

Within this Child Observation essay I hope to show an understanding and demonstrate the development of children six years and under. I hope to show knowledge within child development and the relevant theories supporting this.

Several half hour observations of a four year old boy was undertaken in an environment that he knew well. My observation will be used to look at the physical development along with the emotional, cognitive and the language development of a child of this age, to which all form parts of development which children begin to assert control of their movements and is important to their future development. This allows new and continued learning and helps build self-esteem and overall confidence. As already stated the environment that this child is in is a familiar one and I will comment further on the child’s environment and the influences it may or may not have on the child’s development.

References to race, class, gender and age will also be stated within the contexts of the observation. To uphold the right of confidentiality and anonymity, I will refer to the child as John, and his mother simply as his mother.

My observation with this child took place on a week day after the child had returned from play group. The observation took place in the family home where the child is most familiar with. The living room was the setting during the entire time I observed John, as most of his toys, books and in particular the TV was situated.

 

John lives in a two bedroom house with front and rear garden, ample play space for John. John has an older brother aged 5 years old whom I am told he looks up to. His mother and father also live in the house which is warm and inviting. John’s mother is at university studying to be a nurse while his father works for the bank and is quite high up in his department. The family appears to be of middle class and according to the mother financially the family are quite comfortable. After John’s birth his mother decided to spend more time at home as she had done with John’s older brother and spent quality time with him. The cultural background John has been brought in is white, Scottish although his Grandparents are of Italian decent and catholic.

After discussing with John’s mother the purpose of my observation and what I intended to do, the situation became clearer and easier for me as times and dates were made convenient.

Observation

The time was 1.00pm on the 14Th of February 2007 and I met John and his mother at the family home. John had not long returned from play group and so was dressed in appropriate clothes suitable for playing indoors. If I can describe John, he has short dark hair, brown eyes and looked to be of normal height and weight for a boy of his age. John looked happy and excited and open. I had met John on a number of occasions and he seemed to recognise me greeting me with a smile. John’s mother told him that I was there to talk to his mother before inviting me in. John ran quickly to the living room picking up toy after toy.

Once we were all in the living room John became more excited as though he had a new play mate, and yet he did not engage me in his play, it was all directed to his mother. John’s mother engaged in play with the small figures he had, and I heard John say “you are the baddie and I’m the goody”. At this point John’s voice changed acting out what he thought the figure sounded like and in the same way his mother put on what she explained as the baddie voice. John got slightly angry saying “No” meaning not to talk like that. Once his mother stopped, John returned to his normal play and the signs of his anger diminished very quickly. John carried out his animistic  thinking during his play with the figures believing that in his own mind that these inanimate objects were in fact alive and talking. These figures were age appropriate for John, and looking round the living room which was large and spacious, and also the rest of his toys situated in the toy box, made the environment ideal for John.

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After a short time it appeared that John became bored of playing with the figures, and asked his mother if he could put on a DVD. His mother asked him what he would like to watch and gave him a few suggestions. John asked for the turtle DVD as these were the figures that he had just been playing with, and he appeared happy at this. He got out the DVD himself and proceeded to put the disc in the machine, John grasped the box with both hands and prised open the box with both his thumbs until ...

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