Saturday, November 29, 2008

Observation 5

Date: 11-27-2008
Time: 2:00-3:00 P.M.
Children: Sisters and brother. Girl age 11, Boy age 8 and Girl 4.


4 year old starts this activities by passing out balloons according to the balloons size and the size of the child. The biggest balloon gets handed to the 11 year old, she then looks at the two left and says "I'm the smallest so this one is mine", and then gives the boy the middle size balloon. The children are going to play a game to see who can keep their balloon in the air the longest. Obstacles that the children have to look out for are, one year old mom is watching, coffee table and various toys laying on the floor. All the kids are hitting or kicking their balloon to keep it off the floor. The first balloon to hit the floor is the 8 year old boys. He goes and sits on the couch ans its the two girls playing. The next balloon to hit the floor is the 11 year old. The 4 year old yells "YES I WON" while dancing around the living room.

All the kids decided to go outside after the 4 year old makes the suggestion. They each get their coats, hat and mittens on by themselves. The two girls go to play soccer in the front yard and the boy goes off to do his own thing. The front yard has a hill so the 4 year old is at the top and the 11 year old is in the middle of the hill. The 4 year old kicks the soccer ball down to the 11 year old, she kicks it back up without stoping the ball and the 4 year old copies her and kicks it back. This time the 11 year old stops the ball and then returns the kick. The 4 year old copies her again and this time also stops the ball before returning the kick. The two girls continue to do this for about 15 minutes before the 4 year old grabs a little racket ball and says "Lets play soccer with this ball" after a few minutes and figuring it doesn't work as good the 4 year old picks up a bug net.

The 11 year old asks the 4 year old "What are we doing now"? The 4 year old says "You throw this ball(racket ball) and i will catch it in the net like Sponge Bob jelly fishing". The 11 year old throws the ball and the 4 year old twirls in a complete circle trying to catch the ball. She misses the ball goes and picks it up throwing it back to the 11 year old. She throws the ball a few more times and each time the four year old does the same thing tries to catch the ball by spinning in a complete circle. The 11 year old tells her "That's not how Sponge Bob catches jellyfish". The 11 year old yells to the boy to come throw the ball. The boy comes and throws the ball while the 11 year old hangs onto the net with the 4 year old and shows her how to catch the ball. After about four tries they finally catch the ball together. The 4 year old satisfied she finally was able to catch the ball says she is all done.

All activities are cooperative or organized supplementary play with the 4 year old being in charge. The 4 year old seemed to be in the transition period from preoperational to concrete operational.

Behavior in first activities that shows the 4 year old is using or learning a concept are: When she gives each balloon according to the size of the child and balloon this was showing seriation. When she knew she won.

Second activities, copies kicking the ball. Kicking the soccer ball vs. racket ball

Third activities: The 11 year old was scaffolding when she helped swing the net with the 4 year old. Catching the ball in the net instead of bugs is showing spatial concept.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Gross Motor Observation

Date: November 6th 2008
Time: 1:00 to 3:00 P.M.
Childs Name: Girl
Birthday: 12-29-2003
Age: Almost 5



The girl I choose to observe is turning 5 next month so I decided to observe both the 4 and 5 year old gross motor skills. The observation takes place at a childcare center first half hour is outside second hour and a half is inside. Its cold outside and it's snowing a little all the children are excited to be out playing in the snow.



I wanted to see the children perform the list of gross motor activity's naturally so I gave a copy to the teacher and talked to her about incorporating the ones i didn't see into the children's normal activity's, while i observed my one child.



While outside I observed the girl play on the jungle gym, she climbs the rope ladder very easily she could also run, start, stop and move around everything very easily. She has very good agility skills. After getting down from the jungle gym she begins to play tag with a group of children as she is running away from her friends I see her jump over a sandbox pail land on both feet and then keep running. The teacher asks if their is any children that would like to play catch with her. The girl I'm observing is one of the children to play catch she can easily throw overhand and out of the five throws from the teacher shes able to catch three of them. The ball is about the size of a softball and its soft plastic. The teacher goes to attend a hurt child and the group of children go their own ways playing. On the way back to the classroom the teacher asks all the children to skip. The teacher along with all the children skip for a little bit. The girl skips easily and says to a child by here "no this is how you do it" and shows the child how to skip. Next the teacher asks the children to count to ten while hopping the girl can also do this easily. I was also able to observe the girl touch her toes without bending her knees, she was able to walk upstairs easily with alternating feet. Walking backwards heel to toe was difficult but after a few trys she was able to do it. The girl could also easily hop on one foot. The four year old gross motor skills were much easier than the five year old ones.