Class/section: FHS1500400Su14

Name: MeliseTug
Assignment: U2Observation1

BackgroundInformation

Childsage: 23years(approx26months)
Pseudonym: Jack
Location: SLCCRedwoodCampusEcclesLabSchoolforEarlyChildhood
Development
BriefDescription: Inside:Twoteachersandseveralchildreninaclassroomsetting,children
learnedtogether,followingrulesandaschedule.
Outside:Childrenplayedandinteractedwhileteacherssupervised.

PhysicalDevelopment
JackfirstdrewmyattentionbecauseIsawhimdemonstratingveryfinetunedbinocularvision,
asmentionedinourbook(Berger,2014,p.102).Hewasstaringoutthewindow,pointingand
screamingatabirdthatwashoppingonthegroundacrosstheyard.Inotedthathewassignificantly
aheadofhisclassmate,whocouldnotseeorfocusonthebird,thissuggestedtomethatJacksvision
wasmoredevelopedthantheotherchild,becausehecouldfocusonandfollowanobjectquitefar
away.Jacksheightandweightseemedaveragecomparedtohisclassmates,hewasntthetallestor
largest.Jackswalkingandrunningabilityhoweverstillseemedshakyanduncoordinated.Fromstudying
thechartongrossmotorskillsinourtext(Berger,2014,p.104)InotedthatJackhadcertainly
masteredstandingandwalkingwell,butheseemedtobebehindthechartsexpectationsofrunningand
jumping,aseverytimeheranhewobbledandstuckhisarmsoutandlookedlikehecouldfalleasily.I
didnotseeJackjumpduringmyobservation,buthismasteryofwalkingandrunningshowthatheis
withinthenormalparametersforachildhisage,andinthecomingmonthshewillcertainlybecome
morestable,enoughtostartjumpingby29months.

Intellection/CognitiveDevelopment
TwothingsstuckouttomethatJackexhibitedthatwerementionedinourtext.Thefirstwashis
frequentpointingatobjects.PointingsuggeststhatJackunderstandstheperspectiveofothers(Berger,
2014,p.121),andonmorethanoneoccasionInotedJackpointingoutthingstootherchildren.None
oftheotherchildrenIwatchedpointedatthings,yetJackwasconstantlystickingouthisindexfingerto
showsomeonesomething.ThismightsuggestthatJackismoreinclinedtotheviewsofothers,possibly
leadingtomoretraitsofunderstandingandempathy.
TheothertraitIobservedwasJackslanguageskills.Hedidnotseemasfaralongastheother
children,hemostlyusedhighpitchedscreamsorsinglewordanswers.Whiletheotherchildrenwere
givingtwoandthreewordanswers,Jackmostlystayedsilentduringdiscussiontime,orsimplyshook
hisheadyesorno.Inourbookitsaysgrammarbecomesobviousbetween18and24months
(Berger,2014,p.123),howeverJackwasstrugglingwithformulatinghiswordsandexpressinghimself
usingtwoormorewordsatatime.Readingthechartonthedevelopmentofspokenlanguageinthefirst
twoyears(Berger,2014,p.122)putsJackbehindtheexpectednormsforhisage.Thissuggestedto
methatJacksvocabularyandpronunciationmightbeachallengeforhimlateron.

Social/EmotionalDevelopment
Jackssocialdevelopmentshowedalargegapbetweenhisresponsetoadultsandhis
classmates.OnechildstoodnexttoJackwhilehewassittingdown,theotherchildbackedupalittle
toocloseforJackscomfortandheshovedhimaway.Thoughwhenanotherstudent,alittlegirlthis
time,satnexttoJackhedidntmindandevenexhibiteddeferredimitationbywatchingherclapher
handstogether,thendoingthesamemotion(Berger,2014,p.116).Jackobviouslyhadnoboundary
problemswithhisfemaleteachers,also.Heranuptothemandheldtheirhandwithnohesitation.This
couldbeanexampleofJackalreadynoticingdifferentgendersandshowingmoretoleranceforgirlsand
theirbehaviors.
InotedthatwhenwewentoutsideforplaytimethatJackseemedtobecontentplayingby
himself.Whileotherchildrengroupedupandengagedinactivitiestogether,Jackseemedhappytorun
aroundandentertainhimself.ThistellsmethatJackismoreindependentthantheotherchildren.This
mademewonderifJackhadanysiblingsathome,andIcametotheconclusionthatheprobablydid
notandmostlyplayedwithhisparents.IcametothisconclusionbecauseJackseemedalmost
uninterestedintheotherchildren,somaybehejustdidnthaveanyinclinationtowardsthembecausehe
didntplaywithotherchildrennormallyathome.AlsoJacksconfidenceandfamiliaritywithhisteachers
suggestedthathespentmoretimewithadultssohewascomfortableplayingwiththeminsteadofother
kids.

References:

1)Berger,K.S.(2014).Invitationtothelifespan(2nded.).NewYork,NY:WorthPublisher