Observation #1

Class:
FHS 1500
Name:
Aaron Acharya
Assignment: Observation 1
Background Information:
Children age:
19 months
Fictitious name: Abdul
Location:
Brief
There are six children and two adult child care, one volunteer. All the
Description:
children are in the play room, surrounded with toys, Books and color pens.
Physical Development
When I saw Abdul at play room his hand was full with color pens. He was not properly holding
the pens, immediately he threw some colors and started writing in a book, which is the good sign
of fine motor skills. Finger movement are fine motor skills (Berger,2014, p.104). Abdul was
physically active, he had good motor skills. According to the text book, Deliberate action that
coordinate many part of the body, producing large movements are called gross motor skills
(Berger,2014, p.103). I saw huge movements in his activities, like Walking, little running and
grabbing the toys from other kids. His Muscle strength was very good; he has good balance
while walking. Abdul had good practice of walking, since he always forces them to play outside.
Abdul was not well physically well developed. When I saw other children around, he looks thin.
He was clearly below 50 th percentile this body weight less. Not even his weight he is little small
(short) in comparing other children of his age. When I knew little history of Abdul, he was a
refugee child from Burma. Due to the lack of proper nutrition and immunization Abdul weight
and height was below the average. Protein calorie Malnutrition occurs when a child does not
consume enough food to sustain normal growth (Berger ,2014, p.113). After spending 20
minute with Abdul, caregiver bring the Lunch for all the children. Abdul also walk toward the
care giver to eat lunch. His Sensation was good; his sensory system detects the lunch is coming
by seeing with his eye. Sensations begin when an Outer Organ (eye, ear nose, tongue or skin)
meets anything that can be seen heard, smelled, tasted or touched. (rger,2014, p.101)
Cognitive Development.
While watching and observing how Abdul cooperated with other children. I can see some of his
behavior that Piaget that develop in the different stages. Cognitive Development in the first two
years is called Sensorimotor intelligence because infants learn through their sense and motor
skills. (Berger,2014, p.114). So Abdul is the 5th stages of sensorimotor intelligence. He is now
little scientist, throwing food in the floor and again pick up same food and eat. He had
knowledge that food means to eat, even if it in the floor. He became more expansive in that
room; he threw whole bowl of cereal in the floor. When I approached near to him he become
come fearful, for him I am totally stranger. He might imagine that I am threat for him, but he was

totally stick with the caregiver. He had already developed the sense of who are my belonging and
who are Outsider. I try to grasp this attention towards me. I show him my cell phone, slowly he
came towards me. He started to touch the cellphone screen with this little finger. Researcher
finds that toddlers transfer learning from one object or experience to another (Berger,2014,
p.119). He simply visualizes doing that by their parents and try copy same thing. Abdul
Communication skills was developed above average at his age. I saw him saying No,no, no
and shaking head to his caregiver, she was trying to feed him cereal. I heard he is saying several
single words, like- Mom,Ba,Go,hello, etc. His holophrase words tell the meaning and the
thought. I saw Abdul is having difficult to separate two different languages, since his parents
speaks Burmese and caregiver speak English. For example, when caregiver said sit down he
did not get it, he looks toward her but when another person said same thing in Burmese, he
immediately sat down.
Social/Emotional Development
Abdul seemed very happy and joy full. He is socially and emotionally well-developed child. I
saw him lot of time engaged with his toys and playing around with other kids. Despite from
positive emotional of joy I saw negative emotional on Abdul which is anger. usually triggered
by frustration, such as when infants are prevented from moving or grabbing. (Berger,2014,
p.133). When I try to grab my cell phone he hesitated to give, he gets frustrated, anger and
sadness (Crying and rolling on the floor).
When I was observing Abdul I saw two social fear on him Separation anxiety and Stranger
wariness (Berger,2014, p.133). In beginning when I approached towards him, he seemed fear
and run towards care giver, because I was unfamiliarly person for him. I saw him clinging and
crying when his favorite care giver was about leave the room. While observing Abdul I saw lot
of interactions between him and care giver, which in the text book called Synchrony- A
coordinated, rapid and smooth exchange of response between a care giver and infants
(Berger,2014, p.141). I was both interacting while feeding and changing diaper. Another
emotional bond I saw was attachment towards care giver. Abdul was really enjoying around care
giver and playing happily, He was approaching and following the care giver, proximity-seeking
(Berger,2014, p.142). But when she leaves the room he shows the separation of anxiety. Abdul
had already developed secure attachment with the caregiver, which he feels comfort and
confident in presence of the care giver. One curiosity came in my mind, what he does with his
parents, does he has same level of attachment as I saw with care giver. My curiosity was
unanswered; I didnt get chance to ask on of the care giver.

Reference List:
1) Berger, K. S. (2014). Invitation to the life span (2nd Edition). New York: Worth Publisher.