Name: Lidia Sanchez

Date: 3/4/15
Class: EED255
Instructor: Judy Poggy
Assignment: Child Observation

NAEYC Standard 1: Promoting Child Development and Learning

Introduction
Lowell Head Start Classroom 2 A.M. This observation was taken during free choice; children
have different working areas to choose from, plus other activities on three different tables. The
manipulative area table is setting up with waffle blocks and shape manipulative links. Other
table is set up with play dough, roller, and dough cutters, and scissors for dough. The art table is
set up with water colors, brushes and white construction paper. The child chosen to be
observed is a little 3 year old girl, MVS.
1 Childs characteristics
MSV characteristics are typical for a three year old; she is petite and weighs about 30 pounds.
MVS is also a twin; she has a twin brother in the classroom next door. She is most of the time
wearing two pony tails and the cutest skirts and shoes. Grandma has mentioned a few times;
she does not sit still for someone to braid her long black hair. MVS is also, very outgoing in her
own little way, she smiles upon arrival time, she eats all her breakfast every day and smiles as

she eats. Throughout the rest of the daily routine, you can see her mostly playing beside others
but not along with them. She needs more anticipation to transition from one thing from
another because that causes MVS to sometimes throw tantrums. Her best characteristic , I
would probably say would be her bright big round black eyes, she open then even wider, when
she is proud to accomplish a task or help out during lunch time.

2 Childs interests
During two days I observed MVS playing alone with plastic people, zoo and farm animals or
dinosaurs. MVS spent most of her time walking around the classroom carrying two of these
materials and stopping in different places playing with them. She showed interest in the art
activities; she participated in those activities (one each day) mixing water colors and gluing
collage on a construction paper leaving the area until she completed her projects. MVS was
concentrated on her playing, ignoring distractions. MVS showed interest on puzzles, she
dumped the pieces on the table and she started assembling the pieces into the shapes, she
took few minutes until she completed her task and next she chose a different puzzle. MVS
showed interest in the Dramatic area, one day she took a baby doll and wrapped it with a baby
blanket, she hold the baby doll on her arm against her shoulder and walked around in that
place. MVS also showed interest in books about balls; teacher read a book about balls and MVS
exclaimed ball. MVS showed most interest in playing with the community people, the puzzles,
the dramatic area and the art activities.
3 Childs need

During this observation I saw MVS playing next to other kids; when she needs help to open her
milk she gives her milk to the child sitting next to her without saying a word (children already
know that she wants her milk to be open and they do open it for her). MVS needs more
interaction with other children. MVS needs to accept teacher redirections, when this happed
MVS throws tantrums and refuses to follow directions. MVS uses one-two word sentences

4 - Childs interactions with peers, environment and adults

The girl to observe is MVS; she is 3 years old and is observed during free choice. At the end of
large group activity, teacher dismissed children to areas in pairs. Teacher asked MSV and her
partner which area they decided to work in, MSVs partner said We want to play with the play
dough she looked at MVS while teacher asked MVS You want to work with the play dough
too? MSV nodded with her head accepting going to that area. When the two girls left MSV
walked to the dramatic play; leaving her partner by herself at the play dough area. Teacher told
MVS Mila you need to stay with your partner, she is waiting for you. MVS walked to the art
area without saying a word; the art table was setting with watercolors and there were space for
four children and they were occupied, MVS pulled a chair close to the table and sitting down she
grabbed a paper, she looked for brush but there werent any brush available. She said I want
one Teacher told her MVS you need to wait for them to finish, there is no space, right now go
with your partner to work with the play dough. MVS throwing herself to the table said No, no,
noo. MVS got up and walked towards the block area; she grabbed two plastic community
people and walked around the classroom playing with them. When there was room for MVS and
her partner at the table with water colors, teacher told hem MVS your partner is going to use the
water colors. Do you want to go paint with her? MVS dropped the plastic people saying Yes

and went running to the art area. At free choice MVS plays alone or by other childrens side. I
observed MVS going to teacher when she needed help during meals; without saying a word she
gives the things to teacher and teacher asked her What do you need M? then she said Help at
dismissal time MVS went and sat on teachers lap waiting for her grandma to pick her up. When
she saw grandma she went up to her and got her stuff from her cubby.

5 Childs learning strengths and limitations

MVS physical development is typical for a three year old girl, she engages in activities that she
likes and spends long periods of time during these activities. MVS chooses challenging activities,
she likes puzzles and she tries to work with different kind of puzzles and large floor puzzles.
Gross motor development, she has hard time to ride bike cycle using the pedals, she uses her
feet to push herself but she persists in this activity. She throws and catches a ball with two
hands; she runs climbs and jumps. MVS dresses and undresses with little help and she uses
eating utensils to feed herself. MVS explores all the learning areas in the classroom but she
spends more time in some activities like art collage or playing with community plastic people or
the dinosaurs. MVS named some friends by name when teacher asks her about her friends
names. MVS separates easily from mom and dad, when she arrives in the morning to the
classroom MSV goes straight to the sink to wash her hands and when mom or grandma say bye
to her she waves her hand at them, then she gets her breakfast and chooses, almost every day,
the same chair to seat down. She shows affection for her brother and cousin when she sees
them, (they are in the next door classroom) she goes and hug them or smiles at them. One of
MVS limitations is her speech she needs to develop more vocabulary, when she needs help to

open her milk she extends the milk to the teacher or to her friend next to her. She needs to
interact more with children and accept redirections from teachers, usually MVS plays next to
some friends.