Tuesday

Focus on two children, a boy and a girl.

Describe these two children as you understand them now.
Why did you select the children you selected?
Wednesday
Child X - observation of their social-emotional development.
What can you conclude about child x, based on your observations?
Be sure to support your conclusions with evidence.
Thursday
Child Y- observation of their social-emotional development.
What can you conclude about child x, based on your observations?
Be sure to support your conclusions with evidence.

March 15, 2016- Tuesday

Describe 2 children as I understand them now:
I am choosing child x to be the girl. This child as I understand her now is
very quiet and mostly nonverbal. She will talk but her voice is very soft. She
interacts and plays with the other children but does not speak to them, she
uses gestures. Parallel play appears to be how she plays with other children,
side by side but not overly interactive. She sees a speech therapist at least
once a week. I have seen a large amount of growth there since the Fall. She
doesnt cry when he appears in the classroom anymore. She is very
observant, and when new people enter the classroom she takes note.
I am choosing child y to be the boy. This child as I understand him now is
really quiet. He does not stand out because he does not get in trouble, he
plays quietly, and is soft spoken. He sits on the carpet with boys that are
rambunctious but he stays in his color and pays attention to the teacher.
The boys around him can be rough, and he will say Stop! I do not like that,
as Mrs. L has told him to do if his friends are not keeping their hands to
themselves. His father brings him into the classroom some days and he has
a really hard time when he leaves sometimes, other times he is okay with it.
He uses facial expression to convey his feelings more than verbal. He is a
thinker, but once engaged he will talk a lot. He is always very neat and tidy,
and usually wears Spiderman themed outfits from head to toe.
I chose child x because in my observation her social emotional growth has
made such progress in a positive direction. She mainly folded into herself
and only interacted with Mrs. L, or Mrs. A. She was clingy and mistrustful of

new people in the classroom. She did not seem to bond with her speech
therapist at all even though they had a previous teaching history in home
base. I saw a lot of tears from her especially on the days hed visit. She has
really opened up but verbally she is still really quiet and speaks only when
promoted. Recently, she has utilized a new item in the classroom, a purple
stress ball that is used to build hand muscles that is filled with sand. I notice
her getting that out when needed. Especially when new adults enter the
classroom.
I chose child y because when I think of the boys in the classroom, he stands
out because he is so quiet. He is so well mannered and observant. His
personality seems to get over shadowed by the bigger personalities in the
classroom. He is tender hearted, gentle, and kind and it is very interesting to
see how he has also grown since I came there in the Fall.
March 16, 2016- Wednesday
Today in my observation I noticed a few new interesting insights about child
x. She comes in on the later bus, so the children are actively involved in free
play and it is loud and busy. I am usually at a center playing with a few
children. Today we are playing a game from Lakeshore that they love. It has
place cards and its like a BINGO game, and the game pieces are small
lifelike pieces. Child x appears by my side in observation, and I ask her if
shed like to play, she does. She sits next to me and nudges me to gesture
when she wants my attention. We play a few rounds; she says a lot without
words. If I ask her something she will whisper but mainly she gestures. I do
notice the parallel play a lot, but I also notice that because she is quiet she is
not a doormat. She is the dominant in interactive play, for example
puzzles. She will not allow another child to just come in and start using her
puzzle without asking. If someone takes an item from her she will hold onto
to the item for dear life and will not let go. No words are exchanged. The
solution kit comes into play here where the children talk through their issues,
with her she doesnt talk a lot and when I have witnessed this the other child
either asks a teacher to help them work through the solution or the other
child gives into her. Today is speech day, her speech teacher comes in and
she goes with him without crying. It used to be that she folded into herself
and cried, clinging to Mrs. A or Mrs. L. We were at circle time when she came
back, and she nudged me to show me her sticker. She was so proud. Also
today, the classroom had a change which states that when food bowls need
a refill at meal time, the children are to go up to the counter to ask for more.
She really wanted to do this, so Mrs. A told her she could but had to use her
words. She did! We heard her from our table. She was so proud when we
complemented her on her beautiful voice! In conclusion, child x has shown
so much growth. Her social/emotional growth has continually moved forward
since I first observed her in the Fall. I have not seen her emotional in a long
period of time, and in the beginning she cried silently a lot. She will continue

to have Speech in Kindergarten, but Im not certain if it will be the same

therapist. She is hesitant to new people, so kindergarten may be
overstimulating for her with all of the demands and changes, but she is very
bright and attentive so that is a positive outlook in her future school
experience.
March 17, 2016- Thursday
Today in my observation of child y, I noticed that his Dad brought him in and
he didnt cry when he left. Previously, he was so heartbroken when his Dad
would leave the classroom. That is a grand step in his social emotional
growth. He observes all that goes on around him, and I notice that he makes
a lot of gestures with his facial expressions. He is timid, and gets a little
nervous when the focus is on him, and he thinks before he makes choices.
He plays quietly rather than running around with the rambunctious boys
around him. Today he is at the puzzle table, and he shows me his creation.
He explains it when I ask him about it. If I ask him a question he thinks for a
moment before he speaks. Later in the day we are at the writing table, and
he asks me why there are 2 suns? I ask him if he means the moon and the
sun. He does because he says its at night too. I explain the difference
between day and night and have him come over to the globe to explain it
better. He was so fascinated! He would point to the country and Id read the
name and if I knew the area and the animal that originates there Id tell him.
For example, kangaroos in Australia, lions in Africa etc. Coincidently child x
came over and took control of the globe, and he didnt object. I told her we
have to be gentle with the globe or it may break, and I demonstrate the
proper way to turn the globe- slow and gentle. Shed point and hed point
and it was a fun impromptu lesson on the globe. He told me all about the
sun. His speech is soft and I have to listen well because he draws his words
out like an accent and it is slightly hard to understand sometimes. He is so
well behaved and enjoyable to interact with. He gets excited when someone
focuses one on one with him and he is able to tell them what he wants them
to know. At the carpet, he sits next to a busy boy that has trouble sitting
still. Child y never gets too far out of his color on and sits nicely on the rug.
I have never heard his name called in reprimand. If a conflict occurs he has
to be encouraged to use his words and tell the other child what he feels, but
he will with encouragement. I have witnessed him crying silently alone
because he will not speak up to another child. In conclusion, I would say
child y has shown social emotional growth. He may be quiet and soft spoken
but he is learning to say what he feels but you have to be listening because
he is not going to call a lot of attention to himself. If a teacher just had
children like child y in her classroom it would be so peaceful and the lessons
would flow beautifully. He is enjoyable to interact with. I think of how all of
the children will be when they move on to Kindergarten, and I think he will do
really well, but his quietness could cause him to get lost in a sea of more
expressive peers.