Child Observation #3

TYPICAL

Location: Classroom Time: 10:40-11:03
Date: August 13
th
2012 Child: Mia*
Observer: Kara St.Hilaire Age: 3 years 9 months
*Name has been changed

Comments












Showing excitement and pride in her work.



Understanding the timer symbolizes transition.
















Mia is proud she knows her letters, and is taking
this situation to show her skills to her teachers
and peers.
Observations

Child is sitting at table tracing the letters of her
first and last name. She is using her left hand,
using a tripod grasp, but pinching with only
her thumb and middle finger.

M (Mia): Look, I traced my name!
Spells each letter of her name out loud.

M: See, thats my name.
Repeats first and last name out loud.

M: Walks around table behind other childrens
seats, looking at their work. Walks over to two
other teachers and shows them her nametag.

A timer goes off, Mia walks directly to the circle
area and finds the dot with her name written
on it.

T (Teacher): Addressing group of eight children:
Okay guys time to spell our names!

M: Singing and Clapping Ickily Bickily bumble
bee, wont you spell your name for me!
Repeats for each child at circle until it becomes
her turn.

M: Spells each letter of her first and last name
independently, no visual needed.

T: Great job Mia!

The teacher continues on to the last three
children to spell their name who use a visual.
Mia quickly spells out the first childs name
before he has had a chance to process the first
letter.

















































T: No thank you Mia, youve already had your
turn to spell your name.

Mia remains quiet until the teacher moves
on to the next child who correctly spells the
first two letters of her name, but hesitates
after. Mia finishes it for her out loud.

T: Mia, it is not your turn. I do not want to tell
you again.

M: Okaaaaay

Mia remains quiet while the last child spells
his name.

M: Picks up her dot she was sitting on, begins to
strum it. Look! Its a guitar!

T: Our dots are for sitting on Mia.

M: But its my guitar!

T: Please put your dot back on the floor, dont
you want to check the weather today?

K: Quickly sits back on her dot. Yes! Yes! Yes!

Stands up and skips to the window. After a
quick glance she skips back to the teacher,
turns the weather pinwheel to the sunny
day picture.

M: Facing peers. Today it is sunny! Skips
back to her dot and sits down.

A peer chooses Row, Row, Row Your Boat
to sing. The children are directed to pair up
with their peer sitting next to them to hold
hands. The child next to Mia refuses to be
her partner.

M: I need someone to sing with!

Crawls across the circle to sit in front of a
male peer who did not have a partner.

M: Ready!

M: Singing while holding peers hands, pulling
and pushing their boat: Row, row, row your
boat, gently down the stream, merrily,
merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream!













Has processed her teachers request.












Follows directions after Enticed by the offer to check
the weather.
















Accepts peers request, and initiates interaction with
new peer.























Summary


Motor: Mia traces her name using her left hand. Using her thumb and middle finger,
she is very close to using a tripod grasp. She follows all of the lines, maintaining a
firm grasp on the marker. She exhibits her gross motor skills by walking around the
classroom, standing up and sitting down with ease, and even skipping; an ability
usually not mastered until the age of five or six. Mia uses her core muscles and arm
muscles when rocking the boat through pushing and pulling a peers hands during
Row, Row, Row Your Boat. She also maintains a full grasp while holding hands. Mia
is able to speed up, and slow down her movements when the teacher requests to
change the pace of the song.

Cognitive: Mia uses her memory when she is able to remember, and verbally
express each letter of her name in order without a visual. When the timer went off,
and she sat down at circle without a reminder, she understands the meaning of the
timer, and links it to the transition of activities. She uses symbolic thought in the
form of role playing, when she uses her dot as a guitar, or pulling and pushing
another peer in a boat. Mia shows understanding of the meaning of describing
words, (adjectives) when she responds to faster and slow. Mia demonstrates
excellent problem solving skills when she finds another peer who didnt have a
partner, even though the directions were to pair up with the person sitting next to
you. Mia is able to receptively identify the color of her shirt is pink, and

T: Addressing all children How about
we go faster this time!

Repeats song, this time singing,
pushing, and pulling faster.

T: Addressing all children Okay, can we
go really slow this time?

Repeats song, singing, pushing, and
pulling slowly.

T: Great job everyone! Ok, its time to
line up to go outside!

Teacher lines children up by the color
of their shirts.

T: If youre wearing a pink shirt you
can go line up

M: Me! Me! Me! Stands up and gets in
line behind peers at the door.

























Awareness of colors.
comprehends the directions given by standing up and lining up at the door with her
peers.

Social/Emotional: Mia demonstrates excitement and pride in her work when she
walks around to show her teachers. She uses conflict resolution when a peer tells
her they did not want to be her partner with her without any conflict. Instead, she
openly initiates the idea to find, and approach a new partner. Mia shows her comfort
in social situations when she turns and faces all of her peers to tell them the
weather.

Communication: Mia shows consistent evidence of receptive and expressive
language throughout the observation. She understands what is being asked of her,
even if she needs extra prompts. She speaks in a tone loud enough to hear, and
articulates each word correctly. Mia is learning to write her letters through tracing,
and is also able to verbally identify a variety of letters.