Observation 2

Class: FHS 1500-503-F17

Name: Jessica Carter
Assignment: zz Observation 2

Background Information

Child's age: Preschool 2-3 years old

Fictitious name: Becca
Location: Miss Leilas Preschool
Description: I observed a three year old in the afternoon session of a preschool

Biological Development
It has been proven that a childs appetite slows between the ages of two and six
years of age due to a biological change in a child's rate of growth (Berger, 2016, pg
165). During snack time children were offered a second serving of crackers by a
teacher. Many of the children declined the offer, however Becca was not only one of the
few children who took the second serving, she went as far as to ask for a third. There
could be a variety of reasons for her seemingly large appetite. Becca is one of the
smallest children in her class, so I would likely assume the evidence of an increased
appetite is Beccas bodys way of preparing for a growth spurt.
The text also explains impulsiveness and preservation, a phenomenon of
controlled by the maturity of the prefrontal cortex, and preservation being an inability to
switch from one task to another easily. Becca showed numerous signs of preservation.
First, the teachers instructed the children to switch from coloring and begin practicing
colors, Becca seemed to struggle switching due to a feeling she was not done coloring.
(Berger, 2016, pg 170).
Lastly, I noticed Becca gross motor skills were developing normally. She was
able to throw and catch a ball the size of a grapefruit with ease. As for her stability when
walking and running, she still seemed to stumble occasionally. However, compared to
the other children in her class I would say she was right in the middle. About one third of
the children displayed less balance than her, about a third displayed more balance, and
about a third displayed the same amount of balance of Becca. To me Becca appears to
be developing biologically at a steady and healthy rate.
Cognitive Development
The first thing that jumped out at me was Piagets pre-operational theory on
symbolic thought (Berger, 2016, pg 173). Becca and another child were having a debate
on which of them had a prettier cat. Both children were able to talk about their own cats,
as well as ask questions about the others, without the cat being in the preschool with
them. They were able to discuss the color, size, and other distinguishing traits of their
cats. Each child appeared to be very proud of their cats, and you could see the
attachment between the child and their pet
 Secondly, I observed the children while they participated in a game of matching
colors and shapes. The game pieces consisted of 8 different shapes, 2 triangles, 2
circles, 2 squares, and 2 rectangles. Each pair of shapes were two different colors
varying between red, blue, yellow, and green. For the first part of the. game, the
children were asked to match the color pairs. Becca was able to complete this activity
with ease. The children were then asked to match the shapes. For this part of the
activity, Becca appeared to have a difficult time distinguishing between squares and
rectangles, she continuously put them in the same pile.
Lastly, I saw myelination in its true light. Myelination is described in the text and
faster thinking (Berger, 2016, pg 169). When I reflected on the first observation of the
2-year old I can see a difference in the rate of cognitive processing between him and
Becca. She appeared to respond quickly to sounds, light, and instructions and was
quick on her feet with responses when interacting with staff and other children. Overall,
Becca appears to be developing cognitively at a similar rate as her peers.

Psychosocial Development
A theory Piaget and Vygotsky were able to agree on is curious and observant
(Berger, 2016, pg 176). Becca showed many signs of curiosity, a normal phenomenon
for her age. She appeared to be very intrigued by the actions of the other children, and
even the most minor details of each toy she played with. Each time before she chose a
toy she would take a couple minutes to check it over. She would explore all the aspects
of the toys, and become quite familiar with it before continuing play. She was also
constantly asking the other children, and teacher, what they were doing, and she
wanted a full explanation.
Along with curiosity comes what I call the "why" stage, a stage I have witnessed
many times throughout my life. She wanted to know the whys of everything. When the
teacher said it was time for a new activity she responded with "why," when a teacher
explained how a toy worked she responded with "why." As you can imagine hearing
why over and over again can get old very quick, and become quite annoying. However,
what many people are not aware of is that this annoying series of whys is actually a
good thing developmentally. This helps the child's ability to form theories, and grasp
deeper understanding (Berger, 2016, pg 179).
Overall, Becca seemed quite eager to learn and was doing a good job at it. Her
desire to learn had no sense of tunnel vision. She wanted to learn the ins and outs all
across the board, from every end of the spectrum. She also connects socially with her
peers with minor issues. She appears to get along with all her classmates, and
genuinely enjoys interacting with others.
 Citations

Berger, K. S. (2016). Invitation to the life span (3rd ed.). Page 165. New York, NY: Worth .

Berger, K. S. (2016). Invitation to the life span (3rd ed.). Page 169. New York, NY: Worth .

Berger, K. S. (2016). Invitation to the life span (3rd ed.). Page 117. New York, NY: Worth .

Berger, K. S. (2016). Invitation to the life span (3rd ed.). Page 170. New York, NY: Worth .

Berger, K. S. (2016). Invitation to the life span (3rd ed.). Page 173. New York, NY: Worth .

Berger, K. S. (2016). Invitation to the life span (3rd ed.). Page 176. New York, NY: Worth .