Field Experience

Field Experience

Brittany Clayton

Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana

Professor Diane Smith

ECED 120

February 6, 2020
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Between the ages of four and five, a child is experiencing many changes. They are

getting ready to begin their adventure into elementary school and at times seem to be just getting

comfortable with preschool. It’s exciting and can feel anxious with the changes that are about to

occur. The right educator and mentors in their lives can help these feelings foster into a great

success, and that is our goal.

When working with children in this age group there are certain things that should

be noticeable about their development such as their physical, social, emotional and cognitive

developments. When examining their physical development things such as their height, weight

and eyesight are all expanding. According to Amanda Morin, “Kids can put on close to 5 pounds

and grow 4 inches this year. Their eyesight continues to get better, too, which means their

coordination improves,” (Morin, n.d.).

When looking at physical development, there are different sections that are involved that

are seperate. These include gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Kid Sense defines gross

motor skills as “those which require whole body movement and which involve the large (core

stabilising) muscles of the body to perform everyday functions, such as standing and walking,

running and jumping, and sitting upright at the table,” ("Gross Motor Skills | Gross Motor Skills

Development | Kid Sense", n.d.).

When examining the gross motor skills of a child aged four to five, you notice that their

abilities have grown exponentially from that of a three year old child. According to Amanda

Morin (Morin, n.d.) these motor skills include;

● Alternate feet on the stairs

● Jump with two feet
● Use door handles
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● Control big muscle movements more easily—they may be able to start, stop, turn, and go
around obstacles while running
● Log roll, do somersaults, skip, and trot
● Throw and bounce a ball
● Jump over objects and climb playground ladders
● Pedal and steer a tricycle or bike
While these things may seem minor, they are very important milestones for children to

reach. These gross motor skills are not only allowing the child to be more independent, but also

are helping other aspects of their development as well. Pathways explains this when saying

“Mastering both fine and gross motor skills are important for children’s growth and

independence. Having good motor control helps children explore the world around them and also

helps with their cognitive development,” ("Motor Skills | Fine and Gross Motor Development |

Pathways.org", n.d.).

While gross motor skills use the big muscles in the body, the fine motor skills are the use

of the small muscles in the body. According to Kid Sense, fine motor skills are defined as skills

that “influences the quality of the task outcome as well as the speed of task performance,”

("Fine Motor Skills | Fine Motor Skills Activities | Kid Sense Child Development", n.d.). As a

child develops, expanding these skills are crucial.

Some of the fine motor skills that a child aged four to five years should be able to do

include things such as using scissors, dressing themselves and their drawing should become more

detailed. According to Amanda Morin (Morin, n.d.) by this age children should;

● Get dressed with minimal help (zippers, snaps, and buttons may still be a little hard)
● Draw or copy basic shapes and crosses (this is a milestone know as “being able to cross
the midline”)
● Write some letters or make seperated, distinct marks that look like letters
● Draw wavy lines across the page that look like lines of text to make “lists” or write
greeting cards
● Put together a simple puzzle
● Begin to use scissors purposefully
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● Stack a tower at least 10 blocks high

● String beads or O-shaped cereal to make necklaces
● Pinch and shape clay or play-dough into recognizable objects
Pinfield Children’s center explains that the importance of fine motor skills is “Little

hands need to develop dexterity and strength,” ("The Importance of Fine Motor Skill

Development | Penfield Building Blocks", n.d.). They also say “The ability to do so is the first

step in learning to color, draw and ultimately write,” ("The Importance of Fine Motor Skill

Development | Penfield Building Blocks", n.d.). Both fine and gross motor skills are important to

a growing child and their future success.

The lists above are for the average four to five year old, however not every child

develops at the same rate. This may frighten parents, as it could lead to thoughts that their child

may be behind the rest of their peers. Understanding the importance of these skills and ways to

help your child improve them is the first step at helping them reach these milestones. Children’s

Therapy ("Fine Motor Skills - Preschool Developmental Milestones - Children's Therapy &

Family Resource Centre", n.d.) explains some things to look for in a child that may show their

fine motor skills are behind include;

● His movements seem shaky or stiff

● Her arms and hands seem very weak
● He is not able to cut along a straight line
● She is not holding her crayons or pencils with her thumb and fingers
● He is not able to draw a circle, square and cross (+)
● She is not able to put on her own shirts, pants, socks, and shoes (with some help with
fasteners)
● He is not able to feed himself well with a spoon and fork
If any of these things are noticed in your child there are many things that you can do to

help them begin to improve. The NAEYC ("Help Your Child Build Fine Motor Skills |

NAEYC", n.d.) says that you are able to help your child’s fine motor skills by doing things such

as allowing them to;

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● Set the table

● Hold knives, forks, and spoons to eat
● Pour juice into a cup
● Wipe the table with a sponge
● Help with meals —stir, shake, chop, cut and mix
● Get dressed—button, zip, snap, buckle, and fasten
● Use velcro tabs
● Open and close containers with lids
● Cut with child-safe scissors
● Finger paint
● Use a paintbrush
● Play with playdough and clay—roll, smoosh, pat, pound, and use tools like popsicle
sticks or stamps
● Draw, scribble, or write with crayons, pencils, and markers
● Put together puzzles
● Place pegs in a board
● Build with small blocks
● Play board games
● Play with puppets
A child’s gross motor development is just as important as their fine motor. As a parent

there are signs you are able to look for when determining if your child is behind. According to

the University of Utah there are a few major symptoms that can me most obvious. “A child who

is behind in movement, strength, and/or balance may appear clumsy or uncoordinated,” ("Does

My Child Need Occupational Therapy?", n.d.). Along with coordination problems the

University of Utah ("Does My Child Need Occupational Therapy?", n.d.) says they may have

trouble;

● Going up and down stairs at an age appropriate time

● Coordinating both sides of the body
● Understanding the concept of right and left
● Poor ball skills
● Poor balance
● be fearful of feet leaving the ground
● doesn't cross midline of his or her body during play and school tasks
● avoids tasks and games that require gross motor skills
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With each child developing at a different rate, parents should contact a pediatrician and

discuss their worries. The pediatrician may suggest doing things at home to help improve their

gross motor skills. Health of Children ("Gross Motor Skills - symptoms, average, Definition,

Description, Common problems", n.d.) says that some ways to do this include;

● Playing hopscotch and jumping rope; activities that help children learn balance
● Hitting, catching, kicking, or throwing a ball, such as a baseball, football, or soccer ball;
activities that help develop hand-eye or foot-eye coordination
● Kangaroo hop, in which children hold something, such as a small ball or orange, between
their knees and then jump with their feet together frontward, backwards, and sideways
● Playing wheelbarrow, in which someone holds the children’s legs while they walk on
their hands along a specific route
● Walking on a narrow bar or curb, while holding a bulky object in one hand, then the other
hand, and then repeating the activity walking backwards and sideways
● Toss and catch, in which children toss an object, such as a baseball, in the air and then
catch it, while sitting or lying down and also while using alternate hands
While observing the children in the classroom, I focused my attention on a four year old

girl. This child’s fine motor skills were defined greatly by the way she was able to write and

draw. When doing these, she held the pencil firmly and was able to write her name. Her lines

were slightly curvy, but nothing more than is expected from a child her age. Another thing I

noticed while observing her was that she was able to put on her jacket and zip it, once the zipper

had gotten started.

An activity that I would have liked to try with her to help her better perfect her fine motor

skills would have involved the milestone to cross the midline. The Child Development Centre

defines this milestone as something that “ promotes the coordination and communication of the

left and right hemispheres of the brain. It also encourages bilateral coordination, the process of

developing a dominant hand and development of fine-motor skills,” ("What Is Crossing The

Midline And Why Is It Important? | Child Development Centre", 2018). The activity I would
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have chosen would have been to have the child with one hand pop bubbles as I blew them. She

would have been limited to using one hand, and would need to pop as many as possible. Once

she finished with one hand, I would move to the other.

While observing the four year old child, I noticed many things as she played outside that

showed her gross motor skills. She was climbing on equipment quickly and steadily. She was

also running, jumping and was playing with other children. Her gross motor skills were average

to above average for a child her age. She also was able to open the door to the classroom once it

was time to return to the classroom.

Another development in children is social or emotional. Scan describes social

development as

“Social development refers to the process by which a child learns to interact with others
around them. As they develop and perceive their own individuality within their
community, they also gain skills to communicate with other people and process their
actions. Social development most often refers to how a child develops friendships and
other relationships, as well as how a child handles conflict with peers,” (VA, n.d.).
Socialization in young children is paramount at this age, as it is the beginning stages of their

education. Children must be able to get along well with others and to form friendships and bonds

with their peers.

Between the ages of four and five, a child is expected to be able to do things such as

show they are able to work with other children and to properly be able to express their feelings,

to an extent. Many children in elementary school still have times where they aren’t able to

control their emotions, so it isn’t expected of a child this age to be able to. According to Amanda

Morin (Morin, n.d.), by this age children should be able to;

● Start to show and express a wider range of emotion

● Share, cooperate, be helpful, and take turns
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● Start tattling and acting a little bossy

● Enjoy telling silly jokes and find other things funny
● Begin telling small lies to get out of trouble, even though they know it’s wrong
● Do or say things they shouldn’t to see what the reaction will be
● Start playing with other kids and seperate from parents and caregivers more easily
● May still have tantrums because of changes in routine or not getting what they want
If a parent has a child who is shy and seems to want to stay with them at all times, this

could be normal behavior if it isn’t drastic. However, if the child exhibits these traits along with

many other things, the parent should speak to their pediatrician for a professional opinion.

According to Children’s Therapy and Resource Centre ("Social & Emotional - Preschool

Developmental Milestones - Children's Therapy & Family Resource Centre", n.d.), some signs

that parents may notice include;

● He is not interested in playing with other children

● She is not able to share or take turns with other children
● She wants to be dependent on her caregivers for everything
● He is extremely “rigid” about routines, and becomes extremely upset when things are
changed
● She has extreme difficulty separating from you
● He is too passive or fearful, and does not want to try things other children his age are
doing
● She has extreme fears that interfere with daily activities

The traits mentioned above can be scary for the child as well as the parents. Once the

parents are able to identify these issues, they will be able to begin properly helping the child

begin to interact with their peers. This could be done in a multitude of ways depending on the

child’s personality and the parenting style involved. Help Me Grow ("Ways to Encourage Social

and Emotional Development", n.d.) has a few suggestions to help a child who is delayed in their

social or emotional development. They said in order to help children of this age group adults

should;
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● Pay attention when your child is talking

● Give your child opportunities to play with other children.
● Say positive things to your child.
● Gently and consistently help your child manage feelings and control behavior.
● Be patient and responsive to questions.

While observing the class of four to five year olds, the child I observed had excellent

social and emotional skills. She was able to play with her peers as well as interact with me and

her teacher. When playing outside, she was interacting well with the other children as they

played. She also was one of the first children to raise her hand to answer questions.

One way that I would like to work with this child on her emotional skills to help continue

her development would be to teach her to become a leader. This is an important life skill that can

easily be learned at a young age and can be carried throughout her life. Doing things such as

pairing her with another child who may be struggling with an assignment and having her help

them better understand is a great way to do this.

Cognitive development is the final stage for a child. This includes things such as

memorization abilities and the ability to understand things. According to the Encyclopedia of

Children’s Health cognitive development is defined as “Cognitive development refers to how a

person perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of his or her world through the interaction of

genetic and learned factors,” ("Cognitive Development - stages, meaning, average, Definition,

Description, Common problems", n.d.). Included in cognitive development are four stages that

include being able to process information, their intelligence, being able to reason, memory and

their language development.

Language development is defined as “the process by which children come to understand

and communicate language during early childhood,” ("Language Development - baby, stages,

meaning, Definition, Description, Common problems", n.d.). As a child’s language development

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is forming, they begin to make more sense of how words are used to describe things around

them. The more advanced their language development is, the more their academics will be

affected.

According to The Child Mind Institute ("Developmental Milestones at 4 Years | Child

Mind Institute", n.d.) things that a child aged four to five years should be able to do include;

● Understands the concepts of “same” and “different”

● Has mastered some basic rules of grammar
● Speaks in sentences of five to six words
● Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand
● Tells stories
Throughout their lifetime, children begin communicating through crying and gradually move to

doing things such as laughing and yelling. They then continue to begin saying words such as

mom or dad and then go to the stage where they are able to say certain things such as please and

sorry. Before now, even though the child has been able to say these things, they haven’t been

able to use them in sentences such as “Can I have a drink please?”. Instead they have said things

such as “Drink please”. At this age, the child should be able to form full sentences, even if they

aren’t grammatically correct.

If a child is delayed in their language development, the signs can begin as early as 18

months. Children who are delayed with things such as saying their first words or being unable to

add words to their vocabulary. Kid Sense ("Language Delay - Kid Sense Child Development",

n.d.) gives examples of signs that language development may be delayed these include;

● Late to talk and first words do not appear by the age of 15-18 months.
● The child gets their first words but then does not go on to develop new words
quickly.
● By two years of age, the child is saying less than 50 words and is not using any two
word combinations (e.g. ‘more drink’, ‘Daddy gone’, ‘car go’).
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● The child has difficulty understanding what is being said to them and has
difficulties following instructions.
● The child’s language sounds immature for their age.
● Difficulties attending at group time at kindergarten or school.
● The very young child may have difficulties with eye contact, attending to activities
and to speech and using sounds and gestures.
● Difficulty answering questions.
● Difficulty sequencing words together in sentences.
● Difficulty reading and writing.
● Difficulty getting their message across.
● Uses incorrect grammar (e.g. ‘me want that red one’ instead of ‘I want the red one’).

If a child is delayed in this development there are activities and things educators and

parents are able to do to help them reach their milestones. Parental/educator communication is

key to successfully helping children with these delays. If the delay continues, a child may have to

attend speech therapy, but if it is discovered early and the parents and teachers work with the

child, they have much higher chances of overcoming it. Kid Sense ("Language Delay - Kid

Sense Child Development", n.d.)gives examples of things that can be done and these include;

● Set up an individualised plan with parents/carers that have small achievable speech
and language goals to help develop the child’s language skills.
● Provide the child with strategies to manage situations when they don’t understand
(e.g. teaching them to put up their hands when they don’t understand, teaching some
standard questions to ask when needed).
● Liaison between health professions and educational staff to provide information to
be incorporated into an education plan and/or implementing
ideas/suggestions/activities to help improve the child’s speech and language skills
and ability to access to the curriculum.
● Use fun play-based activities or games to help motivate the child to learn.
● Use simple and concise information.
● Use visuals to supplement auditory information (e.g. pictures, signs, gestures).
● Provide extra time to complete tasks.
● Hanen ‘2 is For Talking’ language program.
● Explain new vocabulary.
● Expose child to language in a variety of settings (e.g. in the community, during
daily routines such as bath-time, cooking).
● Using simple language whilst playing with your child.
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The child I observed during school was able to speak clearly and in complete sentences.

She was very intelligent and showed this in different ways. She was able to carry on a

conversation with her peers, but she had trouble with common sight words. These words were

new to her however and her attempt and use of sounding out the words showed that she was

aware what sound the letters made.

An activity that I was able to do with the class was to use the new sight words and teach

them about rhymes. We would read the word together and find other words that rhyme with it.

Before beginning, only one child was aware what rhymes were, but the entire class was able to

better understand them after only a few words. I believe that using this activity along with having

the children put the word into a sentence is a good way to help them better understand what they

are reading, important sight words as well as teamwork and rhymes.

Children learn what they are taught. If a parent reads to them and sounds words out at a

young age, the child is more likely to attempt this earlier than others. If a parent communicates

with the child and works with them, their development milestones will be more easily reached.

Whether it is developmental, social, emotional or cognitive, the parents and early stages of life

are a big influence.

In conclusion, every child learns differently. Some children have very active parents in

their lives while others aren’t able to have this advantage. Learning difficulties could stem from

this, medical or hereditary conditions or other things. As an educator it is our responsibility to

know the signs of these delays and to do what is necessary in order to help the child.
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Bibliography

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9. Language Delay - Kid Sense Child Development. Retrieved 7 February 2020, from
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