My Tools

Use the activity form provided for you to document your observation.

An Observation Guide for the Learners’ Characteristics

Read the following statements carefully. Then write your observation report on the provided
space. Your teacher may also recommend another observation check-list if a more detailed observation is
preferred.

Physical
1. Observe their gross motor skills. How they carry themselves. How they move, walk, run up the
stairs, etc.
2. Are gross movement’s clumsy or deliberate/smooth?
3. How about their fine motors skills? Writing, drawing, etc.

Social
1. Describe how they interact with teachers and other adults.
2. Note how they also interact with peers. What do they talk about? What are their concerns?

Emotional
1. Describe the emotional disposition or temperament of the learners. (happy, sad, easily cries,
mood shifts)
2. How do they express their wants/needs?
3. How do they handle frustrations?
4. Describe their level of confidence as shown in their behavior. Are they self-conscious?

Cognitive
1. Describe their ability to use words to communicate their ideas. Note their language proficiency.
2. Describe how they figure out things. Do they comprehend easily? Look for evidence of their
thinking skills.
3. Were there opportunities for problem solving? Describe how did they show problem solving
abilities.

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 Learners’ Development Matrix

Record the data you gathered about the learners’ characteristics and needs in this matrix. This
will allow you to compare the characteristics and needs of learners at different levels. The items under
each domain are by no means exhaustive. These are just sample indicators. You may add other aspects
which you have observed.

Development Domain Preschooler Elementary High School

Indicate age range of Indicate age range of Indicate age range of
children observed: 5 - 6 children observed:8 - 9 children observed: 12 - 13
Physical
 Gross-motor skills  Kindergarten pupils  Grade II pupils are  High school students
move as if they are loved to roam are more conscious
not in school, every around the on their physical
time they move they classroom while look, they walk
think that they are discussion is going properly sometimes.
just playing. They on.
are clumsy.
 Fine-motor skills  They love writing
and drawing, even if  They are now
they are not so good  They have already conscious on their
on that. developed their performance
 Self-help skills skills in writing and specially writing and
 Every activity, they drawing. drawing.
always need a help  They don’t need
or assistance from  Sometimes they assistance from the
the teacher. need assistance teacher on task as
from the teacher on long as they
some activities. understand the
instructions.
Social
 Interaction with  Kindergarten pupils  Some are shy to  High school pupils
Teacher interact to teacher express their ideas. interact to their
by eagerly teacher with
answering questions confident. They can
from the teacher, also express ideas to
even if they not sure their teacher.
with their answer.
They interact as if
they were talking
 Interaction with with the same age  They also love to
Classmates/friends. with them. play with their  They also love to
 Kindergarten classmates and talk with their
students are talking. friends and
 Interests interacting with classmates.
their classmates  They are also
through playing interested in  They are interested
with each other. playing, but its in many things since
 Kindergarten pupils minimal now, they are already

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 are interested in maybe because they mature. Things like
playing, that is why also have an interest having crush, love
the lecture should be in listening to etc.
like a playtime lesson.
always

Emotional
 Moods and  Kindergarten pupils  Grade two pupils  High School students
temperament, are happy pupils, are also happy, but are also happy
expression of but they can easily easily change mood students, but they
feelings change moods, due to condition can handle their
especially if have that surround them. emotion, some of
something they them can hide their
don’t like. real emotion, maybe
because they are
already mature.
 They are non self  Grade II pupils are  High school is now
 Emotional conscious they cry if also not that conscious and
independence something that conscious with their cannot show their
really need them to emotion. emotion easily, they
cry. And they are already mature.
usually inform their They handle it alone.
teacher if there is
something they
don’t like.
Cognitive
 Communication  Since in  Also in Grade II  High school students
Skills kindergarten now level they use the are good in
are using the mother mother tongue, the communication
tongue, they can grade II pupils can skills, they can
communicate easily communicate easily express ideas in
with the teacher to their teacher. English.
easily.
 Kindergarten pupils  Grade II pupils are  High school students
 Thinking skills they really don’t thinking sometimes, has develop already
think on things, but because at their age their thinking skills,
they can answer they can already because ate their age
question based on understand on the they are already
their previous teacher’s discussion. mature and can
experience. understand things
what is right and
wrong.

 Kindergarten pupil  For the Grade II  Since High school

doesn’t have any pupils they already students are at the
 Problem-solving problem solving have learned simple age that we can
skills, maybe they problem solving, mature already, they
have but it is usually because at their age already possess a
on what they believe they can understand problem solving

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 what is right, they some already. skills, because they
just easily utter can fully understand
solution without what the problem is
thinking if its and probably can
correct, and usually solve it.
they says solution
based on what they
had experience.

My Analysis

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 Write the most salient development characteristics of the learners you observed. Based on
these characteristics, think of implication for the teacher.

Example:
Level Salient Characteristics Implications to the Teaching –
observed Learning Process
Preschool  Preschoolers like to move  Therefore, the teacher should
Age range of Learners observed around a lot. remember to use music and
3-4 movement activities not just in
PE but in all subject areas.
 Therefore, teacher should not
expect preschoolers to stay
seated for a long period of
time.

Level Salient Characteristics Implications to the Teaching –

observed Learning Process
Preschool The kindergarten pupils are Therefore, the teacher should
Age range of Learners observed curious or they are always asking answer the questions of the kids
5-6 questions. with relation to their questions,
and should be in a simplest form
for the pupils to understand.

Therefore, the teacher should not

expect that question raised by the
kindergarten pupils are always
related to the topic the teacher is
discussing.
Elementary Grade II pupils like to move Therefore, the teacher should be
Age range of Learners observed around and have conversation alert and always check the pupils
8-9 with their classmates. if they are on their chairs.

Therefore, the teacher should

check if the conversations of the
pupils with their classmates are
related to the topics for today.

High school High school pupils like to have a Therefore, the teacher should be
Age range of Learners observed secret conversation with their aware on their activities to ensure
12 - 13 seatmates talking things. that the students are still listening
to the discussion.

My Reflections

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 1. While you were observing the learners, did you recall your own experiences when you were
their age? What similarities or differences do you have with the learners you observed?

Yes, I did when I was at their age like when I was in my kindergarten days, I also keep
asking question which is just out of my curiosity. Also when I was in my Grade II level I also fun
of having conversation with my classmates that is out of the topic. And when I was in my high
school days I also did the same I love having secret conversation with my seatmates.
I think everything they had now is just similar with what I also have during the same age
they have now in these three levels. And the only difference is teachers have enough patient with
the learners today, maybe because they are following the law “no corporal punishment”, unlike
our time if we commit mistakes the teacher will punish us immediately, so I can say we are more
behave before than today’s leaner’s in these three levels.

2. Think of a teacher you cannot forget for positive or negative reasons. How did she/he help
or not help you with your needs (physical, emotional, social, and cognitive)? How did it
affect you?

My teacher in Grade III, she is a very nice teacher for me; because she always encourage
me to do things that I am not usually doing during that time. During this level I started joining
school activities such as dancing, group singing, and others. She is also the teacher who always
encourages me to study hard and compete to those who are already performer in term of
academics in our section.
Because of her way of motivating and encouragement, I was able show what I can do
which I just hide it before. I was able be one of the performer in the class in terms of academics
and other extracurricular activities in school.

3. Share your other insights here.

It’s is really normal for the kindergarten pupils to be curious, ask question out of
nowhere, fun of moving around and think of always playing. Kindergarten pupils they keep on
asking question because they are curious, they are interested in many things. They easily shift
moods from being happy to crying.
Grade II pupils are also normal to be noise and they ask many question. Grade II pupils
are noise because they always want to interact to teacher if they are interested in the lesson, but
they also like talking with their classmates on the things they have outside the school.
High school students are more mature, they are very careful with their acts; maybe they
are ashamed if they are caught by their teacher whenever they are talking with their seatmates.
They are curious now with their physical appearance and their way they talking.

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 My Portfolio

Which is your favorite theory of development. How can this guide you as a future teacher?

Clip some readings about this theory and paste them here.

Piaget's theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive theory about the nature and
development of human intelligence, first developed by Jean Piaget. It is primarily known as a
developmental stage theory, but in fact, it deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how humans
come gradually to acquire, construct, and use it. To Piaget, cognitive development was a progressive
reorganization of mental processes as a result of biological maturation and environmental
experience. Children construct an understanding of the world around them, and then experience
discrepancies between what they already know and what they discover in their
environment. Moreover, Piaget claims the idea that cognitive development is at the center of human
organism and language is contingent on cognitive development. Below, there is first a short
description of Piaget's views about the nature of intelligence and then a description of the stages
through which it develops until maturity.

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 This theory of Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development can help me
guide in the future as a teacher. Because this theory explains that an individual has
its own level of learning according to their age. So with this theory you will be
guided and understand that each level has its own level of understanding and
development with it comes to their physical and cognitive aspects. This theory also
explains the development of a child as early as conception until they will become
mature, and each age level has different level of development in terms of their
physical and cognitive aspects.

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