Child Study – One-On-Activities and Theories.
Institution:
Name:
Date:
Child observation is a skill that each professional dealing with young children has to know. There is a need to observe, assess, and generally understand a child’s needs, strengths, and interests to plan for the future holistic development of the child. One-on-one activities provide an opportunity for educators to understand the child’s competence levels, weaknesses that would inform effective instruction methods based on theories of learning.
Reflective Journal
An observation study on Child A took place in a daycare facility. Child A was observed for three days. The observation was done at different hours of the day, in different environments, and during different activities. Child A is a six years old boy. Data from the observation was collected through various data collection methods, including digital video tape camcorder. The observer often positioned himself in an inconspicuous place where one could observe the whole events done by the target child. The observer was also careful not to make the target child know that he was being observed. This could have distressed the child or make him behave unusually, thus jeopardizing all study. The report is very crucial in understanding more about children’s unique behaviors and the establishment of future academic plans geared to the holistic development of the child.
The rationale for Choosing Child A
The rationale behind the selection of this particular child (Child A) for the study is to gain in-depth information about each child. By narrowing observation to one student, one will understand the uniqueness of every child and their individual development. The observer, in this case, can get information about the learner’s progress in various learning activities. The use of target child observation is time-consuming, but it best serves to avoid generalization whereby one child is taken to represent the whole class. It is also important to note that Child A’s observation and documentation were done through various methods, including anecdotal records time samples.
Observations and description of learner’s work and behavior
Education can occur outdoor just as it can take place in a classroom. There are many tangible benefits that learners acquire through outdoor activities. Observation and assessment of Child A were done holistically in an open-minded manner during successive daycare outdoor activities. The study was aimed at monitoring not only the cognitive and physical development of the student but also his emotional, social, and even language skills. During the observation, Child A was found to behave differently depending on the activity being performed. In some activities, he happened to be very interested and motivated, while in others, he seemed detached and uncooperative.
Observation of this study can be categorized into three broad settings, the behavior and attitude of the learner before one-on-one activity, during the activity, and after the one-on-one activity. In most cases, Child A would appear happy and active when he is familiar with the activity going to be done. Observation records indicate that Child A looks restless and uninterested before certain games activities such as soccer and rope skipping activities. On the other hand, when he is told to run or build stacks, he becomes delighted and energetic. His reactions and attitudes, therefore, depends on what game activity is to be done. For instance, on the first day, Child A became adamant about joining the rest of his peers in the soccer team, but later, when he was asked to compete in running, he devotes himself entirely to the race.
School recesses are very valuable among young children; in fact, students tend to be more physically active during outdoor class activities than when inside. Physical activities are not only important for the learners’ physical development, but it also enriches their social and cognitive development. Child A was observed playing for an average of 45 mins for the three days. From the data collected, it was noted that the learner seemed to prefer being alone rather than being with the rest of the children in certain games activities. Despite the teacher’s intervention on most occasions, Child A still kept a distance in activities he believed he could accomplish alone.
The journal notes indicate that on the second day, Child A was busy learning math-counting skills using Number Pops as instructed by the caregiver. The daycare teacher made the learning interesting by letting the children pretend that they are selling ice cream from a stand. The children were to receive a given number of pops by giving a corresponding amount of play money to the shopkeeper. Other than enriching the math skills, socialization skills were also championed. The observation noted is that Child A talked nicely and passionately with his customers. For example, Child A used courteous words like “please,” “can I help you,” and “sorry, I gave you fewer pops.” This suggests that the one-on-one activity, in this case, resulted in both the academic and social growth of the target child.
Observation recorded during meal times also provides an insight into understanding Child A’s emotional and social behavior. According to the records, mealtimes at the cafeteria took place from 11 AM to 12:30 PM, and the target child was observed during these hours for the three days. First, while queuing, Child A appeared to be restless and never settled in his line with the rest on most occasions. Observably he wanted to go ahead of his fellow students; he was yet to learn to be patient after being talked to accordingly. Besides, it was observed that the child had a different temperament. He was easily provoked as he would mostly cry or attempt to shove those he thought interfered with him. These actions were mostly observed in recess and cafeteria, but after a series of interventions and guidance, the behavior reduced significantly on day three.
The observation also indicates that boys spent more time performing vigorous activities than girls. Child A ran up and down tirelessly, pushed, and pulled things along the playground with considerable energy and interest. However, it was observed that Child A despised simple tasks and games. He was noted more than once, ironically saying that “that is for small children” when the game is boring or involves a lot of directions and support from the caregivers. From the many observations recorded, the observer learned that even if Child A participated in any of these “simple” tasks, he rarely settled to any single activity; he kept flitting from one activity to the other.
Child A seemed to bring out his best in what he liked most. He challenged his colleges in a running competition where he habitually managed to be the best, as recorded in the study. Other than running, Child A participated in various game activities that involved the use of bean bags, hula hoops, football, and skipping ropes. Many games activities required teamwork. For instance, on the second day, the event on the session was a physical exercise testing lung power. Learners were put in two groups; a ping-pong ball was placed between the two groups separated by masking tape. They would then blow the ball in the opposite direction, and the winning team was that which will manage to blow the ball across the line of the other group. Child A’s participation and strength in this game indicate not only good physical growth but also an ability to work in a group. The activity, thus, can be said to promote teamwork and physical growth among the learners.
Cognitive development can also be said to have been improved, as noted in Child A’s behavior during outdoor activities. In most of the game’s activities, child A often seems to be curious about what was taking place on every item used in each of the events done. For instance, on this particular day one, Child A broke the racket he was using to make sounds during the signing period. He could have received a huge punishment if the daycare teacher was untrained on child development. The child was simply trying to explore beyond the outward appearance. His curiosity could only be satisfied through experimentation.
Another occasion worth mentioning was on day three when Child A solved a puzzle game that had been challenging to most of his colleagues. His ability is not that of a genius, but it’s because the game seems to have aroused creative and critical thinking skills that informed his decision making on the play. While others struggled to fit a particular piece into a specified hole, which was practically impossible, Child A maneuvered the trick by first changing the angle at which he placed the piece inside the hole. When he didn’t manage, he tried another hole, which happened to be the correct one. From such achievements, one can just conclude that the target Child benefited from the activity because it steered his cognitive development.
Child A was also able to separate between what is real and what is just pretend. During one of the activities where the teacher brought cartoons and puppets resembling the various wild animals. Child A was a little scared as others were on the first day, but he was not scared on days two and three. From this, one will not be mistaken to say that Child A’s cognitive ability is high; he can separate reality from make-believe.
Other than cognitive development, language development as well can be noted from the data collected over the two weeks of study. Child A at first had problems with interacting with his fellow mates during various activities and especially in games. Lack of interaction cannot only be attributed to his antisocial behavior, but it can as well be due to poor language skills. Nearly all the activities require good communication among the participants. After a series of activities and recess, Child A began gaining confidence to speak while performing various tasks. He was able to use words in their correct or right way of usage since he could now understand their meaning, unlike in day one.
Research on the theories
Montessori Theory
Montessori is an approach used in the education of children. The approach had undergone a series of development since its inception one century ago. Montessori Method of teaching and learning believe that education is a natural process that should be acquired through experiences upon the environment and not merely by listening to words. Ideally, it is Montessori’s principle that nature should work for the child and not against the child. In this case, freedom of choice is an integral part of learning, and therefore learners are allowed to freely choose and work with materials that best suit their needs and interests (Montessori, (2019). Teachers, on the other hand, should provide appropriate materials and a responsive environment that fosters learning.
The Montessori education approach benefits a child in many ways. In a study to highlight the benefits of the Montessori approach, one will find out that children attending Montessori schools tend to be more competent, social, and happy and are also observed to be self-discipline. Competence in such children can also be observed in the manner by which a child expresses his/her skills during a play activity. This group of children tends to show high skills, even when performing tasks that are several years above their grade level. From the observation carried out on Child A, and the successive learning processes heavily borrowed from the Montessori teaching and learning approach. According to Isaacs (2018), the Montessori Method is relevant to the development of a whole child. The teaching strategies employed by teachers and child caregivers are learner-centered. Teachers using these method understands the specific needs and interests of a child and consequently respond to them appropriately. Due to such attention, teachers get to fully understand the learner and better provide for that child.
Montessori fosters learning by practice. Learners do not just work with pen and paper but instead work with apparatus which foster the particular concepts being taught. For instance, when teaching about shapes, the teacher will not merely talk as the learners listen; instead, the learners are actively involved in drawing and molding various shapes and designs.
Besides, the Montessori curriculum is vast and insightful. The method does not only teach the basic concepts of reading and writing skills but instead, it fosters the development of other skills such as motor development, cognitive development, emotional development, social development as well as moral development, among many others (Montessori, 2019). Through these skills, appropriate behaviors are nurtured in a child, and henceforth the child learns to be a productive member of society.
Behaviorism Theory
Behaviorism is another paradigm that is crucial in the teaching and learning process. Behaviorism theory is based on observable and measurable aspects of human behavior. The behaviorism theory emphasizes that behavior is directed by stimuli and tries to explain how these habits are formed. Its roots could be traced back to the early 1900s during the formulation of “associationist” principals, which aimed at explaining complexities in behavior. However, the leading proponents of this learning theory include John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner (Pritchard, 2017).
The theory also borrows from the learning process, the classical conditioning put forward by Ivan Pavlov. According to Pavlov, learning occurs when a natural stimulus becomes associated with a stimulus that naturally produces a behavior (Pritchard, (2017); Skinner then believed that these spontaneous actions could be regulated through rewards and punishments. Bates (2019) claims that Skinners’ concepts lie in the idea that human development should be based on overt behavior and not merely on speculations about subconscious motives. In this case, it is not the individuals that shape the world, but rather, it is the world that shapes them. According to Skinner, rewarded behavior is repeated. He also proposes that human behavior is predictable. He likens it to a chemical reaction that can be observed and predicted.
Today, the concept of reward and punishment has been adopted in classrooms whereby desirable behaviors are rewarded, and those which are inappropriate are punished. This means that students will work out for those things that foster positive feelings of happiness, leaving behind those that are unsatisfying. In this case, learners can avoid behaviors that are unpleasant while clinging to those that are rewarding. Teachers, on the other hand, should ignore undesirable behaviors, punish and model their students to follow the appropriate habits. Other major applications of the behavioral theory are contracts, consequences, behavior modifications, extinction, and reinforcement (Stangor et al. 2019).
In conclusion, insight from these theories is significant in the one-on-one child activities earlier observed in Child A. The caregiver, in this case, understands the importance of observation of overt behaviors and how to reinforce desirable behaviors. From the observation, the Montessori idea of learning through experiences is showcased as learners are given opportunities to choose and work with materials that best suit their needs and interests. Child observation in one-on-one activities resulted in the development of social, cognitive, physical, and language skills, among others. Through observation, caregivers get to understand the child’s competence levels, interests, strengths, and weaknesses and thus revise the existing plans and even strive to improve the learning environment to suit the individual needs and interests of the children.
References.
Bates, B. (2019). Learning Theories Simplified:… and how to apply them to teaching. SAGE Publications Limited.
Isaacs, B. (2018). Understanding the Montessori approach: Early year’s education in practice. Routledge.
Montessori, M. (2019). The Montessori Method: Scientific Pedagogy as Applied to Child Education in the Children’s Houses’ with Additions and Revisions by the Author. Good Press.
Pritchard, A. (2017). Ways of learning: Learning theories for the classroom. Routledge.
Stangor, C., & Walinga, J. (2019). 10.3 Learning by Insight and Observation. Introduction to Psychology.