EDCI_505_ANJEL_MAGEE_Child_Observation
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Running Head: CHILD OBSERVATION
1
Anjel Magee
Child Observation
Concordia University
EDCI 505: Play in ECE
CHILD OBSERVATION
1
Education involves so much more than teaching. To be a great teacher you must also be a
great listener and observer. To listen means to hear, understand and add value to what another is
expressing. This sounds like a simple concept, but is definitely a hard task to conquer. As in early
childhood instructor I must focus on my ability to truly listen to what students are saying observe
their interactions. It can be a challenge being that they are still acquiring language and social
skills at this age, but are highly capable of expressing themselves in all faucets of life. To be a
great teacher, you must also be a great spectator.
To truly understand the dynamics of my class, view the activities and experiences from an
alternative standpoint and test my play structure I observed a student in my class during centers.
"Play offers teachers windows to view all aspects of children's development,
including concepts, skills, dispositions, and feelings." (pg 153)
Prior to beginning I
felt secretly excited because I really enjoy conversations and this students’ ability to blend in any
situation. Listening and observing is a great method to see their standpoint or understanding of
an idea or topic without being the overbearing teacher, plus you get to hear extremely
entertaining side conversations also!
I decided to shadow a 4-year-old male student in my pre-kindergarten 4 classroom,
during centers. The student was in a good mood, although it is hard to tell. He is a very respectful
but shy and much less communicative than his peers. I chose him because of his mystery! He
seems antisocial, does not play or interact with his peers much nor does he volunteer during rug
time, but if called upon he will have an answer. He intrigued me & he could be that one student
within the class that is amazing, but slips through the cracks because of his personality.
My classroom dynamic is discovery learning in centers. The class is setup in six
distinctive and labeled centers around the room including library, dramatic play, math, art, iPads
and discovery. "If we want all children to find a familiar script in the classroom, we must
scaffold their symbolic behavior on what is comfortable and homelike to them" (Van Hoorn et.al,
2015, p.95). There are also blocks, building and puzzles centers that are less distinctive, but
blended into the class. Students are expected to move about the classroom respectively with the
ability to switch centers throughout the hour long center play. They must also understand the
three people per center rule and rotate with their picture to help others identify which centers are
open and which are closed.
CHILD OBSERVATION
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I then watched and listened during free choice centers. He decided to go to writing, which
seems to be his first choice daily. I sat at the table next to him while he wrote his mother a note
with matching illustrations. No other students were in that center so socializing was not
observed. He was very content in the center completing two pieces of work & came to me to
explain once he was ready to move to another center. We discussed his two written pieces. He
explained his writing said how everyone was sad because they missed mommy, accompanied by
a picture of his mom, dad, younger brother and him all with frowning faces. I asked why they
missed mommy. Where was she? He simply sad she is at work. He then explained how his other
writing was just him labeling his drawn animals (alligator, eel and shark). I asked if he has ever
seen any of those animals. We then engaged in an exciting conversation about the aquarium, how
we have both petted a shark and love alligators, especially the albino alligator at the aquarium.
He then shares how he won a trophy for fishing this past weekend and I congratulated him and
asked if anyone else had won a trophy and how did he get to win the trophy. We talked for quite
a bit into the next center rotation so, I complimented his work, dictated his words on each paper
and made sure he put it in his cubby to take home! The next center was table toys where he was
drawn to the colorful links. With the links are examples of links to copy, extend or create their
own pattern. Since we have gone over patterns I asked what did he plan on creating with the
links and he was puzzled so, I showed him the paper with examples and he replied patterns with
excitement! I was excited that he remembered! I asked what kind of pattern was he going to
create and he replied, a yellow and blue pattern. I asked how he knows if it is a pattern. What do
patterns do? He said they go over and over and over again! I was thrilled! Now, the two other
peers who are also at table toys have joined in on our pattern fun. I now asked if there was
anything else we could do with these colorful links? He said that we could sort them. I proceed
to seem confused and asked how? By what? He explained that sorting is putting all the same
things together so we could sort by color. I then attempted to trick him and place a red link in our
blue and yellow pattern and he immediately stopped me saying I was wrong because red is not in
our pattern! Well, as we proceeded I threw in some size questions, making it a race on who could
create the longest, medium or shortest links before the final center timer buzzed. I urged him to
ask his friends what kind of pattern they were going to make and if he was going to win. They all
began laughing and we finally measured. He told me that his was medium, another friend was
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CHILD OBSERVATION
1
big and the final friend was short. I praised him for his brilliance and hard work as we cleaned up
our mess and it was time to prepare for lunch.
Although he did not participate or communicate much, he showed me through centers
that he is able, willing and enjoyed communicating with his peers. His ability to clearly explain
his ideas in writing and create an illustration to correspond was phenomenal. What I enjoyed the
most was table toys! How his excitement and knowledge on patters caused his peers to want to
participate is exactly how a center activity should be. He took the concepts we have learned and
could develop them in one activity. I was proud of his confidence to talk with his peers and it
showed me his ability to socialize, but, he may need encouragement!
During centers, when he spoke it was clear and concise. All words were understandable
and his voice level was perfect. When he was excited, like explaining his picture, he spoke
quicker and with a higher pitch whereas when explaining the patterns, he was normal and soft
spoken. From observing and interacting with him I noticed how once you explain and define a
concept that is fun and exciting the student will take the learning into their own hands. When the
proper tools are given and utilized as well as a classroom dynamic that facilitates exploration
freely with validity, the best learning occurs in the most memorable ways.
There are three different types of play: spontaneous play, guided play, and directed play.
In spontaneous play, the teacher's role is nearly inviable, in guided play, the teacher's role is more
directive, and directed play entails greater involvement by the teacher because the activity is
introduced by the teacher and often has a preset goal and defined steps to achieve it (pg. 110). He
mostly engaged in social play where he participated in solitary play from the writing center then
initially as an onlooker and parallel player in the table toys center then as a participant from his
interactions with his peers in the same center. On this particular day he did not choose any
cognitive play centers, but rarely open centers with structured rules. I believe this takes away
from the students choice and higher order thinking abilities.
From my observations
I could see if my centers were functioning as intended. I could see
if materials were being used properly and if conversations being had were on topic and focused.
Using this observation to alter my center activities to be more engaging to learning types
throughout each center. I can incorporate art or writing within the blocks center to assist those
students with deep insight to better create and make connections.
CHILD OBSERVATION
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Future planning, I will plan less with logistics of the centers and materials and more with the
users in mind.
I try to remember that “There are many ways that teachers can create supportive
and challenging play settings" (Van Hoorn, J., et al, 2015) and I try my best to incorporate best
practices with real world connections.
CHILD OBSERVATION
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References:
Browne, M., & Kampmann, J. (2014, Winter). A habitat for “Coco”: A social studies
investigation with preschool-aged children. The Constructivist, 22(1), 87-101. Retrieved
fromhttps://sites.google.com/site/assocforconstructteaching/journal
Educational Global Access Program (E-Gap). (2016, July 31). 1.4 video 1 –
constructivist teaching strategies [Video file]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zhv9ELy3hU
Rinaldi, C. (2006). In dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, researching, and learning. New
York: Routledge.
Van Hoorn, J. L., Nourot, P. M., Scales, B. R., & Alward, K. R. (2015). Play at the center of the
curriculum (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. ISBN: 978-0133461756
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