PILES Evaluation of Child Observation

Contents

Introduction

Planning

Child Profile

Physical Observation

Intellectual Observation

Language Observation

Emotional Observation

Social Observation

References

Introduction

In this assignment I am going to observe a child in 5 different areas using P.I.L.E.S. I will also use different observation method while I carry out my different observations, the aim of this assignment is to observe a child, my aim is to see how the child is getting on for their development and to make sure they are hitting their milestones. Its important that you do observations on children and get information on their development.

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Planning

I spoke to the team leader in my setting about planning for this assignment and doing my observations and then we spoke to the room leader of the pre-school room to pick the child I was going to observe. Then I got permission off the parent and my manager to observe the child. I planned to do two observations a week on the child. I also read up about the different observations to choose which one to use for each observation, our tutor advised on which observation they thought would be best to use and I also was reading up about the different observation methods and decided which method I thought was best for each of them based on the information I needed on each observation. Also, when i’m finished my observation I must research theorists that link into what I have observed for each of the observation I will link them.

Child Profile

TC is a 4-year-old girl. She has light brown hair and blue eyes. She has one younger brother. She attends creche full time and is in the same room as her little brother. She is a very sociable child. She gets on well with the other children in her class. She also loves playing with the babies and will always come over to the babies when she sees them.

Physical Observation

Date of Observation: 1^st November 2018

Aim: To assess TC’s physical development using a checklist observation

Start Time & Finish Time: 11:30am-12:00pm

0Permission Sought From: Supervisor, Pre-School Team Leader and Parent

Observation Method: Checklist

Evaluation: Looking at this observation, I feel that TC is at the normal stage of her physical development for her age. TC is very independent and physical development is very important because it’s the first thing you would notice with a child. Gesell said “Most notable achievement was his contribution to the “normative” approach to studying children. In this approach, psychologists observed large numbers of children of various ages and determined the typical age, or “norms,” for developmental milestones.” (Flood, 2013, p. 67). TC appears to be at the normal stage of physical development, she was able to kick a football and she was able to ride a bike. According to Tassoni (2002) a child of 4 years old should be able to put together a jigsaw. TC can put together a jigsaw and she can do it by herself and is very independent when doing her physical activities.

Recommendations: The next time id carry out an observation I would further it by doing some of the observation inside as well are doing it outside and get to see what TC does physically inside. For the next observation I would further it by seeing if the child could complete a bigger jigsaw. I could also further it by seeing if the child could do activities to see if TC can thread a bead. 

Reflection: I enjoyed doing this observation. The setting I did the observation really promoted her needs and the outdoor area is prefect to get around for TC when she was on the bike, she had loads of room to more and also when she was kicking the ball she had loads of room. : I enjoyed doing this observation, I found it hard enough to link in theorists, but when I looked at it properly, I could see how certain theories linked into how it suited the observation and what information I have. With doing this observation the method I used was the best to use by doing a checklist I could just write down and tick yes or no if she did or didn’t do it and what evidence I had that said it was done or wasn’t.

 Intellectual Observation

Date of Observation: 5^th November 2018

Aim: To assess TC’s intellectual development using a narrative observation

Start Time & Finish Time: 11:30am-11:50am

Permission Sought From: Supervisor, Pre-School Team Leader and Parent

Observation Method: Narrative

Tc is doing free play for this observation. When I started TC was playing with a couple of different children. Then TC appeared to notice a page on the next table and she seemed to recognise straight away that it was her own picture and started colouring more of the page. When TC finished colouring, she then went over to a table with another child and a member of staff and started making the puzzle with them. TC and another child were taking turns with the puzzle and helping each other. When TC and the other child finished the puzzle, TC appeared happy because she was smiling saying “Look teacher I did it”. Then TC went over to a member of staff saying she was hot and got help taking her jumper off the staff member helped her take off the jumper and she took it out of one arm and then TC did the rest herself after being showed how to take one arm off. Then TC went back over to do another puzzle this time she was doing it by herself. TC turned the puzzle upside down and wasn’t breaking up the puzzle just put the pieces back in the way they are on and when a member of staff suggested another way, TC replied “That’s not the way I do it”. When the staff member showed the child another way of doing it TC said, “she ruined it”. TC then went over by the colouring table and looked at a picture and then went back to the puzzles. When TC did another puzzle, she did it that way again. Then another member of staff went over to TC and did what the other member of staff and this time TC didn’t say anything to her. Then when TC did another puzzle, she broke up the puzzle this time. Then TC went over to get a cup of milk and sat down with the cup and carried on doing her puzzle. TC seemed to enjoy doing puzzles as that is what she done for extended amount of time.

Evaluation: While doing this observation, I observed her telling members of staff of how she does things and would consider any other way wrong. I feel that my TC is at the normal cognitive stage. Also looking at my observation TC is very independent, and she will be play independently and she will play other children as well. When looking at the observation TC was showed how to take off the jumper and then TC did the rest. In Vygotsky’s theory: “Zone of proximal development (ZPD) is Vygotsky’s term for the range of tasks that are too difficult for children to master alone but that can be learned with guidance and assistance from adults or more-skilled children. Thus, the lower limit of the ZPD is the level of problem solving reached by the child working independently. The upper limit is the level of additional responsibility the child can accept with the assistance of an able instructor. Vygotsky’s emphasis on the ZPD underscores his belief in the importance of social influences, especially instruction, on children’s cognitive development.” (Early Childhood Ireland, 2014). Looking at this observation as well I noticed that TC didn’t like being told how to do the puzzle a different this would have to do with Piaget’s theory “Egocentric – child thinks everyone else sees the world through their eyes – no understanding that people see things differently to them” (Class Notes, 2018)

Recommendations: If I was to do this observation again, I recommend that I could enhance the observation by using piaget’s experiment to see if the children think both objects are the same or because they look different do the child think it’s completely different. I would also recommend a memory game to see how TC’s memory was.

Reflection: In my observation I completed it in the setting I am currently located in, I done my observation in the pre-school room. The other members of staff were great help as well. I found trying to write it down hard enough, but I really enjoyed it because other children were coming up asking me to help them. I found it hard enough to link in theorists, but when I looked at it properly I could see how certain theories linked into how it suited the observation and what information I have. With doing this observation the method I used was the best to use by doing a narrative I didn’t miss anything and had all the information in front of me. I learned how to link in the proper theories into my evaluation and how each theory worked into the observation. The setting is brilliant, and it had everything that TC wanted to use, and she was always doing something.

Language Observation

Date of Observation: 7^th November 2018

Aim: To assess TC’s language development using a pre-coded observation

Start Time & Finish Time: 9:20am-9:40am

Permission Sought From: Supervisor, Pre-School Team Leader and Parent

Observation Method: Pre-Coded

A- Adult

Tc- Target Child

C – Another C

Evaluation: Looking at this observation I feel that TC is at the normal stage of her language development and is very clever for her age. Looking at Noam Chomsky’s theory “Language Acquisition Device (LAD).  We are born with an innate ability to learn language LAD weakens with age therefore a critical period exists to learn language” (Class Notes, 2018). TC language is very clear and can understand everything she is saying. She also speaks correctly she doesn’t say runned or anything like that. According to Tassoni (2002) TC is in the linguistic stage of her language, see uses correct sentences and she is very clear when she speaks, I feel TC is at the 4-8 years because when I observed she didn’t say “runned” or “talked”.

Recommendations: The next time I carry out an observation I would recommend that the next time I would wait till there was circle time where TC would talk about her day and see how she talks when asked questions. I would recommend that I would go in when they are doing a big group game that involves talking and this would promote the child’s language further.

Reflection: I enjoyed doing this observation, I found it hard enough to link in theorists, but when I looked at it properly, I could see how certain theories linked into how it suited the observation and what information I have. With doing this observation the method I used was the best to use by doing a pre-coded because it showed exactly what TC was saying and who she was talking to. The setting is great as well because the adults would always be asking the children questions on things they were doing.

Emotional Observation

Date of Observation: 7^th November 2018

Aim: To assess TC’s emotional development using an event sample observation

Start Time & Finish Time: 10:00am-10:42am 

Permission Sought From: Supervisor, Pre-School Team Leader and Parent

Observation Method: Event Sample

Evaluation: Looking at this observation, I feel that TC is at the normal stage of her emotional development. When TC does something, she’s proud of she would smile and appeared happy when she completed something. Looking at Erikson’s theory for when TC was doing her lamh she has completed the first to stages of his theory and she is on the initiative vs guilt, TC is independent and learnt her lamh signs, when TC was asked to sign “table” she knew how to do it straight away. Also, TC shows a lot of initiative from looking at Erikson’s theory, she also showed interest in the songs they were doing at song time because she knew how to do the actions of the songs, this is showing that TC is interested in the songs.

Recommendations: I would further the emotional development by getting pictures of the different types of feelings and see if the child understands the feelings. Act out the different feelings using all the children and they are also understanding body language.

Reflection: I did this observation in the pre-school room in the creche I am working in. The setting is very warm and open, it’s has everything that the child needed to play with she always had something she needed to do. I also enjoyed doing this observation as I found the method, by doing an event sample I could observe TC doing the time and see what she did and why she did it and was it provoked or unprovoked, was it good or bad.

Social Observation

Date of Observation: 7^th November 2018

Aim: To assess TC’s social development using a time sample observation.

Start Time & Finish Time: 9:55am-10:40am

Permission Sought From: Supervisor, Pre-School Team Leader and Parent

Observation Method: Time Sample

Evaluation: Looking this observation, I feel that TC is at the normal stage of her social development. Social skills are “learned through copying adults – good role modelling, Self-help skills – putting on a coat, using toilet, wiping up spills are important for children’s confidence, requires practice and effort so praise is essential, Expectations should match child’s capability, play opportunities can be starting point to learn self-help skills.” (Flood, 2013). Also looking at this observation TC is very socially clever she gets on with all the other children and she seems to have a certain group of friends that she plays with every day and she plays with boys and girls she isn’t just playing with the “girls” or the “boys”. TC passed through Erikson’s theory of Autonomy vs shame and doubt where she is confident and comfortable with putting on and zipping her coat up. Also looking at this observation Vygotsky’s Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the process of cognitive development. In contrast to Jean Piaget’s understanding of child development (in which development necessarily precedes learning), Vygotsky felt social learning precedes development. He states: “Every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological)”.(Learning Theories, 2018)

Recommendations: I recommend that I would encourage TC to have a staring contest with another child and see if they make eye contact with each other. I would also recommend a topic game using the words of the alphabet during circle time with TC and the other children so that they are socially interacting 

Reflection: I enjoyed doing this observation, I found it hard enough to link in theorists, but when I looked at it properly, I could see how certain theories linked into how it suited the observation and what information I have. With doing this observation the method I used was the best to use by doing a time sample you could see what tc was doing and at what time she did it. I also learned on recommendations to do to further what I have learned and observed.  The setting I did it in had everything that TC needed to promote her social development.

References

• Class Notes Week 2, 2018
• https://earlychildhoodireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Childdev.pdf
• Flood, E. (2013). Child Development. 2nd edn, Dublin: Gill Education.
• https://learning-theories.com/vygotskys-social-learning-theory.html
• Tassoni, P. Beith, K. Eldridge, H. Gough, A. (2002). Diploma Child Care and Education, Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers.