Child Observation In The Classroom

I observed a facility which accommodates infants to school aged children. The classroom I observed was a two year old class. The class consisted of eight children, I chose to closely observe a child named K. When I entered the room, she immediately acknowledged and spoke to me. I was told she was the oldest in the class and I could tell this by her social and language development, as well as the leadership qualities that she possessed. The caregiver in the classroom had been with the children for several years and this was apparent by how secure the children appeared, how encouraging she was to all the students with varying needs, and how she provided many opportunities for self-learning and self-regulation. It appeared the children received high-quality, responsive care which is critical for the attachment process.
Observation
Upon entering the classroom the children were cleaning up from using play-doh at the table and getting ready for circle time. The caregiver read a book to the children, she had the children repeat words in the text, the children counted items, and answered questions about the text. The caregiver then put on music and the children stretched, …show more content…
The children in the classroom were provided opportunities to learn and time to practice the skills needed to learn. It was apparent that this child was acquiring abilities when she was ready, as she was not frustrated with her learning and seemed eager to learn new skills. As Piaget and Vygotsky state, play provides an important opportunity to learn and practice life skills (164), this method of learning was evidenced in this classroom. The social interactions between the children and the caregiver has increased the child’s intellectual development. The child was supported by the caregiver by scaffolding, collaboration, and tools that support her learning and thinking (Gauvain, 2008 p