Observation of Preschool Child
REMEMBER: To use pseudonym (not real name)
Age of *Child (ren): 3 Sex of Child (ren): male
Section One: Little “Bob” walks across the classroom and grabs the peg board. He then sits down in the chair at the left corner of the table. He puts every blue circle peg in its place, then he places two of the dark green pegs, then all of the yellow triangles, then three of the red square pegs, then the last rectangular peg and finally the last square peg. He then leans against the shelf watching the other children play. Another child wanders over and “Bob” helps him redo the peg board. Then Bob goes and takes out building manipulatives. He tries to connect to pieces together flat but struggles, he then walks to the music area and grabs the bells. He stacks bells on top of each other and then puts them back in the basket. He pulls out some blocks and then walks away from them. Then he goes and puts back the peg board he was earlier and the manipulatives he was playing with. He walks back to the music area and takes out the xylophone. He plays the xylophone on the floor and then stands up and plays xylophone. Taps playing malletstogether. Throws mallet and then plays yellow peg repeatedly. Taps all pegs with the wrong end of the mallet. Taps green, pink, orange peg. Sticks mallet in between xylophone pegs. Breaks xylophone stick then pops off orange peg, puts orange peg back on then plays harpsichord. Keeps plucking bottom cord. Tries to bang on xylophone with no mallet. Brings broken stick to classroom teacher then goes to puzzle table. Takes out magnetic puzzle. Takes out measuring tape then puts it away. Pulls out counting worms and plays with little blue and red one, then grabs a large purple one, starts picking up puzzle pieces with magnet then puts them back down, cries I can’t do it when he can’t figure puzzle out, sees tunnel and stops trying to do puzzle, puts puzzle away and goes into tunnel, then goes and puts blocks away with another
Age of *Child (ren): 3 Sex of Child (ren): male
Section One: Little “Bob” walks across the classroom and grabs the peg board. He then sits down in the chair at the left corner of the table. He puts every blue circle peg in its place, then he places two of the dark green pegs, then all of the yellow triangles, then three of the red square pegs, then the last rectangular peg and finally the last square peg. He then leans against the shelf watching the other children play. Another child wanders over and “Bob” helps him redo the peg board. Then Bob goes and takes out building manipulatives. He tries to connect to pieces together flat but struggles, he then walks to the music area and grabs the bells. He stacks bells on top of each other and then puts them back in the basket. He pulls out some blocks and then walks away from them. Then he goes and puts back the peg board he was earlier and the manipulatives he was playing with. He walks back to the music area and takes out the xylophone. He plays the xylophone on the floor and then stands up and plays xylophone. Taps playing malletstogether. Throws mallet and then plays yellow peg repeatedly. Taps all pegs with the wrong end of the mallet. Taps green, pink, orange peg. Sticks mallet in between xylophone pegs. Breaks xylophone stick then pops off orange peg, puts orange peg back on then plays harpsichord. Keeps plucking bottom cord. Tries to bang on xylophone with no mallet. Brings broken stick to classroom teacher then goes to puzzle table. Takes out magnetic puzzle. Takes out measuring tape then puts it away. Pulls out counting worms and plays with little blue and red one, then grabs a large purple one, starts picking up puzzle pieces with magnet then puts them back down, cries I can’t do it when he can’t figure puzzle out, sees tunnel and stops trying to do puzzle, puts puzzle away and goes into tunnel, then goes and puts blocks away with another
Bibliography: Papalia, Diane E., and Sally Wendkos Olds. A Child 's World: Infancy through Adolescence. 12th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1975. Print.