Play Observation Checklist Observer:_______________ Play Setting:_______________________ Date:_____________ Approximate Child Age:___ Child Gender: M F Hand Preference: L R Initiation of Play Observed Yes NoComments / Questions Behavior Child quickly engages in play Child requires help in getting started Child needs encouragement Child directs his/her own play Child shows initiative or curiosity Child appears impulsive Child initiates but appears unable to stay with task Energy Expanded in Play Observed Yes NoComments / Questions Behavior Child works at an even pace

Child pursues activites to the point of tiring out Child gains momentum as play proceeds Child’s movements are well coordinated / goal directed Child’s pace varies with activity Play seems listless / lethargic Concentration Observed Yes NoComments / Questions Behavior Child maintains consistent attention to task Child is easily distracted by miscellaneous noise Child sings, hums, or talks to self Content of Play Observed Yes NoComments / Questions Behavior Child shows a positive emotional tone in play Child throws or destroys play materials Child has peculiar elements to play (specify) Child’s play content appears aphazard Child’s play shows creativity and imagination Play integrates others (Not solitary) Play appears rigid Play content is age appropriate Child’s play is stereotypical in Content TITLE: Observing Children PURPOSE Observable behaviors (what you can actually see) and objectively is the essence of a worthwhile observation. For the observation to become worthwhile it must have a purpose and be used to achieve that purpose. POLICY The OLC HS/EHS staff will observe the children to see how well the child has assimilated learning, and staff can indicate what learning is still to be achieved.

PROCEDURE a. Education staff will record (1) formal observation for each child according to the Assessment Schedule. Education staff at all centers need to involve parents on the observation of their own children as required by Performance standards and encourage them to share information about their observations with appropriate staff. b. All written observations will be placed in the Child’s File, to be shared with parents and will be utilized in development and reflective of goals and objectives for children and for classroom and home visit activities. c.

A variety of observation forms can be used as tools: o The Play Observation Checklist, 10 (ten) Minute Observation, Language Observation Checklist, and Behavior Observation Checklist can be used to observe specific children as needed. o The “Classroom Strategies of Observing Children at Play” sheet can be used with the Play Observation Checklist to provide a method for accumulating information. We can then examine the play of each child and devise the best ways to utilize strengths and compensate for weakness, allowing each child and devise the best tools she/he has.

Using this tool we can better assess each child’s level of play, his/her learning level, the skills he/she is able to learn, and his/her learning style. The information can be shared with parents to show improvements as well as areas needing improvements. o The Home Visit Observation will be available for the Education staff to assess the child in the home. o Information from parent’s observations of their child. e. The information from all observations will be used to discuss child development, develop appropriate goals, behaviors and proper management and family concerns about the child.

Information form observations can include but are limited to the following uses: o Determine child’s level of development as relates to Outcome Measures. o Provide activities appropriate to each child’s development of a positive self-image. o Strengthen and enhance each child’s individual qualities. o Facilitate the development and enhancement of social relationships. o Provide opportunities for child-initiated activities. o Encourage children to explore, experiment, and question their environment. o Provide activities that strengthen physical development. Plan activities that strengthen cognitive development o Ensure opportunities for children to interact with one another and adults on an informal basis. o Provide activities which promote the development of vocabulary and the enhancement of language skills. DOCUMENTATION Classroom Observation Report Shapes Assessment Numbers Assessment Colors Assessment Letter ID Checklist Phonological Awareness Assessment Book and Print Awareness Checklist Emergent and Early Writing Checklist REGULATORY REFERENCE(S): Head Start Performance Standards 1304. 22(a)(3)

Environmental Health Standards 4-116. 20 Play and Development Observation Report Report #1 due in class Class 10 For the first observation assignment, you should spend 30 minutes observing a child, or a group of children, no older than 3 years. They should be engaged in play alone, with peers, or with parents. Choose one of these topics to focus your observation and analysis: (1) toys (2) gender differences Some of you may end up with an observation where you can’t think of much to say about toys or gender differences. That’s fine; follow the same guidelines to write up your observation.

Based on your observation, you will write a 4-6 page report, describing what you saw and interpreting it using themes and terminology from our readings. • After your observation, you should have some handwritten notes describing the observation. Use these notes and your own memory of the observation as the “raw material” of your report. • You will probably see many different “episodes” during your ? -hour observation. (Remember that many of Piaget’s “observations” are quite brief. )  I don’t want you to simply write down everything that happened during the ? our; rather, I would like you to “step back” and think analytically about what you observed. • Here are two suggestions for how to focus this analysis: (1) identify some overall patterns, or themes, that you observed in all of the episodes (the “breadth” approach); (2) focus on one or two particularly interesting episodes and describe what happened (the “depth” approach). • If you choose a “breadth” approach, try to pick one, two, or three themes that you saw repeatedly in different episodes. What was it about the child or the context that resulted in these similarities (e. . , the toys, or the gender of the child/group)? What do these common themes tell you about play? • If you choose a “depth” approach, you will focus closely on one or two episodes, and they will probably involve the same child/children. You should probably have a fairly detailed description of these episodes in your report. In contrast to a “breadth” approach, you’ll probably have more to say about the specific play activity • In either case, use our course readings, themes, and concepts to interpret and analyze your observations.

How does this play activity contribute to development? Which of Piaget’s stages does this activity represent? Children Play Observation We have many free term papers and essays on Children Play Observation. We also have a wide variety of research papers and book reports available to you for free. You can browse our collection of term papers or use our search engine. Children Play Observation With increasing emphasis on early child development, play is without a doubt endangered in today’s society.

Academic development as we know is thought of as the key to success for a child, and the earlier the child is push to start, the more successful he will become. While this idea has completely rendered academia as the ideal way for a child to succeed, it completely undermined the importance and benefits of play. Play helps build characters, and by participating in play children are allowed the opportunity to develop their personality and a positive sense of self. This ultimately helps them realize their potential and allow the child to also succeed later on in life.

Play is an essential in a child’s life, and play is equally as important as academic in a child’s life, but what is play? The following are real life situations where play is involved, and through this we will be able to pinpoint the importance of play and define the definition of play as applied in real life situations. Everyday on my way to drop off my sibling at his school I noticed the many activities the kids, age range from 5 to 10, are participating in. It seems that before stepping into a classroom and before setting down to start on their academic schedule the kids are allowed thirty minutes of free play.

While observing these children in play, I noticed many of these children are very energetic, be it playing on the swing or taking part in a basketball game, these children have an immense amount of energy and no child are sitting down, not doing anything, and of course everyone is laughing and having fun. This leads me to our first definition of play that is play is fun and absorbing. The children were so involved in play that they had lost track of time, as I recalled I even heard someone murmured “Aww its time to go in already”.

Because this type of play takes place from the very start of the day, we can relate this play to our oldest theory of play of “Surplus Energy Theory. “… The Observation Of A 5 Year Old Boy We have many free term papers and essays on The Observation Of A 5 Year Old Boy. We also have a wide variety of research papers and book reports available to you for free. You can browse our collection of term papers or use our search engine. The Observation Of A 5 Year Old Boy The Observation of a 5 Year Old Boy Date: 3/19/04 Time observation started: 1:40 pm Time observation ended: 1:55 pm Name of child: Daiki Age of child: 5. 6

Setting: The setting took place in a play area/corner in the classroom of the school where Daiki attends. Daiki is playing with power rangers and there are also other children present, playing in the same play area. Observation: Daiki is sitting in a play area with a friend playing with power rangers at a small table. He is acting out and talking like the power rangers. Daiki is getting up and running, pretending he is flying. He then sits back down at the table and looks very closely at the power ranger, trying to put his helmet back on the power ranger. He says to his friend, “Oh no, how do I get power ranger helmet back on, Yuma? His friend doesn’t respond, and he says again, “Yuma! Help me, Yuma! ” Daiki then throws the power ranger across the room out of frustration. After he throws the toy, he notices that another child has started to cry. So Daiki picks up his power ranger that he just threw and brings it to the child who was crying and says, ” Do you want power ranger? ” Daiki seemed upset and very concerned that this child was crying. Daiki didn’t get an answer so he set the power ranger next to the child and went back (while chewing on his fingers) to the table he was sitting as he kept looking at the crying child as he walked back.

Eventually the child cam to the table where Daiki was sitting and gave Daiki the power ranger and Daiki says, “I like you Griffin, Griffin you’re a nice…nice kid. ” Interpretation: As I was observing Daiki I could see that many of his actions and behavior was typical for his age. I will discuss my observations in terms of the cognitive and psychosocial domains of human development. I will also… Observation Report Of A Child At Elementary School Recess Observation Report of A Child At Elementary School Recess

This observation is of a 10 year old male child during his lunch recess at an elementary school located in the South Bay area. The student participates in a day treatment program for children with emotional/social difficulties. The length of this observation was approximately forty five minutes. For the purpose of confidentiality this student will be referred to as John. In the first section of this observational analysis a brief description of the program which John participates in will be given. This will be followed by an analysis of John’s activities during the observation. Observation

The day treatment program John participates in is located on the campus of a public elementary school, and is supported by a local private mental health agency. In general, children referred to this program experience some form of emotional and/or social deficit. In addition to John, there are nine other students enrolled within the program at present. John currently attends a mainstreaming class three times per week, where he has developed several friendships with his peers. This observation began as the students in the day treatment program were let out for recess following lunch.

After leaving the class John ran to the designated play area with another student. The designated play area of the playground where the students of this program are restricted to consists of a “jungle bar” set ; This play structure consists of “monkey bars” with tall vertical poles for sliding down attached at each end, three parallel bars of varying height, and horizontal bars constructed in a ladder fashion for climbing on. Additionally, the designated area includes a tether ball court, and a balancing beam constructed in a “Z” shape. The staff…