Name of Artifact: School Age Observation
Date: July 18, 2014
Course: EDUC 121: Child & Adolescent Development
Description: The School Age Observation was an assignment that I created as a result of
observations I found after sitting in on a summer camp class. While observing the students I had
to identify the signs of development in school-age children.
Rationale: To document my understanding of Standard Nine: Professional Learning and Ethical
Practice, I have chosen to include my School Age Observation. This observation shows that I
am able to engage in learning experiences that broaden my understanding of learner development
by allowing me to sit in a school age class and become familiar with the ways that children learn
at different stages in development.
Name __Brittany Lane______________________________ Class ___Educ.
121_________________ Date ____July 18, 2014_________
Observation
Purpose: Identify the signs of development in school-age children.
Directions: Observe a group of six- to eight-year-old children for at least one hour. You may
want to observe these children more than one time. Record your responses to the questions or
statements
that follow.
Site: Daycare/Summer Camp_______________________________________ Date(s) of
Observation(s): __July 14, 2014_________________
Number and Ages of Children: _The summer camp consisted of about 20 kids at this daycare so
I picked a group of 8 to observe. They were ages 6 to 8.
1. Describe the small-motor skills you observe in these children.
The fine motor skills that I observed during this observation were hand-eye coordination and
skillfulness of the hands. The children were able to pick up what they wanted such as playing
cards with great accuracy. They were also able to use their hands for many task such as
washing their hands after using the restroom.
2. Describe the large-motor skills you observe in these children.
I observed many gross motor skills. All of the children were able to stand and walk with good
coordination and balance. I observed the as they played outside on the playground. I watched
many kids climbing the ladder on the play set so that they could go down the slide. I also
observed some of the kids jumping rope. Some of the 6 year old were a little rusty in jumping
rope and kept messing up. It took them some time to jump at a good steady pace without messing
up.
3. According to Erik Erikson, school-age children strive to be industrious. Describe several
behaviors or actions you observe that support this theory.
One thing that I observed at the camp that showed how children strived to be industrious was in
playing cards. Some of the six year old wanted to play cards with the older kids. So I sat there as
they were instructed to play a game of tonk with some of the 12 year olds. As I observed I
noticed that the six year olds would become frustrated because they didn’t quite understand the
rules of the game and they would end up giving up easily.
4. Observe school-age children involved in a group project. How do the children utilize social
and language skills to work cooperatively?
One project that the students conducted while I was there was making shirts. Every student has
to bring in a white t-shirt to decorate. I was actually surprised at how the kids ages six to eight
were able to take turns using markers, glitters, scissors, etc. They spoke more effectively to one
another more than the older children.
5. During physical education time or outdoor active play, observe school-age children in an
organized group game. What rules are the children able to follow?
The children got a chance to go outside and play kickball. The teachers picked the teams for the
children. For the most part the children followed the directions. But two of the 7 year old boys
that were playing would get upset if they were tagged as they ran from one base to another. They
would not cooperate and complained and reasoned with the teachers if they were tagged to be
out.
6. Are the children dependent on teachers for enforcing the rules, or do the children
enforce rules for each other? How is this accomplished?
For the most part the children are good at enforcing the rules until there are problem children as
stated above. The rules and regulations of the game are laid out before the game is even started
and each child is expected to follow them.
7. How are group play disputes handled between children? What social values, such as
honesty, do the children strongly defend?
I think the disputes could be handled a little better. One of the six year olds got into it with
another child that was not in the group I was observing because of hitting. Instead of the teacher
pulling the kids out one by one and asking what happened she would just ask them both at the
same time and they would be over talking each other. Both kids insisted that they were being
honest and pushed it so much that it started an argument and the six year old began to cry. So the
teacher finally pulled them out the room one by one and the six year old insisted that the older
child was lying and that he swore he was telling the truth and didn’t like being lied on. One thing
I’ve learned in general about children at this age is that they really dislike being lied on although
they may not always be as honest.
8. Identify friendships between the children. Considering the behaviors you observe, on
what basis do you think these friendships are formed?
The group that I observed was a group of children that were already friends. They had formed
the friendship because they all attended the same elementary school before summer camp started.
They already knew each other so that is how their friendship was formed.