Chapter 5 Using Frequency Counts to Look at Emotional Development “Useful observations cannot be gathered the week before progress reports or family conferences are due.” ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. FREQUENCY COUNTS • Measure any action or behavior that occurs frequently in an individual, a class or group • Closed method – No details recorded • Measure the outcomes after implementing a strategy ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Frequency Counts ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Uses of the Frequency Count Advantages • Quick to record • Quantitative measurement Disadvantages • Details are not recorded • Only measures one behavior, highly selective • Allows the recorder’s bias to enter the recording ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. What to Do With It • If it is focused on a child, it can measure the effects of an intervention strategy • It can be filed in the child’s folder • If it is on the whole group it can be a pre- and post-measurement of an intervention strategy, filed in the Class File rather than individual folders • Shared with child, family, group as appropriate ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. LOOKING AT EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT Core emotions • Joy • Anger • Sadness • Fear Temperament (nature) Socialization of emotions (nurture) ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Joy, Love, Happiness – Relationships of trust – Closely aligned – Observing the absence of joy • Temperament? • Maternal depression? • Sign of abuse or neglect? – Failure to thrive – Physical condition or developmental regression from absence of nurturing – Resilient child – Overcomer ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Anger and Aggression ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Challenging Behavior • “Behavior that interferes with learning or social engagement” • Intervention begins with assessment based on typical developmental behavior • Prevention of more serious social problems later • Bullying – Anti-social, coercive behavior that sets a pattern of aggression ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Fear and Shyness • Fear and development – Stranger anxiety – Nightmares • Shame, a form of fear • Shyness • Children under stress ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. TOPICS IN OBSERVATION The Assessment and Curriculum Braid Weaving together: • Child development – Knowledge of all children • Curriculum – Skill in planning appropriate learning activities • Assessment – Observation to know the child intimately • Teaching philosophy – Approach to teaching • Documentation – Recording methods and strategies • Individualizing – Designing learning for each child • Evaluation – Measuring how each child is progressing • Reflection – Thinking about the process of teaching and learning • Communication – Sharing with child, family, colleagues ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Observing Emotional Development in Infants and Toddlers Watch for behavior that gives clues to: • Sensory integration – Organization of sensory information dependent on temperament and the duration and intensity of stimuli • Self-regulation – Ability to control reactions to stimuli and behavior – Watch for arousal, attention, affect ,and action ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Emotional Competence • Modeling – Examples of appropriate expressions of emotions, including anger and sadness • Coaching – Giving names to the emotions the child may be feeling and appropriate ways to express them • Contingency – Deciding when to intervene ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Helping All Children with Emotional Development • Mental Health Problems in Young Children – Vulnerable because of developmental stages • Behaviors that Warrant Concerns • Emotional Development of Young ELL’s • Children with Special Needs – Frustration; difficult behaviors – Fear by other children or differences • Helping Professionals ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Standard Related to Emotional Development National Association for Family Child Care Quality Standards for NAFCC Accreditation (2005) Part 1. Relationships: The Children with Each Other 1.21 The provider helps children understand their own feelings and those of others. ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.