EDUC 3320 Child Study Project
In groups of 3, candidates will conduct a child study assignment. Each candidate will observe 2 children, one child
who is developing typically and another with identified exceptionalities as identified by the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Children will be identified by gender and chronological age. Three age levels
will be observed with one candidate taking primary responsibility for gathering and summarizing for the group one
of the three age levels: birth-2, 3-6, and 7-11. Each observation will be for a minimum of two (2) hours for a total
of four (4) hours of observation time per candidate.
After all observations are complete, each group will meet during class time to compare and discuss their findings.
The date for cooperative discussions will be predetermined and provided to candidates on the course outline.
Cooperative group partners will work together to interpret the information that they collected using multiple
sources of information and drawing upon theory and/or research about child development and needs. During the
discussion, a cooperative group matrix will be drafted for candidates to use in writing their individual reflective
papers. The matrix will provide space for group members to respond to the following topics:

What cognitive, social, emotional, physical and language developmental characteristics and needs
of children were observed?

What evidence was observed regarding the interrelatedness of cognitive, social, emotional, physical
and language developmental characteristics?

How do observations and information collected relate to theory and/or research about child
development and needs at various developmental levels in the areas of social, emotional, physical
and language development?

What are multiple factors that influence children’s developmental characteristics and needs at
various developmental levels?

How does research based early intervention maximize cognitive, social, emotional, physical and
language learning?
The assignment will culminate in reflective papers written by individual candidates. The papers will be formatted
according to the ten criteria contained in the rubric provided, including child characteristics, interrelatedness of
developmental domains, child development theory and/or research, factors influencing development, and the
impact of early intervention, as well as application of these concepts as they relate to observations that were made.
Child Study Project – EDUC 3320
Criteria
Unsatisfactory
1
1. Demonstrates understanding Demonstrates minimal
of young children’s
understanding of young children’s
characteristics and needs.
characteristics and needs. Unclear
descriptions are given of behaviors
observed. Inaccurate comparisons
or no comparison is made with
regard to characteristics of the
child observed to typical
characteristics of children at a
given age.
2. Demonstrates a thorough
understanding of theories and
current research in the area of
cognitive development.
3. Demonstrates a thorough
understanding of theories and
current research in the area of
social development.
4. Demonstrates a thorough
understanding of theories and
current research in the area of
emotional development.
5. Demonstrates a thorough
understanding of theories and
current research in the area of
physical development.
6. Demonstrates a thorough
understanding of theories and
current research in the area of
language development.
Basic
Proficient
2
3
Demonstrates some understanding Demonstrates significant
of young children’s characteristics understanding of young
and needs. Candidate describes
children’s characteristics and
behaviors observed in some but not needs. Candidate clearly
all of the developmental domains identifies developmental levels
and makes comparisons of
of children by describing
characteristics of the child
behaviors observed in cognitive,
observed to typical characteristics social, emotional, physical, and
of children at a given age.
language domains and
comparing them to typical
characteristics of children at a
given age.
Demonstrates minimal
Demonstrates some understanding Demonstrates significant
understanding of theories and
of theories and current research in understanding of theories and
current research in the area of
the area of cognitive development. current research in the area of
cognitive development. Includes no Includes at least 1 empirical source cognitive development. Includes
empirical source to support
to support application of the theory at least two empirical sources to
application of the theory to the
to the child observation.
support application of the theory
child observation.
to the child observation.
Demonstrates minimal
Demonstrates some understanding Demonstrates significant
understanding of theories and
of theories and current research in understanding of theories and
current research in the area of
the area of social development.
current research in the area of
social development. Includes no
Includes at least 1 empirical source social development. Includes at
empirical source to support
to support application of the theory least two empirical sources to
application of the theory to the
to the child observation.
support application of the theory
child observation.
to the child observation.
Demonstrates minimal
Demonstrates some understanding Demonstrates significant
understanding of theories and
of theories and current research in understanding of theories and
current research in the area of
the area of emotional development. current research in the area of
emotional development. Includes Includes at least 1 empirical source emotional development. Includes
no empirical source to support
to support application of the theory at least two empirical sources to
application of the theory to the
to the child observation.
support application of the theory
child observation.
to the child observation.
Demonstrates minimal
Demonstrates some understanding Demonstrates significant
understanding of theories and
of theories and current research in understanding of theories and
current research in the area of
the area of physical development. current research in the area of
physical development. Includes no Includes at least 1 empirical source physical development. Includes
empirical source to support
to support application of the theory at least two empirical sources to
application of the theory to the
to the child observation.
support application of the theory
child observation.
to the child observation.
Demonstrates minimal
Demonstrates some understanding Demonstrates significant
understanding of theories and
of theories and current research in understanding of theories and
current research in the area of
the area of language development. current research in the area of
language development. Includes no Includes at least 1 empirical source language development. Includes
empirical source to support
to support application of the theory at least two empirical sources to
application of the theory to the
to the child observation.
support application of the theory
child observation.
to the child observation.
7. Demonstrates an
understanding of the
interrelationships among
cognitive, social, emotional,
physical, and language
development on child
development and learning.
Demonstrates minimal
Demonstrates some understanding Demonstrates significant
understanding of the
of the interrelationships among
understanding of the
interrelationships among cognitive, cognitive, social, emotional,
interrelationships among
social, emotional, physical, and
physical, and language
cognitive, social, emotional,
language development on child
development on child development physical, and language
development and learning. Offers and learning. Offers at least 1
development on child
no example from the child
specific example from the child
development and learning.
observations that logically tie to the observations that logically tie to the Offers at least 2 specific
interrelatedness of domains of
interrelatedness of domains of
examples from the child
development.
development.
observations that logically tie to
the interrelatedness of domains
of development.
8. Demonstrates an
Demonstrates minimal
Demonstrates some understanding Demonstrates significant
understanding in using multiple understanding in using multiple
in using multiple sources (i.e.
understanding in using multiple
sources (i.e. technology,
sources (i.e. technology, reference technology, reference books,
sources (i.e. technology,
reference books, specialists, and books, specialists, and families) to specialists, and families) to seek
reference books, specialists, and
families) to seek out new
seek out new information about
out new information about child
families) to seek out new
information about child
child development and learning.
development and learning. Paper information about child
development and learning.
Paper references less than 6
references at least 6 sources, but development and learning. Paper
sources.
sources are not varied in their
references at least 6 sources,
empirical base and structure.
varied in their empirical base and
structure.
9. Demonstrates an
Demonstrates minimal
Demonstrates some understanding Demonstrates significant
understanding of multiple
understanding of multiple factors of multiple factors that influence understanding of multiple factors
factors that influence child
that influence child development child development and learning and that influence child development
development and learning and and learning and how the factors how the factors interact. Includes a and learning and how the factors
how the factors interact.
interact. Illogical or no discussion discussion of environmental or
interact. Includes a clear
of the effect of biological or
biological factors that could have discussion of environmental and
environmental factors on the
an effect on the development of
biological factors that could have
development of children observed. children observed, but the
an effect on the development of
collective influence of environment children observed and offers
and biology is not discussed.
examples of ways these factors
interact.
10. Demonstrates an
Demonstrates minimal
Demonstrates some understanding Demonstrates significant
understanding of how the
understanding of how the
of how the application of research- understanding of how the
application of research-based application of research-based early based early intervention impact
application of research-based
early intervention impact child intervention impact child
child development and learning and early intervention impact child
development and learning and development and learning and the the creation of an environment that development and learning and
the creation of an environment creation of an environment that
maximizes cognitive, social,
the creation of an environment
that maximizes cognitive,
maximizes cognitive, social,
emotional, physical, and language that maximizes cognitive, social,
social, emotional, physical, and emotional, physical, and language learning. States view regarding
emotional, physical, and
language learning.
learning. Offers no empirical
whether or not the current learning language learning. States view
evidence or examples of the
environment of children observed regarding whether or not the
influence of the learning
is best practice and offers empirical current learning environment of
environment on the children
evidence to support this view.
children observed is best practice
observed.
and offers ample empirical
evidence to support this view.