Assessment

MorganStafford

ECD270PracticumEarlyChildhoodDevelopment

April28,2015

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DuringmysemesterofpracticumexperienceIchosetoobservealittlegirlIwillcall
Alivia.ShejustturnedthreeinJanuary.BeinganewthreeinthebeginningofmysemesterIfelt
likeshewasalreadyaheadoftheotherchildrenwhowerealreadythreesincetheprevious
summer.Ichosetoassessherthroughoutthesemesterbecausewebondedeasilyfromthe
beginningandIfeltlikeshewouldbeeasytoworkwithbecauseofthis.Inadditiontomy
documentationandworksamplesthroughoutthesemesterIalsodidtwooverallevaluations,one
inthebeginningofthesemesterandoneattheend.TodothisIusedthebookHealthy
Beginningsandjustwentthroughtoseeifshemeteachindicatorforagethree.Iusedanecdotal
recordstorecordinformationoneachindicator.

Aliviaslearningstyletomewouldbevisual.Shelikesseeingsomeoneelsedo
somethingfirstandthenbecomesveryeagertodoitherself.Sheseemstogetveryinterested
whenyoushowherhowtodoatasklikezippingacoatoropeningayogurt.Forthemostpart
shestaresinconcentrationthenimmediatelystartstryingforherself.Iwouldsayherstrengthis
thatsheisveryindependantbutatthesametimeherweaknesscouldbethatshegetsupsetvery
easily.Soshelovesdoingthingsonherownbutwhenitdoesntgocorrectlyrightawayshe
tendstogetupset.SomaybeawayIcouldhelpherprogresscouldbebytryingtoteachher
patienceorthatitisoktonotdosomethingrightthefirsttimebutyoushouldalwaysjusttry
again.

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Atthestartofthesemesterinthepersonalandsocialdevelopmentsectionshemetthe
indicatorsforrelatingneedsandwantsandhavingincreasedselfregulation.Atthispointsheis
veryeagertopleasefamiliaradultsbutisnotsocomfortablearoundunfamiliaradults.Sheseems
intriguedbutwouldntwillinglytalktoorapproachthem.Shehadsometroubleplaying
cooperativelywithherpeersandunderstandinghowtheyfelt.Iwitnessedononeoccasiona
childwantingtoplaywithherandshejustimmediatelystartedscreamingandcrying.Inthe
languageandliteracysectionsheshowedunderstandingofsimpledirectionsandunderstanding
abstractconcepts.Atthispointshedoesntusemanyconventionssuchasbehindornexttowhen
speaking.Shedoeshavemeaningfulconversations,askwhyandotherquestionstokeepthe
conversationgoinganddemonstratesactivelisteningskills.Shealsoshowssomephonological
awarenessinthewayshesingssongsandrhymesoverandoveragain.Shealsoshowssignsof
imitativereadingandtryingtoexpandonhervocabularyalittlebitbyaskingaboutthemeaning
ofnewwords.Inthecognitivesectionshedoesntshowsignsofusingmathematicalthinkingto
solverealproblemssuchasbeingabletocountoutcrackersuptoacertainnumber.Shedoes
howevershowinterestinmatchingandsortingconcepts,geometryandcounting.Sheshows
somesignofusingscientificthinkingbyseekinginformationthroughobservationandusingher
sensestodiscover.Ihavenotseenmuchtotheeffectofcomplexsituationsandconceptsyetat
thispointinthesemester.Shedoesshowunderstandingofconsequences.Asforphysical
developmentshemoveswithconfidenceandstability,hassomedevelopedfingerskillsand
seemslikeshetakesprideinfeelingmoregrownupwhenaccomplishingselfhelptasks.

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NowIamcomparingtheaspectsIfeellikeshehasgrownintowardstheendofthe
semester.Ifeellikeafewmonthstimeisreallyhardtoseeanddocumentsignificantdifferences
indevelopment.DespitethatIstilldidnoteafewchangesandadvancementsinher
development.Onethingisherabilitytobettersolveconflictsbyusingherwords.Beforeshe
wouldnthitachildbutshewouldgetupsetandjuststartscreamingandcryingandbecome
almostinconsolable.Atthispointshelooksatwhoeverhasdisturbedherandshewillsay
somethinglikeIdontlikethat.orThatsmywork,notyours.Shehasalsostartedusing
conventionsmoreoftenthatIhaveseen.Shedefinitelyhasincreasedselfregulationandfollows
classroomruleswell.Ihaveoftenseenherremindingherclassmatesoftheruleswhentheyare
breakingthemandsayingthingslikeNowyouknowweshouldntthrowtoys,someonecould
gethurt.Sheevenstartedtogettothepointwhereshewouldimitatemeortheteacherand
smileatunfamiliarpeople.However,shewasnotopentounfamiliaradultsyet.Shestillhad
troublecomingoutofhershelltopeopleshedidntknow.TheCountySchoolinEastonvisited
thecenteronedaytoreadtothechildrenandplaywiththem.Shebecameveryclingytowards
meandtookawhiletoparticipateintheactivity.Nowshealsoseemstounderstandother
childrensfeelingsreallywell.Shehadcomeuptomeonafewdifferentoccasionsandtoldme
thatafriendfeltthiswaybecausewhateverreason.Hercuriositytolearnaboutthingshas
increasedandsheisaskingmoreindepthquestionsotherthanjustwhy.LikeWhatisthat?
Wellwhatisitfor?Whousesit?etc.Herabilitytorecognizethatsymbolshavecorresponding
meaninghaveimproved.Shecannowpointoutallofthelettersinherownnameandtellyou
whattheyareaswellassomeofherclassmatesnames.Shehasalsobegantodevelopwriting
skillsbymakingscribblesinalinearfashiontorepresentwords.Ihadstarteddoingasortof

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mathproblemwiththechildrenandIthinkshereallypickeduponit.Shecannowonherown
tellyouhowmanyboys,howmanygirls,andhowmanyfriendsinall.Shecanalsoidentify
whentherearetoomanychildreninacenter.Ihaveseenhercountaloudhowmanystickpeople
areonthewallinaparticularcenterthencounthowmanychildrenarethere.Whentheywere
overshewouldshoutthatoneortwopeopleneededtoleave.Shehasalsoreallydeveloped
strongerfingerskills.Ihavenoticedshespendsmostofhertimeeitherinhousekeepingorinthe
artcentercuttingupbitsofpaper.Thepracticeshehasdonecuttingthepapermadeherfine
motorskillsstrongerandshenowdrawsshapesandcutsthemoutonthelines.Andfinallyher
feelingmoregrownupthroughselfhelpisstillgrowing.Whensheputsherowncoatonand
zipsitshestartsshoutingandtellingeveryonethatshediditbyherself.

EventhoughthisassessmentperioddidnotlastlongIfeelasthoughIdidgettolearna
littlebitaboutAlivia.However,IwishithadbeenlongersothatIcouldreallyseeachangeand
growthinherdevelopment.Myuseofanecdotalrecords,worksamplingandcomparisonswith
HealthyBeginningswasanokchoiceforassessmentbutIthinkthereareothermethods
availablethatcouldbebetter.Ipersonallyliketheassessmentsthatonlineteachingstrategies
useswithcreativecurriculumthatIuseatworkinmyclassroom.Ienjoyhowittrackstheir
developmentwhereitisinthepast,presentandwhereitshouldbe.Soifavailablesomething
likethatwouldbemypreferredmethodofassessment.Overallmyexperienceworkingwith
Aliviaandwatchinghergrowwastrulyenjoyableformeevenifitwasonlyashortperiodof
time.

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