Long Beach City College

CDECE 66 Observing Young Children

Dana Van Sinden

Observation/Assessment #2

Students Name: Elizabeth Rodriguez

Social and Emotional Development

Running Records and Frequency Counts Methods

Step 1 Observe and Interpret

1. Use a Running Record to record a social interaction between 2 children.
Name: Diego and Matthew
Age: 3
Time: 9:35
Observation (What EXACTLY did the children do and say?)

Date: March 8, 2011

Diego and Matthew were sitting in the writing center and working together to make paper
swords. They used white pieces of paper, scissors and tape. First D took his piece of
paper and folded it into thirds and then taped the side of the paper. M did the same thing
D did and told D he was going to make two swords like the Power Rangers. D then took a
small piece of paper and taped it to the bottom of the sword to make a handle. After they
were both done making their swords, D held his paper sword in the air and then M took
his two swords and raised both his arms and made an Ayy-ya sound. We have to go
put our swords in our cubby D tells M, so they both walked together and put their
swords away. Then they walked over to the table with the foam boxes and looked inside
the boxes briefly before getting up to put on bunny ears at the dramatic play area.
Interpretation: What stage of play (Parten) is this (include your reasoning)? What type
of play is it (again, what is your reasoning)?
I think the stage of play between both boys was cooperative play since the boys worked
together to make their swords. They also shared materials in order to construct their
paper swords and they exchanged some dialogue. This type of play was constructive
because their play left them with a product that they produced. They manipulated the
pieces of paper in order for them to come up with paper swords.
2. Use a Running Record to record a different kind of social interaction between 2 children.
Name: Brandon and Caden B
Age: 3
Date: March 15,2011
Time: 9:45
Observation (What EXACTLY did the children do and say?)
Caden and Brandon were sitting adjacent to each other on the table with the foam
boxes. Caden would take one box at a time and looked inside the box and tried to find all
the missing pieces. B said B for ball as he held the box with the letter B. C then began
to look for the ball, and suddenly looked under the table and found the ball and gave it to
B and he said Thank you. They both proceeded to play with the foam objects, B took
the car and moved the car along the table and made car noises. C took the fruits and
aligned them on the table and pointed at each one and then pretended to eat the fruit.
Interpretation: What stage of play (Parten) is this (include your reasoning)? What type

of play is it (again, what is your reasoning)?

I think the stage of play that Brandon and Caden were participating in is parallel play,
they sat next to each other but were involved in their own play, although there was some
dialogue included they were not playing together which makes it parallel play. The type
of play the boys exemplified was functional because they were manipulating objects and
testing their properties as Brandon took the foam car and moved it along the table.
3. Using a Running Record, document a situation when a child needed to use problemsolving strategies. Be sure to include what the child(ren) did, as well as any adult
interventions.
Name: Matthew
Time: 9:50
Observation

Age: 3

Date: March 15, 2011

Matthew was drawing with chalk on the ground then left and sat next to Diego. Donovan
then walked to the spot that M was drawing on and began to draw with a blue chalk.
Donovan was there for fifteen seconds and then quickly got up to get another piece of chalk
and when he returned to his spot, M was once again drawing on that spot. Donovan looked
at M and told him to Stop D then put his head down and had his lower lip curled down.
Ms. Sylvia walked up to both boys, and immediately said, Donovan dont draw on
Matthews spot but the teacher then received clarification from another student that D was
the last one drawing on that spot. So Ms. S asked M Whos spot is it? and he says mine
and then he walked away, and Ms. S took him by the hands and told him Im not done.
She told M to look at Donovans face, and she says He is sad because you took his spot,
what can you say to make him feel better? M says Im sorry and takes another spot so D
returns to his spot and draws once again.
Interpretation: (What does this tell you about the childs development? Did the adult
use appropriate intervention strategies, as described in your text?)
At this point of Matthews development he is still concerned with the fulfillment of his
needs. From what I observed Matthew did not consider Donovans want to draw on the
spot that he had left first. I think there is still some growing and years to come before
Matthew can see the point of view of other children, as described in the book. The adult in
this situation I believe should not have assumed that Donovan was the one to blame,
simply because of past experiences. Ms. Sylvia should have listened to both of the
children first before she made an assumption. After listening to both sides of the story from
the children she should have let them decide how they were going to solve the problem
instead of just asking Matthew what he could do to make him feel better, the obvious
answer was for Matthew to say sorry but not fully understand what he did wrong.
4.

Use a Frequency Count. Pick six (6) children to observe. Make a tally mark in the column
next to the childs name each time you observe a behavior that you would classify as
prosocial.
Childs name
Prosocial Behaviors (helping,
Antisocial Behaviors
sharing, hugging, including
(hurting, hoarding, name
others, etc.)
calling, rejecting a child)
Brandon
XXXX
X
Diego
XXX
Keylin
XXX
XXXXXXX
Kayla
XXX
X
Aoife
XXX

Mckinsey

XX

Interpretation: (What does this observation tell you about the developmental stage [use your
textbook] of the class in general and a child in particular? Are there any changes that could be
made to the environment that would change how the children interact?)
From this observation the developmental stage of the class was self-initiative and selfassertive because the children were for the most part interacting with one another and playing
together and showing pro-social behavior such as; hugging, asking each other to play certain
games like ring around the rosie and collaborating about sword making ideas. I also thought
they were as a class self-assertive since some children had to have their needs and wants met
before anyone else. Keylins developmental stage by the number of antisocial behavior he
showed made him seem very egocentric in that it was always about him, and he was very
aggressive with the other children he would randomly hit another child in the face or bite them,
without the other child provoking him. I do not think that I would need to change the
environment; their classroom environment gives them plenty of space for them to participate in
many activities and they can roam freely around the room.
5.

Use a Running Record to document an incident where a child displayed joy, happiness,
anger, aggression, or fear.

6.
Name: Charlie
Age: 4
Date: March 8, 2011
Time: 9:30
Observation (What EXACTLY did the child do and say?)

When Ms. Sylvia opened the back door of the classroom for the children to come out and
play, Charlie rushed out the door and took a red ball from the basket. He first bounced the
ball a couple times, and then took the ball and stood in front of the basket hoop and stared at
it for five seconds before attempting to shoot a basket. He took the ball and placed it over is
head and threw it towards the basket and missed. He ran quickly to get the ball back and
Adrians ball rolled across Cs feet, they both stopped, glanced at each other before picking
up their ball. Then they both stood in front of the basketball hoop and took turns shooting
their ball into the basket. After about eight or nine tries, C made a basket and yelled, I did
it, I did it, look Ms. Sylvia I did it, I made a basket he smiled from ear to ear and began to
jump up and down. Ms. S simply said I saw that and C once again began to shoot more
baskets, but missed. He then sat down on a blue chair for five seconds with his red ball in his
lap and then got up, started to bounce the ball and then put the ball away in the basket and
walked inside the classroom.
Interpretation: (Knowledge: did the child have recognition of the emotion, use emotion
vocabulary? Skills: what did the child do to express/control the emotion? Dispositions: what
were the behaviors related to the emotion?)
I believe Charlie did have recognition of the emotion he was showing because as soon as
he made the basket he began to yell I did it, I did it to me those words were emotion based
vocabulary because he knew that he had accomplished making a basket after he had
attempted it for at least ten times. Charlie jumped up and down and smiled after he made
the basket to show happiness that was how he expressed his joy of making the basket.

Step 2 Curriculum Planning

If you were the teacher in the class, what activities would you include to help children develop
prosocial skills? To develop problem-solving skills? Include the names of your activities, the
specific skill(s) your activity will focus on (in objective format), and a brief description.
If I were a teacher in the class the activities that I would include to help children develop
pro-social skills would be sharing, the activity I would do with the children would be Lets take
turns and with this activity I would bring a specific object like a toy and have the children sit in
the carpet area and talk about the object and then pass it around so that everyone has a turn
seeing the object. Then after everyone has had a turn I would have the children take turns
playing with the toy for a certain amount of time, and perhaps make a list with the names of the
children on a piece of paper this way the children could see their name.
In order to develop problem-solving skills the activity I would do is Whats wrong with
the picture? I would have sets of two different pictures that have differences in them, for
example one has a cat instead of a dog and have the children try to figure out what is different
and if there is something missing. This would be a great activity for children to develop problemsolving skills using two pictures to see the differences. Another similar activity can be bringing in
a big I Spy book and have the children look for the item, to make this more interesting I would
have all children participate one by one and say I spy a blue car one child can go up and try to
look for the object and if they cant find the object they can choose a friend to help them look,
this would be a good way for children to also develop pro-social skills by working together to find
the object.

Spoken Language
By observing ONE CHILDS actions and listening to his/her language, you will pick up clues
about how he/she relates to others and how he/she feels. You will need to view many episodes
in order to discover patterns of behavior.

Step 1 Observe and Interpret

1. Using a Running Record, record a conversation as the child enlists the cooperation of
another child in carrying out a plan.
Name: Aoife and Anabella
Age: 3
Date: March 15,2011
Time: 8:14
Observation: (What EXACTLY did the child do and say?)
The girls were in the dramatic play area and Aiofe had a pink apron and a chefs hat on.
Be careful Anabella, you can fall Aiofe says. lll be careful. Anabella says You are the
baby but then Aiofe says But its time for dinner. What is this? asks Aiofe, I dont
know responds Anabella. Ok, well these are all the babies Aoife. Aiofe then takes a
blanket and begins to iron it using the iron board and a wooden iron, and then says Ok
all done and walked over to Anabella. Aww, its a baby piggy Aiofe. Its not a baby
pig, it is my baby Anabella, and then they both sat on the floor and put all the babies in
the crib and put blankets over them. After Aoife helped Anabella, Aiofe said, Im going to
work now she left the house and walked over to a table with plastic cookies. She told
Ms. Sylvia I am a worker and Ms. S asked her where she worked, and she responded
saying here. Aiofe took some plastic cookies and put some together and then left the
table. When she returned home she says Im home Anabella. Then Anabella blurted out
Yeah, but people cant come in because they have pee. Aiofe laughed and said, We
are going to be stepmothers. Yes, we are two stepmothers. Anabella. Aoife told
Anabella I have to go to work, I dont think I should because I have to make dinner. I am
not going to work because I have to make dinner But I dont want to have dinner

Anabella responded. Aoife then walks to the kitchen and took some beads and put them
inside a pot and mixed them around with a spatula. Meanwhile, Anabella sat in the house
and looked at Aoife and said, Im in jail, the babies and me are in jail. You are not in
jail, you are in our house, we live in a castle Aoife responded. Once again, Anabella said
Im in jail because look at all these bars. Then Kayden, Diego and Matthew, took their
swords and went to the dramatic play area where the girls were playing and pretended to
fight with their swords, and Aoife said Swords are for outside three times loudly then the
boys fell on the floor. Anabella says Yay then the boys walked away, and the girls
continued to play.
Interpretation (Identify the method used by the child. Was it acceptable? Successful?
How did the child get along? Negotiate? Using textbook information and language,
describe what this tells you about the childs language development)
When Aoife and Anabella were playing together the use of their language to me was
acceptable and successful they managed to play without having any antisocial behavior.
Both girls got along well; they exchanged many words and were cooperative with their
play in the dramatic play area. Aoife and Anabella were able to understand each other
throughout their entire play. What I noticed about Anabellas language development was
the way she articulates her words with different sounds, for example she pronounces
words like rabbit into wabbit, or turns th sounds to p sounds.

2. Follow a specific child closely as he/she interacts with peers. Use a RUNNING RECORD,
describing the total situation, when he/she was talking with a friend in play. Record at least 2
interactions, and interpret the episode - focusing on social and language development.
Name: Brandon
Age: 3
Date: March 8, 2011
Time: 10:15
Description of Childs Behavior, Language
Interpretation
Brandon was walking around the
Although there was not much dialogue in
classroom with his brother Kayden and sat
this interaction. Brandon was very friendly
at the table with the foam boxes but as
as soon as he saw Diego walk into the
soon as they sat down Diego walked in the classroom he ran over to him and gave him
classroom and they jumped out of their
a hug with a big smile on his face. This
seats and ran towards Diego saying,
showed me that his behavior during this
Diego! Hi Diego. Diego replied, Hi and
type of play was never nearly aggressive
Brandon gave Diego a hug and then
and he had self-control during this play.
walked towards the sink to wash his
Brandon is very self-initiative in that he is
hands. B and K followed him, and then ran
sociable and greeted Diego as we walked
over to the carpet area and B said Lets
into the classroom, I noticed that he does
play with horsies and pulled out big plastic
this with all the children and parents that
farm animals, the three boys took a horse
walk into the class.
and sat on them pretending they were real
live horses, after about two minutes, D said
Im done and put his horse back. B then
said Me too and put his horse away and
so did K.
Description of Childs Behavior, Language,
cont.
Brandon walked over to the carpet area
where Keylin, Kayla, and Aiden were and
began to play ring around the rosy. In the

Interpretation
During this type of play Aiden showed anti
social behavior when he knocked over the
foam blocks on the floor. The other children

we all fall down part they dropped to the

floor and laughed very loudly. B said, Lets
do it again and the other children said
yeah and did it once again. They
continued to play and B would say faster,
faster and they would go so fast that they
would not get to the we all fall down when
they were already on the floor, but they still
giggled and laughed. When they were
done playing that, B and Kayla began to
stack foam blocks on the carpet and when
the blocks were almost their height Aiden
knocked the blocks down to the floor and B
said Aiden, now we have to do it again.
After that incident the children moved on to
other activities.

on the other hand showed that they were

able to play with others and are selfinitiative since they were able to engage in
slight conversation and a game together
without having a disagreement. As for
language development Brandon was able
to express his feelings and explore his
environment, by telling Aiden that he had to
stack up the blocks all over again. He was
able to explore his environment by playing
in the carpet area then quickly shifting to
another activity.

3. Using a RUNNING RECORD describe the total situation when THIS CHILD has a
conversation with an adult. Record exactly what the child and adult say.
Name: Brandon
Age:
Time: 10:30
Description of Childs Behavior, Language
Brandon was sitting at a table with plastic
cookies with shapes in the center that they
had to match. B said, I need a hexagon
out loud, and Ms. S said Oh you
remembered. B smiled and said yes.
Ms. S the asked What other shapes do
you have there? and he said a star and a
square. B got a little excited and dropped
some cookies on the floor and Ms. S tells
B you need to pick them up so no one
slips with one and B picks them up and
sits on a different chair.

Date: March 8, 2011

Interpretation
During this brief conversation it seemed like
Brandon was self-initiative in his willingness
to share his knowledge of the shape he had
learned about and remembered. With the
little language he did use Brandon knew
the meaning of the word hexagon as well
as the shape that corresponded with the
word. Although this was a brief
conversation Brandon showed his ability to
use vocabulary well, by using and knowing
the correct word usage. Brandon was also
conveying information that he had
previously learned back to Ms. Sylvia.

4. Compare the two episodes and decide how the language is different when the child is
socializing with a peer rather than with an adult.
Language between two children and an adult was very different because when the child
was interacting with other children they did not use much language and the children did not ask
any questions. But during the conversation that Brandon had with Ms. Sylvia she asked him
questions and acknowledged the fact that he remembered the hexagon shape. When the
children played or talked to each other did not requite many words in order for them to
understand one another/ what they wanted to do. All it took was one child to walk over to the
carpet area and start to play with something and the other children would join in. Another thing I
noticed was that there was more play related activities with the children than with the teacher.
5. Is THIS CHILD able to use language for expressing feelings or ideas? Collect 4
LANGUAGE SAMPLES and evaluate this childs expression. (Some purposes: to express
feelings or ideas, gain information, etc.)

Name: Brandon
Age: 3
Date: March 8,2011
Time: 8:00
Time
Language Sample
Purpose of Language
8:05
Hey look Ms. Clay, I have a paper.
To let Ms. Clay know that he had
a paper in front of him to draw on.
8:15
Wheres the sun? Wheres the sun? Ms.
To find out where the foam sun,
Clay where is the sun?
was located so he can put it in the
box it belonged to.
8:45
Whos work is this? Hey whos work is
To find the owner of the piece of
this?
paper with a drawing and no
name.
8:50
Ms. Clay, he is biting my shirt I dont
To tell Ms. Clay Keylin was biting
like it when you bite my shirt.
his shirt, and to tell Keylin that he
doesnt like it when he bites his
shirt, and perhaps stopping him
from doing it again.
Interpretation of language development: (When this child expresses feelings, how do
others respond? When this child expresses ideas, what kinds of responses does he/she
receive?)
When Brandon expressed his feelings he had to repeat himself often before he got a
response from someone. Usually the response he got from a teacher was very vague,
just a simple Ok Brandon. But when Brandon expressed an idea to his brother the
response from him was different, Kayden listened to him and took his idea, and wanted
Brandon to go with him and put his drawing in his cubby.
5. Write an interpretive statement concerning THIS CHILDS language ability. Consider
vocabulary development and sentence structure (use textbook information and language). Is
there any indication of a language problem? Use the Speech and Language Checklist to
assess articulation, vocabulary, language function, and grammar.
After listening to Brandon speak, I think that the range of his vocabulary is good for his
age, he spoke fairly clearly and his speech is understandable. Brandon was able to voice his
thoughts, for example when he was asking, Whos work is this? he seemed to be very
concerned looking around and asking other children. He was able to use his ranged vocabulary
to express his thought. Brandon used words in the right context therefore showing he knew the
meaning of words that he used. For instance, he knew that Keylin was biting his shirt and used
the word too. He was also able to express his feelings to Keylin when he told him that he didnt
like it when he bit his shirt, his words usage had a function that allowed Brandon to converse in
an appropriate manner. Brandons sentence structure was complex; he did not use simple
words to express his ideas. I did not see an indicator of language problems with Brandon he
spoke well and used correct grammar.

Step 2 Curriculum Planning

What strategies would you use as a teacher to encourage children to express themselves?
The strategies I would use as a teacher to encourage children to express themselves
would be by having the children describe themselves to the entire classroom and one by one
have them say their name, what their favorite food is, their favorite color, perhaps who they live
with, their favorite animal or say if they have a pet. An example of this would be My name is
Elizabeth, my favorite food is pizza, I like the color pink, I live with my mom, dad, brother and
sister, and I have a dog named Chloe. By having children do this and to speak in front of their
classmates is a productive way for them to express themselves. This would be a good exercise
for the first day of class, or when there is a new child in the classroom. This could be done
frequently, by having a question of the day that children can all answer on their own.