Introduction
The environment or context of observation consists of a child playing with toys in the presence of a caregiver. A shape sorter is used to encourage children to match objects to the corresponding shapes. Further play activities include hiding and finding objects. The child, named Brian, is a 2 to 3-year-old boy. Brian is just learning to talk and can say most simple words with ease. This means mostly repeating after the caregiver’s words and exclamations. He can also walk well without any problems with his movement.
Biological/Motor Development
The first observation in this category is Brian’s refined motor skills. Refined motor skills include controlling the hands, fingers, and thumbs. At the same time, motor skills are linked to growth patterns, which are the changes in the body specific to a particular age (Berger 512).
Thus, Brian meets the current demands regarding this concept. He is in the early childhood period, with a healthy and well-structured body. Thus, Brian has developed specific gross motor skills, as evidenced by his ability to carry large toys and use force to operate them (“Observation of child #1”).
At the same time, observing the child, it is possible to notice the final motor skills as Brian uses smaller pieces, holds them correctly, and fits objects of specific shapes with corresponding holes (“Observation of child #1”). In this way, he demonstrates maturation that meets the existing developmental criteria, and his motor and biological development are appropriate for a child in the early childhood phase.
Vygotsky’s scaffolding is also essential for development. It means a child can learn from more informed individuals (Berger 546). In this case, it was observed when Brian considered instructions from a caregiver. Brian kept making mistakes with the shapes and often gave up trying when the shapes were correctly chosen. This could indicate ongoing brain development and the gradual transformation of thinking and analytical patterns.
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development focuses on how children think, explore, and discover the world around them. The first observation with Brian regarding cognitive development is that he was actively involved in his learning process through experiments and observations. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development posits that children’s cognitive development progresses through stages, marked by changes in their behavior. Thus, the concept of preoperational intelligence states that children do not use operations and logical reasoning (Berger 535).
Instead, there are signs of symbolic thought or objects that represent something else (Berger 536). During the observation, Brian displayed preoperational intelligence when moving and using objects, such as toys of various shapes (“Observation of child #1”). Moreover, preservation, or the state of being captivated by one task, was observed (Berger 529). Brian had been playing with one toy while other activities were initiated. It is a part of his cognitive development and ability to control brain function.
Language Development
The first observation regarding language development involved listening and responding to the child. Brian mostly used simple words and a limited number. He also struggled to utter words on his own without repeating them. At the same time, the child already attempts to use language as a tool and exhibits signs of private speech, or tries to explain something to themselves (Berger 546).
Brian does not use complete sentences to describe the situation; however, he responds to the events and shows his emotions in relation to specific parts of the play (“Observation of child #1”). In such a way, it is possible to conclude that he is in either the first words or two-word stage of language development. It is appropriate for a child of his age and signals healthy evolution and growth.
Social Development
Social development entails the gradual process of learning to interact with others. In this case, children develop skills in communication, cooperation, empathy, and conflict resolution. The first observation with Brian was his ability to communicate his emotions, especially frustrations, when he could not complete the tasks. However, he primarily used the same expressions as the caregiver, which means that the concept of social learning, as offered by Vygotsky, can be applied. It implies that a child is curious, but others’ impact his thinking and social development (Berger 544).
The child repeats actions and words after the caregiver, which means that he is in a close connection with her, and his thinking process, along with the emotional expression, is linked to the manner of feelings expression employed by the caregiver. The observation is not informative enough to understand the attachment style; however, Brian can be described as secure. His social learning is based on imitation and copying others’ behaviors, which is typical for children of this age (Berger 550). Brian also shows signs of cooperative play, looking at the caregiver and trying to cooperate.
Brian’s ability to engage with others was displayed through taking suggestions and instructions. The term “engagement” is defined as the interaction between a child and their context (Morales-Murillo et al. 5). In this case, the context consisted of the play environment and the caregiver. Another observation was that Brian was not fully independent. The concept of independence refers to how children act to meet their needs and how much help they need.
Conclusion
The findings suggest that play offers an ideal context for observing child development. The main observations centered on language and motor skills, although cognitive development was a crucial component of the process. An important aspect to note was that Brian displayed developmental characteristics that merged more than one developmental stage. However, most behaviors are appropriate for his age. The observation process involved watching Brian’s interaction with the caregiver throughout the entire play session. The challenges experienced include relating certain behaviors to various developmental aspects.
Works Cited
Berger, Kathleen. Invitation to the Life Span. 4th ed., Worth Publishers, 2019.
Morales-Murillo, Catalina et al. Interpersonal Relationships. IntechOpen, 2020.
“Observation of child #1.” YouTube, uploaded by Victoria Meyer, 2016.