child observation 1

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In this individual assignment, you will demonstrate and apply your knowledge of physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development in infancy and early childhood by conducting a naturalistic observation.

Length: 6-7 double-spaced pages, including cover and reference pages.

Instructions: Arrange to observe a child 0-5 years old for at least 30 minutes. Your observation can be of a sibling, family member, or friend’s child; it can also be in a hospital nursery, daycare center, or preschool (*see NOTE below). Try to be as unobtrusive as possible and follow the steps outlined below:

Observe and take note of the physical and social setting, ongoing activities, and the children’s responses to the conditions and activities;

Focus on one particular child and describe his/her characteristics and behaviors in more detail (you may use a pseudonym to protect your subject’s confidentiality). Ask an adult caretaker any questions you may have and include their responses in your paper;

Write a 6-7 double-spaced pages paper in American Psychological Association (APA) format that includes the following IN THIS ORDER:

COVER PAGE with paper title, author, and running head

brief INTRODUCTION that presents your child subject and previews the concepts to be analyzed (approx. 1 paragraph; 10 points)

your actual OBSERVATIONS written as a narrative; no bullet points (approx. 1.5-2 pages; 25 points)

in-depth ANALYSIS of three human development concepts or theories covered in lecture or the textbook as they relate to the behaviors observed. Expand on concepts and include sub-concepts, if appropriate. Clearly INDICATE by boldfacing which concepts you are using. For example: “Two-year old Johnny played with Legos alongside his friend, illustrating the concept of cooperative play, which is when…” OR: “Three-year old Monica hung on the monkey bars, which can be analyzed in the context of motor skill development…” (approx. 2 pages; 55 points)

brief CONCLUSION that integrates (rather than summarizes) your observations by providing a piece of insight (deep and clear understanding; approx. 1 paragraph; 10 points)

REFERENCE PAGE listing your textbook and any other optional but credible sources

Formatting: Your paper should be submitted online as a PDF document. American Psychological Association (APA) formatting guidelines are available here at Purdue Online Writing Lab (Links to an external site.). It is NOT necessary to include an author note, abstract or headings such as Methods and Discussion. You do, however, need to include the following:

Cover page with paper title, author, and running head

Page numbers

12-point font, double-spacing throughout, 1-inch margins

In-text citations (e.g., textbook and any optional but credible sources)

References page (e.g., textbook and any optional but credible sources)

Useful Tip: Observe a child while engaged in an activity rather than a passive occupation such as watching TV!

General Guidelines:

Write in complete sentences and provide detailed analyses, but do not exceed (or write less than) the 6-7 pages limit (you will be penalized for extra pages). Pay attention to the structure and flow of your paper.

Use your automatic spellcheck!! Check for grammar and spelling mistakes before submitting your paper.

Paraphrase (write in your own words) rather than quote. Remember: you are demonstrating and applying your knowledge of course topics rather than simply summarizing an interesting observation! Avoid plagiarism by paraphrasing; substituting only a few words is still considered plagiarism. See additional information on plagiarism here (Links to an external site.).

Assume your reader is a layperson who is unfamiliar with course concepts. Briefly define technical terms before explaining and applying them.

Cite reliable sources only, if you choose to cite sources other than your textbook/lectures. These include peer-reviewed articles (primary research) and, to a lesser extent, websites with the extensions .edu (e.g., universities), .org (legitimate organizations), or .gov (government agencies).Commercial .com websites such as Wikipedia or “babycenter.com” are NOT considered reliable sources.