You will observe an infant or toddler between the ages of 4 and 23 months. The child cannot be older than 23 months. If you do not have a child to observe, you may observe some videos of one of my twins for the assignment. The videos are available on the modules page - the module on the very bottom!
If you are not using the videos for the observation, please attach a photo of the child as well as include the child's age in the write up.
Include in the write up:
1. Describe how the child moves. Give examples of how he/she uses his/her body to move through space. (i.e. crawling, walking, scooting)
2. In what ways does the child use his or her senses and motor skills to learn about the world?
3. Give examples of gross motor skills you observed. What does the textbook say for infants and toddlers of this age? How does the child compare to what the textbook identifies as age-typical. (you can also use other appropriate sources for developmental milestones if you reference them)
4. Give examples of fine motor skills that you observed. What does the textbook say for infants and toddlers of this age? How does the child compare to what the textbook identifies as age-typical. (you can also use other appropriate sources for developmental milestones if you reference them)
5. Provide three examples of sensory perception the child uses while involved in activity during your observation. What does the textbook say about those sense modalities and their development in infants and toddlers? How do they compare to what the textbook identifies as age-typical? (for example: A baby turns his head toward his mother when she calls his name, a baby makes a face when she tastes something sour, a toddler watches the family dog walk across the room.)
6. Does the child appear to be healthy? (describe what you observed that tells you so)
7. Describe any eating behaviors that you observe. Are these eating behaviors appropriate for the child's developmental stage?
Write a good paragraph for each of the observation questions above. Be specific, descriptive and objective!