Compare a couple of playgrounds and evaluate them for their appropriateness for preschoolers.

Observation Paper. An observation paper is required for successful completion of this class. The observation paper is graded on a pass/fail basis and it is required in order to pass the class. The observation paper consists of observing any event, activity, or structured observation related to child psychology. In your paper, you need to describe your observations and relate them back to a developmental theory or research finding discussed in the class or text: Research papers will not be accepted as substitutes for observation papers. You can write the paper in any style you wish: APA, MLA, First person narrative, epic poem, etc. Try to have fun with it. Several suggestions for observation papers are located at the rear of this syllabus. Up to five points of credit on the final exam are credited towards good projects in which students have arranged structured observations of children. You may review the ideas list for the maximum point totals. Please list the number of project and points in parenthesis on your paper or you will receive reduced credit for your paper. Twenty Nine Ideas for Observations Papers 1. Observe the interactions of parents and children in a public place, such as a supermarket or grocery store. Note the number of parents and children present. How do the actions and requests (demands) of one participant affect the other? Are there differences when one parent is present? More than one child? (0 ) 2. Neighborhood environments are important contexts for development. Interview several students from different cultural backgrounds to share their experiences and offer their opinions on how their neighborhoods impacted their development. Were their childhood neighborhoods safe, fun, stimulating, populated, and friendly? Do their current neighborhoods impact their perceptions of safety, leisure activities, or choice of friends? (2) 3. Interview two or three different sets of parents about their pregnancy and birth experience. Note similarities and differences in birth stories. (2) 4. Observe young infants sensitivity to the sound of the human voice. Compare the infant’s reaction to a high-pitched tone and a low-pitched tone. Observe how others interact with the baby and observe differences in male and female interactions as well as older adults and younger adults. (5) 5. Tape-record an instance of a baby crying. Have several students listen to the tape and note their own reactions, describing the feelings the cries evoke, and their interpretation of the meaning of each cry. Play the recording for two adults—one who is a parent and one who is not—and interview them about their reaction to the cries. (3) 6. Observe gross and fine motor development in 3 different age babies: less than 2 months, 4-8 months, and 8-14 months. (3) 7. Interview parents about the training of motor skills. How do parents handle the motor development of their baby? Do they train certain skills? How important do parents think it is to do all they can to help their children crawl, stand, and walk? (2) 8. Observe the Habituation-Dishabituation Sequence in young children. With a child 2 years or younger, hold one toy about 8-10 inches from their eyes while they are seated in an infant seat. When the baby’s attention begins to wane, remove the toy. Then hold another toy up side by side with the first toy? Which toy does the child focus on? (5) 9. Test infants and toddlers for object permanence using both the simple object hiding task and the successive object-hiding task. (These are described in your TEXT) (5) 10. Take a set of objects (4 boxes, 4 balls) and place them in front of a 12-month-old child and a 20- 24 month old child. Note any differences in how they play with them, particularly noting any differences in categorization. (5) 11. Visit at least three-day cares or family daycares that serve infants and toddlers. Observe and interview the provider for developmentally appropriate practice. After each visit rate each setting on a three point scale of quality (high, medium, and low) and defend your ratings. (5) 12. Interview at least two parents of a child between 1 and 2 years of age. Ask parents to list the words their children produce and the contexts in which they use each of them. Look for and identity typically occurring phenomenon in speech development such as the spurt in vocabulary that occurs between 18 and 24 months and 2 word combinations, etc. (2) 13. Observe a language sample of a toddler. Note the percentage of total words produced that are object, action, and modifier words and social formulas; telegraphic speech during the two-word utterance phase; under extensions and overextensions. (5) 14. Observe infant and toddler social behavior. For example observe the social smile in young children or how it’s possible to elicit laughter in babies over 3 months old. (5) 15. Observe toddlers and young children for episodes of social referencing. (3) 16. Interview parents for gender stereotyped expectations of their infants. If the baby is a boy, do they use more masculine descriptors? If the baby is a girl doe they more often mention feminine characteristics? What expectations to the parents have for the children as they grow? (2) 17. Observe infant attachment behaviors. Expose mothers and infants (one under 6 months old, another over 9 months old) to the “Strange Situation” and observe their reactions.) (5) 18. Have mothers of an infant 9 months old and one over 15 months old rub red lipstick on their children’s’ face under the pretext of wiping the child’s nose. Then permit the infants to see their reflection in the mirror. Note the differences in how the children react and discuss how this relates to self-recognition. (5) 19. Identify two families with a young preschooler (over 2 years old) and have a parent record everything the child eats. Compare the preschooler’s intake to information in the TEXT on nutrition and young children’s appetites. Is the child a picky eater? Does the child’ diet fluctuate? How healthy is their diet. (3) 20. Collect art samples of preschoolers of varying ages. Note the age and gender of each child and describe features of their artwork that is consistent with the average child their age. (3) 21. Compare a couple of playgrounds and evaluate them for their appropriateness for preschoolers. (0) 22. Observe the make believe play of preschoolers (over 2) and relate the make-believe play to concepts that were discussed in the text. (3) 23. Find a child between the age of 3 and 6 and give them an easy puzzle to work and a more difficult (still age appropriate) puzzle to work. Keep track of the quantity and type of private speech the child uses while doing each puzzle. Do the results of this experiment fit with Vygotsky’s theory of private speech? (5) 24. Read two different age appropriate children’s books to a child (over 3) or a small group of children. Read one book using a dialogical reading style (involving the child in storytelling, making predictions, describing details of the story) and the other book simply reading the story. Compare the two methods and see if the chihkzld or children respond differently. (5)