OBSERVATION OF AN INFANT/TODDLER OR CHILD (KEY ASSESSMENT/FIELD
WORK ASSIGNMENTS):
*Fieldwork 1 (Key Assessment): Observation of an Infant or Toddler (0-36 months old) or Child (3-8
years old)
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Part I: Observation, Documentation and Analysis, Infant or Toddler
For this 4-6-page assignment, you will focus on an infant or toddler who is between 0-36 months old.
You must observe the infant or toddler and interview at least one of the child’s parents/caregivers, with
the observation and interview being a combined total of approximately 5 hours. Observations must be
conducted in one of the following settings: a home, childcare setting, preschool, Head Start, or primary
school classroom. In addition, your choice of observation sites should follow programmatic guidelines
to ensure diversity across and within your fieldwork placements. Once the observation is completed,
you will then use your notes from the observation and interview, as well as other forms of
documentation that you will collect (as noted), to create a portrayal of the infant or toddler you
observed. In addition, you will conduct a detailed analysis of the child where you will reflect upon your
observations, what they tell you about who the child is in the world, and how the information you have
gathered connects to larger practical and theoretical implications. Your completed assignment, modeled
after the “Descriptive Review” process*, will include the following sections:
(*Descriptive Review reference article noted in syllabus and provided in Blackboard.)
I. Introduction:
The contextual information:
• Note the child’s gender
• Note the child’s age
• Other information on the child’s background such as language(s) spoken in the home, siblings, etc…
• Make sure to include:
• Date of the observation
• Time of observation (both the start and end time)
• Description of the setting and participants present
• If the observation is conducted in a childcare or school setting, include a brief
summary of school and community demographic information.
• Why you decided to observe this particular child
IIa. Observation (Notetaking, Describing)
This section will be comprised of your observation notes, organized in the categories listed below. As
discussed in class, the language you use when recording observations should be descriptive, “setting
aside heavily judgmental language and diagnostic or other categorizing labels…what is most important is
to ground language used to describe a child in examples and illustrations so that the language is wellrooted in observation.” (Carini, 2011, p.11). Be sure to use examples from your observation notes as you
create your child portrayal:
Your child portrayal should include the following areas:
• physical presence and gesture
• disposition and temperament
• connections with others (both children and adults)
• strong interests and preferences
• modes of thinking and learning
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*Further descriptions of the above categories will be provided in class.
IIb. Documentation
As discussed in class, documentation enables us to “visibly listen” to the child and can be used as a
valuable research tool. For this section, you will collect at least three artifacts that you feel best
represent who the child is (reflect back on the five categories in your child “portrayal”). Artifacts can
include partial transcripts from the observation (i.e., transcribed excerpts from an audio or video
recording clip), a list of the child’s responses to a prompt, individual or group photographs or videos of
the child, child work samples (i.e., drawings, writing, artwork, dictated narratives, etc…). Examples of
artifacts and descriptions/discussions will be provided in class. Keep in mind that the nature of the
artifacts you collect will depend in part, on the age of the child you are observing.
· Describe each piece (what it is, with a brief description of the context surrounding it)
· Discuss why you think this artifact is significant? What does it tell you about the child (physical
presence, disposition, connections with others, strong interests and preferences, modes of
thinking and learning)?
III. Reflection/Analysis (Notemaking, Deciding)
In your reflection section, you will reflect on your observation notes and think about what they could
mean. You will compare the data from your observation to the information you have examined through
course literature (include citations). Make sure that you focus on the strengths and interests of the child,
as well as the developmental needs.
· What did you learn about the child?
o For instance, what are the child’s strengths and interests? What, if observed, does the
child struggle with? What type of learner is the child?
· NAEYC identifies three developmental domains in their discussion of Child Development as
follows: physical, cognitive (including language), and social-emotional. Discuss your
observations of the infant/toddler (child) in the context of each of the three domains (see
https://oldweb.naeyc.org/about/positions/dap3.asp for more information on the NAEYC
Principles of Child Development that Inform Practice, including the three domains)
· In what ways does the information you collected through observing and documenting, inform
you about the child’s growth, development, and presence in the world?
IV. Implications for Practice (Planning, “Acting”), Conclusion
· Based on your observation(s), what strategies would you recommend to support the child’s
development, whether at home or in a childcare/school environment?
· What feedback would you provide to the parents to further enhance the child’s development?
· How would you as a teacher use this information when thinking of developing curriculum and a
learning environment that is supportive of the child’s strengths, interests and needs?
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· Support your analyses, particularly in sections III and IV with principles from research and/or
developmental theory (edTPA)
*Include connections to courcixse literature throughout the paper.
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