write an observation 

Preschool Observation

  watch the youtube video of a preschool classroom.  As you watch the video, look for the following developmental attributes of a preschool child.  You will be writing a description (or observation) of what you see the child, or children, doing in 5 different domains. It may be helpful to read the Grading Rubric at the end of these directions so that you will know what to look for.

3rd observation part 1 (Links to an external site.)

Link (Links to an external site.)

A 35 minute film in a preschool classroom.

• Part 1. Setting: Describe what you see in the video :
  • Safety (Does this space look safe for children, explain why.)
  • Adequate space and equipment (Describe the layout. Is it crowded? Is there room to move? Is it scaled to children? What is there for children to do and play with? Are there enough materials? What are the materials? Blocks, books, art supplies…)
  • Interaction (Describe the tone of voice, interactions between children and adults, child and other children.)
  • What makes you think this is a good, or not so good, place for children? Explain your answer.
• Part 2. Biosocial Domain: Write one example of Evidence of Brain Development and 3 examples of motor skills.
  • Evidence of Brain Development: (Describe any bilateral movements of coordination, eye-hand coordination, left or right-hand preference.)
  • Motor Skills (Describe any large or small motor skills.)
• Part 3 Language Development: Write one example of each:
  • Evidence of Vygotsky ‘s theory (private speech or social mediation)
  • Vocabulary (fast mapping, examples of vocabulary, word use)
  • Grammar (Sentence structure, over-regularization, sentence length, use of tense and plurals)
• Part 4 Psychosocial Domain Write one example of Erickson’s terms and one of Emotional Intelligence.
  • Erikson: Initiative vs. guilt ( Self-esteem, pride, guilt or shame )
  • Emotional Intelligence (Emotional Regulation, empathy, antipathy, prosocial, antisocial behaviors)
• Part 5 Play: Write one example of three different types of play:
  • Parten’s Stages of Play, Socio Dramatic Play, Rough and Tumble play

Helpful Hints

When you write your paper, use the outline format from above or as listed in the grading rubric.  Be sure that your observations are descriptive and your answers are thorough and complete. You may find it helpful to watch the video more than one time.

When writing your observation, be sure to describe the child you are writing about. Ex: The girl in the red top with brown hair said to her friend “Look, I did it!” as she balanced four blocks on the table.