The three questions I have regarding child development are as follows:

Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget is considered to be one of the most influential development psychologists in Western history. Piagets lifework focused upon mapping the stages of cognitive development. After observing many children, he theorized that they progress through four stages of life. These stages include; sensorimotor period (birth to 2 years), preoperational thought (2 to 6/7 years), concrete operations (6/7 to 11/12 years) and finally formal operations (11/12 to adult).

With my own personal experience of observing primary children, I believe that Piaget theory is correct. By observing my nephew, Evan, I am able to examine how he is learning and growing as an individual. Evan is currently two and half years old. By observing Evan as a baby, I noticed that he exhibited all of the developmental skills that are mentioned in the Sensorimotor period. As a baby grows, they observe their parents and learn from them. This time period is very important in a childs life. It is where they learn how to move around by themselves, learn to talk, and act as sponges. They soak in everything that happens within their environment.

During the second stage: Preoperational Thought, Piaget states that children acquire representational skills in the areas of mental imagery and language. I believe that Evan has exhibited several of these learning skills. He is mimicking and expressing himself in a variety of ways. He is learning about himself through various activities at home, and at his day care center.

During the third stage: Concrete Operations, Piaget states that children are able to take anothers point of view and take into account more than one perspective simultaneously. Unfortunately, Evan has not reached this period yet. However, with my experience with children this age group, I believe that they develop these skills as they learn at school and outside of school. Children are gaining the skills to think abstractly.

In the final stage: Formal Operation, Piaget states that children are capable of thinking logically and abstractly. He also states that children who are eleven to twelve year olds exhibit these skills. I believe that some children are capable of demonstrating these skills, however, many of them may develop them, as they get older.

Piagets Theory seems to be work well when describing the developmental stages of how humans learn. For primary teachers, his theory identifies many of the skills that children have. The only implication is that not every child goes through each stage at a certain age at the same time. Primary teachers need to learn about what level each child is at, in order to help them learn more effectively. Some younger children may enter the next stage at an earlier or later age. In addition, teachers need to incorporate a variety of different developmental theories when teaching children.

Module 2, Part 2, Section # 7: Formal report of WebCT answers

Knowing and understanding where the children are coming from helps a teacher plan where they are going.  Through diagnostic evaluation or a needs assessment, a teacher can accumulate data on a childs strengths and/or needs (Schwartz & Pollishuke, 1990).  Having watched Kindergarten Cop, several anecdotal observations were made with respect to the physical development of five-year old children.  Based on information about the physical skill expectations of children at this age, we saw most children demonstrating these skills, and some situations that surprised us as the children were performing at a physical developmental stage much more advanced than they should have been.

            Our most surprising observation was how disciplined the children were.   

They were almost angelic in their behaviour.  We thought the children appeared 

to be older than the age group that they were depicting.  Throughout the movie,

 they acted very maturely and independently.  They seemed capable of doing a 

variety of activities that children of this age in a regular school setting of this age 

may not be able to typically perform.  From our experience with kindergarten, 

children require a great deal of guidance and assistance with certain tasks 

(i.e. doing up their shoes, doing up coats, going to the washroom independently).

 If we were to guess the age group of these children, we would assume that they

 were at a grade one or two level. All of our specific observations and interpretations 

can be examined in Appendix A.

We were most perplexed by the scene in the gymnasium as this is where we were 

seeing students perform tasks far above their ability.  In this situation Mr. Kimble, 

treating his students as deputies as a form of classroom management, had students 

running through tires and climbing ropes to the roof of the gym.  At this age, children 

should be skipping awkwardly, running, hopping, displaying some balance, throwing a 

ball, catching a ball, cutting on a line with scissors, testing physical skills and courage 

with caution.  It is not realistic to think that an entire classroom of kindergarten children

 could climb a rope and run through tires unassisted, as they have not yet developed the 

strength, endurance and co-ordination to scale a rope like this, or to run through tires 

without tripping.

            Through this exercise in watching the video, we learned that anecdotal 

observations are extremely useful in the classroom.  Though often time consuming 

and sometimes subjective, these observations provide evidence for teachers to use 

on their report cards (especially in kindergarten where report cards are completely 

anecdotal), in parent conferences and to provide feedback to students.  Anecdotal 

observations demonstrate the progression and/or regression, which is valuable for

 program development, monitoring and implementation.

           In order to make sure that students are capable of doing all of the physical

activities expected of them at this young age, parents and teachers can help by

providing the opportunities to practice such activities as skipping, hopping, balancing,

catching and throwing.  They can do this by playing games such as follow the leader,

practicing fine motor and gross motor skills and by having little competitions (i.e. a

jumping contest students jump over a low object, continue to make the object

higher).  When observing children in this age group the information provided in

Appendix B, which considers some aspects of the development of the whole child,

may be helpful in focusing on what to observe.

            Based on our observations in the movie and in the real world, teachers 

and parents must be aware that there will be discrepancies between physical abilities 

of children within the same age group.  With careful observation and subsequent 

planning, we can provide opportunities for those functioning below the expectations to 

advance their physical skills. 

 Maureen McCormack, Christi-Anne Dlouhy and Jennifer Vannest

 References:

http://www.worldbank.org/children/what/stages.htm Early Child Development Home Page, 1995

Ontario Ministry of Education., Assessment Companion. Curriculum Unit Planner, 2001.

Schwartz, S., & Pollishuke, M., Creating Child-centred Classrooms. Irwin Publishing, Toronto, 1990.

Appendix A

Brief Outline of the Movie: Our group observed a class of kindergarten students.  The movie we watched was entitled Kindergarten Cop starring Arnold Schwarzenger. 

Date of Observation:                         Wednesday May 25, 2004

Time of Observation:                        9:00 a.m.

Venue:                                                Sitting on the carpet

Letter to identify the Student:           E.        

Age in years and months:                  6.2

Observation:  E., a 6 year old female was sitting on the carpet with the class, when she needed to go to the bathroom.  E. asked for some assistance to take off the straps and buckle of her overalls.  Mr. K tried to help E, but was unable too.  He required assistance as well. Mr. K asked another teacher for assistance with E.

Interpretation of Observation and plan of action:  E. has not mastered her fine motor skills, therefore was unable to remove the buckles on her overalls.  Mr. K. could include more fine motor skills activities into his lessons.  This would allow E. and the rest of the class to develop these skills further.

Date of Observation:                         Wednesday May 25, 2004

Time of Observation:                        10:15 a.m.

Venue:                                                 Discussion period on the carpet

Letter to identify the Student:           Z.

Age in years and months:                  6.1

Observation: Z., a 6 year old male was sitting at his desk while all other children were on the carpet.  When  Mr. K. asked Z. to join the group, he did not respond.  The rest of the children told Mr. K. that he never participates in class.  One child announced that he was a pooh-pooh head.  Mr. K. approached Z. and asked him to join the group. Z. replied with a no.

Interpretation of Observation and plan of action:  Z. rarely participates in discussions on the carpet.  Mr.K believes that something is bothering him.  Mr. K. could follow this incident up by speaking with Z. privately.  Also, Mr. K. may discuss the idea of community and cooperation during story time. 

Date of Observation:                         Thursday May 26, 2004

Time of Observation:                        9:30 a.m.                     

Venue:                                                Introduction of police school training

Letter to identify the Student:           E.

Age in years and months:                  6. 2

Observation:  E., a 6 year old female was asked by Mr. K. to go and get a toy and return to the carpet.  When all of the children had retrieved their toy and returned to the carpet, E. was twirling around in a circle with her doll.  When Mr. K. asked her to go to the carpet, she replied with a no.  Mr. K. asked her again, and still E. replied with a no.  Mr. K. asked her why she didnt want to go to the carpet and E. replied because I am a princess.  Mr. K. asked E in a stern voice to return to the carpet, E. did so.

Interpretation of Observation and plan of action:  E. did not want to go to the carpet because she wanted to play with her doll.  E. was very upset when Mr. K kept asking her to return to the carpet.  Finally when she told Mr. K. that she was a princess, she sounded very upset.  E. has a high energy level and is a very enthusiastic person, however, she is easily distracted, yet capable of intense periods of concentration.

Date of Observation:                         Friday May 27, 2004

Time of Observation:                        11:20 a.m.                   

Venue:                                                Storybook time on the gym mats

Letter to identify the Student:           D.,

Age in years and months:                  6.6

Observation: D., a 6 year old male, approached Mr. K. with a book.  He told Mr. K. that it would be a great time to read a story because they would easily fall asleep.

Interpretation of Observation and plan of action:  D. is aware of want his body needs.  He knew that because he was physically tired that a story would put him to sleep. 

Date of Observation:                         Friday May 27, 2004

Time of Observation:                       11:20 a.m.                   

Venue:                                                Nap time on the mats

Letter to identify the Student:           Entire class

Age in years and months:                  6-6.7

Observation: Class easily fell asleep during story time.

Interpretation of Observation and plan of action:  The class is easily tired from the rigorous level of activity.

 Appendix B

The following chart, which considers some aspects of the development of the whole child, helpful in focusing on what to observe (Schwartz & Pollishuke, 1990):

Physical Development                               Cognitive Development

In the Early Development Home Page, they state that the stages of development in early childhood are the most rapid period of development in a human life.  Although individual children development at their own pace, all children progress through an identifiable sequence of physical stages (World Bank Organization, 1995).  Children in the kindergarten grade level have been identified as:

·        having a longer attention span

·        act silly, boisterous, may use shocking language

·        talk a lot, ask many questions 

·        test physical skills and courage with caution

·        reveal feeling in dramatic plays

·        like to play with friends, do not like to lose

·        share and take turns sometimes