Running Head: GAMBIT'S DEVELOPMENT 1

Gambit's Development
Andrea G Haines
Ivy Tech Community College
GAMBIT'S DEVELOPMENT 2
Standard #5: Application of Content
The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use diering perspectives to engage
learners in critical thin!ing" creativity" and collaborative problem solving related to authentic
local and global issues#
Name of Artifact: Toddler $bservation %ro&ect
Date: 'une ()" (*+,
Course: -D.C +(+/ Child and Adolescent Development
Brief Description: 0or this pro&ect I was assigned to do an observation o a toddler between +) 1
23 months old# The tas! was to observe the child or an hour or less to ta!e notes about the many
s!ills he has# 4y doing so" I was able to compare them to the boo! readings I have done so ar or
this class# 5y instructor provided me with a chec!list which I was able to use during the
observation to ma!e notes o the child's activities#
Rationale: To document my understanding o Application o Content" I was able to connect
several o the terms I previously read about on dierent chapters o our boo!" to the results I got
rom observing Gambit" a (21month1old toddler that I was given the pleasure to wor! with or
this assignment#
GAMBIT'S DEVELOPMENT 3
Than!s to the many studies e6perts have done thus ar" we can detect and compare i a
child is at a low" normal" or high developmental stage depending and7or based on their age# It is
important or both educators and parents to monitor the child's development closely to ma!e sure
they are not staying behind in their s!ills" but how to !now or sure i a child is at an average
stage or is alling behind8 9ould the environment in which the child is growing up in have
something to do with their development8 or could it be generic based only8 To get some answers"
an observation was done to ma!e some comparisons to the readings and actual" irst hand results#
0or this assignment" I had the pleasure o observing a (21month1old boy named Gambit#
The observation was done at Gambit's parents' home# 0rom the beginning" Gambit was very
riendly and willing to wor! with me during the observation process# I started o chec!ing down
the list o activities I was provided with# Gambit was very cooperative with whatever he was told
to do by me# I am guessing Gambit's physical development is about an ):;# He is able to wal!
independently without tripping over things and he can actually change directions pretty <uic!ly
when he runs" which is a perect e6ample o "differentiation - mastery of component skills - and
their integration - combining them in proper sequence into a coherent, working whole." =>ail"
(*+(" p#+3+? He is able to climb up the stairs by crawling" and he sits to slide down the stairs#
He is able to push himsel around on a wheeled toy and he can also pedal a small tricycle# He is
able to eed himsel by grabbing the or! with his right hand" using a closed ist# 9hen he was
given bloc!s to play" he was able to pile up to si6 bloc!s at a time as long as it was on a lat
surace# He shows a lot o interest while he scribbles with crayons# He seems to li!e the dierent
colors# 9hen we as!ed him to show us a boo!" he would start rom the cover page" but would
grab multiple pages at a time when he tried to turn it# Gambit is still young enough to be in
GAMBIT'S DEVELOPMENT 4
diapers and doesn't seem be bothered by having a dirty one# He is not yet at the stage o as!ing
parents to ta!e him to go potty when needed#
@e6t" I begin to test him on his intellectual development# 9e presented him with a
wooden" eight piece puAAle about dierent animal shapes" and he was capable o iguring out
where each puAAle piece went by using trial and error# I must mention that when I irst entered
the home" Gambit was in the living room" sitting on the carpet close to his dad" holding a video
game guitar" pretending to play with it li!e his daddy was during a video game# This is a good
e6ample o how "Children learn... by watching those around them, which is known as imitation
or observational learning"=>ail" (*+(" p#++?# Gambit already uses two to three word sentences"
responds to ByesB or BnoB <uestions" and is able to identiy several body parts not only by
pointing at them but also by naming them# He is unable however" to match any items by their
color or tell about e6periences yet# 9hen it came down to Gambit's emotional development" he
showed rustration when he couldn't open a door because his hand was smaller than the door
!nob# He doesn't show any signs o ear and is always willing to cooperate when he is being
as!ed or something# Castly" Gambit shows pretty good signs o social development# I believe
this has a lot to do with the environment he is growing up in# $n our boo!" >iel mentions how
"the learning perspective... holds that the degree of connectedness depends entirely on the nature
of environmental influences" =p#+)?# He socialiAes well with other !ids" especially i they are
older" li!e his siblings# He shows several sel1help s!ills such as putting toys away or combing
his hair#
$verall I thin! Gambit shows typical signs o development or his age group# His
physical" emotional" social" and intellectual s!ills have developed properly according to his age# I
GAMBIT'S DEVELOPMENT 5
believe that the home environment he is being raised in ma!es a dierence as well as Gambit's
phenotype#
GAMBIT'S DEVELOPMENT
References
Hallahan" D# %#" >auman" '# 5#" D %ullen" %# C# =(*+(?# Current %ractices or 5eeting the
@eeds o -6ceptional Cearners# Exceptional earners! "n #ntroduction to $pecial
Education =+(
th
-dition?# .pper Eaddle Fiver" @ew 'ersey/ %-AFE$@ -ducation" Inc#