Running Head: CHILD OBSERVATION RECORD REFLECTION

Child Observation Record Reflection Essay

Ashley Leitschuh
University of North Texas

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When I saw that we were required to do four observation hours in the Child Development
Lab, I was not super excited. I have been around children my entire life, and I thought, what
could I have to learn by sitting in a room and just watching these kids? However, I found that
observing the children in the child development lab was very helpful in gaining more knowledge
about child behavior. It was most interesting to see them interacting with each other and to listen
to how they spoke and what they talked about. I am more familiar with 2nd grade and up, so this
was very beneficial in terms of exposure to younger children.
On the first day of observation, two children in particular stood out to me because of their
completely opposite but strong personalities. Thevindu was child number one. He was a small
Sri Lankan, dark haired boy who was calm and constantly smiling. I was intrigued by him and
the way he interacted with very few kids but still seemed so content. Child number two that I
chose was a small energetic, Hispanic girl with a bright yellow bow in her hair. Her name was
Saydee, and she radiated confidence. Both kids seemed to happy and well taken care of, yet
completely different. This was something that I found especially interesting during my time
observing.
In regards to response to instruction, I would say that Child number one Thevindu was at
par with the other children in his age group. I noticed quite often that he was engaged in what the
teacher was saying and teaching, and that he was genuinely interested in learning. Thevindu was
diligent when working on projects and art and crafts. I noticed that he worked well alone and
seem completely content to be by himself. Some would find this perplexing, as most young kids
this age love to be around other kids. I, however, did not see this to be a problem in Thevindus
case. His focus and determination to complete his projects did not allow for much time to
socialize with the other children. Academically, he seemed very intelligent and interested.

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Socially, I found that he preferred being alone, but would talk with other children when
prompted. On the other hand, child number two Saydee, was a complete extrovert. She enjoyed
talking non-stop, to the point where the teachers were always getting onto her to focus and
complete the task that was at hand. Saydee had no problem injecting herself into other childrens
conversations in order to give her own opinion. She was lively and energetic. I would call her
the life of the party. Academically, she did not seem to fall behind. During small lessons, she
was attentive but would sometime get distracted and begin talking with her peers. However, she
always got back on task and completed all art projects she had started. Saydee and Thevindu
were very different in terms of their response to instruction. Thevindu was quiet when working
on projects and rarely prompted conversations with other kids, although he had no problem
responding when others spoke to him. Saydee, on the other hand, was loud and talkative while
doing her work, and often had to be reminded to stop talking with the other kids and focus. Even
though the way they went about their work and projects was completely different, both always
completed their tasks successfully and without much help from the teachers. This leads me to
believe that both children will not need additional help in order to keep up once they get into
grade school.
There are a couple instructional strategies that I would suggest for both Thevindu and
Saydee. For Thevindu, I think he would learn best in an environment without a lot of distractions
and other people. His work is methodical and calculated, and he can be very focused. He greatly
admires the teachers, and gets very excited to interact with them and to have them help him. He
was beaming when he got to present his playdough sculpture to one of the teachers. Thevindu
would do best in an environment that encourages exploration and allows him to work
independently of others. Although he would be fine in a regular classroom setting, I believe he

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would do his best work as an individual. For Saydee, I believe she would learn best in an
environment that allows her to be among others in a group setting. Saydee would be good with
group projects and collaboration, as she is energized by talking with others. She would learn best
with a teacher who is guiding her often, whereas Thevindu would be fine without constant
teacher involvement.
I would differentiate instruction for them in very different ways. Thevindu would be more
along the lines of a GT student, and I see those qualities in him even now at this young age.
1) I would allow him to go beyond the regular requirements for projects, and encourage
creativity in his work.
2) I would not hover over him or guide him as much as I would some of the other children,
as he seems to need independence when learning.
3) If he works better alone, I would allow him the option to do any group projects alone.
Saydee would need more guidance and correction, but she seems to be a very smart girl who
can easily keep up, as long as she is not distracted.
1) I would specifically choose a seat for her in the classroom that faces away from most
of the distractions. I would most likely place her at the front of the room facing the
board, so that she would not be tempted or distracted.
2) I would make worksheets using her name in word problems. This would make her
feel special and make her think that she is a leader in a way for this worksheet
problem.
3) I would check in on her regularly (probably more often than some of the other kids),
making sure she is staying on task and understanding the information that is being
taught.

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My overall impressions for these two kids were that they were happy and healthy. Even
though they were extremely different in terms of their personalities and how they interacted with
other children, both showed great promise in school. Thevindu struck me as very polite to adults,
shy around other children, and curious about the classroom and everything in it. Saydee seemed
to be sociable with other children, obedient when corrected by the teachers, and helpful to other
students. I would say that both are at or above the social, emotional and intellectual development
levels for their age. The teaching environment was conducive to learning and age appropriate. I
really enjoyed how the walls had student art work, as well as colorful instructional posters that
you find in most elementary schools. I thought the separate play stations were great in that they
provided lots of different options for the kids to play with. One day they all played in the front
station pretending to be pilots and flight attendants on a flight to the beach far away. Another
day they played in the dress up station and pretended to be grown-ups at work. I loved that they
were able to explore so many different ideas and use their imaginations while in the school. The
curriculum seemed simplistic and challenging but still realistic for the age group. I especially
loved that they read a book every single day. This encouraged the kids to learn to sit and be still
while an adult is teaching (or in this case reading). The kids seemed to look forward to story
time, which made me so glad to see them instilled early with a love for reading. In this new age
of technology in schools, my one fear is that school children will stray farther and farther away
from books as technology becomes more prevalent at earlier ages. I was glad to see them read a
book every day in the classroom. I liked how the teachers gave them plenty of time for free
stations or crafts, and did not choose which station or craft the kids had to do. I think this
freedom encouraged the children to make decisions for themselves and ultimately led to

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everyone getting to do exactly what they wanted. This must have been a welcome break from the
structure of the regular classroom time.
Based on my time observing both Thevindu and Saydee, I learned that even though they
would receive different instructional recommendations, they would both ultimately be successful
in the classroom environment.
Child Number One Thevindu
1) The teacher should allow Thevindu to work independently of others, but still
encourage him to participate in group games and activities. This will help him
break out of his shell while not making him uncomfortable.
2) Thevindu should be allowed to explore outside and around the classroom. His
curious nature could lead to some interesting discoveries that would inspire him to
keep learning.
3) I believe he would enjoy a section in the classroom library that is specifically
about space and animals, which are things that he talked about often. By playing
upon his strengths and interests, he will love learning that much more.
4) Because Thevindu is more reserved, allowing him to sit in a special chair at the
front of the class or just stay in his own seat while presenting projects or reading
would make him feel more comfortable.
Child Number Two Saydee
1) Saydee would be great with being the classroom leader and having jobs
around the classroom. Line leader, door holder, lunch count girl, or any other
job that encouraged her to be a leader would be great.

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2) She is matter-of-fact and bold in the way she speaks with other kids. Learning
to work in groups and to allow other kids to voice their thoughts would be
beneficial to Saydee.
3) Saydee is in ballet and swimming after school, so somehow incorporating that
into lessons or work pages would excited her and make her feel special.
4) Allowing her the option to write, draw, sing, etc. for her assessment would
pull from her creative side and allow her to express herself in a way that may
not happen with regular assessment styles.
Overall, I enjoyed watching these two young kids over the past five weeks. Their
opposite personalities kept things interesting, and gave me time to think about how different
every child in my class will be someday. I believe both children will have no problem once they
get to grade school and beyond. I see great futures for those two little ones and it was a pleasure
to get to observe them.

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