Johnny Deep TECA 1354 Dr. Osso Negro 04 April 2010 Child Observation Project I will be observing a seven-year-old child for my project. What I have learned from being a parent and watching my kids as they grow up the social emotional, physical and intellectual changes that occur in children between birth and the end of adolescence are that they all progress at individual intervals from dependency to increasing individualism.
Because these developmental changes may be strongly influenced by genetic factors and events during prenatal life, genetics and prenatal development are usually included as part of the built in parenting skills we all possess. When children are born they have no sense of fear but quickly develop a fear of what is a perceived danger. There is a lot I still need to learn and no one area I could pin point. A seven year old child’s physical developments would be characterized by an increase in height at an average of 2 inches per year. Potter, 148) Also Aaron would be able to hold a pencil adeptly and print letters and words. (Potter, 148) Children of this age also start to develop their more permanent teeth. Cognitively Aaron should be able to use symbols to carry out operations in thought rather than in action. (Potter, 148) According to Erikson’s Psychosocial Model kids of this age are in the industry vs. inferiority. Children strive to acquire competence and skills necessary for them to function as adults. (Potter, 148) This child that I observed is on target for their age group, physically this child is in the 90% for growth.
Intellectually they are able to solve basic problems without writing them out. Socially and emotionally this child is on target in that he is able to interact confidently with other children. Aaron is a seven years and seven months old. He weighs 54 pounds and is 55 inches tall. His home life is fairly normal. His mother is divorced from the father. In school he is in regular classes and has a desk near his friends. There are no behaviors problems noted. He seems to play outside with his friends seamlessly at recess. He does have ADHD and take Concerta 27mg once a day.
This has made a difference in his behavior and school work. He now makes the honor roll. I observed him during recess and at home to assess his physical development. Aaron demonstrates gross motor skills by climbing the rock wall at recess. During this age children require more props than they did before. I watched him play a video game he has incredible control over the controller. While he was playing this video game I noticed that he did not have to look down to see which button to push. I was all by touch and his eyes never left the screen.
Later we played the same video game together and I noticed that I still had to look down every now and then to determine which button I needed to push. I would say that Aarons fine motor skills are right on track. Physical Development| Actual Data| Height increase 1 to 2 in a year| 49 in @ 6yrs55in @ 7yrs| Weight increase 3 to 5 lbs| 52lb @6yrs54lbs @ 7yrs| Gross motor skills| Able to run and jump and swing| Fine motor skills| Able to manipulate a game controller| Physically Aaron is right on track if not a little above the expected for his class.
He is in the top percentile for growth and is taller than 90% of the kids his age. Weight wise he is on track however he stays in the lower end of normal due to the Concerta he takes regularly. His gross motor skills are on track according to Maternal Child and Health Nursing. (Pillitteri, 914) Aaron demonstrates his gross motor skills by running and jumping on the play ground. This is normal and expected of a child his age. Aaron demonstrates normal physical development in that his incisors are starting to come in. (Pillitteri, 915) I observed the child in a classroom environment and at home.
In the classroom I watched Aaron work on his math assignment. I noticed that he needed very little guidance to complete the assignment. I later observed him doing an art project and erasing his work several time because he was not happy with it. Later on I observed him at home and how he interacted with his mother, he used his “big boy words” as his mother called it. When he wanted something he just asked politely and in a manner suitable to his age. Intellectually I would say that Aaron is right on track. He is able to complete his required assignment with little direction.
I have noticed that he does have very high standards for himself and can become frustrated when he does not accomplish the assignment perfectly. I have also noticed that he starts one project then moves on to another and then goes back and completes the primary and secondary project. Aaron demonstrates intellectual development on target for his age such as wanting his papers to be perfect. According to Maternal and Child health Nursing this is considered an eraser year because children this age want everything to be perfect. Pillitteri, 915) Also Aaron demonstrates intellectual development for his age such as working a problem out in his head without having to write it down. (Potter, 148) I observed Aaron at school and at home for his social and emotional development. Socially Aaron is able to interact with the children appropriately to his age. I noticed that he does have friends and is not isolated at recess. He plays with children his own age and is included in the activities on the playground. Aaron has no problems expressing his feeling toward the other children and including his teacher.
Aaron has a great relationship with his teacher. I have noticed that she is sensitive to his needs, being that he is a child with ADHD. Aaron in general is a very sensitive child; he can be very hard on himself if he is not successful. Socially and Emotionally Aaron is on track. He acts appropriate to his age level. He does not have any detachment disorders or a fear of being alone. Aaron’s social/ emotional development is above average for his age such as being able to trust others and with a sense of respect for his own worth.
Also Aaron is able to appreciate that what violence he sees in his video game is not real and if attempted there would be real consequences. (Rathus, 353) When I asked Aaron about a wrestling program he was watching he stated to me that is was all acting and not safe to try for real. I have learned that children in the seven-year-old age group are very resourceful in using their physical, intellectual, and social/emotional skills to their advantage whenever possible. They tend to attempt things easier and without regret faster than adults or older children.
While doing my observation of the seven-year-old the way that he interacted with others was impressive. He was very well mannered in his speech when conversing with adults. I would like to learn more about child development in regards to how one child can be well mannered and another that grows up in the same community can not have the same type of mannerisms. `I do not feel that Aaron needs any strengthening in any of these areas. If I were to prescribe a learning prescription it would be to keep him involved in board games and making sure that he keeps up with reading books.
The board games help him physically, intellectually, as well as social/emotionally. They provide for fine motor skills, follow the rules of the game being played and not get upset if he doesn’t win every game. Board games are the best enrichment for any child because it covers all areas of growth and development. Bibliography Pillitteri, A. (2007). Maternal & Child Health Nursing. New York, NY: Lippincott Williams @ Wilkins. Potter, P. A. , & Perry, A. G. (2009). Fundamentals of Nursing 7th edition. Canada: Evolve. Rathus, S. A. (2008). Childhood and Adolescence 3rd edition. Canada: Thomson Wadsworth.
