A childhood observation
Spend 60 minutes observing a 5- to 6- month-old infant with one of his primary caregivers. Focus your observation on the following;
Affective tone of parent and infant
Caregiver’s physical handling of infant
How well do they know the baby?
Responsiveness to each other: eye contact, smiling, sharing perceptions, and attention
Caregiver’s responsiveness to the baby: ability to see baby’s needs, read their signals and cues, take their perspective, see them “as they are.”
Dyadic regulation: if mismatches or distress occur (e.g. the infant becomes fussy, or the infant reacts to the caregiver’s attention shifting away from them), how do they restore a sense of synchrony?
Play: If the observation includes play between the caregiver and infant, what is the content and process of the play? What do they do together, and how do they keep the play going?
Sample Solution
The method of watching, listening, asking questions, documenting, and evaluating the words and actions of children as they interact with their surroundings and other people is known as child observation. Observation in childcare is critical in assisting educators and parents in meeting the needs of young children. Before you start observing children, make sure you have a clear goal in mind: Is it to work with the parents to develop an action plan to help change their child’s behavior? Is it to keep track of a child’s developmental milestones or academic progress? Do you want the parents to be able to view their child’s new skill in the form of an artwork?
