Observing Physical and Cognitive Development in a 43-Month-Old Child

Abstract

Course name Instructor’s name Assignment due date Physical and Cognitive Observation Paper Overview Child’s Name: John (Name changed) Date of Birth: June 17, 2021 Observation Date: January 20 to February 10, 2025 Age at the Beginning of Observation: 43 months, 3 days Time: Two hours daily, between 10 AM and 2 PM Introduction Determining a child’s achievement of physical and cognitive development goals could offer parents and educators insights on the needs and the best approaches to enable them meet growth expectations. Early childhood development has significant implications on the wellbeing of a child and their academic achievements. Schools provide resources for both the physical and academic needs of children and ensure that the learning environment provides holistic growth. Through the observation of a child, educators are able to identify the potential changes they could make to the physical and social environment to best meet their development needs. The current paper describes an observation exercise for a 43 month male child in a learning environment that offers academic and physical support for development. John is an English speaking child with no physical or mental health disabilities and was born on term with optimal weight (Abdulhameed & Rashid, 2022). He demonstrated the achievement of majority of the physical and cognitive development goals for a child of his age and was able to demonstrate meeting most of the conditions for growth at his age. The observation paper offers a summary of the observation techniques, provides data on physical and cognitive development aspects for John, and provides a conclusion of the findings. Observation Techniques Observation techniques for the experiment have significant implications on the data and information available for the observer. Various observation tools are available for researchers and determine the depth of insight that an educator has on the child’s physical and emotional wellbeing. One of the tools used for the experiment was the recording of anecdotal notes that indicate the observations the researcher makes during and exercise. The notes provide a list of important events during the observation period that demonstrate the success or failure of development in the physical and cognitive aspects. The next observation technique was the filling of an age and stages questionnaire that provides guidelines on development at each stage. For this observation exercise, the questionnaire was for a 42 month old child and it lists aspects of communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal social development for a child at this age (Rahimah & Koto, 2022). The tool involves making observations at each stage of development and recording how the child demonstrates success in development at each stage. Lastly, the documentation of photos indicated important events during the collection of data on the child’s development. The tools offered insights and data on the child’s physical and cognitive development as indicated in the appendix. Physical Development Physical development for a child at 43 months can be grouped into aspects of gross motor and fine motor development. The achievement of each of the aspects of development determines the ability of a child to engage in active activity independently and determines how they interact with peers during play (Rahimah & Koto, 2022). Gross motor development has significant implications on the movement of a child and their play activities with peers in the classroom and playground. During the observation period, John development the successful achievement of numerous aspects of physical development in both gross and fine motor movement. At this stage of growth, the child should demonstrate aspects of physical stability that enable movement and play activities. Actions such as jumping, running, and playing with a tricycle were important indicators of development during the observation exercise. During the observation on the playground, John participated in various play activities that indicated both his development and could offer guidelines on aspects of support that would facilitate meeting his goals. At 43 months, a child should be able to walk upstairs using one foot of each stair to indicate both balance and physical strength. The observation of the child indicated that he was able to achieve this milestone during observations on a playground. While John used the railing for support and stability to achieve this exercise, it is expected for children between three and four years old. The development is important since it shows how the child has achieved physical development goals necessary for movement and stability for this age. The aspect of development is an important aspect of growth since it facilitates the independence of the child during play activities in school and at home (Trawick-Smith, 2022). John required minimal support for movement as expected for children with optimal physical development at 43 months. In addition to walking upstairs, the child demonstrated the overall stability when participating in play activities involving both walking and running with peers. Observations indicated that the child was able to play alongside his peers effectively indicating both strength and stability goals at the age of 43 months. Most children at the age of 43 months achieve physical development than provides balance during hand movement. Observations in the playground offered an insight on John’s success in achieving this milestone. He achieved all aspects of physical development from the age and stages questionnaire as indicated in the appendix. The child was able to throw a ball overhand during play activities in the school’s playground. This aspect of gross motor development is important since it shows the success of the child in achieving all aspects of development critical for children at his age (Suryana et al., 2022). John used his gross motor skills to pick the ball and throw it overhand while standing which showed his overall strength and stability for his age. The observation is important since it showed the physical engagement of the child and his overall ability to participate in physically engaging activities in the playground and in the classroom. Physical strength and balance facilitate walking, running, and lifting objects with minimal risks of falling when engaging in the activities. The child’s skills offered insights on his ability to interact effectively with peers on the playground as well as in the classroom. Another aspect of physical development notable during the observation was the ability of the child to hold objects firmly with both hands. It demonstrates the use of his hands to control the movement of an object while standing with balance. One of the play activities that John engaged in was with the use of a large ball in the playground. It involves holding and lifting the ball from the ground and it shows the effective use of both his hands during the activity. Additionally, John participated in an activity where the children were expected to kick a ball in a horizontal direction (Suryana et al., 2022). It was an important indicator on his achievement of developmental expectations for children at his age. During the play activity, John kicked the ball to a distance of about five feet in a straight direction and demonstrate his use of gross motor skills to complete the activity. At the age of 43 months, John has achieved most of the stages of development for his age regarding the use of gross motor skills in play and movement. Fine motor skills for children at the age of 43 months affect how they use their hands and fingers to grasp and manipulate objects in their environment. The skills are important indicators of physical development since they facilitate learning in the classroom and play activities beyond the scope of the school environment. Observations for fine motor skills for the experiment occurred in the classroom and during the play activities where fine motor skills facilitate the use of objects to complete various activities. John’s physical development milestones indicated developed use of fine motor skills for activities instructed by the teacher and during self-directed play with peers (Rahimah & Koto, 2022). His use of hands and fingers demonstrated the achievement of five out of the six areas of assessment for this area in the age and stages questionnaire. There were numerous indicators of the achievement and use of fine motor skills during the observation period that demonstrate the successful achievement of growth for the child’s age. One of the notable events during the observation exercise was the use of objects to draw objects as instructed by the teacher in the classroom. The child was able to use a pencil to draw both a circle and a line by coping the image. The teacher drew each of the objects and asked the student to imitate them on a clean piece of paper and he completed the activities successfully. During the exercises, John demonstrated success in using his fingers to manipulate objects in a pre-defined movement which shows success in developing fine motor skills (Trawick-Smith, 2022). The activity further showed success in the control of muscle movement that facilitates learning and play activities for children at the age of 43 months. Circles and lines are the initial objects that children learn to observe and imitate during the early stages of learning. They facilitate development in the use of classroom materials and facilitate the assessment of fine motor skills for children between the ages of three and four years old. For the child, to complete the activities, they have to coordinate the movement of their hands, eyes, and the objects they use for the exercise. John demonstrated success in the use of fine motor skills in the classroom and during play activities as indicated the guidelines physical development for children at 43 months of age. Safe scissors are important play and educational tools for children since they indicate levels of the use of fine motor skills. Following the instruction of the teacher, John was able to use the scissors to cut a piece of paper during a learning activity in the classroom. The activity offered an opportunity to assess the child’s use of his hands and fingers to complete the exercise safely. Using scissors involves the use of multiple fingers and the both hands alongside good eye coordination. John completed the activity successfully by cutting off a small piece of paper using the tools available in the classroom (Sutapa et al., 2021). Overall, the child’s ability to use pencils and crayons in the classroom was an indication of successful achievement of physical development goals. There was one instance when John was unable to place a seven-piece puzzle together and demonstrated restlessness during the activity. The distraction affected his fine motor skills to complete the exercise and showed room for development in fine motor skills. Observations for physical development indicated success in achieving growth in both the gross and fine motor skills applicable for children at the age of 43 months. The activity demonstrated areas of improvement such as playing with a large ball and completing puzzles that would facilitate development for John to achieve the skills appropriate for his age. Cognitive Development Cognitive development during the early years has significant implications on the successful...