Write a detailed capture of what you are seeing and hearing. Remember to use clear, descriptive, objective language in your description. You are telling a little story so we can clearly imagine what you were observing.

Field Assignment: Social-Emotional Development Observation

1. Objective Anecdote:

This is exactly like you did in the practice assignment. This section is a detailed capture of what you are seeing and hearing. Remember to use clear, descriptive, objective language in your description. You are telling a little story so we can clearly imagine what you were observing.

2. Skill Building.

This section is highlighting skills that you see evidence of. Include at least two specific skills that the child is learning based what you are observing. Write two complete sentences and identify the domain area, i.e. cognitive development. The excerpted Creative Curriculum chart included below gives many examples of skills you may be observing.

3. Subjective Summary.

In this section, you, the observer, share your professional opinion about what you observed. When you share your opinion, follow it with a statement of something observed to support your opinion. Stay away from words like good or great. Also, stay away from labeling and diagnosing behavior, such as ADHD or autism. Do use your textbook for reference about the milestones you may be observing and as you consider what the child did in the past to build their current skill base.

4. Suggestion for Future Learning.

In this section, you are to make at least one suggestion for the child to expand on what he/she is currently doing that would foster additional learning and development. When making the suggestion, take a look at the child’s current skill base and then make a suggestion to scaffold to a more complex activity. Suggest similar activities that will help the child increase proficiency in the area that s/he is building skills. If the child appears to be at the mastery level of his/her developmental stage of development, then suggest a more complex activity that you believe is still developmentally appropriate for that child. The excerpted Creative Curriculum chart included below gives many examples of skills that may be appropriate to suggest as activities for future learning.