normal developmentthe baby met normal development expectations H u m a n i t i e s
Add: You are required to cite and find sources that support your claims of where children should be developmentally for the specific child you are observing.
For example, if you choose the Physical Domain and your observation is of a 6 year old, you must provide citations or research that indicate where children at that age should be in regards to their physical development.
The Textbook is an appropriate source, however outside Research is also acceptable.
add: Include Age, Background information (if known) and any other demographic information that you feel comfortable sharing that pertains to the child and specifically, related to their development.
Include Information Learned in Class-
What developmental theories have you learned in this class that can be applied to the child? Where are they in Piaget’s development versus the Bayley scales & others? Be detailed.
Do not include any identifying information about the child. You may use an alternative name.
add: Specifically- What did you observe?
Did you set up any type of activity for the child to participate in to observe their development in that specific domain?
Example:
To test Patrick’s Physical Development, we went to a local park where I observed Patrick’s ability to climb stairs, use monkey bars, use a slide and to observe fine and gross motor skills (define which activities specifically fit this criteria).
add: Compare the child’s observation to that of their peers in the same age group/development stage and their domain. Discuss if you think it is typical or a concern, use sources to back up this claim.
add :
Grammar, Length, Formatting (Times New Roman, 12, Normal Margins, Spelling, etc).
Minimum of 2-3 Pages Double Spaced.
The Age and Development Expectations
I am observing a two-month-old child. At two months, a child is expected to be more alert. They make various sounds and get more skills of moving their body. A child’s muscles develop as their arms and legs move more freely. Thus, the child is expected to stretch their arms and legs. The child is also expected to grow quickly and gain about 900 g weights between 2.5 cm to 3.7 cm monthly. In addition, the child discovers their fingers and hands. They are expected to hold their hands open and grab objects. However, they don’t know how to drop the objects down.
What I am Observing
I am observing physical development, focusing on motor skills. Motor skills mean the physical growth that strengthens a child’s muscles, bones, and the ability to move and touch objects in their surroundings. The two categories of motor development include fine motor and gross motor. Fine motor refers to small movements in the arms, legs, wrists, tongue, and toes. Gross motor skills involve muscle development that enables the child to hold up their head, sit, crawl, and finally walk, run, and jump. Motor skill development undergoes a predictable sequence, from the inner body (i.e., arms, legs, head, and neck) to the outer body (i.e., feet, hands, toes, and fingers)
The Setting
We are in a house, and a mother is laying her baby in bed to dress him. The baby is necked, and all parts involved in motor development are visible. The mother has just washed the baby and laid him in bed to dry him before dressing him. The mother removes several baby outfits to dress the baby. The house is silent, but the mother regularly says the baby’s name while holding his hands. The baby seems excited and smiles at the mother. The mother places several toys around the baby as she waits to dress him. He stares at the toys and stretches his hands to hold them. After a few minutes, the mother dresses the baby and breastfed him.
What I Saw
The baby’s hands and legs show significant motor development skills. For example, he unknowingly holds the clothes as the mother tries to dress him. The baby also grabs her mother’s fingers and refuses to go during breastfeeding. This behavior reflects the normal development expectation that a 2-month-old baby grabs objects but doesn’t know when to release them. The baby also moves his neck and head slightly to look at the toys and the mother as she selects the best outfit for him. Moving the neck and the head show the baby’s fine motor skills have significantly developed.The baby also seemed to be developing well cognitively speaking as he now interacts more with his mother, smiling and cooing when being talked to by her.
How it relates to Normal Development
The baby met normal development expectations for a 2-month-old child. The baby’s alertness shows his ability to explore the environment. He was active, and he moved his neck, arms, legs, feet, and fingers to interact with the environment, showing fine motor and gross motor skills. These activities show the baby’s had normal motor development, which is crucial for the next developmental stage. Motor development is vital for a child’s early development because it determines other developmental areas, such as crawling and walking. In this sense, the mother could expect her baby to crawl and walk at the expected age.
