Child Observation Paper

Final Project Children go through various stages of development throughout their lives. As children progress through life they go through levels that are generally specific to their age range. Most children follow very closely to the typical phases of development. There is no direct guideline of what a child must go through to progress to the next stage, so progress is different for every kid. As children get older their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development starts to change and progress. For this project I followed and observed a kid in the 6th grade math classroom that I was in for my Observation and Participation. Since Javier is 11 years old he would be just ending his Middle Childhood and starting into his Adolescence

This particular type of development connects directly to a child’s emotional development. Self and gender can have immediate impact on how a child feels about themselves. I noticed that Javier had a lot of confidence in himself and seemed very happy and comfortable. One big comparison that I noticed from Javier and the PowerPoint on the Development of Self and Gender is that children in Middle Childhood compare themselves to their peers. I noticed this with Javier when he was doing his math problems. When he and the kids at his table finished a problem Javier would compare his answers with others. Often times he would get the problems right along with his peers, but when he wouldn’t get one right he would feel very bad. Javier and his friends would also mention their basketball achievements and compare to one another. From this observation I would say that kids comparing themselves to one another is a very big part of their development. Another comparison that I found that effected Javier’s social and emotional development was the behavior traits that he shown. When I had asked Javier and his friends what they liked to do for fun they had mentioned that they like to play sports, skateboard, and be outside. In the PowerPoint on Self and Gender it says that boys have higher activities levels than girls. It also mentioned, “Boys are more likely to engage in outdoor play, rough play, and activities.” I found this to be very true among most of the boys that I worked with during O&P. When I asked a group of girls what they like to do for fun some had said sports, but many mentioned that they like reading, hanging out with their friends, and being inside more. In regards to the development of self the textbook states, “[Early adolescences (10-12 year olds)] Begin to notice and become concerned with identity issues, including ethnic identity,” (339). In my observation I did not