Running head: DOMAINS OF THE CHILD

Education Field Experience: The Four Domains of the Child Observation

Samantha Hess
Raritan Valley Community College
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I. Observation 4:
Domains of the child

II. Grade Level and Subject Area:

Preschool, ages 3-4, all subjects

III. Setting:
Raritan Valley Community College Daycare, One head teachers, two assistant
teachers, 9 students; 2 girls, 7 boys

IV. Pre-Observation:
Throughout classes I have taken at RVCC I have learned what to look for
when observing different stages of a child. I also work in this room, so I know
the child I am observing very well, which helps with this particular
observation.

V. Data:
The child that I observed is 4 years old. I printed out the developmental
Milestone Checklist from the American Pediatric website (see appendix 1) to
use as a guide on what to look for. Also, since I work in this room and Wendy
knew about the observation I was doing, she helped me look more in depth at
this boy’s different stages. Wendy has a teaching strategies child assessment
portfolio for each child (see appendix 2), which is broken into different stages
and Wendy observes and records what levels they are at. She let me look at
this child’s assessment portfolio to see where he is at in each domain. She did
not know how to print it from the school tablet, but she was nice enough to let
me write it all down. The level begins from not started yet, and goes up to
level 9. For a 4-year-old, they should be in the blue level, and she works to get
them to purple as they get closer to Kindergarten.

Social/Emotional Development:
-Balances needs and rights of self and others (blue)
-Manages feelings (blue)
-Follows limits and expectations (blue)
-Takes care of own needs appropriately (blue)
-Forms relationships with adults (blue)
-Responds to emotional cues (blue)
-Interacts with peers (blue)
-Solves social problems (blue)

Physical Development:
-Demonstrates traveling skills (blue)
-Demonstrates balancing skills (blue)
-Demonstrates gross motor skills (blue)
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-Uses fingers and hands (blue)

-Uses writing and drawing tools (blue)

This child is around the same height as the other boys his age. There are a few
that are taller, and a few that are shorter. He can keep up with his peers with
no problem. It is a mixed age room, so we do have some students who are 3
and some who are 3 as well. During transition time I read him a book called
“Food for Thought”. This book uses food pictures to teach shapes, colors,
counting, letters, and opposites. He knew almost everything without my help.
He knew all the shapes and colors. He knew some letters, and some of the
opposites, which is expected.

During morning circle time, Wendy played a movement song called “Body
Rock”, which names different body parts that you need to shake or move
around. Each time they named a body part he looked at Wendy to demonstrate
which body part they said. After seeing which part, he followed the directions
and moved those parts. He is also able to sit through circle time with no
issues. Most of the children are antsy or talking, but he sits and listens the
whole time.

During center time, this child went into dramatic play center, went to the desk
and got the notepad and pencil and started scribbling. He held the pencil in his
right hand and was holding it properly.

He went to art center during center time as well and made a collage with glue.
The teachers always put a post-it with the child’s name on the art work, but he
wanted to write his own name on his work. He recently began writing his
name, so it was good practice without him knowing it.

Cognitive Development:
-Attends and engages (blue)
-Persists (blue)
-Solves problems (blue)
-Shows curiosity and motivation (blue)
-Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking (blue)
-Recognizes and recalls (blue)
-Makes connections (blue)
-Uses classification skills (blue)
-Thinks symbolically (blue)
-Engages in sociodramatic play (blue)

VI. Analysis:
After observing this child and discussing it with Wendy, this child is where he
needs to be. He is a very intelligent and bright child. He is all blue’s in his
assessment portfolio, and Wendy is working on getting him to purples.
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VII. Recommendations:
This child is right on track. The only recommendation would be that he does
need to work on his fine motor skills. I talked this over with Wendy and we
both agreed that we need to find more activities for the classroom that involve
strengthening fine motor. He is very knowledgeable. His artwork and journal
are still scribbles. Even though painting is a choice, Wendy has him do it at
least once every few weeks. He has the strength for it, but the knowledge is in
his head. Wendy puts out play dough and wiki sticks to use for fine motor
("Promote Fine Motor Skills with 30 Materials & Activities | hands on: as we
grow," 2013). She got out a lacing activity while I was observing, and he went
over to try it out. Wendy did the first one for him to start it and to show him
how to do it. He went the wrong direction from the way she started it, but he
was lacing it through properly. He was able to lace in and out and pull the
string all the way through each time. This activity was very good for his
fingers.

When Wendy does his journal with him, she said “if he is going to draw a
house, I have him think about it first. I’ll ask him, what shapes do you need to
make a house?”. He has been practicing writing his name. Wendy has him
write his name on his own work as opposed to the teacher writing it for him.
When a teacher reads a book to him, Wendy asked the teachers to follow the
print with their finger so that he can start learning to recognize text.

In Wendy’s teaching strategies report, this child is all blues. Blue is fine to go
into kindergarten, but because he is so knowledgeable, Wendy is working to
get him to purple. Her curriculum book gives steps and a guide to move a
child up from a blue to a purple.

VIII. Post-observation:
Overall, my observation went really well. Working there helps me on every
observation so I never have an issue. Wendy was extremely helpful and gave
me more information than I thought I was going to get for this observation. I
am grateful that she helps me and gives me tools and skills to become a better
teacher and observer.

IX. Citations:
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2015, November 21). Developmental
Milestones: 4 to 5 Year Olds. Retrieved from
https://healthychildren.org/English/ages-
stages/preschool/Pages/Developmental-Milestones-4-to-5-Year-Olds.aspx

Promote Fine Motor Skills with 30 Materials & Activities | hands on : as we

grow. (2013, August 21). Retrieved from https://handsonaswegrow.com/fine-
motor-skills-activities/
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X. Appendix:

Appendix 1