Observation: Stepping Stones Preschool Program

On November 13, 2014 at Grossmont College’s Child Development Center, I observed Konnor who was born on March 11, 2011. At the center, there are roughly around 15 children between the ages of three and five; there is one adult for every six or so kids. The preschool center’s indoor environment is safely secured with a locked gate that separates the outside door which leads to the younger children centers and parking lot with the hallway to the learning and play area. There are two separate rooms, but they both have screen doors that lead to the same play area outside. The room on the left, which Konnor is placed in, was smaller

Observing children’s development is very important while they are growing up. When a child is physical growing every child growth may not be the same. At this age the child may began to lose fat and gain muscles. Children’s that are at the age of 2 and 3 height will increase faster than the weight. Motor skills are when you observe a child when they are engaging in with others and using their muscles. When children’s use their fine motor skills, there is so much that you can observe as simple as a child climbing the stairs. The main purpose of a child using there fine motor skills is to gain more control of their muscle movements. That’s why sending your child to a preschool because this will help them master those skills.

Doing field experience at St.Mary’s Preschool has taught me a lot not only about the educational system but about myself as well. I’ve learned over these couple of months that in order to become a wonderful teacher, you have to have an enormous amount of patience and dedication. Teaching isn’t an easy profession and through this experience, my respect for my teachers have grown tremendously. Many students often take their teachers for granted but they don't realize what they do for us.

I got an appointment for observation on July 13 at De-Anza Child Development Center. I chose room No. 26 for observation. I observed one child from 3:26 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. There are total 10 children present in room no.26 at the time of my observation. Out of 10 there are 4 girls and 6 boys. They range from 3 to 5 years of age. There are three adults in the room, all are female. One adult for every 3 children- 1:3. When I entered kids are doing free play. I settled myself and started to observe a kid named Aaron. He is around 3 and half years of age.

This paper contains observations of a preschool classroom in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The observation was conducted in a Pre-K classroom with approximately ten students present. Observations are presented with regard to dramatic play, the presence of gender roles, and themes that emerge during preschool play. Peer relationships and levels of friendship between students will also be discussed. Relationships with adults in the classroom with in terms of attachment styles and general interactions involving teachers and parents will be reviewed. Observations are also described in relation to self-control, self-regulation, aggression,

Toddlers and preschoolers are at different developmental stages, and therefore require their teachers to use different approaches and techniques to further learning. I completed my observations at the Bright and Early Children’s Learning Center where I observed a toddler classroom and a preschool classroom. My observations took place from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on the 21st and 28th of September. The first day that I observed I was placed in the toddler classroom which had two teachers, Miss Ashlynn and Miss Miranda, and six students, most of whom were two years old. In the preschool classroom there was one teacher, Miss Stephanie, and eight students, each of whom were 3 years old or 4 years old. While the rooms were physically similar, the teachers used different strategies and activities to appeal to the different age groups.

For the classroom observation assignment I was able to observe at Stepping Stones Family Childcare and Preschool Program. I conducted observations for five hours each on the dates of September 24th and September 25th of the year 2015. This licensed home-based daycare and preschool program is located in a quiet suburban neighborhood on 4103 Bryant Street, Blasdell, New York. The facility allows for a twelve-child capacity (ages 6 weeks to 12 years with four additional school age) and is owned and founded by Kim Bannister. When I observed, there were two additional staff present. Therefore, there were a total of 3 adults and 12 children at the center when I observed. New York State Senator Marc C. Panepinto was also present on September 25th as he read to the children and toured the home. I chose this specific setting as I personally thought it would be an interesting dynamic to study how a home-based preschool program is run.

Similar to her fine motor skills, this toddler has demonstrated that her language development is progressing at an appropriate pace. She may not have spoken too much, but when she did she was able to combine words into somewhat of a sentence. She was also able to listen to what the teacher said and repeat the word back to her. ((Toddler Developmental Milestones:

I observed the preschool classroom of Ms. K. Today was a smaller group, as several children are on vacation. This is a new facility and just the host teacher was in there at this time. I came into the classroom at 8:00 and left at 9:00. I spoke with the host teacher before and after the observation for feedback, which I felt was beneficial to both her and me. I observed the children during inside for 20 minutes. I observed the children during outside play for 40 minutes.

Many children attend both three and four year old preschool. If you plan on switching to a new preschool for next school year, make sure you spend some time preparing for the transition. If you allow your child to saw goodbye to their old school friends, and allow them time to adjust to their new preschool, this transition will be a lot easier.

Bakhet is also in Mrs. James class. With Bakhet, I decided to use the alphabet flashcards because he is a level one ESl student. I wanted to see how well he knew his letters and the sounds each letter makes. Bakhet knew his letters well but did not know most of the sounds. I decided to run through some letters sounds with him and relate them to an animal or object.Bakhet seemed to grasp the concept a little. I ended my session with Bakhet by reading a book to him. He seems to enjoy the book. He listened quietly and paid close attention to the story. One of the last students I interacted with in Mrs. James class was Henry. A seven-year-old Haitian boy. Since Mrs.James , his first-grade teacher, told me he knew how to write stories well that

For my second practice observation, I watched an 18-month old boy, who I will be referring to as B. The setting takes place in a classroom where two other children are present, two teachers are there as well, and plus the observers. The room had a dramatic play center because it had a dress-up center and kitchen center. It also had a block center. I observed by watching a 5-minute video from 5:40-5:45 p.m. on January 27th, 2018. B played with a ramp, blocks, bottles, balls, etc. He played with a lot of toys in this short video.

To complete my Preschool Atypical observation I went to Bruceton Elementary School. While there I observed a 3-year-old boy named Tucker who was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism. Tucker is a little boy who was born and raised in Preston County, West Virginia and is attending the Preschool offered at Bruceton Elementary for half a day. He is an only child who speaks only English, both Tucker’s parents are local and have been part of the Bruceton communities for years. I observed Tucker from 7:30 in the morning till his lunch at 11:30 while he participated in multiple activities showing off his development in all 5 major areas.

The program I observed combined both group and individualized activities. During the beginning of the day, students and teachers met together for a general morning session. The teacher used a 'wake-up' song with bodily movements, and some of the paraprofessionals helped students go through the motions of the group dance, if they had issues with motor skills. Afterwards, children were allowed some free time on their own, during which they could work with the teacher and other paraprofessionals on specific skills, such as learning colors, numbers, or speaking. Next came lunch followed by story time, in which children were read to by the teacher, followed by outdoor play.

In the preschool, snacks for the children are provided 'buffet style' in an open kitchen area furnished with two connecting child-size picnic tables. Snacks and juice are accessible to the children in this area for a 45-minute period followed by free play time. Children are free to sit with one another as they please.