Find a child (0-12 years of age) and parent(s) who are willing to allow you to perform at least 30-45 minutes of observation. Written permission must be obtained from one parent. This consent form must be signed Download This consent form must be signed (original signature only, not electronic) and submitted in the appropriate area to receive credit. For reasons of objectivity, do not observe a child that lives in the same home as you.

Inform the parent that you will not be supervising the child, but simply observing. Also inform the parent that you will not be able to offer any recommendation or feedback regarding any aspect of the child's behavior (such as diagnosis or developmental state). Depending on the situation, you might be able to avoid the child's knowledge that you are present. It is acceptable to observe a child through video call. If the situation warrants an introduction or explanation as to your presence, ask the parent to keep it simple (for instance, "Susie is going to work on her homework.") Do not inform the child that (s)he is being observed. Do not complete an observation during school, even with parental permission, unless the child is in home school.

Choose a situation in which you think interesting behavior might occur. You might consider the park, birthday party, family dinner, sporting event or practice, homework time, church activities, etc. You are to avoid, if possible, direct interaction with the child. Try to observe such behaviors as: general activities, activity of specific parts of the body, attention span, play, language, parent-child interactions, peer-child interactions, eating, television viewing, etc. Make detailed notes on what you observe. You may wish to make a list of activities you expect to observe before you perform the observation. Then, during the observation, note how often the behaviors occur and make specific comments on the behavior. Make sure you concentrate on the child and are not carrying on conversations or performing other activities at the same time.

First, submit supplemental documents. You must submit the parental consent form AND your written notes here in order to receive credit for your observation post. Posts without completed consent form and notes will automatically receive zero credit.

Submit your discussion post below. The original post will contain the following information (20 points total)

Describe the child, including their age, gender, and general characteristics. DO NOT use the child's name. You may wish to use a pseudonym (fake name). (5 points)

Discuss the observation period. Avoid posting a dry chronology. As you discuss the observation, point out THREE course concepts and make note of how the child illustrated these concepts. One concept should relate to physical development, one to cognitive development, and one to socioemotional development. (10 points)

Reflect on the observational technique. What are strengths, as well as faults/ limitations, of conducing a naturalistic observation on children? What thoughts did you have while you conducted this observation? (5 points)

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