Introduction

Child development and play are very closely linked, as children learn through play and their bodies develop through their activities. Development is a gradual process and a number of general milestones have been identified to help keep track of a child's physical, intellectual, linguistic, emotional and social growth. Not all children develop at the same pace in the different skills, but the milestones are useful for the general population. The main way of gathering information about and tracking a child's development is through observation. For the purposes of the FETAC Level 4 Child Development and Play module, I am required to undertake an assignment that demonstrates the importance of observation skills in childcare. Observation is a way of gathering information at first hand. With adequate preparation and a sensitive approach, the observer can leave the subject free to behave in as natural a way as possible and without additional restrictions. The physical presence of the observer will always have some influence on the situation but need not be intrusive. Observation is important in childcare for the documenting of each individual child's development. It is a skill that is important for every childcare worker to master as it fosters a greater awareness of the child's needs, thus helping with planning for the child's future. Issues around stress, bullying and the development of particular talents in a child can also come to light through observation and would otherwise not be noticed, perhaps. This observation was carried out with a three-and-a-half-year-old boy. It was carried out in his home environment and he was familiar with all those present. During the observation, notes were made on physical, intellectual, linguistic, emotional and social skills development.

Aim of the assessment

The aim of this assignment is to observe TC for 10 minutes in order to evaluate his development and his level of progress.

Key stages of child development

Children develop at different rates but there are general guidelines for the monitoring of a child's development through infancy and childhood. Generally, development is broken into three main stages encompassing 0 to 6 years of age: infant, toddler and young child. During the infant stage, the child starts with primitive reflexes and gradually learns to control her body better and better. By the age of one year the child can sit without support and wriggle and perhaps crawl. Fine motor skills are being developed and the child can pick up items. Hand-eye coordination continues to develop over the next number of months along with the ability to stand and walk. At this stage, the child begins to produce discernible words and learns between 10 and 30 new words per month. The teeth will continue developing and the child starts to become a little more independent of the parents. Emotional development forms a large part of toddlerhood. This is shown by tantrums and other displays of emotion. The child wants to have her own way but is often unable to clarify exactly what she wants which can lead to feelings of frustration. Short sentences are formed and language development is quite rapid. Colouring and jigsaws are very attractive to children of this age. Dominance of one hand over the other may become apparent at this stage and mimicking and parallel play also come to the fore. Young children of between three and six years are very active. They enjoy kicking a ball, using a tricycle and other physical activities. There are fewer emotional outbursts as their language has developed sufficiently for them to express the majority of their needs. Imitation is still very important for learning and they become more involved in the stories that are read to them. Children at this age understand concepts better and will normally be able to count and recognise the letters of the alphabet, days of the week and some colours. Bladder and bowel control usually improve to allow the child to sleep without a nappy. Cooperative play develops at this stage and motor skills show a marked improvement.

Observation techniques
There is a variety of techniques available for the observation of children's development. Different techniques may be appropriate at different stages and will vary on a case-by-

case basis. There are five broad categories of techniques commonly used for observation in childcare: written/narrative, checklists, diagrammatic, time sampling and event sampling.

Observation of a child
I carried out an observation (see Appendix A) of a three-and-a-half-year-old boy at play in his own home. TC had just arrived home from preschool and proceeded to play in the front room. I used the written/narrative technique to observe him because he did not directly involve me in his play, thus giving me the opportunity to take notes as the observation progressed.

Skills demonstrated by the child

The main skills demonstrated by TC were hand-eye coordination and perseverance. Fine motor skills were involved in the untying of the lace from the shoe and the efforts to tie the lace to the balloon. In terms of intellectual development, TC started on the untying of the lace from the shoe with the intention of tying it to the balloon. TC demonstrated linguistic skills through singing and humming a song that he had heard his father singing frequently in the past. The fact that TC did not become upset even when his efforts at untying the lace were not successful at first shows emotional development. In addition, he did not become upset when his efforts at tying the lace to the balloon were unsuccessful. TC was gentle when untying the lace from the shoe that his mother was wearing. Once he had removed the lace, he said," Mummy, I take it off".

Analysis
According to the PBS Parents website (n.d.), three-year-olds learn primarily through exploring and tend to use all of their senses in their play and learning. This was the first time that TC tried removing laces from shoes. The activity took some time and he showed his ability to ignore distractions and focus on the task at hand. PBS Parents also states that three-year-olds are able to understand conversations, stories and songs. While he was occupied with removing the lace, TC sang and hummed a song he had heard one of his

parents singing frequently. Language and communication in TC are also in line with the milestones described on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2012) website. TC uses a personal pronoun when he says: "Mummy, I take it out". Sentence formation is also of a level that enables strangers to understand what he says on first meeting him. TC shows fine and gross motor skills in line with the milestones described on the How Kids Develop website (2008). He approached the removal of the lace from the shoe as a puzzle and walked to his room to fetch his balloon.

Personal learning
Carrying out this observation has helped me to understand children and their development better. I feel that I am calmer and more accepting of children's behaviour and their ways of expressing their needs. I now understand the importance of things that I found silly or wrong before. I used not to take much notice of the process and stages of development in children but now I am more aware of development taking place.

References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2012) 'Important Milestones: Your Child at Three Years' [online] available http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-3yr.html [accessed 15 November 2012]. How Kids Develop (2008) 'Childhood Development: 3 to 5 Years' [online] available http://www.howkidsdevelop.com/3-5years.html [accessed 15 November 2012]. PBS Parents (n.d.) 'Child Development Tracker - Your Three Year Old' [online] available http://www.pbs.org/parents/childdevelopmenttracker/three/index.html [accessed 28 October 2012].

Appendix A
Narrative Observation Form
Observer's Name:_______________ Time:___________ Obs. Date:___________ ___ Obs.

Child's Alias:_________________________________________ DOB:_____________ Observation Context (Description of Environment):

Observing for:: Narrative Interpretations

Recommendations