Observation Seven

Observation #7

Checklist

Three young girls Z (age 9) S (age 10) and E (age 11). They are playing with a dollhouse, barns and toy horses and people.

ACTIVITY	Talking using dolls or horses	Arguing with one another	Playing mainly with horses	Playing mainly with dolls	Playing with dolls as “full family”	Playing with dolls as “broken family”	Acting out fantasy play, unrealistic play	Acting out reality or life like play	Re-enacting real events through play
Z	X	X	X			X	X		X
E	X	X			X			X
S	X			X	X			X	X
ACTIVITY	Playing with toys in different rooms of house	Setting up house or barn more than imaginative play time	Playing more than setting up for play	Dolls interacting with one another	Speaking in different voices for different characters	Choosing to play with mostly one doll	Choosing to play with one animal	Choosing to play with more than one doll
Z		X		X		X	X
E			X	X	X			X
S	X		X	X	X			X

Statements on Development:

®    They are speaking in different character voices (typical)

®    They engage in both realistic and fantasy play (typical)

®    Incorporating their own lives or behavior they have seeinto the play/reenactment (typical)

Professional Reflection:

Looking at play is a really interesting concept and can look into the child’s way of expressing themselves creatively. The girl who played with the dolls with “no daddy” in real life was raised by a single mom. The two girls who played with a full family were raised by a family with a mother, dad and siblings. I think it is important to be looking at activities such as play in order to understand the whole child, and can look at behavior through a different lens.