ELCC-105 - Child Growth and Development

Assignment #3: Observation of Cognitive Development Milestones

Assignment weight - 15%

Objective:
This assignment will assess student competency in observing children objectively and identifying cognitive
development milestones. Students will also be assessed in justifying an identified milestone and considering
next steps.

Creating developmentally appropriate early learning settings and experiences requires a foundational knowledge
in child development and milestones of growth. This assignment will support student’s ability to correctly
evaluate a child’s growth and development based on the milestones and offer opportunities to think of how an
educator might program for future growth. In this assignment students will be required to observe two different
children from various age groups (chosen from list below) for the purpose of recognizing milestone
achievement and documenting a narrative observation record. Each observation must include a different child
in a different age range.

Students may have to visit other playrooms in their childcare programs to complete the two observations. The
two observations should be of children demonstrating different Cognitive milestones. In other words, the 2
children of different age groups should not all be illustrating Cognitive milestones of carrying out a three-step
direction.

Age groups from which to choose three children:

• Birth to Five Months 6-12 months 12-24 months
• 24-36 months 3 – 4 years 4 – 5 years

Assignment instructions:

For each of the two children, students will:

1. Observe and document a child’s Cognitive Development by writing a detailed and objective anecdotal
record as outlined in class and in the textbook for this course
a. Anecdotal record must have the six headings as outlined in class
2. Create an analysis that correctly identifies a milestone that has been achieved in the observation and the
reason why the student thinks the child has achieved this milestone.
3. Plan for next steps by identifying a new milestone in the Cognitive domain and think of an experience
that will support this milestone.
4. Students will refer to the child development milestones from their textbook.
a. APA citations and a reference page will be included in this assignment
b. Students will also use a professional writing style that includes spelling and grammar guidelines

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Example Narrative Observation Record - Anecdotal
An example of a completed Narrative Observation Record – Anecdotal Format is presented below.
Students will use this format for their assignment. Students may not use this milestone in the example.

Anecdotal Observation Record - Cognitive Development Milestone

Child’s Name: Sam Jones Child’s Date of Birth: December 1, 2015 (3yr, 2mo)
Observation Date: February 13, 2019 Observation Location: Locker Area
Observer’s Name: K. Smith Time of Observation: 10:00 am

Area of Development: Cognitive Development

Milestone Achieved: Carries out a three-step direction (Feeney et al., pg.145)
Context: Transition to outside play

Observation:
Sam stood at the classroom door. The caregiver said, “Go to your locker, take off your inside shoes and put on your coat.” Sam went to a locker and
pointed at his picture. Sam crouched down and took off his shoes. Sam put his shoes on the shelf and put his coat on. Sam sat in his locker and said
“Teacher, I’m all done. Can I ride bikes today?”

Analysis:
Sam has demonstrated the milestone “Carries out a three-step direction” (Feeney et al., pg.145) because Sam responded to the caregiver asking him
to go to his locker, take off his shoes and put on his coat. We will continue to support this milestone by encouraging Sam to guess what should
happen next and help him to plan his next steps on his own by adding a visual aid chart next to the lockers.
The next milestone for Sam could be “Attention span lengthens; notices increasing detail” (Feeney et al., pg.145) and we will support this milestone
by including more steps in his transitional routine such as asking him to also put on his hat and gloves and encouraging him to engage in a prediction
game on what comes next.

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 Assignment #1: Anecdotal observation – Cognitive Development GRADING RUBRIC
Total Mark: __/15

Above Does Not Meet

Excellent Meets Expectations Needs Improvement
Criteria Expectations Requirements
(14-15) (9-11) (6-8)
(12-13) (0-5)
Both cognitive Both cognitive
Both cognitive Observations are
development development
development observations limited in detail or One or both
Objective observations are observations are
are detailed, objective, and objectivity, and there observations are
Cognitive mostly detailed, adequately detailed,
follow the required are notable errors in incomplete, lacking
Development objective, and with some objectivity
anecdotal record format the record format for detail, objectivity, or
Observation and follow the required and minor errors in
perfectly. All six headings one or both the required format.
Documentation anecdotal record the record format.
are used effectively for observations. The The focus on cognitive
(for Two format with minor The focus on
both observations, and the focus on cognitive skills is missing or
Observations) errors. The focus on cognitive skills is
focus on cognitive skills is skills is unclear in incorrect.
cognitive skills is present but could be
clear parts.
clear. clearer.
Cognitive Cognitive milestones
Cognitive milestones
Cognitive milestones are milestones are are identified with Cognitive milestones
are identified but lack
identified accurately in identified adequate justification are identified but lack
Cognitive strong justification or
both observations with accurately in both in both observations, strong justification or
Milestone have unclear
excellent justification for observations with though some have unclear reasoning
Identification reasoning in one or
why the children have good justification, reasoning may be in one or both
and Justification both observations.
achieved the milestones, clearly linking the unclear or the observations. The
(for Two The connection
clearly linking the observation to the connection between connection between
Observations) between the
observation to the analysis analysis of observation and the observation and
observation and
of cognitive development. cognitive analysis could be analysis is weak
analysis is weak
development. stronger.
Next steps are
Next steps are thoughtful, relevant and
Next steps are Next steps are poorly Next steps are missing,
relevant, and clearly connected to a new
adequately planned planned, lack inappropriate, or
Next Steps connected to a new cognitive milestone
but may lack clarity relevance, or do not unrelated to the
Planning (for cognitive milestone in both in both
in their connection to clearly connect to a cognitive milestone or
Two observations, with observations, with a
the new cognitive new cognitive future cognitive
Observations) appropriate plans for each good plan for each
milestone in one or milestone in one or development in one or
child’s future cognitive child’s future
both observations. both observations. both observations.
development. cognitive
development.
Writing includes Writing includes
Writing includes
Professional writing accurate APA frequent errors in Writing lacks APA
some errors in APA
includes flawless APA citations and APA citations and citations or has
citations and
citations and reference reference page, reference page, which significant errors in
Use of Evidence reference page but
page. All evidence and with minor errors in affect citation and reference
and Citations still follows proper
ideas are cited format or professionalism in format for one or both
format for both
appropriately across both placement across one or both observations and
observations and
observations and analyses. both observations observations and analyses.
analyses.
and analyses. analyses.

Almost no Few grammar, Some grammar,

Numerous grammar,
Virtually no grammar, grammar, spelling, spelling, and spelling, and
spelling, and
Grammar, spelling, or punctuation or punctuation punctuation errors punctuation errors
punctuation errors that
Spelling, and errors. Writing is errors. Writing is that do not that occasionally
impede comprehension
Professional professional and enhances clear and significantly affect distract the reader in
in one or both
Writing clarity for both professional for comprehension for one or both
observations and
observations and analyses. both observations both observations and observations and
analyses.
and analyses. analyses. analyses.

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 ANSWER

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