Piaget developed the theory that the best way to study children was in their natural environment. The aim of this assignment is to study children in their natural environment just as Piaget and gain first hand evidence of their developmental process. The procedure for this experiment is to document the actions observed and to use the observations as evidence for the child study. To gain an efficient amount of evidence the observation must consist of at least 20 hours but the hours must be spread out within a 2-4 month time span. The student is observed in the same setting, so he is comfortable enough to “act natural.” The first class I observed was Ms. Alison’s class which consisted of 12 boys and 2 girls, age 4. Ms. Alison is a new inexperienced teacher. The second class I observed was Ms. Corney’s class which consisted of 9 girls and 8 boys, age 5. Ms. Alison is an experienced teacher, of whom has been teaching for 5+ years. During the instructed time in each class, observation will be taken of the students peer to peer communication, academic ability during curriculum activities and each child’s individual progress within their own development.
The student I observed is an African American/Hispanic, male age 5. He can understand Spanish and is learning English. For the sake of this experiment I will refer to the student as “Michael.” He has black hair and dark brown eyes. Michael is high energized, happy boy whom enjoys playing with toy cars. He is learning to communication with his peers as his English is progressing. He became the focus of this child study because I have observed his behavior progression more so than others. The focus on one student allows for a more thorough observation, compared to observing a group of students. His motor skills have fully developed and he does not display any difficulty completing physical task within his range.