Application
Week 2- Daniel Johnson
Walden University
Children develop quickly at a young age. Young children under the age of six are capable of making thoughtful decisions about their behavior and environment (Epstein, 2003). They may even try to explain their behavior to others. In the case of Josh, a three year old boy that I will use for my observation and assessment project, social skills are still in the process of being developed and he hasn't begun to really start speaking at this point. After interviewing Josh's parents I was told that Josh says very few words and doesn't speak at all in sentences. He does, however, include himself socially with other children and plays easily with them. He understands English and Spanish. His parents are Spanish and only speak their native language in the home. Josh has an older brother, age 9, that speaks English well. This observation will be focused on Josh's social skills. As a three year old the parents are concerned that Josh is not developing at the same rate as his peers socially due to his lack of speaking. I explained to the parents that children develop in many different ways and in many different areas.
In regards to the Observation Project, the specific area of development and learning that will be assessed is social development. Examples of behaviors I will be looking for include choices made during social time, inclusion with other peers, and linguistic opportunities. Children who are given more opportunities to plan and reflect on their own opportunities scored higher on measures of language, literacy, social skills, and overall development (Epstein, 2003). “Planning and reflection also play a role in social problem solving. For example, effective strategies for conflict resolution encourage children to reflect on their feelings, plan alternative solutions and predict the consequences, and assess the