Running head: TODDLER OBSERVATION
Lucas W. Munson
Toddler Observation
Ivy Tech Community College
1
TODDLER OBSERVATION
INTASC Standard #1: Learner Development
“The teacher candidate understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns
of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social,
emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and
challenging learning experiences.”
Rationale: To demonstrate my understanding of Standard #1, Learner Development, I chose to
include my first child observation. Through visiting with a toddler and observing the things that
he can or can not do, I could compare this with how the average child would develop and see
the common differences. This also allowed me to see how some things can be learned and
others are natural. For those learned, I can attempt to identify a source and how to approach it
in the classroom.
2
TODDLER OBSERVATION
At any age, a child can be named average, above average, or—worst of all—below
average. This common system of labeling a student spans from test scores, to social
interactions, to attendance. Because of this, parents and teachers are often left to expect too
much or not enough of their children or students. Until the parent or teacher has enough
experience to expect a certain amount from each certain student, this label can be thrown
around with no real proof. To students, this label can play a huge role in the formation of self-
esteem or how hard they work in school. To teachers, this label on a student is purely a
harmless was to organize.
Bentley Lippott, a 24 month-old, was kind enough to let me observe him on Monday,
February 15, 2016, at his grandma’s house. This house is a small ranch house near Strawtown,
IN. This, of course, was done under the supervision of his grandmother, Cassandra Eiler, who
has been a family friend for a long time. During this time (around 7:30, just after dinner),
Bentley continuously ran around the room, mazing through the furniture and around the dining
room table. He even army-crawled underneath the chair that I was sitting in at the dining room
table. Bentley also showed me how he could move a sitting bench so where he could stand on it
and turn on the light. According to his grandmother, he learned how to do this all my himself!
His grandma said how she will often tell Bentley to do something even if he can’t do it. For
example, he discovered how to turn on the light switch because he wanted to to turn on the
light and grandma told him “no, you do it”. This gave him the motivation to persevere and find
different ways to look at the same problem. Bentley has learned how to do many things on his
own because of this parenting style, and that is great because it shows him growing, not just
mimicking what others do.
3
TODDLER OBSERVATION
The night concluded with an hour-long play session with Bentley and his toys. Bentley
was quick to respond when his grandma asked him to put his toys in a bin or to get out a certain
toy. He was also very interested in all of his toys and showed interest in finding out how each
one worked. Unfortunately, Bentley also showed how possessive he was over his toys. When I
went to sit down with him and play with the toys, Bentley would stare me down or say “mine”,
so I would know that I shouldn’t play with his toys. With this, I tried to push my limits but also I
tried to help him out and hand him certain toys. I wanted to show him that sharing can be
caring. Towards the end of my visit, Bentley got out his new bicycle. All by himself, he brought
out this bicycle—the size of him—to the center of the room and stood on it. This showed me
how he understands how to use it, just lacks that little bit of motor skills to make him into a
speed demon. Shortly after this, I left the observation and Bentley seemed fine with it. Bentley
didn’t show signs of fear or over-attachment in that way, which is a good sign for someone at
his age.
On one hand, Bentley has plenty of things that are growing at the right speed. The first
thing is that his mind is very active. Even though he isn’t asking “why” every minute, it is clear
that his mind is buzzing because of how busy he was when playing with the toys
(whattoexpect.com). He would constantly look at the toy from different angles and see how it
works. He would put in different sized balls to see if any or all of them would fit. Another
normal thing for Bentley to go through is mess-ups in potty training and fears
(whattoexpect.com). According to Bentley’s grandma, these are both very common occurrences
in their household. Lastly, Bentley can understand the commands that are given to him. This
understanding is expected at this age (parents.com). For example, Bentley was told to put all
4
TODDLER OBSERVATION
his toys away, and he understood and did as he was told. These are just a few of the reasons
that Bentley is on the right track for physical and cognitive growth.
On the other hand, Bentley has a few things that are not growing at the right speed.
First off, Bentley can not yet create full sentences. If he does, these sentences are about two or
three words. Children of this age should be able to speak four-word sentences
(babycenter.com). In fact, Bentley was more familiar with sounds in comparison to sentences.
When he got on his bike, he made a buzzing sound, as if he was revving the engine. Small
actions like this made it clear that he knew the sounds that things made, but not how to talk
about them. Another thing that seemed abnormal to me was his amount of jealousy. From
what I can find, most jealousy at this age occurs if there is a younger sibling in the family. For
Bentley, that is not the case. Bentley is an only child, which could play in to how possessive he
is. Everything he has is his and always has been his. Bentley’s grandmother stated that Bentley
will have a tough time if he ever has a younger sibling and this is very true.
At the end of the day, I learned a lot from this visit. Children are constantly amazing me.
From my service learning, to family members, to this observation, every interaction I have with
a child amazes me. Maybe my expectations are just low, but children at any age seem to be
much smarter than I expect. Even if Bentley isn’t the most developed according to these
websites, he is really smart. This would relate to a classroom because I will have many different
students who excel in different areas and it is my job to help them become more well-rounded.
No matter if Bentley would be labeled as average, above average, or below average, he has
already shown great problem solving skills and perseverance.
5
TODDLER OBSERVATION
References
Robinson, H. (n.d.). Your Baby from 22 to 24 Months: Improved
Language & Motor Skills. Retrieved February 21, 2016, from
http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/growth/improved-
language-motor-skills/
Sullivan, D. (n.d.). Your 24-month-old's language and cognitive
development: Asking questions | BabyCenter. Retrieved
February 21, 2016, from http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-24-month-olds-language-
and-cognitive-development-asking_1273382.bc
Sullivan, D. (n.d.). Your 24-month-old's physical development: Moving
every which way | BabyCenter. Retrieved February 21, 2016,
from http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-24-month-olds-physical-development-
moving-every-which-w_5181.bc
What to expect. (n.d.). Retrieved February 21, 2016, from
http://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/24-month-old.aspx
6
TODDLER OBSERVATION 7
TODDLER OBSERVATION 8
TODDLER OBSERVATION 9
TODDLER OBSERVATION 10