Classroom Play Observation

Play Observation and Reflection “Play has been proven to be of benefit to all children” (“Development Across the Domains,” (n.d). Assessment of play can occur in many different ways. First, an observation can be either formal or informal. When an assessment is formal, it is usually done through tests and instruments used for research and requires specialized training. However, when an assessment is informal, it does not require specialized training or tests, but is done through collecting data, samples, and interviews (“Development Across the Domains,” n.d.). While conducting an informal anecdotal record observation on three different children, I gathered a lot of information while they were playing. On Wednesday, October 28, 2015, I went and observed a preschool classroom at the school where I work. This preschool is also known as Head Start. Head Start is a program that is funded through federal funds and helps low-income families get their four-year-old children ready for school (“About Us,” 2015; “Head Start,” 2015). There are seven Head Start programs located in Spotsylvania County. In order for students to be enrolled in the Head Start program, they must meet certain guidelines. These guidelines include being four-years-old

When I first came into the classroom, I noticed that he was not playing at a center like the rest of the students. Instead, he was walking around watching the other children play. During the 1930s, a researcher named Mildred Parten determined that play has six different stages. These different stages then portrays the child’s social development style. This child could be considered unoccupied because he was not engaged; however, according to Parten and her different stages of play, I feel that this child is considered an onlooker (“Parten’s Stages of Play,” 2015). Instead of playing with other children, he was just watching and focusing on them