Temperaments At The Associated Student Child Development Center

Children are not the same. They differ in their moods, activity level, and attention span. Some children are fearful, while others have to fear at all and require more attention. These differences in behaviors and characteristics are defined as temperament. There are three different temperaments, easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm. In an observation conducted at the Associated Student Child Development Center, I observed a classroom of eight children to see the differences between temperaments. Personality traits, transgressions, transitions, and the sensitivity of the caregivers were evaluated. Temperament can impact children in a variety of ways including, physical status and relationships with parents and caregivers. These temperaments are

He is Caucasian and has two involved parents. His father usually drops him off and his mom picks him up, this way both can be involved in his school. This is his first year in preschool, but he adapted right away. During the time of observation Cal read stories with a TA for about an hour and then went to play in the ball pit and musical instruments. He was in a very positive mood and easily transitioned from different activities. He enjoyed playing by himself, after he was done reading with the TA he engaged in play by himself. He was rolling balls down a ramp and playing with farm animals, eventually a TA came to check in and play with him. When his mom came to pick him up he was a little sad to leave, but eventually waved bye and left with his mom. These characteristics fit the easy/flexible temperament because he likes routine, was in a positive mood, and when transgressions occurred he handled them with

The first transgression occurred during lunch when Emery took Kaleah’s cup of milk away from her. Kaleah did not say anything to Emery and looked to the TA for what to do. When the TA told Emery that it was not her cup, Emery screamed and then went back to eating her food. This transgression shows Kaleah’s fearful temperament and Emery’s feisty temperament. During free time Emery hit Cal on the head with a plastic plate. Cal began to cry but a TA went to comfort him and distract him by showing him a stuffed animal that he likes. The other TA went to Emery and told her, “we are gentle with out friends, we do not hit our friends because it hurts their bodies (observation, September 25, 2015)“. Emery did not pay any attention to the TA was trying to squirm out of her arms. Again, this shows Emery’s feisty temperament and how it can affect other student’s in the classroom. Cal handled the transgression fairly well because his reaction was not intense compared to if a feisty or fearful tempered student got