Running Header: COGNITIVE OBSERVATION 1

Desiree Hogue
29 March 2015
ECE 252
Cognitive Observation

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Part A
For this section, observe a child between the age of 4 12 months.
1. a. One young boy is moving a toy car on the floor, he lets go and the car rolls far on across
the floor. He giggles, crawls to the car, and he pushes the car far across the floor again.
The same boy later is spinning wheel he has, once the wheel stops, it begins to sing. He
continues to spin the wheel until he hears the same sound, and he stops and crawls away.
b. I believe this child is in the 4-8 month stage where he repeats activities using objects.
2. Some toys I see that I believe will help children move to the next stage are: cars where the
children can scoot on, walkers, books, and there are even some paper with crayons.
3. A lot of the toys available are ones that the children need to be able to grasp to play with.
There are also many balls that the children can kick or bounce. One interaction that I observed
was a child trying to put shapes in the right holes. The child continued to attempt to put the
triangle in the square, eventually the child began to cry, frustrated. The caregiver that was there
talked to the child to come them down, and pointed to the different holes to show him his
options. The child eventually was able to succeed with the right shapes.

Part B
For this section, observe a child between the ages of 13 19 months.
1. a. One child walked up to a caregiver, pulled on their skirt, and said "water", pointing at the
sink.

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The same child, later on, sits on the floor and looks at another child who is trying to put a shape
in the wrong shape hole. The child stands up, walks over to the other child, and put the object in
the correct hole.
b. I believe this child is in the 18-24 month stage where she imagines events and solves
problems.
2. There were many toys and materials that encouraged the children to get up and explore with
being active. There was a little dance corner, with music where the caregiver would dance and
the children would copy. There were also caregivers blowing bubbles and the children would
jump up, popping the different bubbles.
3. There were many puzzles that the children can play with, as well as many books, balls and
more toys that encourage movement, like more cars, mats to climb on. One interaction I noticed
was a child would tell a caregiver, "Book" pointing at the different books. The child would
receive the book, flip through the pages, and put it down and ask for the next book. The caregiver
would give her a new book each time.

Part C
For this section, you will be utilizing a child between the age of 20 27 months (include exact
age of child observed).
1. DEVELOPEMENT OF MEANS FOR ACHIEVING DESIRED ENVIRONMENTAL
EVENTS
Development of eye-hand coordination
1. Appearance of hand-watching behavior

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Place the infant supine on some flat surface away from attractive visual stimuli and observe
whether the infant will engage in hand-watching activities, i. e., whether he will attempt to keep
his hands within view and follow them with his eyes as they move out of sight. Supplement this
observation with any evidence of hand-watching that might be observed during the rest of the
examination.
Successfully completed step.
2. Achievement of visually-directed grasping
Hold a small bright object, e. g., a rattle, about 12 inches in front of the infants face for at least
30 seconds and observe the infants behavior. If the infant is unable to grasp the rattle, make sure
he is focusing on it and then move the rattle slowly toward the infants hand, so that by following
the rattle with his eyes he will come to see both the rattle and his hand at the same time. Again
observe the infants behavior.
Successfully completed step.
Development of Secondary Circular Reactions
3. Repetition of actions producing an interesting result
Observation of secondary circular reactions depends on finding some object on which the infant
can act and, through his action, produce a result which he finds interesting. An object which can
be activated by one of the earliest motor schemas, such as hitting, and which provided visual
and auditory feedback from the action has been found to be most suitable for this purpose. A
brightly colored musical toy in the shape of a clown or a sphere of several colors hinged to a
holder which turns around several times and makes a sound when hit by the hand has been used.
Hold the object within reach of the infants preferred hand, but far enough away to discourage
immediate grasping, and observe the infants reaction.
Successfully completed step.
Differentiation of Means and Ends
4. Overcoming an obstacle in the course of reaching for an object
Have the infant sitting on the floor or in a seat next to a low table in order to have some working
space around the infant. Find some object in which the infant shows considerable interest, such
as the toy car or a small doll. Take the object and place it some distance form the infant but still
within the reach of his hands and, as he begins to reach for in, place a transparent plastic screen
in front of the object. Observe the infants reaction. Repeat two or three times, or until the
infants reaction seems clear.
The infant poked the screen each time, looking with a questioning glance. Continued to poke,
and then reached around.

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5. Letting go of another object in order to reach for another

Get the infant to hold an object in each hand simultaneously, such as two animals, blocks, etc.,
then quickly, present a third object more desirable than either of the two which the infant hold (a
cookie, the examiners watch, etc.). Hold the third object in front of the infant within his reach
and observe how the infant obtains the third object. The infant may drop one of the objects he
already holds accidentally. In that case, the object will slip slowly out of his hands and there
will be a delay between dropping that object and reaching for the third one. Repeat the
presentation up to five times in order to clarify the infants reaction.
The infant put down the object that was in his right hand each time, no matter what was in the
right hand.
6. Using locomotion as means
Engage the infant in some play which involves the use of two or three objects simultaneously.
Presenting the infant with several blocks and a plastic container usually accomplishes the
purpose. As soon as the infant becomes involved in the play, take one of the objects essential to
the play activity (such as the plastic container) and place it out of the infants reach but clearly
visible to him. Observe the infants reaction.
The infant did not do anything but stare at the object that I placed out of reach.
Development of the use of other subjects as intermediaries
7. Using a support
Place the infant in a high chair next to a table or some other surface which is flush with the tray
of the infants chair. Interest the infant in some object such as a stuffed animal, doll, toy car, etc.
As soon as it is clear that the infant likes the object, place it out of the infants reach on a pillow
which is located on the table in such a way that one corner of the pillow is within his reach.
Encourage the infant to get t he object and observe his reaction. Repeat at least once. If the
infant shows a desire for the object and yet is unable to get it, demonstrate with a verbal
explanation that the pillow serves as a support by pushing it toward the infant and away from
him several times, and again observe the infants reaction. If the infant tries to climb for the
object, note this behavior, but try to discourage it in order to see if the infant will use the support
for obtaining the object. Repeat the demonstration twice more if necessary.
Successfully completed step.

8. Pillow corroboration for the use of support

If the infant obtains the object by means of the support, either at once or after the demonstration,
repeat the presentation once more, but instead of placing the object on the support, hold it about

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4 inches above it and observe the infants reaction. If the infants behavior is not clear, repeat the
presentation with the object on the support and observe for difference in reaction.
Successfully completed step.
9. Using a string horizontally to obtain object
Place the infant in a high chair close to a table. Interest the infant in some such object as the
stuffed animal and then tie a 5 floor string around it, in full view of the infant. Place the object
on the table out of the infants reach and stretch the string from the object to the infants hands.
Encourage the infant to obtain the object. Note any attempts to climb out in order to reach the
object, but discourage climbing. Repeat once or twice. If the infant does not use the string to
obtain the object, demonstrate, with verbal explanation if necessary, by pulling the string, so that
the object moves closer to the infant, then push it back, then pull the string again, and so forth,
several times. Observe the infants reaction.
Successfully completed step.
10.
Using string vertically to obtain object
While infant is sitting in a high chair and shows definite interest in some such object as the
stuffed animal or doll, tie a 5 foot string to the object and calling the infants attention to the
process, slowly lower the object to the floor underneath the high chair, while stretching the string
from the object to the infants hands, draping the string two or three times to obtain the object
and observe his reaction. If there is no response, lift the object to the level of the tray and after
ascertaining that the infant still desires the object (usually indicated by reaching for it as it gets
closer), lower it again as before. If the infant does not by now use the string to obtain the object,
demonstrate by slowly lifting the object to the level of the infants hand by means of the string
and lowering it to the floor several times. Again observe the infants reaction.
Successfully completed step.
11. Using a stick to obtain object
Place the infant in a high chair next to a table or some other surface which would come flush to
the tray of the infants chair. Interest the infant in some object such as a small stuffed animal,
doll, etc. Place the object on the table out of the infants reach and place a 1 foot stick (which
would be long enough to reach behind the object) next to the infants hands. Encourage the
infant to obtain the object and observe his reactions. Call attention several times to the stick if it
seems that the infant has not noticed it. Then if the infant does not use the stick to obtain the
object, take the stick and use it to push the object closer to the infant and back again several
times as a demonstration of the use of the stick. Place the stick next to the infants hands again
and observe his behavior.
Successfully completed step.
Development of representation of means

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12.
Showing foresight - the problem of a long necklace and a narrow container
Present the infant with a long necklace of colorful beads, all stretched out, and a transparent
plastic container, widening at the top. If the infant does not spontaneously attempt to place the
necklace into the container, take both items swiftly away, put the necklace into the container
behind your back and present the infant with the spectacle of the beads inside the container;
shake slightly if necessary. If the infant shows interest and reaches for the necklace, remove the
necklace from the container and present both to him again. Observe how the infant attempts to
put the necklace into the container. Encourage the infant verbally, if it seems necessary. Repeat
the presentation if the infant does not succeed.
Attempted to place necklace in container. Continued to put in incorrectly, not fitting. After five
attempts, success.
13.
Showing foresight - the problem of the solid ring
Have the infant sitting on some surface such as the floor. Spread five plastic or wooden rings,
one of which has been made solid, (each a different color) in front of the infant. Take a rod and
slip one ring over it, forming a base. Encourage the infant to stack the remaining rings. Observe
the infants behavior toward the solid rings. If the solid rings remains as the last one and the
infant does not stack it spontaneously, do not suggest that he stack it. Instead, remove all rings
and repeat the presentation, maneuvering the solid ring into a position close to the infants hands
so that it would have a high probability of being picked up if the infant is going to stack it, and
would have to be deliberately voided if he will not stack it.
Successfully completed step.
2. I would give this 19 month child more supplies that he continued to have issues with. For
example, more beaded necklaces (or other objects that represent the same activities), to place in a
container that may be difficult. I would also give him more toys that could stack on to one
another.