PSYCHOLOGY 209 Choose a group to observe in a naturalistic setting. You can choo
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PSYCHOLOGY 209 Choose a group to observe in a naturalistic setting. You can choose to observe infants, children, or adolescents (pre-college). The group does not have to be all the same age, but observing a small range of ages will simplify your paper. The group should include a minimum of 3-5 subjects. Remember the point of naturalistic observation is to observe behavior as it occurs naturally without interfering. After you complete your observations, make a 4-5 paragraphs describing what you saw and your impressions of your observations Also, discuss the physical (sensory and motor development), cognitive (including language), social (types of play, interaction with peers), and emotional development that is normal for that particular age group. Discuss the relevant theories (e.g., Piaget, Erikson) from the book and what they say about the age group that you observed. Use your book as a source, but please put the information in your own words Compare the infants, children, or adolescents that you have observed with what would be considered typical for that particular age group Were you surprised by any of your observations? Discuss the variability that you observed among your subjects. What does this tell you about the difference between average and normal (i.e., do kids have to be the same to be developing normally)? Be sure to include the approximate ages, genders, and number of subjects that you observed (you can change names, if you wish).Explanation / Answer
I think of toddlers at a daycare, or the young actors in the movie 'The Kindergarten Cop.'
What comes to my mind? Is it small children doing arts and crafts or possibly running around with scissors? These are examples of fine motor skills, which children should develop around this age.
What Are Fine Motor Skills?
Fine motor skills are achieved when children learn to use their smaller muscles, like muscles in the hands, fingers, and wrists. Children use their fine motor skills when writing, holding small items, buttoning clothing, turning pages, eating, cutting with scissors, and using computer keyboards. Mastery of fine motor skills requires precision and coordination.
Fine motor skills require precision.
Fine motor skills develop after gross motor skills, which control actions like throwing and kicking balls, as well as walking and jumping. Gross motor skills utilize larger muscle groups and require less precision.
How Do We Help Children Develop Fine Motor Skills?
Practice, practice, practice. In most cases of fine motor skill development, practice does, in fact, make perfect. Some ways to develop these skills are having children do the following activities:
These activities focus on smaller muscle groups. Using the same muscles can help children develop muscle memory, which is when repetition of one action allows that action to be performed almost automatically without much effort. For example, pressing the correct buttons on video game controllers can be difficult the first few tries. But after playing the game a few times, we tend to master the buttons on the controller. Whether or not we can master the video game itself is a different story, but it does become second nature to press certain buttons to run or jump in the game.
Notable Accomplishments in Fine Motor Skill Development
Two popular terms that come up with learning about fine motor skills in children are fist grip and pincer grip. An example of a fist grip is when children use their whole hand and wrap it around a pencil to write their names. A pincer grip refers to the pinching muscles. Eventually, most children learn to use a pencil with their thumb and one or two fingers, which indicates that they have developed the pincer grip. When it comes to terminology for this lesson, grip and grasp are interchangeable.
Fine Motor Skills From Birth to Age Five
0 to 3 months
3 to 6 months
6 to 9 months
9 to 12 months
12-15 months
15 months to 1 ½ years
1 ½ to 2 years
2 to 2 ½ years
2 ½ to 3 years
3 to 3 ½ years
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