Observing & Assessing Play Flashcards
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model
(Mic.Mes.Ex.Mac.Chro.)
Considers how observable behaviors associated with play are affected by one’s cultural and social context
It provides a framework for understanding the impact of different factors on children
- The ecological system includes:
- Microsystem
- Mesosystem
- Exosystem
- Macrosystem
- Chronosystem
Microsystem
Consists of factors that directly influence the child
- These include the family, school, afterschool programs, neighborhood, and other community events
Since infants primarily engage in play and exploration for the first two years of their life, play will be impacted by the adults who care for them
Mesosystem
It involves interactions between two systems
- What happens in one system affects another system
Example: child who is forced to leave his home, due to a government decision or natural disaster, may be forced to relocate to a new area
- Impact could be a language barrier that prevents through from engaging in play in their new area
Exosystem
Systems that the individual has minimal control over
- Includes policies established by local governments and socioeconomic factors
Example: When a school board makes policies that eradicate recess in a system, play is affected
Macrosystem
Consists of the larger systems related to one’s culture (traditions, beliefs, and values)
Example: Some children are socialized to view a police officer as someone who can help while other children are socialized to fear them
Chronosystem
Includes sociocultural factors that impact the child over time
Example : the impact of the computer on play at age four and how it differs from the impact of the computer on play at age eight
Types of Observation
(C. RS. RR. AR. ES)
- Checklist
- Rating scale
- Running record
- Anecdotal records
- Event samplings
Checklist
Keeps record of the child’s play behaviors
- Can help to analyze child’s skill development or struggles faced over time
Rating scale
Rates the quality of play behavior
Running Record
- dates in natural setting
- play context
Captures dates in a natural setting or within the context of play
Anecdotal Records
- single bahave. focus
- beg, mid, end
- record after
Focuses on a single behavior/ event
- The record includes a beginning, middle, and end in order to recall exactly what happened
- This type of record should be made right after the specific event for accuracy
Event Samplings
- fequnecy and context
- timer and tally
- event before and after
- consequences
- 30 min
Focuses on the frequency and context of specific behavior
- An observer will set a time limit and tally behaviors
- They will describe the events that occurred (before and during) and the consequences of the behavior that surrounded the event
- Observations are for 30 minutes
Piagetian-Inspired Stages of Play
- sens 0-2
- symb 2-7
- gwr - 7-11
- Stage 1 - Practice/functional Play (birth to age 2)
- Stage II - Symbolic/dramatic Play (ages two to seven)
- Stage III - Games with Rules (ages 7-11)
Vygotskian Tools of the Mind
- ZPD and play
- sociocult. view
- plan and language
Children created the zone of proximal development during play
- A sociocultural view of play emphasizes planning for play and language usage during play
Maria Montessori
- observation –> instruction
- use of materials
- knowledge & confidence
Pioneered the use of observation to inform instruction
- Believe that teachers should observe the child’s use of materials to understand the child’s level of knowledge and confidence
