RUNNING HEAD: AGE 6-8 OBSERVATION

School-Age Observation
Cadee Lowe
Ivy Tech Community College

AGE 6-8 OBSERVATION

School-Age Observation
I observed three young, energetic 8 year old boys at Washington Township Park located
in Avon, Indiana. The boys seemed similar to the definition of children their age. In the following
paper, I am going to be presenting you with the data that I recorded as I watched the boys at play.
Describe the small-motor skills you observed in these children.
When I was observing the boys, they sometimes went about doing their own choice of
play. I noticed whenever they did want to gain the others attention, they did it in an appropriate
manner. They would politely find their friend and speak calmly to them, rather than screaming
the others name across the playground, startling some of the younger children. There was also
no signs of physical aggression when things didnt go the way one or the other wanted it to. Both
boys wore tennis shoes with laces; they both knew how to tie their own shoes. This made sense
because according to our book, this skill is usually obtained at age 6 (Kail, 2015, pg-154).
Describe the large-motor skills you observed in these children.
The boys were always hard at play. They could kick the soccer ball back and forth to one
another. They also had no trouble throwing the baseball back in forth and both were able to catch
it with their mitted hand. When the boys needed to use the restroom, they let the adult in charge
know and walked to the restroom on their own. They had superb balance and coordination as
they walked crossed balance beams that were set up around the park. They had no difficulty
climbing the stairs or ladders to get to the top of the jungle gym to go down the slide. The boys
seemed to be constantly active, only stopping for refreshments as needed for rehydration. In our
book, the author explains how being active with others can not only provide good exercise health
and improvement of motor skills, it can also enhance participants self-esteem, learning initiative

AGE 6-8 OBSERVATION

(Kail, 2015, pg-155). This is warming to know that these boys are already on top of the game and
are headed on the right track.
According to Erik Erikson, school-age children strive to be industrious. Describe several
behaviors or actions you observe that support this theory.
One thing that I observed that showed the boys attempt in being industrious was their
perseverance in going non-stop. If one would fall, they would get right back up again and act like
nothing even happened. The boys seemed to not have limits set for their physical endurance. The
adult in charge had to step in between and verbally tell them to calm down or take a break. If the
adult hadnt stepped in, the children may not have ever taken a break.
Observe school-age children involved in a group project. How do the children utilize social
and language skills to work cooperatively?
I developed a scavenger hunt for the three boys to work together on. I made a long list of
various objects they were to help each other find around different areas in the park. I was amazed
at how well they worked together. They worked as a team and seemed very competitive to
complete the task as they knew it was being timed and the quicker they finished, the quicker they
would achieve a surprise. They found the objects in no time, with little to no difficulty. When
they did get a little flustered when they couldnt find something, I would give them a little clue to
the whereabouts the object could be found.
During outdoor play, observe school-age children in an organized group game. What rules
are the children able to follow?
The boys wanted to play a game of tag/hide and seek, including other random, willing to
play children that were also at the park. They played rock, paper, and scissors to determine who
would be the tagger first. Usually in hide in seek, there is only one designated spot that is

AGE 6-8 OBSERVATION

considered to be base protecting those who are on it to not get tagged as it. The boys were
off to a great start, getting along well with the other playmates that joined the game, girls
included. The boys started creating new bases at random right before they were about to get
tagged so they wouldnt have to be it. That is not a rule that is included in the game of hide and
seek. This made the game end quicker than expected due to unfairness, leading to many unhappy
children in the end.
Are the children dependent on adults for enforcing rules, or do the children enforce rules
for each other? How is this accomplished?
These group of boys seemed to know very well what was expected of them. They attend
the park frequently with their family and friends. They are also exposed to what appropriate
behavior should be displayed outside the home as well when they are at home around their
parents. Sure, there are certain times where children can act goofy, but they both seemed to know
their limits on what was mature or not, even when their parents were not around. This seemed
above average for their age. Parents and other significant adults in an 8-year-old child's life
should keep in mind the importance of being good role models since this is a time when children
are figuring out the world and who they are and how they fit into it (Lee, 2015). With that being
said, the adults that play a role in their life have a huge significance in their growth. Children
look up to their adult caregivers for guidance in what they chose to become. The adults in these
boys lives must be laying a positive impact on them.
How are group play disputes handled between children?
Usually, if there was a misunderstanding, which there only was a few incidents, an adult
had to become involved. Those guilty of misbehavior would be excluded from the group for a
short period and spoken to in regards of what the situation was. They feel shameful whenever

AGE 6-8 OBSERVATION

they feel they have disappointed the adult in charge and more often than not own up to their
wrong doings so they would be forgiven.
Identify friendships between the children. Considering the behaviors you observe, on what
basis do you think these friendships are formed?
The boys were already friends prior to this park excursion. They attend the same school
and also have played on the same little league baseball team the last few seasons. They share a
lot of common interests, which leads me to believe that this is the reason why they get along so
well. They are definitely best friends, they try and do almost everything together. This is good
that they have a healthy relationship and similar interests so they are able to bond with one
another.

AGE 6-8 OBSERVATION

6
Work Cited

Kail, R. (2015). Perceptual and Motor Development. In Children and their development (7th
ed.). Pearson.
Lee, K. (2015). Child Development: Your Eight Year Old Child. Retrieved March 31, 2015, from
http://childparenting.about.com/od/physicalemotionalgrowth/tp/Child-DevelopmentYour-Eight-Year-Old-Child.html