COGNITIVE OBSERVATION (PORTFOLIO)

PART A:

1. a. Using objective observation, state at least 2 examples of behaviors that might help you to

determine the child’s cognitive development.

- First example: The baby is on a blanket on all fours and scooches closer to the metal bowl, a

voice in the background says “She’s scooching” followed by a stare by the baby at the woman

filming. The woman asks, “Are you scooching all over the place?” while the baby stares inside

the metal bowl, she grabs the inside of it followed with her other hand and continues to move it

around. The baby continues to move with her back legs and adjusting her arm on the bowl. The

lady says “She loves the bowl… she sees herself in it”

- Second example: The baby is staring at the bowl moving it around then turns her head to the

left and crawls up, holding tight to the blanket. She then turns her head to the right and stares at

the bowl she places her hands inside and tips it on its side, staring at it then turns to the left and

grasps the keys. She holds it in between her fingers with her left hand and keeps her right hand in

the bowl. She begins to shake the keys and take her hands out of the bowl. Then let’s go of the

keys and places both hands on the bowl.

b. Which of Piaget’s sensorimotor substages do you think this child is in?

4-8 months; Repeats activity using objects, begins limited imitation.

2. What toys or materials do you see that would assist the child in moving to the next

sensorimotor substage and why?

I think the keys showed in the video would assist the infant in moving to the next substage

because the child can plan a movement to make it move or shake intentionally. They can grab it

and purposefully have the keys slide to one side of the loop.

3. How is the teacher fostering cognitive growth in this child? (Give examples of available

toys/personal interactions, etc.

Th teacher is observing over the child but not interfering with her self-regulation. The baby is

learning through trial-and-error on how to move the bowl and how to get to it. The teacher is

appropriately assisting her when she sees the baby crawl up to the bowl but doesn’t push the

bowl closer to her letting her explore on her own.

Part B – (15 points)

For this section, choose one of the following Youtube videos to watch and answer the questions

in this section.

"Unflappable Self-Confident Baby"

1. a. Using objective observation, state at least 2 examples of behaviors that might help you to

determine the child’s cognitive development.

-First example: The baby is seen in a living room holding a large blue ball, she walks up to a

short wooden slide and places the ball on the resting are of the slide. The ball moves out of the

top area and back into the living room rug. The baby gets off of the resting are attempts to pick

up the ball, but it bounces out. She then picks it up and tries to put it on the resting area again,

but it rolls to the side. She slides down the slide nodding her head and climbs up the step and
chases the ball again. She picks it up and walks with it but then she falls and gets back up to hold

the ball again. She then bumps into the table and lands on all fours.

-Second example:

She holds the ball and walks down to the slide and throws the ball down the slide. The teacher

says “whoooo” while the child yells. She then goes down the slide and holds the ball again and

climbs up the step.

b. Which of Piaget’s sensorimotor substages do you think this child is in?

12-18 months; Experiments with objects to create new events

2. What toys or materials do you see that would assist the child in moving to the next

sensorimotor substage and how would they help?

The ball can help her achieve the next sensorimotor substage because it can help her begin to

have an idea what a ball is so she can use it for reference in imaginative events or to solve

problems.

3. How is the teacher fostering cognitive growth in this child? (Examples of available

toys/personal interactions, etc.)

The teacher says “whooo” when she child finally achieved her goal of taking the ball down the

slide. She is supporting and encouraging her for her accomplishment. Also, she doesn’t interfere

with her playing/exploration.

Part C – (35 points)

For this section, choose one of the sections of the video in this module, "Discoveries of Infancy".
Use one of the Piagetian scales (scale 7 is NOT to be used) listed as a file in the Content Module

(week 8) and watch re-watch the appropriate section of the video. Describe and match the actions

of children in that section of video to the steps in the appropriate section of video. (Example - the

child did . . ., this is an example of step 8 in section . . .). You MUST cover each action of a child

in that section.

The child in the beginning of the video plays with a colorful toy that opens from the top when a

button is pushed she repeatedly closes the tops and push the buttons to open it this is an example

of step 2 in section IV: Development of Causality because the child is repeating her actions

producing an interesting result.

The child turns a knob on a music box and music is produced while the child dances and keeps

repeating the action this is an example of step 5 in section IV: Development of Causality because

the child spins a musical toy and catches the infant’s attention allowing the child to keep

spinning the toy.

Judy, a 7-month-old baby, explores the cheerleader toy when it comes to an end, she picks it up,

rubs it on her mouth then throws it to the ground. This is an example of Step 7 in section IV:

Development of Causality which is performing a spectacle and leaving the object within Judy’s

reach when the cheerleader comes to a rest, they observe the infant’s reaction.

Elliot, a 20 month old infant, observers the mechanical cheerleader then examines it closely by

shaking it and tries to move it again by spinning the baton and bangs the head imitating the way

he saw the caregiver operate it, then hands it back to the caregiver. The caregiver demonstrates

how she moved the knob and hands it back to him. This is an example of step 10 in section IV:
Development of Causality. This step explains the child’s causal mechanism after demonstration,

the caregiver showed him how the object worked and handed it back to him.