Observation of Child Play

Observation of Child Play Using observations of children at play in your setting, evaluate how you would scaffold the children’s learning in the future and improve the quality of play. Using a range of fully completed observations from placements (six in total), evaluate how you would improve the children’s learning experiences. Refer to expected â€Å"norms† of development (fully referenced) and explain how your knowledge of theories of child development would give you an understanding of how you might scaffold their learning. It is recognised that play is a valuable and effective way of learning within the early years. The experiences children have within their early years settings work towards promoting their development, learning and their overall outlook on life. Throughout my time in placement settings, I have observed a wide range of children from the age of 3 months to 11 years old. Within this text, I shall be outlining six of the observations I have conducted over the past two years and explain the child in terms of their development, identifying areas where there are deviations of the expected â€Å"norms† of development. Where appropriate, I will also explain my role of scaffolding these children. Scaffolding is defined by Read, C (2005) as the â€Å"metaphorical concept used to describe the interactive verbal support provided by adults to guide a child through the ZPD and enable them to carry out a task that they would be unable to do without help†. The area in which the child can perform an action or task, provided that a more skilled or knowledgeable person is available to help, Vygotsky termed the ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD). Scaffolding is temporary and can be put in place, strengthened, taken down piece by piece or taken away completely, as the child develops knowledge and skills and is increasingly able to act competently and independently. My role of scaffolding is to be the â€Å"more knowledgeable other† Vygotsky explained, as I provide the child was minimal assistance that they require to achieve and understand a concept. Scaffolding refers to the particular kind of help, assistance and support that enables a child to do a task wh ich they cannot quite manage on their own and which brings them closer to a state of competence that will enable them to carry out other similar tasks. Child One (0-3 Years) CONGITIVE Time Observation 09:30am Child A had pointed to the snack table and said â€Å"food† – I told child A â€Å"not now, but later† and child A was able to understand these simple time concepts and continued to play. 09:40am Child A had lifted one of the staff members’ observation book, Child A was told to â€Å"put the book back on the table† in which they completed this action, showing understanding of this sentence. 09:50am Child A was asked if they needed their nappy changed, Child A responded by nodding for yes. 10:00am Child A was given a sorting toy which had spaces to place different shaped objects. Child A was able to complete this task by placing the correct shapes in the corresponding spaces. 10:10am Child A continued to play with this sorting toy, Child A used the attached phone to pretend to speak to â€Å"mummy† on the phone. 10:20am Child A was able to point out a cat, a dog and a fish from a storybook I was reading. 10:30am At snack time, Child A was able to choose a fork rather than a spoon to use to eat chicken curry. For this observation, I used a time sampling method over a time period of one hour to observe a 2 year old during free flow play in a day care. From this observation, I was able to understand that Child A was developing normally as she was able to accomplish and show many areas of cognitive development of an average two year old child. Child A showed the capability of the usual cognitive milestones usually shown by a two year old child and has a wide understanding of words and phrases when spoken to. I do not believe there are any deviations of the norms of cognitive development and that no concerns are in place for this child. To help scaffold this child in the future, I can ensure the child is provided with more appropriate provision or her level of learning, such as more advanced reading books that are still age appropriate, but also capability appropriate to the child as to ensure continuous learning. Child Two (0-3) Years LANGUAGE Tries to copy your sounds Understands many more words than he can say Understands simple directions and questions such as Where is your nose? Get the ball. Demonstrates some pretend play with toys like give the teddy bear a drink Makes at least four consonant sounds from p,b,m,n,d,t,w,h Identifies pictures in a book when asked such as â€Å"Show me the baby. Enjoys being read to and looking at books Understands the concepts of in and out, off and on Points to three body parts when asked Says No Asks for something by pointing and using sounds or words Imitates animal noises Tries to get attention by calling out, repeating words and pointing For this next observation, I carried out a longitudinal study on a child aged 18 months. Over the period of around one month, I was able to identify that Child Two is developing extremely rapidly and accordingly with reference to general norms and milestones of children aged 12 to 18 months. Child Two’s language development appears to be flourishing every day and should not be a cause for concern. By reading new books and introducing new words to the child, I can scaffold their learning in the future to ensure the child’s development and learning is still continuing as normal. Child Three (0-3 Years) LANGUAGE Milestones for 2 to 3 Year Olds Achieved? Yes/No Pays increasing attention to speech No Responds to simple verbal requests No Responds to â€Å"no† Yes Uses simple gestures Yes Babbles with inflection (changes in tone) Yes Says â€Å"dada† and â€Å"mama† No Tries to imitate words Yes Points to objects or picture when it’s named for him Yes Recognizes names of familiar people, objects, and body parts No Says several single words No Uses simple phrases No Uses 2-to-4 word sentences No Follows simple instructions Yes Repeats words overheard in conversation No Child Three is 30 months old, (2 Years, 6 Months) and was observed in a Day Care setting. This observation was carried out over a period of one week and by using a Checklist method. Throughout this observation, I witnessed that Child Three’s attitudes towards language are not of the expected norms, as unlike the other children around the similar age were shouting words, able to point to areas on the face when named, saying â€Å"mama† and â€Å"dada† and in some cases, a variety of other two syllable words. Throughout the target week, Child Three did not speak a single word, which is rather worrying for his age range. Child Three does however, point and make grunting noises when he requires help, attention or is pointing to something he wants. These characteristics witnesses are more around the birth to 12 month area of language development and can suggest that Child Three’s language development is progressing, but at an extremely slow rate compared to other children within the setting within this age range. Child Three does not try to say words but continues to murmur and grunt and does not interact with words with other children, which has shown an impact upon his social development as no children approach Child Three physically or verbally, leaving him to play alone, which does not provide a positive influence to promote language development to Child Three. A further observation was that Child Three tends to dribble a great deal whilst making noises, eating and in general, which may show signs of further teething that has continued and may impact Child Three’s speech as he may refuse to speak as his mouth is in pain, which may be a suggestion to make to Child Three’s parents to get checked by their GP. Child Three’s overall language development appears to vary from the traditional norms as many of the milestones that are assumed of Child Three’s age are not achieved and may produce worrying results which need to be explained to the child’s parents In order for them to seek further professional advice, possibly from a speech and language therapist in order to determine if there are any underlying issues which are affecting Child Three’s language development. It could also be argued that these results are not a full representation of Child Three’s language development as they were only conducted within the time period of one week, however I believe this is long enough to uncover any varying characteristics which affect development. The child was familiar with myself and other’s present and I had been present within that setting for a number of months, so this would not produce any factors which may change Child Three’s attitudes, which therefore might have affected his attitude, impacting the results of his development, ruling out this potential impacting factor. Child A (3+) SENSORY/COGNITIVE Vocabulary increasing significantly with words such as Composing sentences of 5 or more words, and with all parts of speech Identifying coins Counting to 10 and above Properly naming the primary colours and secondary Questioning more deeply, addressing meaning and purpose Responding to why questions Behaving more responsibly and apologizing for mistakes Accepting other points of view (but may not understand them) Demonstrating increased mathematical skill Questioning others, including parents and teachers Strongly identifying with the parent of the same sex Having a group of friends Engaging in imaginative play For Child A, I was able to carry out a longitudinal study over a time period of 5 months. Over these five months, I was able to establish a great understanding of Child A’s cognitive and sensory development. At the age of 5, I believe Child A is developing extremely well in terms of cognitive and sensory progress and appears to show no deviations of cognitive or sensory norms. Child A’s parents should be informed (if not already) that their child’s progress is flourishing well and that if they are encouraging this at home, they should continue to do so and this may have been an influential factor for her rapid progress in these developmental areas. Child B (3+) LANGUAGE Narrative Interpretation Child B talked about being a Bridesmaid. Described her dress as being â€Å"beautiful† and that she was in a â€Å"Limousine†. She also discussed the weather during that day. Child B drew a paper plate face and was able to add features independently, using correct colours and names. Child was able to retell a story I had read to class the previous day. Child B used identified a â€Å"Magnifying glass† and used this to â€Å"investigate acorns†. Child B was able to identify her name from a story book. Child B was able to concentrate for 5 minutes to complete a 24 piece jigsaw. Child B talked about the animals from the jigsaw and stated that a â€Å"baby sheep is called a lamb†. Child B prefers to use her right hand, and is able to write correctly using the tripod grip. Child B writes her name with recognizable letters and in correct formation. Child B talked about her experience at the hospital. â€Å"I got my blood pressure taken, it went really tight but I didn’t cry†. Child B was able to retell the story of the Three Little Pigs during an arts activity, using her own words and from memory. Child B was able to talk in length and in great detail about her experience, using more advanced vocabulary such as â€Å"Limousine† which expressed her capability of understanding more words, phrases and sentences. This good recollection of experiences and ability to retell a story to myself showed significant language development through taking part in conversations with adults. The ability to draw herself using correct colours – such as identifying her own hair colour and eye colour and naming facial features independently shows recognizable progress within language development. Good use of story language was evident and signs of progress as Child B was able to recollect the story from previous day. Further vocabulary advancements observed as child identified â€Å"magnifying glass† and was â€Å"investigating†. The ability to recognize and spell her own name is another step within language development. Further intellectual sentences are observed, using correct terminology of â€Å"lamb†. By selecting a preferring hand to write with and by using the appropriate grip, this shows further advances within language development milestones. Child was able to form an intellectual sentence consisting of her own personal experience, from memory and by using appropriate terminology, â€Å"blood pressure†. Another observation of the ability to use her memory to retell a story. This observation was carried out within a Nursery school environment and the target child was 3 years old throughout the duration of this observation. Child B was observed over a period of 5 months playing within this environment, within the format I used to observe the child, I have added my thoughts and evaluation within the â€Å"Interpretation† column. The child appears to be within an advanced area with her language development, as I observed her capability to recognize and spell her own name, which a large amount of other 3 year olds within the class cannot grasp. Child B was also very confident in retelling many personal experiences to both adults and her peers, along with the ability to retell stories from memory and through the use of pictures, such as drawing out the â€Å"Three Little Pigs† story from memory during the Nursery Rhyme topic and by using pictures taken from the storybook â€Å"The Crunching, Munching Caterpillar† to retell the story to me correctly and in her own words. I can state positively that Child B shows the signs of a confident child that is able to fulfil a variety of expectations of language development milestones within this age group, and I believe strongly that this child is developing appropriately according to the norms observed of children within this age group, and that there are no abnormalities or characteristics that need to be addressed. Child C (3+) LANGUAGE Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about it YES NO Hears and understands most of what is said at school YES NO Uses sentences that give many details YES NO Tells stories that stay on topic YES NO Communicates easily with other children and adults YES NO Says most sounds correctly except for a few (l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, and th) YES NO Uses rhyming words YES NO Names some letters and numbers YES NO Uses adult grammar YES NO The final observation was also carried out within a Nursery setting and Child C is 4 years old. From this observation, I was able to notice varied aspects of Child C’s development. In many cases, according to the developmental milestones checklist for language development of children aged 3 to 4, Child C was only able to fulfil 3 of the 9 areas for observation. In general, I have noticed that Child C does not talk, and when he does, it is quiet mutters of words. From this observation however, Child C was not able to use sentences, but instead mumbled quiet words which in many cases were unrecognizable. From what characteristics Child C was able to show, such as being able to pay attention to short stories and answer simple questions about them (usually yes or no answers), hear and understand most of what is said in class and also being able to name a short range of numbers and letters, I can suggest that these are the easier targets to fulfil, and may suggest that there are gr eat deviations of the norms of children this age. I would recommend a speech therapist or a general consultation from the child’s GP to his parents as the child does not make much of an attempt to speak to others and contribute, which is strange for a child who is of the age of exploration and interaction with others. References: Berk, L et al (1995) Scaffolding Children’s learning: Vygotsky and Early Childhood Education. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Frick, P et al (2009) Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Personality and Behaviour. Springer. Herr, J et al (2002) Creative Resources for Infants and Toddlers. Cengage Learning. Justice, L et al (2013) Engaging Children with Print: Building Early Literacy Skills through Quality Read-Alouds. Guilford Publications. Leech-Riddall, S (2005) How to Observe Children. Heinemann. Read, C (2005) Scaffolding Children’s Talk and Learning. Available: http://carolread.com/articles/s%20talk%20and%20learning.pdf Smith, V et al (2009) Norms in Human Development. Cambridge University Press. Courtney Hill

Patroklos is not very important to the Iliada Essay

Patroklos is introduced as the companion of Achilleus – the great warrior – which automatically makes him significant to the poem as a whole. His relationship with Achilleus is first shown in book 9 where Patroklos obeys everything Achilleus asks him to do and is names as ‘his companion Patroklos’. This shows they have a good relationship which is important as it shows the audience another side of Achilleus, one where he is loving and caring and human enough to crave the company of a close friend. However the menial tasks Patroklos is first asked to perform could have been undertaken by any common slave and therefore in this scene he does not come across as particularly important to the poem. This close relationship is emphasized a number of times throughout the poem, in particular when Achilleus ‘gave a silent signal to Patroklos with his eyebrows’ which would indicate that their relationship is such that Patroklos understands what Achilleus wants him to do through facial expression alone. Moreover, in book 11, Patroklos is referred to as the ‘pleasure of my heart’ by Achilleus, suggesting that their relationship is deeper than just friends. Patroklos’s role in Achilleus’s life is explained in part by Nestor who speaks of the advice given to Patroklos by his father ‘by birth Achilleus is superior to you, but you are the older. He is far stronger than you, but your proper task is to give him words of wisdom and advise him and guide him – and he will listen to you for the best. ’ This indicates that Patroklos has throughout his life influenced Achilleus and continues to do so, meaning he is crucial in understanding Achilleus’s character. Nearing the end of book 11, Patroklos cuts an arrow from Eurypylos thigh and stops the bleeding which shows he is compassionate and endears him to the audience which may be a device employed by Homer to emphasize the sadness of Patroklos’s death later in the poem. This scene is also used to show the brutal effects of war due to its gory nature. After book 16 Patroklos comes to the forefront of the poem. Achilleus instructs him to don his armour and push the battle from their ships. Achilleus once again shows his feelings for Patroklos as he prays to Zeus that he will come back safely. Zeus does not grant this, foretelling Patroklos’s death. During this book, Patroklos has his aristeia which adds excitement and impact to the poem. Patroklos’s fighting lasts for many pages and is a significant part of the poem, showing his importance overall. Patroklos’s fight with Sarpedon is important as Zeus becomes upset over the death of his son and although he allows the Achaians to take his armour, he ensures the body is well looked after – showing a loving side of Zeus that is not often seen during the poem. Without Patroklos this scene would not have been able to take place. Patroklos’s death is told over many lines and begins with Euphorbus stabbing him in the back as he is too scared to face him in battle. This shows once again how brave and important Patroklos is. The passage describing Hektor killing Patroklos is very descriptive and includes mockery from Hektor and Patroklos’s final speech. This once more makes the audience feel for Patroklos as he is cruelly mocked in the last moments of his life. The next book is entirely dedicated to the fight over Patroklos’s body which indicates that he was important and a large part of the poem. There are also many men willing to defend Patroklos which shows he was well loved ‘I would gladly stand by Patroklos and defend him, since his death has touched right to my heart’. At the beginning of book 18 Achilleus learns of the death of Patroklos ‘and the black cloud of sorrow enveloped Achilleus†¦he lay there with his whole body sprawling in the dust, huge and hugely fallen, tearing at his hair and defiling it with his own hands’, this passage shows how much Achilleus cared for his friend, he is so overwhelmed with sorrow that he is unable to speak. Even the serving women ‘shrieked loud in their hearts’ grief’, enabling the audience to understand that he was loved by all, emphasizing the pain of his death. Furthermore, Patroklos’s death makes Achilleus feel guilty ‘let me die directly, since I was not able to help my friend at his killing’ and spurs him to fight once more. The sensitive side of Achilleus is bought out again during this ‘his warm tears falling when he saw his trusted friend lying there’. Patroklos’s death is the catalyst needed to make Achilleus rekindle his fighting spirit ‘but now Patroklos†¦I shall not give you burial until I have bought here†¦the head of Hektor. ’ Which shows that without Patroklos Achilleus would not have fought again, meaning he is catalytic in this part of the Iliad. Finally it is made clear that Patroklos was instrumental in Achilleus’s attachment to Briseis. ‘You were always gentle. ’ Briseis explains that Patroklos was the one who arranged for her to marry Achilleus, and since this all began because Briseis was taken away this shows that without Patroklos’s intervention Achilleus would not have been so angry in the first place and would not have refused to fight, making the Iliad into a very different story. Therefore, Patroklos was key in shaping the poem into the story it became.

Restructuring Costs Essay

Pharma Co. is a U.S. subsidiary of a U.K. entity that prepares its financial statements in accordance with (1) U.S. GAAP for reporting to its U.S.-based lender and (2) IFRSs in reporting to its parent. Pharma Co. is considering the relocation of a manufacturing operation from its present location to a new facility in a different geographic area as part of the restructuring a business line. The relocation plan related to the following facts: Facts Financial affection Dec 15, 2010, issued a press release to terminate the lease of the old facility. Jan 31,2011,at which time it will sign the lease termination agreement, Pharma Co. plans to vacate the Plant A facility. The lease is an operating lease with termination fee is $1.3M. The lease was entered into in Feb 2004 with a term of 10 years. The written notice is required for early termination. Dec 27, 2010, communicated the main features of a one-time, nonvoluntary termination plan to its employees. The reduction includes approximately 120 employees, which represents 10 percent of workforce without identified the specific employees. The workforce reduction is expected to be completed by Jan 31, 2011, and is expected to cost approximately $3 million. Pharma Co. has entered into irrevocable contracts with certain other relevant parties to affect the restructuring plan. Relocation cost: $500,000 Staff training cost: $1.5M. Pharma Co. stated its intention to dismantle the existing operation. The cost to dismantle the existing manufacturing operation is estimated to be $1M. There is no legal obligation for dismantling plants when abandoned. Issue How should Pharma Co. account for the restructuring program for the year  ended Dec 31, 2010 under U.S. GAAP? Analysis FASB Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Subtopic 420-10 Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations presents the relevant guidance on cost obligations. Per ASC 420-10-25-12, Contract Termination Costs include: â€Å"A liability for costs to terminate a contract before the end of its term shall be recognized when the entity terminates the contract in accordance with the contract terms ( for example, when the entity gives written notice to the counterparty within the notification period specified by the contract or has otherwise negotiated a termination with the counterparty)† Although Pharma Co. issued a press release to terminate the lease at Dec 15, 2010, this fact did not reach an agreement. So Pharma Co. do not need record the $1.3 termination fee until Jan 31,2011, which was the date sign the termination agreement. One-time employee termination benefits Under ASC 420-10-25-4 requirement, an arrangement for one-time employee termination benefits should meet all the following requirements: â€Å"a. Management, having the authority to approve the action, commits to a plan of termination. b. The plan identifies the number of employees to be terminated, their job classifications or functions and their location, and the expected completion date. c. The plan establishes the terms of the benefit arrangement, including the benefits that employees will receive upon termination (including but not limited to cash payments). In sufficient detail to enable employee to determine the type and amount of benefits they will receive if they are involuntarily terminated. d. Actions required to complete the plan indicate that it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn.† Pharma Co. already approved the employee termination plan in the appendix B with 120 employees at current location. This wo rkforce reduction was expected to be completed by Jan 31, 2011. Although there is no details in appendix B, employees still can information of termination benefit from communication with CEO. Since this is a nonvoluntary termination plan, we are sure that Pharma Co. should recognize the one-time employee termination benefits for the year ended Dec 31, 2010 under GAAP requirement. One-time employee termination benefitsAs the appendix B posted, the employees are not terminated their service or received their benefits. According to the ASC  420-10-30-5, â€Å" If employees are not required to render service until they are terminated in order to receive the termination benefits (that if, is employees are entitled to receive the termination benefits regardless of when they leave) or if employees will not be retained to render service beyond the minimum retention period, a liability for the termination benefits shall be measured at its fair value at the communication date.† Therefore, $3M approximately cost could not record instead of its fair value at Dec 27, 2010. Relocation Cost and Staff Training Cost Although Pharma Co. has entered into irrevocable contracts with certain other relevant parties, since they do not mention the specific time to start the relocation program, it is not need to recognized those future expense until it is really paid. Dismantling Cost As ASC 420-10-25-15 notes about associated costs, â€Å"The liability shall not be recognized before it is incurred, even if the costs are incremental to other operating costs and will be incurred as a direct result of a plan. A liability for other costs associated with an exit or disposal activity shall be recognized in the period in which the liability is incurred (generally, when goods or services associated with the activity are received).† So the main point here is whether the dismantling activates happened, not what it is related to. Therefore, Pharma Co. should not recognize the dismantling cost for the year ended Dec 31, 2010.

The Energy Star Certification On Home Prices - 1742 Words

Despite the well documented benefits of above code certification programs like the ENERGY STAR ® Certified New Homes Program, the question remains for many home builders and buyers of how these benefits impact property value. This report provides statistical analysis to quantify the impact of ENERGY STAR Certification on home prices in the state of Maryland between 2010 and 2016. A regression model was used to isolate the impact of the ENERGY STAR Certification on the home value and control for home characteristics. ENERGY STAR Certified homes were found to have a statistically significant price premium ranging from 2.1% to 5.2% when compared to non-certified homes. These results are based on a sample of 2,723 ENERGY STAR homes taken from†¦show more content†¦It also represents an opportunity. As energy and environmental awareness continues to grow, consumers are recognizing residential energy efficiency as an easy, low cost way to optimize energy use, financial resources, and occupancy comfort while reducing their environmental impacts. The Shelton Group’s Energy Pulse 2013 Report found 81% of consumers surveyed stated that energy efficiency would impact their home purchasing decision . Echoing these findings, a recent 2014 report by McGraw Hill Construction surveyed builders and found 73% of single family home builders and 68% of multifamily builders agree that customers are willing to pay more for a green home. In addition to this willingness to pay, 47% of single family builders and 59% of multifamily builders found green homes to be more marketable. This number significantly increases to 65% for firms that construct more than 30% green projects (McGraw Hill Construction, 2014) . Building certification programs, like the ENERGY STAR ® Certified New Homes Progr am, have been created in response to the consumer demand for more comfortable and efficient buildings. Despite the growing popularity and the benefits of these programs, adoption of above code certification have been dampened by the lack of empirical evidence and the quantification of a price premium associated with these certifications. This paper will address this problem and quantify the price premium of ENERGY STAR ®