Runnignhead: Preschool Class Observation 1

Preschool Class Observation

Micah Johnson
Ivy Tech Community College








Runnignhead: Preschool Class Observation 2
A child in preschool is a very active child, their mind and body is changing very
fast and they are learning new skills almost every day. The toddler entering the
preschool years is growing and learning at a fast pace; he's excited and challenged by
the new world he's discovering (NYU Langone Medical Center, 2014). I had the
opportunity to observe a preschool class taking a dance lesson; this class is much like a
school classroom, there is a teacher and students and work to be done.
As the children entered the classroom, I first observed their physical
development. The girls height in this class appeared to be around 30-32 inches; the
boys height appeared to be around 34-36 inches. The average weight for the girls in
this class was approximately 30 pounds; the average boys weight was approximately
40 pounds. Kids at this age are still very physical, but they learn in a more focused and
less hectic way than when they were younger. These kids typically gain about 4-5
pounds (2 kilograms) and grow about 2-3 inches (5 to 8 centimeters) per year. An
average 4 year old weighs about 40 pounds and is about 40 inches tall (KidsHealth,
2014). As class started, I observed that some children had more athletic ability than
others. For example, the boys in the class appeared to have better balance while
standing on one foot and the girls appeared to do better in activities such as the hula-
hoop. Each child in the class had a different level of athletic ability, not all the boys had
great balance and not all the girls were good with a hula-hoop. Another key factor to
the athletic ability of the children in this class is the childs activity level at home; the
children that participated in sports as well as dance had more athletic ability than the
children that were using this dance class as the only form of exercise.
Runnignhead: Preschool Class Observation 3
Talking, talking, and more talking, preschoolers love to talk. This becomes a
problem for a teacher, trying to give instructions can become challenging. Preschoolers
enjoy asking questions, lots and lots of questions. Many preschoolers become "big
talkers." Their vocabularies increase as they learn and understand more words
(PBSparents, 2014). As I observed this class, the girls in the class talked more than the
boys overall. The boys in the class would talk to other boys and maybe some close
friends, the girls in the class would talk to the teacher or to each other. All of the
children in this class could count at the same level; most of the counting in this class
was from one to ten. Another area that this class was very similar was in remembering
the steps of the dance that they were being taught. Certain children did better than
others in remembering the steps, but not one gender over another.
As a class, all of the students interacted very well together. This class was not
perfect; a few of the children did show a little aggression towards other students. Two
girls were trying to stand in the same spot, and one girl pushed the other girl out of the
way. What distinguishes playful fighting from aggressive behavior is the lack of intent
to hurt or frighten. During the preschool years, children tend to resort to instrumental
and physical expression of aggression such as snatching toys and pushing a playmate
(US National Library of Medicine, 2009). A few boys in the class did similar acts like
this from taking someones shoes to name calling.
As the class progressed, a girl began to cry. As the teacher tried to comfort the
child, a few of the girls in the class also tried to console her. The boys in the class also
had a look of concern on their faces but did not go and interact with the crying girl.
Once the crying child had left the classroom, all of the children asked question
Runnignhead: Preschool Class Observation 4
regarding her well being. Overall, both boys and girls showed concern for their
distressed classmate.
Being a leader is not an easy task, especially not for a preschooler. In this class
I noticed that the leaders of the class were the children that were the most outspoken.
Many of the children that did the most talking were the first to comply with the
instructions given by the teacher. In this class, there was one little girl who stood out as
a leader and a couple of boys. To talk in class, to the teacher or to ones friends, takes
an extroverted personality. The children with this personality had no problem being the
first to comply with an instruction or try something new.
Overall, in the preschool class that I observed, the gender of the child did not
matter as much as the childs own personality. How a child behaved and performed in
this class had a lot to do with the way the child was raised and the experiences that they
have had.







Runnignhead: Preschool Class Observation 5
References
KidsHealth, (2014). Growth and Your 4-5 year old. Retrieved from
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growth/growth_4_to_5.html
NYU Langone Medical Center, (2014). The Preschool Years: Expectations and
Challenges. Retrieved from http://www.aboutourkids.org /articles /preschool
l_years_ages_four_five_expectations_challenges
PBSparents, (2014). Preschool Talking Milestones. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/reading-language/reading-
milestones/preschooler-language-development-milestones/preschooler-talking/
US National Library of Medicine, (2009). Aggression during the Early Years. Retrieved
from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2538723/