Aesthetic Development Observation

ED 231
Child: Will
Age (years and months): 5 years, 7 months

Date: 3/31/14

***I missed my observation for last week due to a personal emergency, but I started doing this
observation prior to the due date, so I am using another observation instead. I will be doing this off of my
last observation at the daycare on March 20. ***
This observation will focus on aesthetic development, in particular expression/representation and
appreciation. Review the list below before beginning the observation. Based on the age of the child you
observe, make a list of possible indicators of aesthetic development. For example, if the child is 3, you
may look to see if he or she moves to the rhythm of music, imitates peers, or uses a variety of drawing
materials. After you have completed your list of at least four behaviors, begin your observation and make
notes about the behaviors that you see.
Indicators
Observation notes
Uses a variety of art materials for tactile
After playing with a doll for a while, Will moved
experiences and exploration
on to the table where Diana and the other kids were
coloring in black and white pictures of themselves.
The idea was to color in the black and white photos
of themselves with stripes and designs like the
character Camilia Cream in David Shanons book,
A Bad Case of the Stripes.
I noticed other kids color all of their picture in with
one or two colors at most.
Will was very hesitant at first in the colors he
picked because Diana had told him not to use
colors that were too dark or else they wouldnt be
able to see through the color to the picture.
When he first started, Will asked before using each
color, Is this one okay?
Will used multiple colors to draw stripes all up his
body on the picture, even coloring different parts of
his face in different colors. He explained that his
face was going to be yellow because then they
could see his face. Also that his feet and ears were
going to match when he colored his ears in orange.
Draws recognizable pictures

On the border of his page, Will drew a tractor and

the steam coming out of it as the border going
around the paper. The tractor he used at the bottom
was recognizable when he was finished. He drew
the large tires and small cart area, as well as a small
smoke stack on top to make it seem like a tractor.
He started off making just a circle, and then turned
it into a tractor, stating, Diana look at what I
made! I made a car! I made a car! I made a tractor!
Tractor! Aside from the tractor, he also made the
smoke coming out of it as the border going around

the page, also letting us know that it was going

back in the tractor. It was simple to guess thats
what it was because he had the randomly sized
circles coming out of the smoke stack of the tractor
and going up and around.
Makes up own songs / Sings while waiting in line
or playing

Even though he did not do it during this

observation, Will has made up songs/sung what he
was doing during other observations.
He likes to sing directions that Diana gives to other
students. For example, White box, white box, the
tiles go in the white box. He will sing that a few
times to the other students before moving on to
whatever he was doing. It is only in that kind of
context that I ever really see him singing.

Makes positive comments to peers about art work

When other studenst came over to work on their

own photos of themselves, Will would look up
when they said they were done and comment on
either the color or the design. Fro example, some of
the comments he made were, Wow, he used a lot
fo pink. It looks pretty., I like your lines, That
color is too dark for your face, but I like the
orange.
The last kind of comment was one that was used
more often than positive ones. Will had already
pointed out to anyone that came over to color that
they shouldnt use the black or grey colors on their
faces. When he saw someone coloring with that
color, he told them that it was too dark, and
suggested a lighter color. Then when they were
done, he would really just say that comment to
himself or to Diana.

Aesthetic Development Indicators

Age 3
Joins in songs during circle time
Gallops or marches in time to music
Tries to make different sounds with instruments
Moves to music
Imitates animal movements
Uses a variety of art materials for tactile experiences and exploration
Copies dance steps of classmate
Shows sustained interest in presentation

Age 4
Participates in finger plays and musical games
Knows words of oft-repeated songs
Keeps a beat with sticks or clapping
Acts out story read to them
Uses movement to interpret or imitate feelings
Moves to music

Uses a variety of art materials for tactile experiences and exploration

Imitates classmate
Exclaims about the skill of a classmate in painting, drawing
Closely watches performance

Age 5
Sings while waiting in line or playing
Makes up own songs
Uses common objects to make sounds
Plans or joins in dramatization of book or story
Pantomines actions
Uses a variety of art materials for tactile experiences and exploration
Makes positive comments to peers about art work
Notes illustrations in books
Draws recognizable pictures

Observation Reflection
Based on your observation, comment on how this childs aesthetic development relates to her/his
cognitive development.
Physical Knowledge: Demonstrates physical properties of materials
Logical-Mathematical Knowledge: Illustrates relationships and teaches vocabulary for describing,
comparing, and evaluating
Representational Knowledge: Uses symbols to mean something
Social-Conventional Knowledge: Teaches facts, traditions and conventions in society
Metacognition: Teaches thinking about thinking
Physical Knowledge:
Will understands the way that colors work and the way that they look on different colors. (Knows
not to color in too dark on an already dark paper)
He also understands how a lot fo different materials are used for different purposes. While he was
playing with the doll in the kitchen, he used only the babys toys to take care of the baby as
opposed to using kitchenware to take care of it.
Logical-Mathematical Knowledge:
I would say that by him evaluating other peoples work the way he was doing, he is showing his
ability to compare and evaluate.
He was comparing his own work to others with comments like, Mine has more colors than his
as well as evaluating by saying something was pretty or too dark
Representational Konwledge:
Will was using flat pictures of food to represent real food to feed his baby. This shows his use of
clear symbols to mean something
Social Conventional Knowledge:
Will is able to show the conventions of society when he plays with other kids. He knows to ask
before using someones things, he tries to play with others and talk to them every once in a while,
and he knows how to clean up after himself.
Metacognition Knowledge:
Will likes to explain what he is doing a lot. He does it whenever anyone is listening to him. He
knows how to show his thinking and how to make others understand.