Child Development Safety

For this observation assignment, it is ideal if you can observe at a licensed childcare setting, family home day care, school/afterschool/camp program or church childcare. If you currently work in one of these settings you may observe at your job site but observe in a classroom in which you are not involved if you can, and you must complete the observation outside your work hours.
However, because of COVID 19, I understand that it will not be possible for some of you to observe at childcare centers or schools.  If you cannot observe a care/school setting, then analyze your house indoors plus your backyard or a public play space (playground at a housing complex, school, or park).
Plan to observe for at least 30 minutes. When you observe, take your detailed checklists and questions with you, along with blank notebook paper to take detailed notes (these are handwritten notes, and it is ok if they are messy!). You will need to gather as much information you can about the environment and be able to describe what the classroom/house and what the backyard or playground looks like. Feel free to make sketches as well. Write down any potential safety hazards you find (even if they are minor), as well as all safety precautions you see. Write down any examples where you see a child in a risky situation or see a child or adult take a safety precaution.
The more notes you take, the easier it will be to write a strong paper! Stay objective while writing notes – this means only write down what you see – not your interpretations, opinions, thoughts, etc. (See the Objective vs. Subjective document).
Important! While you are observing, do not interact with the children or the teachers/parents/adults. Do not talk to the staff about what you observed. This is not a part of this assignment. The only exception would be if you saw a serious immediate safety hazard. In this case, contact me as well.
What to Write in your Paper
Write your entire paper in paragraph form, using complete sentences. Include all of the required information in your paper. Points will be deducted for missing information. Be sure to read the Subjective vs. Objective Document before writing your paper. Do not use “I” until the conclusion paragraph of your paper.
Include ALL of the following:
You may use the wording that is in bold as headings to each section of your paper if you would like, but please be sure to write your whole paper in paragraph form.  Each part should be 1-2 paragraphs.
Include a title page in APA format (see the APA guidelines on Canvas)
Introduction – Give background information about where you observed
Name and type of Center or School and the location. If it is a home environment, state if it is a home, condo, apartment etc. and state what city/neighborhood it is in.
Date, and Time of Observation.
Ages in the classroom that was observed, or ages of people who live in the home.
Describe the setup of the classroom or the layout of the house.
Be descriptive so the reader can get a mental picture of what the indoor environment looked like.
Safety measures in place -Using specific examples, describe what measure you saw in place to make the environment safe for young children and relate it to information in your text/notes. Use in text citations to cite information from the text. (Remember to use detail to describe what you saw. Avoid subjective words like “good, nice, wonderful etc.”).
Possible safety hazards- Being as specific and detailed as possible, state the possible safety hazards you observed. Relate to information in your textbook/notes and use in text citations. (Remember to stay objective – do not say things like “I couldn’t believe how bad the bathroom was”). Be sure you find some possible hazards. Failing to do so will affect your paper grade.
Recommendations -State specific suggestions to improve/fix the safety hazards you observed and improve the safety evacuation plan using specific information from your text and notes. *An important component of this assignment!!
Repeat 3, 4, 5, and 6 for the outdoor environment/playground observed.
Conclusion Paragraph   This is where you can give your opinions and use “I”!Summarize your observation experience. Do you feel comfortable with the level of safety? If it was your home, what changes will you make right away? Give your final thoughts/opinions/ reactions etc. (It is OK to be subjective here!) State what you learned from this assignment.
Add a Reference Page, citing your text in APA format and any other sources used