Physical development is "the genetic foundations of development, the physical growth of all of the components of the body, their functioning and care"(Rice 586). During my observation I looked at five aspects of physical development, they were: physical growth, motor development, bladder/bowel control, nutrition, and sleep. When observing that children

Motor development of the children varied greatly, this is mainly due to the overall physical maturation of the skeletal and neuromuscular development. At the in-home daycare a little girl about one 1/2 cannot walk alone while another girl the same age is very agile on her feet and has a lot of coordination. This difference is most likely due to the neurons of the girl not being myelinated of the little girl who can't walk. Myelinization is "the process by which neurons become coated with an insulation fatty substance called myelin," this "helps the neurons to transmit nerve impulses faster and more efficiently" (Rice 113). This myelinization also plays a role with potty training. If the neurons are myelinated the sensation of urinating and a bowel movement can be sensed faster so the child knows when they must go to the bathroom. During the observation I noticed that all the children above three years old in the home daycare were potty trained. I did not get any numbers from the Holland College daycare.

Another aspect I looked at was the feelings of the children. At the in-home daycare I noticed that the children were very curious of each other (the visitors versus the regulars), but at the Child Development Centre the children did not notice me for the first hour of my visit. Another feeling that I noticed the children exhibited was excitement when the caregivers at the in-home daycare asked the children if they wanted to go outside to play, they all clapped and smiled and made exciting noises like "yippy." The development of emotions emerges with age, and I found that the children I observed displayed many different emotions. When the children were being read to, they would make different facial expressions depended on what was happening in the story.

Social development is "the socialization process, moral development, and relationships with peers, family, and at work" (Rice 587). I took note of the form of discipline used at the two different locations, peer relationships, gender roles, and gender stereotypes.

"By three years of age, personal characteristics are defined in childlike terms, and are usually positive and exaggerated" (Rice 217). Throughout my observation I realized that this statement was true. I asked several children between the ages of 4 and five at both location what they wanted to be when they grew up. I had many different answers ranging from a firefighter, to an astronaut, to a veterinarian, to a hockey player. The different types of answers to this question shows how at this age their concept of self is not exactly what will be reality.

Problem solving of children may be interrupted due to irreversibility and chaining. Irreversibility occurs when a child's "failure to recognize that an operation can go both ways" (Rice 584) and chaining happens when a child is sorting multiple characteristics of an object but gets the information confused and is not able to do it. I noticed that irreversibility occurred with some of the younger children at the in-home daycare when they went outside to play. The young children found it very difficult to put on their shoes and needed help but when they came in from playing all the children could take off their shoes by themselves. At the Child Development Centre I asked a little girl about three 1/2 years old if she could sort the blocks into piles that were all the same colour. She was able to do this but was unable to sort the blocks when I asked her to put the large yellow blocks into a pile.

First I noticed that children exhibit abstract thinking, which is when a child is not able to understand time, money, distance, right or left, etc. I observed this type of thinking when I was at the Child Development Centre. There were two girls and two boys in a corner with a Holland College student. The student was asking the children want their favourite month was, all the children replied with a holiday not an actual mont

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