Infant Observation and Assessment Report: ABC Child Care Center

This report details the observation of an 11-month-old infant, Veronica, at a childcare center. The observation is divided into two 15-minute segments: a block play activity and a routine care (mealtime) session. The block play observation describes Veronica's interaction with toys, her caregiver, and her emotional responses to various stimuli. The routine care observation focuses on Veronica's reactions to different foods, particularly broccoli soup and vegetables, and her caregiver's strategies to encourage her to eat. The report includes running records of both observations, followed by assessments of facilitated exploration, relational climate, and early language support. The caregiver's behavior is highlighted, emphasizing their role in creating a positive and supportive environment for the infant. The observations reveal insights into the infant's developing communication skills, emotional expressions, and preferences.

Running head: INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
First Name of the Child: Veronica
Age of the Child: 11 months 17 days
Child Care Setting: ABC Child Care Center
Caregiver’s relationship to Veronica: Caregiver
Observation 1
15 minutes Block Play Activity
Start Time: 11.27 am
End Time: 11.42 am
Location and Activity: Toddling round the room playing with toys scattered on the floor of
the classroom
Running Record:
Veronica woke up at 11.25 am from a short nap. She had no sign of irritation on her
face. She made an attempt to find her caregiver appointed for her in the center. When she
finally saw her caregiver she had an extensive smile on her face. She was put down on the
floor. She first looked at her caregiver fixing her gaze on a 12 inch long doll and then
grabbed it from her caregiver in a firm yet friendly way. She observed her doll for some 1
minute or so holding it from the back with one hand and giving support to the neck of the doll
with the other. She intensely kept on staring at the doll and finally found out that a very tiny
part of its cloth is torn. The moment she understood the discrepancy in the dress she tried to
bring it to the notice of her caregiver immediately. She was visibly upset. In fact her smile

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INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
disappeared for a certain time but it came back with her caregiver making airplane with her
hands flying towards her. Her energetic smile was regained and she removes her eyeballs
from the doll to a soft ball with vibrant red and yellow color. Around 11.34 am she initially
tried to hold the ball properly but failed thrice and on the fourth attempt she was successful in
holding the ball and threw it upwards. She looked pretty excited while the ball was on air for
a few seconds. She held the ball above her head for sometimes and then she drops it
unintentionally leading her to indulge into expressions of triumph. Therefore she picked up
the ball again and now she dropped it purposefully. This happened for a certain number of
times and she finally moved her eyes to her toys.
She was playing with her toys while she was sitting but now she heard the sound of
the calling bell so she had a change of expression on her face. Now she gradually tried to
move towards the bell, following the sound of it. It has been observed that each time the
calling bell was pressed there was a wide smile on her face with soft sound of laughter.
Veronica in a pink frock got amazed looking at herself in the mirror. She started planting
kisses on the mirror and smiled at the same time on the reflection. She was awestruck but her
reflection in the mirror that she was completely engrossed with could not make her very
happy for a long time. Her caregiver tried to make the girl separated from the mirror leading
her end up in whimpering. Veronica did not make much noise while whimpering rather she
seemed to be a silent kid while emoting. She freely roamed around in the room and toppled
over her toys multiple times but the caregiver did not show much concern about this rather
the body language and the gesture of the caregiver helped her to get back to her feet. She
invested all her energy in her activity because she was using almost all of her body parts
especially her right hand. She did not play with a particular toy for a long time rather her
attention kept on changing from one to the other. She tried to interact with her caregiver both
by verbal communication and through gesture. She made some incomprehensive sounds

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INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
during her entire playtime. Her blabbering included one or two fully uttered words like
“mama”, “nana”, “papa”, “dada” and words like “doggy” as she was calling one of her soft
toys with this name. She also called her doll as “Suzie”. Leaving a pile of cars she once came
hurriedly towards her caregiver and kissed her on her nose. Her caregiver kissed her back.
They had a small section of laughter. She placed her hands around her caregiver’s neck. 15
minutes came to end here.
Score Facilitated Exploration immediately
after the Play Activity Observation
Facilitated
exploration
Consistent Sometimes Seldom Not observed
Parent or teacher
spends most of
their time
actively
involved with
the
infant,
consistently
initiating,
joining or
mirroring
interactions
during
play
✓
Parent or teacher
provides
opportunities for
infant to safely
explore and
Choose options
in their
surroundings
✓
Parent or teacher
regularly
encourages
✓

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INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
infant to persist
in their play
through verbal
encouragement
and enthusiasm
Parent or teacher
watches the
infant to see
what they are
interested in and
then follows
their lead with a
comment or
shared activity
✓
Observation 2
15 minutes time block Routine Care
Start time: 12.30 pm
End time: 12.45 pm
Location and Activity: Meal time in dining hall in the Care Center
Running Record:
It was 12.30 pm and it was the time for Veronica’s lunch. She was made sit on the
chair and a folding table was placed in front of her. She had been given broccoli soup and
blanched carrot, French beans, asparagus and pomegranate juice. She had a frown
immediately on her face looking at the green soup. The feeling of disgust was prominently
visible at the presence of the soup. Her caregiver took a spoon of soup to feed her that she

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INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
refused to have and removed her caregiver’s hand with her right hand. She looked angry and
disappointed. Her caregiver then tried to give her the boiled vegetables. The vibrant orange
color of the carrot might have attracted her so she enjoyed having it spontaneously. She
neither refused the beans nor the asparagus rather did she swallow them in few seconds. She
looked quite happy while having the lunch and a soaring energy is also noticeable. However
the energy seemed to disappear when her caregiver again tried to feed her the soup.
Veronica chewed her food properly and then only swallowed but after finishing the
vegetables when her caregiver was ready with the soup, she just somehow forgot the disgust
and had it. However taking the soup inside did not give her a pleasant experience as seen on
her face. She instantly threw up the soup. After this, the number of times her caregiver
approached her with the soup, she made a disgusting face with an expression like she did not
like the smell of the soup so she was removing the soup every time. Her caregiver, as a
consequent, tried to bring a change in the taste so she gave her the pomegranate juice.
Veronica seemed to like the color because she not only drank the juice contentedly but also
held the glass by herself. Her caregiver seemed to be very rigid and firm from her
movements. However she did not lose her calm rather she tried every single time with same
amount of energy and intensity. Her caregiver very politely told her to have the soup. Since
the soup was delivered with the same energy and same smile on the face she gave up on
being angry. She tried the soup once again while blabbering and this time she did not throw it
up.
From the above discussion it is clear that Veronica does not like broccoli but she does
not mind having some colorful vegetables. Although she initially refused the food yet her
caregiver’s nature of speaking softly changed her perception and she had it entirely.
Whenever she refused the food her caregiver countered her with a polite conversation every
time. Her caregiver also blabbered sometimes so that veronica can relate and can enjoy her

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INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
food. Her caregiver helped her in initiating new words and she incorporated them in her
conversation. The conversation was not one-sided rather it involves both the caregiver and
the child into a unique bond that would help her assessing the worth if life. Veronica is
communicative because I can emote what she wants and what she detests.
The caregiver did not seem to be tensed sat all. Every time she received rejection she
did not lose temper rather she came back with the same intensity. She talked to her in her
own made language. Veronica seemed to be over enthusiastic while grabbing her food.
Although initially declined the food yet she could not reject her caregiver’s effort. They had
tiny conversations with more laughter and enthusiasm. The girl is proactive that is because
she had been constantly supported by her caregiver. Whatever the conversation had taken
place they seemed to be meaningless to anyone else but it made her happy and laughs.
Veronica enjoyed her food gradually while being a part of tiny conversations with her
caregiver. Her caregiver carefully fed her every bite so that no morsel is left on her plate. The
plate is cleaned at the end of the lunch though the observation time was over even before her
lunch was finished. Around 12.45 pm her entire plate was done except the soup.
Relational Climate and Early Language Support
immediately
after the Routine Care Observation
Relational climate Consistent Sometimes Seldom Not observed
Teacher or
parent
consistently
displays positive
behaviours with
infants by being
physically close,
being on eye
level, sharing
attention and
✓

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INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
providing
affection and
contact
There are
frequent
episodes of
smiles and
laughter by
teacher or
parent and
infant. Adults
and infants
generally appear
happy.
✓
Teacher or
parent
frequently use a
calm tone,
respectful
language
and refer to
infants by their
name of terms
of affection
✓
Teacher or
parent use a
gentle touch
when moving or
holding infants
and verbally
prepare them for
what is about to
happen by
verbally
telling them
what they are
going to do
before it
✓

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INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
happens. (I’m
going
to pick you up.
Let’s wipe your
nose
Early Language
Support
Consistent Sometimes Seldom Not observed
Parent or teacher
describe their
own and infant
actions during
activities and
routines
✓
Parent or teacher
language often
includes
descriptive and
variable
words spoken in
complete
sentences
✓
Parent or teacher
frequently
encourages
infant to
verbalize by
initiating sounds
and words with
the infants and
imitating sounds
expressed by
infants
✓
Parent or teacher
often extends
infant’s
✓

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INFANT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT
communication
attempts by
adding words to
their actions and
or the sounds
they make
Parent or teacher
consistently
engages in back
and forth verbal
exchanges with
infants, using
pauses and eye
contact to
encourage
turn taking
✓