Important: The children’s first initials are used in the following observations. The child care provider is referred to as “the” or “a” child care provider. Writing observations in this way ensures the confidentiality of the children, families, and child care providers.
K (age four years) comes into the room and immediately decides to pick on L (age four years). K never plays with L, and doesn’t like her. In K’s usual, aggressive manner, K approaches L and grabs the doll that L had been playing with since arriving in the morning.
Knowing that K only wants the doll because L has it, a child care provider goes over and demands K give the doll back to L. K throws a tantrum, which then interrupts and upsets everyone in the room.
K (age four years) marches into the room. She stops, looks around for a few seconds, and then walks slowly over to the dramatic play area where L (age four years) is putting her doll to bed in the cradle. K stops about two feet in front of the cradle and, with her hands on her hips, watches L put a blanket on the doll. K then bends over and quickly pulls the doll out of the cradle and runs with the doll over to the art area, and then she turns around to look at L.
“I was playing with that doll!” yells L as she starts to cry. L looks at a child care provider who then turns to K and begins to walk over to her. K drops the doll and runs to the block area. The child care provider catches up to K and urges her to go back to the art area and pick up the doll. K goes back, picks up the doll, and, together with the child care provider, returns to the dramatic play area.
“K, you need to give the doll back to L, since she was playing with it first,” says the child care provider. K hands the doll back to L. K then throws her head back, falls onto the floor, and kicks and screams.
From ESSA/YOUNG. Introduction to Early Childhood Education. 339–340. © 2003 Nelson Education Ltd. Reproduced by permission. <www.cengage.com/permissions>