Child observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Child observation - Essay Example One of the first things I was able to observe Luke doing was playing with Lego building blocks. Luke is a Lego maniac. He builds elaborate structures with these toys, but is always very careful to keep the â€Å"sets† of Lagos sorted out from one another. This way he can build them the â€Å"right† way by following the instructions. When he combines sets to build one structure, he is very careful to observe which set it came from so he can return it to its proper place. The idea of equilibrium is an important idea introduced by Piaget (Slavin). According to this theory, when something new is introduced to the child, a disequilibrium is created in the child’s understanding of how the world works. This disequilibrium is what causes learning. I was able to observe this when Mary introduced a new type of Lego set to Luke. I notice that Luke would follow a pattern in building his structures. He always used dark, sturdy Lagos for the base of his structures and lighter colored, thin Lagos at the top. This new set of Lagos, however, did not have any dark, sturdy Lego’s. I could tell that Luke was keen to use his new set, but could not reconcile the fact that the new dark Lagos would not work for the base. He dealt with the new situation by excluding the new Lagos from the building. Eventually, Luke may realize that it is not the color that makes for a good base, but the thickness of the blocks. When he does this, he will have assimilate new i nformation and will have learned something new. While watching Mary serve Luke and his younger sister some lunch, I was able to observe another hallmark of Piaget’s research, namely, Luke’s early ability to display the idea of conservation. Juice was being poured into two different sized glasses. Luke’s was tall and thin while his sister’s glass was shorter and broader. Luke’s sister began to cry because Luke got â€Å"more†. His glass did appear to have more due to the