Running head: TODDLER PORTFOLIO REFLECTION 1

Toddler Portfolio Reflection

Ellyn E. Culotta

Louisiana State University

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Toddler Portfolio Reflection

In my Toddler Portfolio, I discussed the physical, cognitive, and social/emotional

development of a toddler. His name is Samuel, and he is one year old. First, it is important to

note some things about the classroom environment in which he was observed. The facility in

which this child was observed follows the Reggio Emilia philosophy. Therefore, the classroom

had lots of windows to allow natural light to fill the room. All of the elements, such as the

flooring and walls, were natural shades of brown and green. There were minimal decorations on

the walls, besides family pictures and students artwork. The environment plays and important

role as its physical design and positive or negative climate can affect Samuels physical,

cognitive, and social/emotional development.

When observing Samuels physical development, I recorded variances in three

subcategories. These included gross-motor, fine-motor, and perceptual development. The toddler

appropriate ramp with stairs play equipment was one of Samuels favorite toys. He used it to

practice using gross-motor skills through activities such as walking, running, and climbing stairs

throughout the day. Samuel practiced fine motor skills by grasping his friends sock with his

pointer finger, scooping cereal with a spoon to bring to his mouth, and writing with a magnetic

drawing board. It was evident that his perceptual development improved through recognition of

the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song. Each of these components to Samuels development

were practiced within the walls of his classroom. My recommendation to his parents would be to

allow him more time to write and practice his fine-motor skills.

From observing Samuels physical development, I have learned that toddlers are active

children. When they are developmentally ready to begin walking and running around the

classroom, they have a new-found freedom to explore. There are toys everywhere because they
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take things off the shelves, begin playing, and then get distracted by a friend and go play with

something else. Materials such as the ramp or stairs in the classroom help toddlers to experience

different types of terrain too. The magnetic doodle pads that the toddlers have allow them to

work on using fine motor skills without having the mess of paper and crayons everywhere. By

encouraging children to develop these physical attributes, the children are able to explore their

environments and become more independent.

When observing Samuels cognitive development, I recorded variances in four

subcategories. These included Piagets theory of sensorimotor, information processing, social

context of early cognitive development, and language development. Falling under the category of

Piagets theory, Samuel displayed evidence of understanding object permanence when playing

with his friend. The two toddlers used the classroom equipment to play hid and go seek. He also

used mental representation to remember his family and then point to their picture in the

classroom. Samuel excelled when using the sink, and going through the motions of each step to

wash his hands. Next, Vygotskys sociocultural theory was emphasized during breakfast. Samuel

is too young to neatly pour the cereal or pull out his chair to sit down, but with the teachers

assistance she begins scaffolding these experiences with him until he is able to complete the

tasks on his own. Samuel is also in the beginning stages of his toddler language development. He

is beginning to use more sounds such as ooo or ahh to get peoples attention. There are

toddler sized chairs and shelves with toys so that the toddlers begin to do things independently. I

would recommend allowing Samuel to explore the environment around him. The parents or

teachers could also present him with small problems and allow him time to solve the problems.

From observing Samuels cognitive development, I noted that toddlers seem to learn best

though repetition and routines. Because Samuel washes his hands before every meal, he knows
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the steps in order of how to wash his hands. It is through these toddlers cognitive development

that they discover and retain the new information presented to them. Through even the slightest

challenges that were presented throughout the observation, it was how Samuel solved the

problems that he managed to learn valuable lessons. Even at the young age of one-year-old

Samuel was fully capable of solving some of his own problems. They were not exactly the way

that older children would, but there also does not have to be a right and wrong answer. Curiosity

is another key component of a childs cognitive development. I have learned that by providing a

safe environment for students to roam and explore freely, without harm, they benefit more than

they do from direct instruction at this age. Their attention span is not long enough to try and sit

them down to learn all about the same topic. However, if teachers allow them to follow their

curiosity they will learn more about themselves and the toys they are playing with.

When observing Samuels social and emotional development, I recorded variances in five

subcategories. These included Eriksons psychosocial theory, emotional development,

temperament, attachment, and self- development. Samuel displayed basic trust, according to

Ericksons theory, through his affectionate responses to Ms. Lucy. Emotionally, Samuel was a

content and happy child. He would only whine occasionally, but otherwise he always wore a

smile. His temperament as far as I could see was calm and happy; he did not get frustrated easily.

He showed normal attachments to his teacher and his mom as he ran to her when she walked in

the room. As a toddler Samuel is now learning self-awareness and self-control through various

actions. He is learning about what it means to be compliant as well as non-compliant. A material

that aids in Samuels social and emotional development would include his pacifier. Even though

he is not allowed to have it all day at school, it plays an important role in helping him feel secure
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during nap time. I would recommend that Samuels parents help him learn how to comfort

himself when he is upset rather than having him act out and bite his friends.

From observing Samuels social and emotional development, I have learned that toddlers

are learning how to express their emotions. Samuel in particular would bite when he got angry at

another child. This is because he is still developing those linguistic skills that allow him to

express how he feels. I could tell that the trust between Samuel and his teacher or Samuel and his

parents aided in how he acted around other children. He knew that each of these people were

going to care for him and that he needed to respect them by listening when they corrected him.

For example, they would say soft touches. He would then translate that by preforming the

action in order to get a positive reaction from his caregivers. Observing Samuel also taught me

that toddlers are still learning self-development. The reason toddlers do not always listen is

because they are still learning that they are supposed to listen because the adults around them are

keeping them safe. Having learned this from observing him will help me in the future to better

understand why some toddlers act the way they do. I will be able to approach different scenarios

with a deeper understanding that allows me to enter the situation with a level head as I get down

to the bottom of why the toddler may not be listening.

In conclusion, Samuel, the one year old toddler, has displayed different strengths and

weaknesses throughout his physical, cognitive, and social/emotional stages of development.

While he still has room to grow in areas such as self-control or using fine-motor capabilities, he

has also proved to be moving in the right direction for development. Physically, nothing appears

to be wrong with him at this age. Cognitively, he displays the same knowledge and

understanding of other students his age. Socially and Emotionally, he is just coming out of a

biting stage where he learns to use soft touches instead, which is completely normal for a toddler
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this age. With the developmentally appropriate practices used in this childs classroom and at

home, he seems to have a solid foundation in which to start exploring and discovering new

limits.

Peer Reviewed by: Kassidy Mueller