Interviews: New Parents
Due Date: _________________________
Name: __________________________________________ ID# _______________________
Course: __________________________________ Course/Section # __________________
The purpose of this assignment is to learn of individual differences between parents and the ways they interpret the signals of their infants and toddlers.
Interview:
Create a series of questions to find out how parents are interpreting the signals of the baby.
The questions should include topics such as eating and sleeping patterns, personality characteristics, and baby's preferences for particular toys, foods, locations, or people.
Type up your survey questions and give them to five couples with infants or toddlers (birth to 3 years old). You can survey both parents together or individually, but it is important to be consistent in you methodology with all couples. If you can, try to pick parents whose children are about the same age.
Comparison Paper:
Write a brief paper comparing the responses of the each set of parents to the information given in the text book. You should include an introductory paragraph, a summary of each set of responses, a comparison of the responses to the text book, and end with a concluding paragraph.
What do I turn in?
Research: Creating a Stimulating Nursery
Due Date: _________________________
Name: __________________________________________ ID# _______________________
Course: __________________________________ Course/Section # __________________
Pretend that you are a Child Development Consultant whose client wants to have the most stimulating and encouraging nursery possible. The client wants to know how to arrange the room, what type of furniture to buy, colors for the walls and the bedding, and what types of toys to buy. Should the baby have a swing? Should there be music, and if so, what type of music is best? Should the baby have a television? What type of lighting should be in the room?
Research:
Your task is to research these questions and report back to your client. You will find helpful articles in magazines targeted at parents, baby books, parenting books, and the internet. You can also find journal articles which have investigated many of these issues.
Write a Report:
Your report should be written as if you were going to give it to expectant parents. Detail your suggestions about every part of the baby's room in such a way that parents could take your report and furnish the entire room with your suggestions and instructions.
The paper:
Research: Preferences of a Preverbal Infant
Due Date: _________________________
Name: __________________________________________ ID# _______________________
Course: __________________________________ Course/Section # __________________
Psychological research reports, commonly referred to as journal articles, are written in a very specific way. The goal of this assignment is to give you exposure to technical writing and to acquaint you with an interesting area of research.
Just how can a researcher determine the preferences of a child before that child is able to talk? This difficult task has been achieved in some very clever ways!
Find an article:
You can use your text book to find an article or you can search for one using an index like Psychological Abstracts or the computerized version PsychLit. Search for an article that investigates the sensory preferences (visual, auditory, tactile, taste, or smell preferences) that explains the methodology in depth.
Writing your report:
Write a short paper with the following headings: Introduction, Participants, Methodology, and Discussion. Under each heading summarize the main points from the article. In the Introduction give the main focus of the research. For the participants tell who was studied. Under Methodology tell exactly how the researchers measures the infants' preferences. For the Discussion section tell what the researchers found out from their experiment.
The paper:
Brochure: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Due Date: _________________________
Name: __________________________________________ ID# _______________________
Course: __________________________________ Course/Section # __________________
The focus of this project is to acquaint you with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Research:
By using books, journal and magazine articles, newspaper stories, and the internet, collect information on SIDS. Look for the risk factors and methods of prevention. Also check to see what is available in your area for families who have lost a child to SIDS.
Educational Brochure:
Develop a brochure for new parents about SIDS. Explain exactly what SIDS is, the risk factors, and the means of prevention. Also list sources of support nationally and locally for families who lose a child to SIDS.
The brochure should involve one sheet of typing paper, but you can fold it any way you would like. You can turn the page sideways and fold it once for a booklet style or fold it three times for a tri-fold. You can type on both sides of the paper, but stick to one sheet of typing paper. The brochure must be typed. You can be creative in terms of the way you present the material (such as with the use of graphics).
Be certain to put your name at the very end of the brochure.
Field Trip: Observing in a Day Care
Due Date: _________________________
Name: __________________________________________ ID# _______________________
Course: __________________________________ Course/Section # __________________
Make an appointment:
Call to make an appointment to observe at a day care facility that keeps infants. Be polite and courteous on the phone. It is also important to be honest that this observation is a class assignment. Observing for one full day or half-day would be the most valuable.
Observation:
Watch closely to see how well the infants are cared for:
Are diapers changed when needed?
Are babies fed at appropriate times?
Are babies fed in an appropriate way?
Do attendants/teachers pay attention to outbursts of crying?
Are the babies ever held?
Look at the room where the infants are kept:
Is it clean?
Are the necessary supplies available?
Are the cribs adequate?
Is the room reasonably quiet?
Observe the attendants or teachers:
Are they trained?
Do they seem comfortable with the babies?
Are they patient?
Are there enough attendants/teachers for the number of babies kept?
Record these observations and any others you feel are significant.
Write a Paper:
Write a paper giving your observations and your reactions.
The paper:
Project: Testing Children's Cognitive Development
Due Date: _________________________
Name: __________________________________________ ID# _______________________
Course: __________________________________ Course/Section # __________________
Consider the ways cognitive development is measured in children during the first three years by surveying chapter 4. The goal of this project is to building a testing kit and test the cognitive development of three children.
Gather materials:
You need to develop at least 5 ways to test cognitive development and gather the materials to conduct those tests. For example, if you want to test object permanence (which would be 1 of your minimum 5) you would need a toy and a blanket.
Testing:
Once you have gathered materials then conduct your tests on three children: (1) 12 months old or younger, (2) 12 - 24 months old, and (3) 24 - 36 months old.
Writing Your Results:
You need to write a paper with the following headings:
Brochure: Adjusting to New Siblings
Due Date: _________________________
Name: __________________________________________ ID# _______________________
Course: __________________________________ Course/Section # __________________
Often toddlers (3 years old and under) are forced to accommodate a new sibling. This could be the result of mother's pregnancy, an adoption, or step-siblings entering the family.
Research:
Look for books, journal articles, magazine articles, and newspaper articles that discuss ways of introducing a toddler to new siblings. You might find some children's books written to help children with this very issue.
Write a brochure:
Based on your research write a brochure that gives parents very concrete and specific suggestions on ways of introducing their toddler to a new sibling. The material may need to be organized as to whether the new sibling is the result of mother'
s pregnancy, an adoption, or the blending of two families.
What do I turn in?