!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-.

"'/01%01%2*"1%

3%

Case Study Observation on Ryan Rebecca ONeill James Madison University

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

% Abstract

4%

This case study was conducted to help further my understanding of child development in a hands on experience. Over the course of sixteen weeks, I specifically took notice to a child named Ryan who is known to have behavioral issues within the classroom. Based on my observations, I was able to interpret and analyze my findings based on my knowledge of child development.

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

5%

Case Study: Observing Ryan Introduction This past semester I have focused my time on this case study in order to excel in my understanding of child development. This case study conducted on Ryan, allowed me to closely observe the development of a specific child and relate these observations to topics learned in my 300 level Elementary Education classes. Personally, this study was a great experience as a future educator because it allowed me to actively apply what I have learned about child development to a specific child, instead of just solely learning from the books. During my first week of practicum, I had very little knowledge as to how I should choose my case study child. My practicum classroom was so diverse in many different ways that I was almost overwhelmed with making a selection. However, with the help of my cooperating teacher and observations made on the class in whole, I decided to observe Ryan for the basis of my research. Ryan, without a doubt, has a big presence within his kindergarten classroom. Most of Ryans presence in the classroom can be attributed to his behavioral issues, therefore making him a valuable source for furthering my knowledge in child development. I not only gained knowledge from making observations on Ryan, but Ryan also gained something that I believe greatly attributed to his behavioral issues-attention. It took some time for Ryan to fully trust me and to understand my intentions, but I can now say that Ryan really benefitted from this experience. Based on my time working with Ryan, it is evident that all children develop differently based on a number of variables, therefore it was interesting to see how Ryans behavioral troubles effected him as an ever- growing child.

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

% Methods

6%

Over the course of sixteen weeks, every Wednesday from 7:55 AM until 3:05 PM, I integrated myself into my cooperating teachers kindergarten classroom. There was never a dull moment to say the least, therefore making it a great environment for my observations on Ryan. The formal observations made on Ryan varied each week. However, I was constantly making note of Ryans progress with school work, interactions with other students, and the ways in which Ryan involved himself in the kindergarten classroom. I not only benefitted greatly from the observations made by Ryans daily routines, but the cooperating teacher was also very supportive in allowing me to gain experience as a future teacher. It was also very helpful that the cooperating teacher made a point to tell the students that I was an authoritative figure in the classroom; therefore warning the students to treat me with the same respect that they give to their teacher. During the time that I was present in the kindergarten classroom, I was given the responsibility to lead the students in their morning message and calendar time, as well as teach and support the students during math and literacy. I also completed lesson plans with the kindergarten classroom such as a read-aloud followed by an activity and a specific literacy assessment just for Ryan, followed by a literacy based lesson plan based on Ryans assessment results. By having a teachers role in the classroom, it allowed me to observe the ways in which Ryan interacted with me as a teacher rather than just a visitor in the classroom. What I found to be true with Ryan is that he works better in a smaller group setting rather than with the entire class. Therefore, I tried my best to give Ryan more support during whole class activities, whether it be clarifying instruction or even just sitting next to him. It was interesting to observe and examine Ryans work progress when I was there to support him, compared to when I wasnt. I

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

7%

was able to collect all data by observing Ryan as a developing child, his work progress and his involvement in classroom lessons. For my practicum I was placed at Exciting Elementary School where the schools focus areas are English as a Second Language, General Education, Head Start Program, Remedial Program, Special Education, Talented and Gifted Program and Title I- Targeted Assistance(Virginia Department of Education, 2011). The school consists of six hundred fifty four students, a hundred and ten of them being kindergarteners (Virginia Department of Education, 2011). The kindergarten classroom that I attended to was very active and consisted of fifteen, five to six year old children. It was brought to my knowledge that Ryan also attended preschool at the same elementary school; therefore he was very familiar with the school environment prior to attending kindergarten. Ryan is also well known by many of the teachers due to his behavioral issues; in result my cooperating teacher was well prepared for any corruption Ryans behavior may have brought to her classroom. As for the actual kindergarten classroom setting, there are a total of four tables in which the students have assigned seating. Ryans seat is specifically assigned as far away as possible from another student, Alex, due to the negative effects their interactions result in. Ryan and Alex tend to feed off each other in making bad decisions that go against classroom rules, therefore the two are not allowed to work, play, or sit near each other during the school day. Even when the students are sitting on the reading rug, Ryan is assigned his own personal area in the corner of the rug and Alex must sit in the opposite corner (please refer to Appendix B for a diagram of the classroom setup). Based on my observations, although Ryans negative behavior causes quite a distraction to the class, most students try to ignore his actions and only worry about them selves. I personally feel that one can

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

8%

only understand why Ryan acts the way he does based on having knowledge of his family structure. Data and Interpretations Intro: Child & Family System It wasnt until two weeks into my observations that I finally asked my cooperating teacher about Ryans family and household structure. Based on what I had previously learned about the ecology of human development, it did not come as a surprise to me that Ryan did not have the best of upbringings in his young life so far. Ryans mother had him at a very young age, which in turn made his upbringing difficult from the start. His mother also had a drug problem, in result creating abuse mentally and physically towards Ryan. His father was in and out of his life from the start and at one point Ryans mother submitted a restraining order against his father but never followed through with it. Ryan was not signed up to attend kindergarten at the elementary school, but due to something unknown to me that occurred during the summer, Ryan signed up last minute. Ryan currently lives with his great-grandmother and great-greatgrandmother and is only allowed to see his mother during supervised visits. What I learned about Ryans family and household structure definitely affected the way in which I approached his behavior. It was hard for me at first to put my emotions aside because Ryan truly is a sweet child who was brought into this world with a very unstable family and household structure. As mentioned previously, I observed that Ryan does best when he is individually attended to. I believe that this need for attention is due to the lack of attention that Ryan has been given from his family throughout his life. I also mentioned earlier that it took some time for Ryan to trust me and to fully understand that my intentions were only good. Because both his parents and even his immediate grandparents have constantly been in and out of his life, I believe that Ryan has

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

9%

complete lack in trust towards many people. The structure of Ryans family and household most definitely would cause confusion for any five-year old. During one of my visits to the kindergarten classroom on November 2nd, Ryan seemed clearly distressed and started crying after coming back from a literacy block. My cooperating teacher and I both assumed that Ryan was upset because he got in trouble with the literacy teacher; however when we both communicated with the literacy teacher she said the Ryan did great during literacy that day and showed no signs of being upset. When I personally tried to talk to Ryan about what was bothering him he did not respond and instead continued to cry. I asked him if he was feeling okay and he just shook his head. The teacher and I went through and asked if his head or stomach was hurting him but he continued to shake his head. The behavior continued through lunch and a normally sociable Ryan sat alone at the end of the table, picking at his food. I noticed that Ryan looked very pale and his lips purple, so my cooperating teacher and I decided it would be best to take him to the school nurse. When I took Ryan to the nurse he wouldnt let me leave his side and got very upset when the nurse went to call his great- grandmother. Ryans great- grandmother informed the nurse that on that previous Monday, which happened to be Halloween, Ryans mother visited and took Ryan trick-or-treating. His great-grandmother further explained that since then Ryan has had a difficult time dealing with the fact that his mother was not there to stay. This is just one instance that shows how much Ryan is affected by the instability of his family life. Further looking into this instance, I was able to relate Ryans behavior with Erik Ericksons theory of human development. What I found to be very true about Ryan based on his family background in relation to Ericksons first stage of development, trust vs. mistrust, is that the development of trust is based on the dependability and quality of the childs caregivers(Cherry, 2011). Therefore, Ryans caregivers, in this case his mother and

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

:%

father, were inconsistent and emotionally unavailable causing Ryan to develop a sense of mistrust- in fear that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable (Cherry, 2011). This can further explain why it took time for Ryan to find any sense of trust in me based on the stage he is at in Ericksons theory of human development. Physical and Motor Development Ryan is of average height and weight compared to the other students in his class, standing at 46 inches tall and weighing 42.8 pounds. However, his body mass index is ten percent, which according to the school nurse is normal with exception- meaning he is normal yet at risk for being underweight. Ryan is Caucasian with brown hair and blue eyes. He has distinguishable, puffy bags under his eyes that the school nurse said is most likely attributed to sleep deprivation. From what I have observed on the playground, Ryan is meeting physical development milestones such as increasing running speed, galloping smoothly and engaging in true skipping (Berk, 2010, p. 409). On November 16th, I observed Ryans activity on the playground. The second Ryan walked outside, he immediately bolted off running with a few of his peers. When I finally caught up with him to continue my observation, I asked Ryan what he and the others were playing. He informed me that they were playing superheroes and his friend Scott was the bad guy. Before Ryan could even finish with his answer he again darted off and continued to play the superhero game with his friends. From afar I noticed Ryan jumping from high parts of the jungle gym and landing on both feet. He at one point took a break from the game to play on the monkey bars. I was amazed to see that Ryan was able to complete the monkey bars one way and then turn around and go back. This is another example in which Ryan demonstrates his development of gross motor skills - something that he takes pride in daily. At the end of the day, the students leave the classroom at different times depending on which form of transportation

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

;%

they use to go home. Because Ryan is one of three students who are in the last load of students to leave the classroom, my cooperating teacher gave to responsibility to Ryan to put up all the chairs on top of the tables once the tables have been cleaned. Ryan always takes it upon himself to put up all fifteen chairs and never allows anyone to help him. One day I asked Ryan if his arms ever start to hurt after lifting all the chairs. He responded to me by saying Na uh, because Im STRONG! Based on the physical growth of children, muscles in the bodys core, legs and arms develop before those in the fingers and hands. Therefore, Ryans arm strength is gradually becoming more developed as he becomes older. However, unlike the growth of Ryans gross motor skills, he is still in the process of mastering his fine motor skills. Fine motor skills involve the smaller muscles in the fingers, toes and eyes; the actions that require fine motor skills tend to be more intricate [for children] (Cherry, 2010). When I first began to observe Ryan in early September, he was in the process of learning how to hold a pencil and scissors properly. On September 14th, I observed Ryans early attempts to holding a pencil with his right hand as he began to learn how to write his name. Ryan had the habit to hold his pencil with all four fingers and his thumb wrapped around. Not only did this grip on the pencil look very uncomfortable for Ryan but it was also interfering with the way in which he was writing his name. I tried my best to work with Ryan on holding the pencil correctly on the days I was present, and my cooperating teacher even offered a contraption made of a hair tie to further assist Ryan in holding the pencil correctly. By the middle of September Ryan was successfully able to hold the pencil correctly with a better grip and in result his handwriting improved. This was one of the first instances where I believe Ryan began to trust me and understand that I was only there to help him further develop. Another big milestone for Ryan in respect to fine motor skills was learning how to properly hold and use scissors. This milestone

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

3<%

was one that was difficult for all students including Ryan to manipulate. In the beginning stages of learning how to hold and cut with scissors, Ryan had a hard time understanding that it was easiest to use the hand you write with to cut with scissors. What confused him even more was which fingers were to go in either of the two circles. It was very important to teach the students how to cut properly because a lot of the activities which they complete in the classroom involve cutting- such as their letter sorts. It was difficult for me to find a way to teach Ryan how to properly use scissors, however my cooperating teacher taught me a trick that was easy for most students to understand. She told me to have the student do a thumbs up with the hand that they write with and to place the thumb in the top circle of the scissors and the other fingers, excluding the pinky finger, in the bottom circle of the scissors. Once Ryan was able to understand how to properly hold scissors, the next step was to teach him how to hold the paper so that cutting things out would not be a difficult task. After much practice, Ryan was finally able to cut things out using the lines as guidance, therefore exemplifying another fine motor skill milestone- eye-hand coordination. One thing that Ryan has yet to master that involves fine motor skills is tying his shoelaces. What stunted the handling of this fine motor skill was the fact that Ryan was wearing Velcro sneakers at the beginning of the school year. Therefore, taking away any need for learning how to tie his sneakers. Every time Ryan came up to me and asked for me to tie his shoes, I made sure Ryan was watching me and modeled verbally and physically how to tie his shoe. When time permitted, after I modeled how to tie a shoe, I then undid the shoe- lace and had Ryan try. Presently, Ryan still cannot tie his own shoelaces. He has trouble using his small finger muscles to make the loops and pull the laces thru, however he has shown much improvement from when he was beginning to learn. It would be best if Ryan further practiced tying his

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

33%

shoelaces at home, however it was expressed to me by my cooperating teacher that there is a lack of support at home in fostering Ryans development. For the time that I was present in the kindergarten classroom, Ryan was never once absent. However, many a times I noticed that Ryan constantly had either a runny nose or a harsh cough. Unless my cooperating teacher and I reminded him, Ryan would never take the time to wash his hands after he blew his nose and coughed. At times he would even wipe his runny nose on his sleeve instead of using a tissue. Although I am unaware if Ryan was ever given cold medicine at home to tame his runny nose or cough, it was very important to constantly remind Ryan of the healthy practices that he could do in order to keep himself from being sick. Ryan also only comes to school with a zip up sweatshirt, however just recently he began to wear a hat and gloves. On November 30th, during recess time, my cooperating teacher and I looked at the temperature outside which displayed to be about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Although, the weather has been sporadic this season, it seemed almost ridiculous that Ryan was only wearing a thin zipup sweatshirt in such cold weather. This improper dress is also something that may be the cause of Ryans everlasting cold. Because Ryan does tend to get into trouble frequently, due to making bad decisions, I always made sure to sit next to him during lunchtime. Ryan buys lunch from the cafeteria everyday; therefore Ryan is consuming a healthy, nutritionally balanced meal at that time. According to the School Nutrition Program of Exciting Elementary School, the program objective is to improve the health of students by providing a variety of palatable, high-quality, safe, nutritious foods the menus are planned by nutritional experts including registered dietitians (Augusta County Public Schools, 2011). It is evident that Ryan is consuming at least one nutritionally balanced meal a day that encourages a healthy diet- his choice usually being a

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

34%

peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Ryan even explained to me on October 19th, that his favorite thing ever is the strawberries. However, I did observe a few times within the kindergarten classroom that my cooperating teacher tends to use food frequently as a way to further teach a lesson, especially during math time. On October 26th, just before Halloween, my teacher used M&Ms candy as a part of a math activity. Each student was given at least half a snack bag of M&Ms to sort by color and then count. Once the math lesson was complete, it was time for snack time and recess, where the children were allowed to eat their M&Ms. Instead of his normal routine of running around the playground non-stop until the whistle blew, Ryan sat on the sidewalk and consumed all of the M&Ms in his bag. At one point I attempted to intervene and suggest to Ryan to save some for lunch, however he didnt take my suggestion well and quickly said NO!. It came as no surprise to me that Ryan barely touched his nutritionally balanced lunch that day. Emotional and Social Development Ryan constantly struggles with his negative behavior in the classroom, which in turn makes it very difficult for him to create stabile friendships. Ryans behavior at times can be very unpredictable, therefore he has good days and he has bad days- but most of the time he chooses to have bad days. On good days for Ryan, he is very friendly to the other children and plays nicely by sharing. However, on bad days he is a completely different child. Instead of being friendly, Ryan frequently yells at his peers and will even go as far as lying to scapegoat another student in order to take the blame away from him self. What is most interesting about Ryans emotional and social development is that most of the time he knows his behavior is unacceptable, however he still chooses to make the wrong decisions and therefore he is constantly being punished.

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

35%

As mentioned previously, Ryan tends to find him self getting into trouble when he interacts with one of his peers, Alex. My cooperating teacher had warned me during my first week of practicum that Ryan and Alex tend to feed off of each other, which usually results in reprimanding both students. It was not long after when the students arrived to the classroom on September 7th that I was given the opportunity to observe Ryan and Alexs behaviors based on their interactions with each other. Instead of Alex doing what he was supposed to be doing, unpacking his book bag, he decided to go up to Ryan and start calling him stinky feet. At first Ryan did not take to this name calling kindly and responded with a very loud NAH UH!. However once Alex started to laugh at his own comment, Ryan began to laugh as well; proceeding to shout out and call other students stinky feet. Both students were then pulled to the side by the teacher to go through the appropriate behavior and actions that they were supposed to be involved in when they first walked into the classroom. Not only did this behavior get both students in trouble by the teacher, but they also caused many of their peers to be upset with them. Just like Ryan has a lack of trust in individuals, I believe actions like this result in the lack of trust that Ryans peers have in him; therefore affecting any possible friendships Ryan may have. My cooperating teacher expressed to me that when Alex is absent from the classroom, Ryan does tend to be better behaved compared to when Alex is present. As mentioned previously, I believe that Ryan yearns for attention that he does not fully receive at home. The second that anyone, in this case Alex, gives Ryan attention, he continues to feed for more and more; whether or not his actions are good or bad, either way Ryan is not only gaining attention from his peers but also his teacher- which is exactly what he wants. While doing further research I was able to find information presented by Oklahoma State University to support my interpretations of Ryans behavior: Some children

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

36%

feel their parents do not like them or do not talk or spend time with them. Therefore, these children act up to gain attention. Children who feel this way may even try to get in trouble to be noticed (Richardson, 2008). Based on my observations on Ryan throughout these sixteen weeks, I am confident in saying that Ryan does act up in the classroom on purpose. I came to this conclusion based on my cooperating teachers strategy for positive reinforcement. On one of the walls in my practicum classroom there is a ladybug chart. The ladybug chart consists of a flower planted in a pot. There are three levels of this chart: the flower, the leaves, and the pot. All students ladybugs start on the flower at the beginning of each day, however if there is a situation in which the teacher feels a student deserves to move their ladybug down a level, then the student must physically move their ladybug down themselves. The students who do not have to move their ladybugs down and stay on the flower until the end of the day receive a sticker to put on their sticker chart. Once the students complete a row of five stickers they are rewarded by picking a prize from the treasure box. Although this is a great way to positively reinforce the majority of the students in the classroom, the ladybug chart means nothing to Ryan. While most students are already on their second or third sticker chart, Ryan has not even come close to completing his first. When there is a student who does not normally move their ladybug down a level, he or she clearly expresses the disappointment and shame in their behavior. However, when Ryan moves his ladybug down he expresses no shame. On October 3rd, Ryan brought back a note from his music teacher, explaining the distraction his behavior brought to the music lesson, Ryan moved his ladybug down a level while laughing. It is clear that Ryan is not affected at all by the ladybug chart or the fact that he has not had a chance to pick a prize from the treasure box more than a few times. Based on this type of behavior and his actions, I believe that Ryan views gaining attention as being more important than following the class rules.

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

37%

When I am present in the classroom, I try my best to encourage Ryan to behave well so that he can get closer to being rewarded a prize from the treasure box. Most of the time though, this encouragement is not successful. On October 19th, I asked Ryan how he feels when he does not receive a sticker for the day. His simple response was I dont know, I was bad. I believe that his nonchalant response to my question is a result of the minimum praise that Ryan receives at home. I feel that the only time Ryan does receive attention at home is when he is being yelled at for doing something wrong. I believe that if the individuals in Ryans household put more focus commending him on accomplishments in school and at home, then his behavior would transform. The more that Ryan misbehaves and is disrespectful towards his peers, the more he continues to push them away (literally). I have observed frequently that Ryan tends to push his peers in the hallway when the students are walking in a single file line. Because I am with Ryan for the majority of the day, I typically walk next to him when the students are walking through the hallway. The fact that Ryan continues to push his peers in line while I am walking directly next to him gives me more reassurance that his actions are a result of his need for attention. If pushing other students in front of me is not enough to gain my attention, about every time after he pushes a student he quickly looks at me and says, I didnt do it! before I can say anything. Because this is something that I have noticed to happen frequently, I conducted an event sampling observation in which I noted how many times during the school day that Ryan claimed his innocence after doing something that he knew was wrong. Based on my results, I noted that Ryan said some sort of variation of I didnt do it! thirteen times after he misbehaved in some way. There were about four other instances when I observed Ryan misbehaving, however during these times he just walked away from the situation. Not only does this behavior attract negativity

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

38%

towards Ryan but it is affecting his friendships within the classroom. I noticed throughout the sixteen weeks that Ryans peers are gradually beginning to keep their distance with him. He has made multiple of his friends cry and I even recorded one student saying, Ryan is crazy!. My cooperating teacher expressed to me that she tried multiple times to communicate with Ryans great-grandmother in reference to his behavior, however she was quickly turned down. It is not enough to only support Ryan during the school day; in order for Ryan to grow socially and emotionally in the right direction, he needs support from every aspect of his mesosystem. Cognitive Development Cognitively, Ryan is meeting the developmental milestones that most children his age are achieving. Based on Jean Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development, Ryan is without a doubt in the preoperational stage. Before a child can be classified in the preoperational stage from the sensorimotor stage of development, the child must successfully understand the concept of object permanency (Hefner, 2004). Ryan displayed his understanding of object permanency to me one day when he eagerly brought to my attention that he accidently left his sweatshirt in the jungle gym during recess. Although Ryan could not physically see the sweatshirt or the jungle gym, he was able to grasp the idea that both objects still existed. Because Ryan was able to successfully demonstrate his understanding of this concept, I prepared several, structured assessments for Ryan to complete to further examine his cognitive abilities. Based on Piagets theory, egocentrism is the failure to distinguish the symbolic viewpoints of others from ones own (Berk, 2012, p. 321). Ryan without a doubt showed many signs of egocentrism throughout my time in practicum. One instance that highlights evidence of Ryans egocentric thinking was one of my first encounters with him. September 7th was one of Ryans better days. Ryan at the time had been reading what he explained to be one of his

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

39%

favorite books, Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (1960). At one point, Ryan noticed another student, Josh, crying in the corner of the reading rug because his father had just left the classroom. Ryan stood up, with his Dr. Seuss book in hand, and sat next to Josh. Ryan proceeded to open up his book and said, Here, lets read this book together, it always makes me happy!. I was of course proud to see this positive interaction with Ryan and Josh, however I did find it interesting that because Ryan viewed the book as being a tool that makes him happy, he thought that it too would make Josh feel better. This event very well highlights Piagets theory that the egocentric child assumes that other people see, hear, and feel exactly the same as the child does (Mcleod, 2010). Ryan without a doubt displayed to me that he is in fact in the egocentric mind frame, therefore classifying him in Piagets preoperational stage. The second task that I presented to Ryan on November 16th was an assessment of his conservation ability. I brought in ten pennies and lined up them in two rows, each with five pennies. However, the first row that I lined up I made sure to spread the pennies apart to make the row appear longer. The row below the first one had the five pennies lined up so that they were touching (a diagram of how I displayed the pennies to Ryan is attached in Appendix C). After I presented the pennies to Ryan and gave him a second to observe what he was looking at, I asked him, Which row has more pennies, this one (pointing to the top row) or this one (pointing to the bottom row)?. At first Ryan did not respond to me immediately so I asked him if he wanted me to repeat the question. He quickly responded, No! and pointed to the top row. I asked Ryan if he was sure with his answer and he said, Uh huh, this one is longer! (Pointing to the top row). Based on Ryans answer it is evident that he is in the preoperational thinking state of mind. Ryans understanding of which row consists of more pennies is centered, or characterized by centration. Instead of taking the time to count how many pennies were in each

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

3:%

row, Ryan put his focus on the length of the rows rather than the quantity of the rows (Berk, 2012, p. 322). The next assessment (attached in the appendices) that I presented to Ryan on November 16th, was a diagram of three animals: one dog and two cats (this diagram can be found in Appendix C). I simply asked Ryan, Are there more cats or more dogs?. Ryan was quick to answer me after counting how many cats and how many dogs there were in saying, Cats, silly!. Although there are more cats than dogs, Ryan failed to realize that both cats and dogs are included in the category animals. This response that Ryan gave to me is very typical for children in this stage of cognitive development. Preoperational children have difficulty with hierarchical classification, meaning, children in this stage cannot grasp the idea that objects can be organizationally classified into classes and subclasses (Berk, 2012, p. 322). Ryan centered his focus on the overriding feature, cats. Like a preoperational thinker, Ryan was unable to think reversibly, moving from the whole class (animals) to the parts (cats and dogs) and back again (Berk, 2012, p. 322). The next task that I presented to Ryan in order to reaffirm my previous findings that he is a preoperational thinker was an active test of his reversibility skills. On November 16th, before the students went out to recess, I took Ryan in the hallway and played a quick game of Simon Says. It is important to make note that for this activity, Ryan and I were both facing one another. I first prompted Ryan for the activity by asking if he has ever played Simon Says before. He responded by saying, Yeah! I play it all the time!. Because Ryans enthusiasm towards the game was so elaborate, I was comfortable in continuing the activity without any further explanation. I began with, Simon says touch your nose. Ryan then proceeded to touch his nose. Next I said, Simon says jump up and down. Ryan began to jump up and down. I then

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

3;%

wanted to test Ryans listening skills and knowledge of the activity so I quickly advanced with, Turn in a circle!. Ryan didnt move one muscle. I next presented Ryan with, Simon says raise your right hand. Ryan quickly raised his left hand. I then paused the game for the moment and asked him which hand he was raising. He responded with, my right hand, just like Simon. I followed up with that particular question because at the time I was not sure if Ryan was raising his left hand because he was unable to distinguish between his right and left or if he was raising his right hand because it was on the same side as my right hand. The outcome of this activity was what I had expected from the start. Because Ryan is in the preoperational stage, he does not fully understand the concept of reversibility. Because I was standing in front of Ryan I was opposite of the direction he was standing in. Therefore, when he went to raise his right hand, he actually chose to raise his left one because it was on the same side as my right. This thought process that prompted Ryan to raise his left hand instead of his right is classified as irreversibility (Berk, 2012, p. 322). Overall, based on the assessments and activities that I presented to Ryan on November 16th, I was able to confirm that Ryan is in the cognitive developmental stage that Jean Piaget theorized most children his age to be in-the preoperational stage. Cognitively, Ryan is on the right track to further develop in his problem solving abilities and conceptual understandings. Language Development Since I have been present in Ryans kindergarten class, I have observed noticeable improvement in his language development. Ryans progress in this area can be largely attributed to daily conversation with others, as well as literacy lessons within the classroom that are targeted to enhancing students reading and writing abilities.

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

4<%

Ryan is quite the talker within his kindergarten classroom and consistently volunteers his answers when prompted by the teacher. On October 12th, the teacher read the class the story of Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg (1998). Earlier in the week, the kindergarten class was learning about the season of Fall and the many different aspects of this season. Therefore, because the students had prior knowledge of this season, the teacher first grabbed the students attentions by asking various questions about this unit, including, What are some things that we have talked about so far about the season of Fall?. As I was observing, I noticed almost all the students hands quickly shoot up in the air, eager to respond. As the students were picked on to answer the questions, responses included, The leaves turn purple!, The leaves turn yellow!. Next the teacher picked on Ryan to give his answer. Ryan enthusiastically answered, We get to pick pumpkins and eat apples!. Based on Ryans answer it became apparent to me that Ryan is successful in both receptive and expressive language; meaning Ryan can understand what is communicated to him and in turn respond appropriately. Ryans kindergarten class is divided into two literacy groups, the green and the red group. The green group is made up of the higher level literacy students and the red group of the lower level literacy students. Ryan is a student of the red literacy group, however that does not go without saying that he has made such immense progress throughout my time in practicum. When I first began to observe Ryan, he did not know the entire alphabet, nor was he able to identify all letters when presented to him. Yet, he has made so much improvement that he is now able to identify all twenty- six letters as well as provide the sounds that each letter makes. He is in the process of progressing with his word sorts with ending sounds, which is a huge accomplishment for Ryan. On November 30th, I worked with Ryan one-on-one with his sorts for ot and -op words. Without any of my help, Ryan was able to sort all twenty words under

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

43%

their designated ending sounds. This event as well as many others proved to me that Ryan is able to understand phonological awareness, the ability to reflect on and manipulate the sound structure of spoken language (Berk, 2012, p. 343). If Ryan continues to develop linguistically as he is now, he will then be able to further improve his bank of vocabulary.

* Literacy Assessment and results can be found in Appendix C.

Strengths Physical and Motor Development Gross Motor Skills -Running around the playground with peers -Ability to skip and run backwards -Ability to dribble a basketball

Areas of Concern Health -Consistent cough and congested/ runny nose -Consumption of an entire bag of M&Ms in one sitting -BMI of 10% - normal with exception (normal, at risk for being underweight) -Puffy bags under eyes, commonly evidence of sleep deprivation Behavioral Issues -Consistently pushing peers -Making wrong decisions to get himself in trouble for attention -Sees the Ladybug chart as unimportant -Chooses to make wrong and right decisions on his own basis, instead of thinking of others -Tattle tales on other students frequently

Progress Observed Fine Motor Skills -Grip on pencil -Improvement of handwriting -Ability to manipulate the use of scissors -Practicing of tying shoe laces

Emotional and Social Development

Self-esteem -When Ryan does do something that exemplifies good behavior and is praised, he talks about that event repeatedly, therefore exemplifying pride within himself

Motivation to do better when praised -When Ryan is one sticker away from completing a row on the sticker chart, he does his best to make good decisions throughout the day Sense of right and wrong -When Ryan instantly looks at me after pushing a peer in line he knows what he did is wrong

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1% Cognitive Development

% Centration -Identified that there were more cats than animals in the diagram that I presented to him instead of looking at the whole picture. Egocentrism -Ryan comforted a peer who was sad by giving the child a book that makes him happy; however unaware that not the same book makes everyone happy Reversibility -During a game of Simon Says, I said, Simon says raise your right hand, and because I was facing Ryan he held up his left hand because it was on the same side as my raised right hand. Conservation -Unable to identify that both rows of coins were equal because one row was spaced out more than the other, causing Ryan to think that the longer row had more coins Oral Language -Ryan has a tendency to interrupt the teacher during story time with irrelevant ideas based on his imagination.

44% Magical beliefs declining -Ryan is gradually able to tell me what is real and make believe in fairy tale stories. As he further learns about magical events, he is becoming more inclined to deny aspects of magical beliefs

Object Permanency -Ryan understood that even though he could not physically see his sweat shirt that he left on the playground once inside the classroom, he knew that it still existed and was where he had left it on the playground

Language Development

Oral Language -Ryan is constantly communicating with his peers and teacher in class about his experiences and learned knowledge

Beginning Sounds -Ryan has been gradually progressing in becoming familiar with the different sounds that each letter

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

% Beginning Sounds -Unless there is review prior to a lesson, Ryan has difficulty familiarizing the sounds that each letter makes

45% makes -Ryan is gradually able to identify his word sorts after ample amount of practice Construction of making sounds into words -Ryan is in the process of understanding that words are made up of various letter- sound combinations.

-Able to recall events of a story and then summarize it briefly -Able to answer specific questions with relatable answers Rhyming words -Ryan is successfully able to identify rhyming words as long as the words are orally presented to him

Conclusion: Based on the background knowledge and my observations on Ryan, I have come to the conclusion that he is not a typical kindergartner. Based on the four areas of child development, physical, emotional & social, cognitive, and language, Ryan is scattered all over the charts. Physically, Ryans gross motor skills have proved to reach a milestone for children his age. Throughout my observations, I have taken quite a notice to the gradual improvements Ryan has made with activities involving fine motor skills. With more practice and stimulation, it is without a doubt that Ryan will continue to grow in this area. However, I do have concern for his health in this area of development. As for Ryans emotional and social development, I feel that he has been negatively exposed to too much in relation to his family life that would affect any child his age. In result, Ryan struggles with his emotional and social interactions with the people that surround him. His constant urge for attention (more specifically the strategies he uses for this attention) and lack of trust in individuals has shown obvious signs of having negative impacts on his behavior and friendships within the classroom. However, I feel that he can overcome this

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

46%

struggle in development with the proper support from his family and teachers. As for his cognitive development, Ryan is currently in the preoperational stage (perfectly normal for children his age), suggesting that he is on the right track in continuing to develop cognitively. Ryan is showing great signs of language development as well. He is able to listen and understand language expressed to him and in result appropriately respond. As for his literacy skills, Ryan has the potential to fully succeed in becoming a skillful reader and furthering his vocabulary, as long as he is given the proper support and practice during his literacy blocks in school. Based on my observations in this subject of development, I have no doubt or concern that Ryan will continue to grow through the different stages of reading. My observations have revealed to me that Ryan has successes and struggles in all areas of development, however that does not mean that he lacks any potential in developing into an exceptional human being! Implications If you had the opportunity, what areas would you want to explore further and how might you do it? Because Ryans family and household structure have proved to be influential in respect to his development, especially socially and emotionally, I would love to have the opportunity to visit Ryans home to conduct further observations. It is hard to get a sense of the child as a whole without being familiar with each variable that directly relates to the child. Therefore, a home visit would compensate for this lack of knowledge. I would approach this potential opportunity by first communicating with Ryans guardian(s). I would explain how important a childs home life is to the development of the child as a whole and that this opportunity would greatly assist me in fully understanding why Ryans development is where it stands. I would also explain that not only do I further want to observe Ryan at home, but also converse with his guardian(s)

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

47%

during the home visit to get a sense of Ryans daily activities, before and after school and on the weekends; as well as discuss Ryans behaviors at home and any concerns that may relate to these behaviors. Because some may see a home visit as a breach in privacy, I want to make it known that this opportunity is not to critique or analyze any parenting skills but instead to further understand Ryan as a flourishing human being. If this were your classroom, what specific plans would make for this childs continued growth? If this were my classroom, I would develop a few specific plans to help foster Ryans development, especially in areas that he tends to struggle in. Based on the observations and interpretations that I have made on Ryans physical development, I think it would not only be beneficial to him but also the entire class to have a unit on health, more specifically nutrition. For a nutrition lesson, I would present the food pyramid to the children and collaboratively come up with various foods that would be appropriate for a balance and nutritional meal. I also think that it would be effective to teach the students the negative effects that junk food and sweets can have in the long run. I would do this by finding a kindergarten appropriate video for the students to watch on this topic and then lead a discussion following the video. I would also encourage parents, through a newsletter, to set a good example for their children by preparing nutritionally balanced meals at home and also for their packed lunches. I would avoid using food as a way to convey lessons, especially during math and science time. I believe that it is important to set this idea of being healthy early on in a childs life because it is easier to start a healthy diet earlier rather than later. Ryans emotional and social development has proven to be the one that Ryan struggles with the most. His negative behavior has affected the entire class and for that reason, I believe

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

48%

that it is important to fully support Ryan in this area so that all students, including Ryan, are given the opportunity they deserve to learn in a safe environment. A first step for creating this environment is to understand that Ryan has had a difficult life thus far in relation to his family. Therefore, I think that it is very crucial that Ryan meets with a guidance counselor every once in awhile in order to talk about his feelings and the causes of his negative behaviors. I think that if he is able to understand that he can gain attention without misbehaving then he will be more motivated to act appropriately in class, and therefore receive more positive feedback. Another plan that I would enact in order to further support Ryans development is to come up with a more effective reinforcement system specific to Ryans needs. Because the ladybug chart has proven to be effective for every other student in the class, I would refrain from changing the reinforcement system for the entire class and instead create a special system just for Ryan. It is apparent that he is not motivated by the prizes in the treasure chest, therefore I think that if Ryan worked towards something more valuable to him personally, then he would be able to succeed. Through my observations on Ryan, I noticed how much he loves playing on the computer. Therefore, I would create a personal chart for Ryan titled Im working towards computer, and tape it to his desk so that he is constantly reminded of this reward. In order for Ryan to be rewarded with computer time, he would have to receive a sticker at the end of each day for good behavior. Once Ryan collects three stickers, he would then be rewarded with computer time. I think this form of positive reinforcement would be something that Ryan would take more interest to and therefore take very seriously. If this change of reinforcement in the classroom proves to be successful, it is very important to praise Ryan on his good behavior so that he is given the attention he wants, however in a positive way.

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

49%

Describe what you consider to be the single most meaningful experience of the whole case study process? How has this child and this assignment influenced your beliefs about children and your own ability to gain information and interpret childrens behavior?

I personally cannot say that there was one specific meaningful experience of my whole case study process. The entire experience in general was so rewarding in that I gained so much knowledge in the field of Education. I learned so much about myself as a future teacher, therefore reassuring myself that I did in fact choose the right field of study. I have always wanted to be involved in a career that makes a difference in others lives and I believe that I was successful in making a difference not only in Ryans life but also in the other students lives as well. Learning about child development in my classes and then being able to apply the different aspects of child development to my observations on Ryan allowed me to better understand the growth of children. For the first month of my practicum, I do not think that Ryan had any idea that I was taking any special notice to him. However, as the semester progressed and I was assigned more case study specific assignments, I believe Ryan sensed that I was there only for him, which in turn made him feel very special. Through these one-on-one experiences, these assignments became more than just observations to me but instead they helped foster a friendship and sense of trust between Ryan and I. These one-on-one experiences allowed Ryan to not only feel more comfortable with me but his behavior seemed at his best during these times. Through this I learned that sometimes students just want to feel appreciated and special; I believe this practicum experience impacted Ryan immensely. To say the least it was a sad goodbye, however I will always remember Ryan as my first case study child and friend and I hope he too will remember me!

!"#$%&'()*%+,#$-."'/01%01%2*"1%

4:%

References Augusta County Public Schools. (2011). About the school nutrition program [Data File]. Retrieved from http://www.augusta.k12.va.us/668710515164912560/blank/browse.asp? A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=58772 Berk,L.E. (2012). Infants, children, and adolescents. Boston, MA : Allyn & Bacon. Cherry, K. (2010). Physical development in early childhood. An overview of early childhood development .Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology /ss/early-childhood-development_2.htm Hefner, C.L. (2004). Cognitive development in children. Personality development. Retrieved from http://allpsych.com/psychology101/development.html Mcleod, S. (2010). Preoperational stage. Simply psychology. Retrived from http://www.simplypsychology.org/preoperational.html Richardson, D. (2008). Why children misbehave. Oklahoma cooperative extension service. Retrieved from http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2410/T2325web.pdf Virginia Department of Education. (2011). Exciting Elementary [Data File]. Retrieved from https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/reportcard/report.do?division=8&schoolName=1992&7063 Nav=|&NodeID=923