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Prism Case Study Rebecca Frazier
Prism Case Study Rebecca Frazier
Rebecca Frazier
Introduction
The child I observed is my niece, Amara. She is an eleven year old girl with a bright and
caring nature. She is the oldest child in her family. Amara has two, soon to be three, siblings: a
seven year old brother, a three year old sister, and another sister on the way. She lives with her
mother, stepfather, and siblings in Henderson, NV. Her family is lower to middle class. They
reside in a small apartment. Her stepfather works, while her pregnant mother stays at home and
cares for her younger sister. Amara is Caucasian and speaks English. Amara was born in
Chicago, IL. Her father lives in Chicago. She speaks to him and her fathers family often, on the
phone. She also visits them once a year. Amara is very close with her grandmother, her aunts,
and her uncle who live in Henderson. She visits them almost every weekend. Family plays a
major role in her life. Amaras main interests include art, friends, animals, baking, and video
games.
I closely observed Amara over the span of three days, at my house. She had spent the
night for two of those days. However, I have had the opportunity to casually observe my niece
for years. New conclusion and realizations emerge each time I see her. For part of my
observation was done though listening and watching my niece. Over the visit, I was able to
consider five areas of development and decide whether or not Amara meets those milestones
Physical
The first area of development I looked at was physical development. According to the
Child Development Guide, a child Amaras age should show an increase in awareness of her
body (DSHS Fosterparentscope, 1993). Amara does not show a significant increase in body
awareness. She does not make comments or ask many questions regarding her body. However,
she does take extra time grooming in the morning. Recently, she has shown great care in her
appearance. She wants her hair to lay nicely, her clothes to look stylish and she sometimes
wants to wear lip gloss. According to the Child Development Guide, a child has the Possibility
of acting on sexual desires (DSHS Fosterparentscope, 1993). Amara does not show any interest
in sex. She does not mention anything related to sex, and becomes shy when the topic of boys
is brought up. Additionally, no signs of secondary sex characteristics are present yet, unlike what
is considered normal for a girl her age (DSHS Fosterparentscope, 1993). She has asked
questions about breast development and menstruation, though. My niece has grown rapidly over
the past year, especially in height. She has a large appetite and a lot of energy. Amara is eager to
learn new skills. She asks many questions and does not appear self-conscious about learning
something new. Based on the development that is expected for her age, according to the Child
Development Guide for 11-12 year olds, most of the physical developmental milestones are not
met.
It is expected that a girl Amaras age should experience many physical changes, and
typically these changes occur rapidly. According to Snowman and McCown (2013), Because
girls mature more rapidly than boys, their growth spurt begins at about age 11 (p. 59). Amara
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has grown very quickly in the past year. Girls Amaras age are foreseen to grow 2 to 4 inches
each year, during their middle school years (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 59). Visually, it is
noticeable that Amara is taller. After speaking to Amaras mom, I found out that, this year,
Amara has grown 2 inches. Overall, Amara is not physically mature yet. Aside from her growth
in height, her features resemble a child still. According to Snowman and McCown (2013),
Amara is a late-maturing girl because her appearance mostly resembles a feminine stereotype,
with a thin and leggy fashion-model look (p. 59). She has a positive self-concept, is sociable,
and expressive, which is what Snowman and McCown (2013) explain is normal for a girl her age
(p. 59-60). According to Snowman and McCown (2013), for girls puberty can begin as early as
age 7 or as late as age 13 (p. 60). Amara has not yet reached puberty. She has not developed
hair under her arms, and has little to no breast development yet. However, she is curious, and
does ask questions about body changes that will come, which aligns with Snowman and
at the bottom of the hierarchy, are the strongest needs that must be met in order to move on to
fulfilling higher needs. These higher needs are safety, belongingness and love, esteem, and self-
actualization. The first four levels of needs are called deficiency needs because they motivate
people to act only when they are unmet to some degree. The final level, self-actualization, is
referred to as a growth need, because people constantly strive to satisfy it (Snowman and
Amaras basic physiological needs are always met. She is never without food or water.
In fact, Amara is given second helpings of food whenever she is still hungry. Amara follows a
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routine sleeping schedule, and usually does not have difficulty sleeping. Her bedtime on the
weekdays is 8:30 pm, and on the weeknights it is 9:30 pm. Also, Amara has proper clothes that
keep her warm during the cold months. Overall, she lives in a stable environment. I have no
Emotional
Amaras emotional development was the next area I focused on. According to the Child
Development Guide, it is common for anger and rebellious behavior to be shown (DSHS
Fosterparentscope, 1993). Amara sometimes shows anger, but not often. She does not rebel
routinely. Moodiness, however, is routine. This aligns with what is expected for a girl her age.
The Child Development Guide states that a child Amaras age often is moody; dramatizes and
nature. That has increased in the past year. She exaggerates at times, especially when disputing
with her siblings. It is ordinary for an eleven to twelve year old to experience fear (DSHS
Fosterparentscope, 1993). Amara does not express many fears or worries, but she does cry when
she feels misunderstood, unheard, overwhelmed, or stressed. Overall, my niece partially meets
Generally, Amara is slightly emotionally in line with what is considered normal. For a
girl Amaras age, extreme mood swings are typically experienced (Snowman & McCown, 2013,
p. 61). Amara needs time alone in her room in order to cool off and gather herself, after she has
a mood swing. She will either raise her voice or speak very quietly when she is feeling upset.
Unlike what Snowman and McCown (2013) express is expected, Amara does not have low self-
confidence (61). She is fairly upbeat and sure of herself. She proudly shows off her artistic
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abilities to her family and friends. According to Snowman and McCown (2013), Middle school
students are typically self-centered (p. 62). Amara does not meet this expectation, because
she is very giving, considerate, and empathetic. She asks questions about how the person she is
talking to feels or thinks about different subjects. She gives presents to her family and friends.
Also, she encourages people to think about how others might think or feel. In this way, Amara
Amara meets Maslows need of Esteem fairly well. Overall, she has high self-esteem
because she is recognized for her accomplishments and talents. She is given praise when she
does something well. She receives a hug and is told that she has made her family proud when
she puts forth her best effort, such as putting a lot of time and dedication into a school project.
Amara shows respect to others, especially adults. She was raised that way, by her family.
Sometimes she fights with her siblings, but usually she interacts with them in a respectful way.
She shows respect by using manners and listens when her parents or teachers give her
instructions. Amara is shown respect by being given some privacy, as she is getting older. She is
also shown respect by being talked to in a fair manner, when told to do something. My
Amaras parents to continue expecting respectful behavior out of her, and to continue giving her
respect in return by offering her some privacy. I would also suggest that her family continue
Intellectual
Intellectual development was my third area of focus. Like normal eleven year olds,
Amara increasingly challenges adult knowledge (DSHS Fosterparentscope, 1993). She questions
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others, often. Additionally, she engages in arguments with both adults and her younger brother.
There is also an increased use of logic. After having long conversations with her, I notice that
she shows independent thinking that does not always reflect the viewpoints of her family, and
she demonstrates critical thinking. At times, she shows great maturity while engaging in
conversations. According to the Child Development Guide, eleven to twelve year olds might
show interest in earning money (DSHS Fosterparentscope, 1993). Amara does not show any
interest in this. She has stated that she does not care about money. When money is given to her,
she often times buys items for others. My niece loves art. A normal characteristic in the Child
Development Guide for an eleven to twelve year old is that a child may be critical of their own
artistic products (DSHS Fosterparentscope, 1993). Unlike this characteristic, Amara is rarely
critical of her art work. She is usually proud of her drawings, and occasionally will express
Fosterparentscope, 1993). Amara does not show much interest in her community because she
has newly moved to her present home, so she has not yet formed a connection to her community.
However, she has expressed interest in volunteering at an animal shelter before. She has also
development. Amara falls in the age range 7 to 11 years, so under Piagets theory, she is in the
concrete operational stage of development (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 25). In this stage, a
common characteristic includes the capability of preforming operations, but generalizes from
concrete experiences to solve problems (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 25). Amara does this
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regularly. In conversation, she will refer back to personal experiences she has had with her
family and friends, when talking through her problems. She usually does not refer to specific
events. Rather, she will discuss overall topics and feelings that she has experienced. Although,
Amara does not meet the second characteristic that Piaget expressed is normal in the concrete
operational stage. Children Amaras age are expected to not be able to manipulate conditions
mentally unless they have been experienced (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 25). Though
Amara does commonly refer to personal experiences, she can think outside of those experiences.
She is able to draw upon the situations of others in order to get through conflicts or advance
mentally. For example, Amara will refer to a story that was told to her, about her grandmother,
find the solution in the story, and match it up with her current situation in order to resolve her
problem.
According to Vygotsky, social interactions are the main cause of cognitive development
(Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 34). Vygotsky held that children gain significantly from the
knowledge and conceptual tools handed down to them by those who are more intellectually
advanced, whether they are same-age peers, older children, or adults (Snowman & McCown,
2013, p. 34). Amara regularly takes advantage of lessons being given to her by those who are
knowledgeable. For example, one evening while watching the news, Amara and I had a
discussion about what happened on 9/11. I informed her about the event, and she attentively
listened and asked questions. A few days later, while sitting at the dinner table, Amara told my
other family members about what she learned from me. She clearly absorbed the new lesson I
taught to her.
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Robert Sternberg held the belief that intelligence has three main dimensions that can be
measured by traditional mental ability tests. The triarchic theory of intelligence names the three
main parts as practical ability, creative ability, and analytical ability. Sternberg further believed
that each ability can be improved through instruction and that students learn best when all three
are called into play (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 74). Amara has exhibited all three of these
abilities, and showed better learning because all three were practiced. One day, while Amara was
talking about her friends, she told me about a problem that two of her friends were having with
each other. She demonstrated practical ability by explaining what she knows about using
effective communication skills, and applying this knowledge to her friends situation. Amara
demonstrated creative ability by voicing her discovery about the main reason for her friends hurt
feelings and dispute. She demonstrated analytical ability by evaluating her friends situation, and
her involvement in the matter, and comparing it to a previous situation that she had experienced
with her younger brother, before. Using these abilities helped Amara gain a better understanding
of her friends viewpoints and how to handle arguments amongst peers, in the future.
created the theory of multiple intelligences to describe eight separate intelligences that he
believed people could exhibit. These eight intelligences are logical-mathematical, linguistic,
McCown, 2013, p. 75). Amara demonstrates interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence often.
While getting ready to leave for work one day, I was feeling very stressed and rushed, because I
was running late. Amara recognized that I was stressed and asked me if there was anything she
could do to help me. She demonstrated that she understood how I was feeling and she offered to
help ease my stress level. Also, she did not respond in a way that would add to my stress. This
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intelligence by recognizing her own feelings and abilities. One morning, Amara was feeling
excited about going to the store to buy an item that she had been wanting for a while. This item
was a drawing kit that she had been saving money to buy. She had expressed that she wanted
this set because it would help her become a better drawer and lead her closer to her goal of
becoming an artist. She understands her artistic abilities well. She said that she knows that she
is a good artist, but that there is always room for improvement. Amara recognized that she was
acting very excited. She noticed that she was jumping up and down and raising her voice in a
happy way, but when we arrived at the store, she composed herself accordingly by acting in a
exercises problem-solving skills regularly. Amara tries to think through problems independently.
She also tries to use knowledge that she has already acquired to solve new problems. However,
Amara sometimes struggles with accepting facts. She questions the reasons for her parents rules
at times, even if the reasons are logical. For example, she has questioned why she cannot walk
to the store that is down the street, alone. The reasons that were given to her were because it is
very dangerous and she could get hurt or lost. Amara still does not fully understand this rule.
My recommendation for further development is to praise Amara when she uses problem solving
skills. Also, I would recommend that her parents try to explain facts and reason to her in a way
that she can understand. It might be effective for Amaras parents to relate the information being
Social
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Next, I looked at Amaras social development. Unlike the ordinary characteristics under
social development in the Child Development Guide, Amara is not very critical of adults, nor
does she show obnoxious behavior (DSHS Fosterparentscope, 1993). She usually forms positive
and understanding views of others. As she has gotten older, she strives for unreasonable
adults do. During her visit with me, she wanted to walk to the gas station that is down the street,
by herself. She wants to cook breakfast by herself, and stay up late instead of going to bed.
According to the Child Development Guide, it is normal to have an intense interest in teams and
organizations (DSHS Fosterparentscope, 1993). My niece does not show interest in teams and
organized games, and she is not a member of a club. She has not been given the opportunity to
get involved in such activities. Though, she has expressed interest in joining an art club in the
future. She is slightly competitive when playing games with her family, such as board games.
She shows interest in drawing for fun with her small group of friends. Overall, Amara partially
Erik Erikson created a theory of psychosocial development that highlights the active role
that people play in their development, and the role that culture plays (Snowman & McCown,
2013, p. 17). Erikson suggested that personality grows out of successful resolution of
psychosocial crises (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 18). He broke down psychosocial
development into stages. In these stages, issues are presented that can either be resolved in a
positive or negative way. How issues are resolved determines a childs development. According
to Erikson, the stage Industry Versus Inferiority is what Amara falls under, because that stage
describes 6 to 11 year olds. In this stage, it is explained that school is where children learn how
to be productive (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 19). If children are encouraged, helped, and
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are given time and praise, they will succeed. If they are unsuccessful at completing tasks, or are
criticized often, they will end up feeling inferior, which can affect the way they view learning
and can harm their self-esteem (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 19). In Amaras case, she has
experienced both the positive and negative situations described in this stage. According to
Erikson, this is necessary in development, as long as the positive outweighs the negative
(Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 18). Amara experiences encouragement in school, from her
teacher, and has been offered one-on-one help from this teacher, after school. Amara took her
teachers offer, and ended up receiving better grades on her tests as a result. Overall, she has had
positive experiences in school. However, during the previous school year, Amara did not receive
as much praise or recognition from her teacher. Also, she got in trouble in class, fairly regularly,
for socializing too much while the teacher was teaching. As a result, she became very upset, she
did not enjoy going to school as much, and her self-confidence lowered. She is much happier,
James Marcia expanded in Eriksons ideas through his notion of identity statuses. Marcia
created four statuses that serve as processes for handling the psychosocial task of establishing a
sense of identity (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 20-21). These identity statuses are identity
diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and identity achievement. Amara slightly falls under the
moratorium identity status, since she is not fully developed, psychosocially, being that she is
only eleven. According to Marcia, a characteristic under this status is daydreaming (Snowman &
McCown, 2013, p. 21). I have noticed that Amara daydreams. She stairs into space, with a
thoughtful look, sometimes. Occasionally, she writes her dreams into stories. However, I find
that Amara mainly falls under the identity achievement status. One characteristic under this
status is that a child is logical in decision making (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 21). Amara
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demonstrated this during a trip to the store. She was given the option to either spend all of her
saved money, or to only spend some of it. Amara thought about her options for a moment, and
then independently made the decision to spend some of the money, and put the rest away, to
save. Another characteristic is high self-esteem (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 21). Amara
demonstrates this regularly, through confident phrases, such as I can do it or I think Im good
Amaras need of Belongingness and Love are always met. Amara is shown an abundance
of love from every person that is in her life, especially her immediate family. She has a very
close relationship with her family members. Her family includes her in all family activities, and
will not do certain activities, such as watching a particular movie that Amara enjoys, if she is not
present. Amara is given affection, like hugs and kisses, daily. Her close friends give her hugs,
and treat her kindly, as well. She has a close relationship with her small group of friends because
they share the same interest in drawing. My recommendation to further Amaras development in
this category is to continue giving her love, affection, and support, because it has helped shape
Moral
Lastly, I focused on Amaras moral development. Like the normal characteristic found
under moral development, my niece has a strong urge to conform to her group of friends morals
(DSHS Fosterparentscope, 1993). Friends are very important to Amara. She cares a lot about
maintaining her friendships. She speaks about her friends often. She tells me that she has a lot
of the same opinions as her friends. Amara informs me of her friends behaviors and then shortly
after, I notice my niece showing the same behavior as those friends. For example, Amara told
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me that her friends draw on their hands and arms because it looks cool. Then, shortly after that
conversation, I see that Amara has drawn on her own hands and arms, to appear cool. Amara
According to Piaget, moral thinking of children age 11 or older is called the morality of
cooperation. This moral thinking is based on flexible rules and considerations of intent
(Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 40). Under this type of thinking, one conclusion Piaget made
was that children 11 years old or older are aware of different viewpoints regarding rules
(Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 41). Amara meets this expectation because she shows this type
of awareness. One evening while talking with Amara, she pointed out the difference between the
rules that are enforced at her house, and the rules that are enforced at her grandmothers house.
She does not understand the reason for those differences, completely, but she does recognize that
those different viewpoints exist. Also, Piaget thought that children 11 or older believe children
should follow rules because of mutual concerns for others (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 41).
Amara has shown this, as well. She was arguing over a video game with her younger brother
one evening, and I heard her say that he should follow the rules to share, because if he does not
listen, that will ruin the fun for all of the children in the house. She informed her brother that
their grandmother will get upset that they are not getting along, and then all three of the children
in the house will have to stop playing the game. She was considering all of the people involved
Lawrence Kohlberg expanded on Piagets ideas and created six stages of moral reasoning.
Stages 3 and 4 are called conventional morality. The reason it is called this is because
Kohlberg believed that older children usually conform to societys rules because that is what is
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expected of them (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 41). Also, it is expressed that children this
age follow rules in order to impress others and respect authority (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p.
42). Amara showed this when she came home from school one day, and gave her mother a
positive note from her teacher about Amaras performance. Amaras teacher praised her for
consistently following the rules in class. Amara stated that one of the reasons she follows the
rules so well is because she knows that it will make everyone in the family happy and proud of
her.
Carol Gilligan held a different viewpoint from Erikson and Kohlberg, when it came to
moral development. She felt that their ideas emphasized what occurs for males, and neglected
females. Gilligan argued that females care less about separation and independence and more
about remaining loyal to others through expressions of caring, understanding, and sharing of
experiences (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 43). This describes Amaras personality. Though
she cares about gaining independence, as she is getting older, she has been brought up to be a
loyal family member and friend. Therefore, it is a core belief of hers. She shows expressions of
care to her family and friends by giving presents, such as her drawings or stories. Amara also
gives her family hugs every day. Lastly, she regularly shares experiences she has had during the
school day, while at dinner. Amara is very close with her family and friends.
Nel Noddings theory was that there is a human desire for goodness. She asserted that
expressions of care are not enough. Caring relationships need to exist (Snowman & McCown,
2013, p. 44). Undoubtedly, genuine care comes from Amara, and is given to her. She does not
only express it, through saying I love you and giving hugs, but she is also given genuine love
and affection from every family member in her life. Amara is taken care of, listened to, and
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valued. There is a strong sense of care and understanding between Amara, and her mother,
father, brother, sisters, grandmother, aunts, and uncle. Honest smiles, hugs, and looks are always
exchanged.
She seems to have a solid understanding of the difference between right and wrong. She also is
considerate of varying situations that might blur the line between good and bad behavior.
For example, when her brother lied about doing his chores because he was finishing up coloring
a picture that he intended to give to his grandmother as a gift, Amara partially defended his
action. She acknowledged that he was wrong for lying, but she also recognized that he was
trying to be caring by completing a present for his grandmother. She understands the complexity
of right and wrong, and knows what is morally acceptable and unacceptable, based on her
core values. My recommendation to further Amaras development in this area is to make it clear,
through discussion and practice, what behavior should never be tolerated and what behavior may
Summary
After closely studying Amaras physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and moral
development, I have concluded that she partially meets the developmental milestones for her age.
She does not meet the Physical milestones because she does not show an increase in body
awareness, and has not begun puberty. However, according to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, her
Physiological needs are met. Amara partially meets the Emotional developmental milestones.
She sometimes shows anger and moodiness, does not show fear, does not have low self-
confidence, and is not self-centered. She meets Maslows need of Esteem. Amara partially
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meets the Intellectual milestones. She sometimes challenges adult knowledge, has no interest in
money, and is not critical of her work. However, she does use logic. Amara slightly meets
Maslows need of Self-actualization in this category. Amara partially meets the social
developmental milestones. She does not show obnoxious behavior, strives for independence, and
does not show interest in being a part of a team. She meets Maslows need of Belonging and
Love. Lastly, Amara meets the Moral developmental milestones. She wants to conform to her
friends morals and cares greatly about maintaining her friendships. She is also aware of
Ultimately, I have discovered that Amara seems to be developmentally on track. She lives in a
healthy environment, has a loving family, is learning how to deal with her changing body and
wide range of emotions, and shows an overall maturity when it comes to logic and
understanding. She will have a bright future as long as she continues to be given love, support,
and guidance.
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References
DSHS Fosterparentscope Training: Child Development Guide: Eleven to Twelve Years. (1993).
from http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/cdevguid/cdg13.htm
Snowman, J., & McCown, R. (2013). Ed psych. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
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Notes:
Child Observed: Amara
Age: 11
Dates observed: 9/23 - 9/25
Location: My home