PEPSI Screening: David Abundis 1

PEPSI Screening of David Abundis

Mackenzie C. Howie

College of Southern Nevada

10/27/19
PEPSI Screening: David Abundis 2

About David Abundis

David Abundis is 7 years old and in the 2nd grade this year. He was born April 7th

of 2012. This is a kid with a lot of energy and one who has a huge amount of personality.

David is about 42.5 inches tall (only half an inch shorter than his brother, who is two

years older) and weighs approximately 48.3 pounds. (These measurements were taken

October 19, 2019 and may change at any given moment as kids grow so quickly!)

David was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and has spent most of his life in this city.

His older brother Emmanuel was born two years prior and they are very close. David also

has an older sister, Destiny, who came into his family a little later via adoption. These

siblings act like siblings to a great extent. They tease and laugh at each other, but if

someone is cruel to any of them, the other two step in.

Physical

Physically, David has the same temperament as his 2nd grade counterparts. He

likes to move continuously but is doing much better with sitting still than he did last year,

showing marked growth (Snowman & McCown, 2015).

David is losing his teeth like almost every kid his age. Thus far, he’s lost 4 teeth,

which is completely normal with 6 and 7 year-olds according to Dr. Salinas at the Mayo

Clinic (2019).

The average height for a 7 year-old is about 47.5 inches, so David is a bit behind

other children his age, and his weight is a tad lower than other kids because the average

weight of a 7 year-old is about 50 pounds (Center for Disease Control, 2000). With these

measurements, David seems to be on par with most other 7 year-old kids.

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My recommendation for him comes straight out of the text for this course:

According to Snowman and McCown, 7 year-olds still need time to move around and not

be confined to one space for too long. His teacher should allow him plenty of time to

move, so he can focus on work.

Emotional

David has learned to laugh and to use his humor to his benefit, even with adults.

After sitting down to practice reading with David, when he was in the first grade, he said

he wanted to stop doing work and “roast each other.” Whenever his humor gets him in

trouble, David uses that same humor to get himself out of trouble.

Like other children around the age of 7, David is just now gaining awareness of

other people’s emotions and feelings. Along the same lines, he is able to go after very

specific parts of people and not be aware of how intensely he’s hurt his friends after he’s

done this (Snowman & McCown, 2015).

As a second grader, David is gaining more and more independence every day.

This may be hampered a bit because in his small school environment, he is still

surrounded by family. In fact, the only other student in second grade in his school is one

he’s known since his first year there. However, one can still see a marked improvement

in the independence growing in David, which the CDC says 7 year-olds are still likely to

be developing (2019). He’s stepping out on his own much more often than he has in the

past.

The biggest growth to be seen in David, however, is his growth in his ability to

express himself. Again, the CDC supports this (2019). Previously, David would smile or

frown and not attempt to talk at all as much as he does now. There has been a huge jump
PEPSI Screening: David Abundis 4

since about halfway through last year (while he was in the 1st grade). He seems much

more sure of himself and willing to talk, letting his sense of humor guide him (for better

or worse).

My recommendation for David’s continued emotional growth is to let him

continue to express himself, but they need to be aware of not putting him in any adult

roles. He should be cherished and supported but not treated as a friend.

Philosophical

David’s philosophy is fairly well formed for his age. When playing games with

David, even made-up games, the rules are crucial to him. So much so, that if someone

skips a turn or forgets a rule, he is the first person to be yelling “that’s against the rules!”

According to Piaget, students go from seeing rules for games as something older kids

abide by to seeing rules as commandments (Snowman & McCown, 2015). Lawrence

Kohlberg would later add on to Piaget’s theory by creating his stages of moral

development. According to Kohlberg, there are three levels. David is still at the bottom of

these three levels: rules to him are created by adults and must be followed because adults

say so. This level is also known as the preconventional level. He is also fueled by either

avoiding punishment or seeking a reward, which Kohlberg states is normal (Snowman &

McCown, 2015).

In an argument, Larry Nucci contradicted Kohlberg. He says children will react

differently depending on the severity of the context (Snowman & McCown, 2015). When

David is playing a game, he follows the rules because he wants to win. However, when

something bigger is presented to David (i.e.: if you do this, your friend might get hurt) he

tends to see the hypothetical as impossible. So he almost does the reverse of what Nucci
PEPSI Screening: David Abundis 5

says. He can’t comprehend something big or bad happening to someone he cares about,

but he can completely grasp what will happen if you cheat at a game.

My recommendation for David is to keep instilling in him the same values his

family and teachers have been instilling in him. He seems to have a healthy respect for

rules, and I think that will take him far in life. His parents and teachers should continue to

set rules and ensure he follows them.

Social

David is one of the most social children on this planet! When asked who his best

friend is, his reply was “Giovanni, Aaliyah, Emily, Skylar, and Suzette.” He couldn’t

narrow his list of best friends down at all and was insistent they were all listed. This is

almost in complete contradiction with the text of this class, placing him a bit before

general elementary-aged children. Snowman & McCown both say that around 7, most

kids have a bit of a more selective friend group that consists mostly of the same gender

and that they really have one fairly permanent best friend (2015). This isn’t the case for

David, but this may be due to the very small environment of his school.

When asked about his favorite sport, surprisingly, David said his is volleyball. He

genuinely enjoys teamwork. The Center for Disease Control states children between the

ages of 6 and 8 start to take more of an interest in working in teams (2019), and he really

seems to fit right in that milestone.

Another part of being 7 and a boy seems to be physical roughhousing or

quarreling (Snowman & McCown, 2015). David does not take part in anything physical

against other children. He never physically fights with his brother, but does seem to enjoy
PEPSI Screening: David Abundis 6

verbally sparring with him. This seems to be a good thing, for the most part. David

avoids physical conflict but will argue with someone for an incredibly long time.

My social recommendation for David is to allow him to continue enjoying

working in teams and allow him to keep his large group of “best friends.” He seems to do

well with most people socially. However, I would also recommend that teachers and

parents keep an eye on his arguments, making sure nothing goes too far. I don’t think

David will ever initiate anything physical with any other children, but as he moves out

into the world, others may initiate it towards him. I suggest his parents and teachers

prepare him for that and let him know that he should come to them with any social

problems.

Intellectual

After even just talking to David for a few minutes, adults realize how incredibly

smart he is. He spends a fair amount of time around adults, but is also surrounded by

classmates and (young) siblings a lot of the time. David likes to read and is exceptional at

math and numbers. He was in reading tutoring during 1st grade, but ended up not needing

the tutoring anymore. His rote memory works very well. David also seems to show signs

of a decent amount of metacognition, which Snowman & McCown say starts to show

around the age of 7 (2015). He is aware of how he memorizes new words and then knows

them later because he has memorized them.

Last year, David did well in reading and writing, but had a hard time with really

getting into details and explaining things. His attention span wavered and he had to work

really hard to find the right words. This has changed drastically. David loves telling

stories at this point in his life! This kid can talk and go into the minutest detail. The
PEPSI Screening: David Abundis 7

Center for Disease Control states that detail becomes even more detailed for children as

they enter the ages between 6 and 8. David is right where he should be with this, and it’s

allowing his imagination and intellect to grow even more. His parents have done a great

job supporting his love for talking and sharing stories.

David has also grown in his appreciation of what other kids are going through or

experiencing. Prior to last year, he wasn’t very aware of other people or how they felt.

Within the last two years, he’s started showing more caring about other people. If another

child is hurt, David tries to comfort them and get them to an adult (whereas a few years

ago, he would’ve just run for an adult). David can also see another child or an adult

struggling to carry something and will ask if he can help. The Center for Disease control

(2019) talks about how children reach the age of 6 and start showing more concern and

awareness of other people, and that has certainly happened for David.

My recommendations for David’s intellectual growth are very small. I truly see

David doing very well intellectually. I would see an improvement for him in a different

school setting though. His current school is too small and his teachers are teaching up to

4 grade levels at a time in one classroom! I feel, in this environment, that even if David is

trying his hardest and working consistently, his growth will be limited intellectually.

Conclusion

David Abundis is a unique kid. He’s got siblings around him most of the time at

home, but still stands out. His personality shines through him only being 7 years old and

adults seem to forget he’s not one of them. David is also just fun to be around. Most

people who meet him like him.

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Physically, David is a tiny bit shy of the average. He’s a bit shorter and lighter,

but not by much. He’s losing his teeth on track. David has the normal physical issues that

most other 7 year-olds do: he has to move around a fair amount. David is doing well

physically.

Emotionally, David is also doing well. He’s exerting his independence while still

being aware of people around him. His ability to express himself has risen greatly over

the last 2 years. And unlike most kids his age, David is armed with his sense of humor to

get him through tough situations. His only issue may be the adults in his life treating him

too much like a grownup.

Philosophically, David knows right from wrong. He follows rules very well and

even sees them as important. Sometimes, David is limited in seeing rules for bigger parts

of life. He completely follows the rules of games and will yell at classmates if they break

the rules, but can’t quite grasp rules that protect him and other kids from hypothetical

things. This will come in time for David as he continues to live and learn.

Socially, as far as kids go, David is maturing decently. He has many friends and

family members he plays with on a daily basis. However, David is missing a permanent

best friend at this point. He likes sports and working in teams with his friends or other

children. David doesn’t play rough with other boys and is usually not physical at all in

touching other kids, so he differs from other 7 year-old boys in that way. However, David

is progressing fairly well socially.

Intellectually, David is too smart for his own good! He has started expressing

himself and sharing his stories with classmates and friends. In terms of metacognition,

David is aware of his own learning in a few ways but mostly in the way he memorizes
PEPSI Screening: David Abundis 9

new words for spelling and later use. He’s also aware of other people now and what they

are experiencing. David is right where he should be intellectually.

Putting all of the PEPSI elements together, I have no worries of David Abundis

and his continued growth. He’s where he should be with most milestones and seems to

have no real major setbacks. My only real concern at all with David is the lack of

diversity with his social life at school and the limits his school is putting on his

intellectual growth. If he stays at this school or stays in schools with small numbers and

so few teachers (and classrooms of mixed ages/grades), David will have to really rely on

his home life to socialize and learn. However, with parents and teachers who care, he will

go far in this world and he’ll be laughing most of the way.

PEPSI Chart for David Abundis

P E P S I

Normal for Age

David Abundis
PEPSI Screening: David Abundis 10

References

Center for Disease Control. (2000). CDC Growth Chart. CDC Growth Chart. Retrieved

from https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41l021.pdf

Middle Childhood (6-8 years old) | CDC. (2019, February 6). Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/middle.html.

Salinas , T. J. (2019, August 14). When do children start losing baby teeth? Retrieved

from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/expert-

answers/baby-teeth/faq-20058532.

Snowman, J., & McCown, R. (2015). Psychology Applied to Teaching (14th ed.).

Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Basic instructions and chart directions from J’anne Ellsworth:

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jde7/ese504/class/pepsi/lesson2-1-1.html