Case Study of

a Child Age 5
Jennifer Ellis
EDU 1001
Fall 2019
 Brief Overview of Observed 5-year-old

Physical Emotional Cognitive/Intellectual Psychosocial/Social Moral/Character

Development Development Development Development Developments
Average size Loves his peers Not afraid to ask questions Enjoys group activities Knows right from wrong
Able to perform activities that Seeks attention from others Able to make his own decisions Wants to be accepted Enjoys being a class helper
require coordination Shows jealousy towards
Strong classmates
 Typical Physical Developments
• Able to balance on one leg
• Has the strength to climb
• Can hold a fork and a spoon
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
• Able to choose clothing and dress
themselves
(Child Development Institute, 2015)

• Can use the restroom by themselves

• May become sick when introduced to new
foods
(University of Washington, 1993)
 Typical Physical Development Level
According to Snowman
• Very active
• Has control over their bodies
• Not able to tell when they have over stimulated
their bodies and need frequent downtime.
• Clumsy, not able to perform small motor
activities.
• Has trouble focusing on small objects, lacks hand
eye coordination.

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)

 Observed 5-year-old
Physical Development Characteristics
The boy I observed was average sized compared to the other students in his
class. He liked to run around during recess and did not take breaks. He had to
use a bigger pencil to write but was able to tie his shoes. At lunch, he was not
picky with what was given to him and ate all his food.
 Physical Development Recommendations

Give the child an area big enough Let the child select their own Provide lots of foods with
to play, both inside and outside. clothing. proteins.
• Child will need time to rest. • Allow them to dress • Do not make them eat foods
themselves. that do not appeal to them.

(University of Washington, 1993)

 Typical Emotional Behaviors
• Will begin to establish • Likes to be in charge
responsibility • Tests adults to see how in control
• Will start taking pride in themselves they can be
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
• Likes to make adults happy
• Can become embarrassed easily
(University of Washington, 1993)
Typical Emotional Behaviors
According to Snowman

•Unable to express their emotions

•Frequent outburst
•Jealousy
•Seeks attention and approval

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)

 Observed 5-year-old
Emotional Behavior Characteristics
The boy I observed was chosen as line leader for the day and was very proud
of this. He often spoke out of turn because he was so excited to share. He
seemed to be a very loving and caring child. He was always worried about his
friends. He constantly reached out to his teacher for attention. He once got
angry with a classmate because they had the color he wanted. He purposely
spilled the crayons, crossed his arms, and pouted.
 Emotional Development Recommendations
•Take fears seriously
•Do not make them feel as if their fears are not important.

•Acknowledge positive behaviors

•“Provide outlets for emotional expression through talking, physical
activity, and creative media.” (University of Washington, 1993)
•Reassure the child that they are loved.

(University of Washington, 1993)

 Typical Cognitive/Intellectual Developments

• Able to count to ten or higher • Has a vocabulary of at least 2,000

• Able to write letters and numbers words

• Able to draw shapes • Able to understand basic grammar

(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017) • Can tell a story
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
 Cognitive/Intellectual Developments
According to Piaget & Vygotsky
Vygotsky Piaget
Psychological Tools Preoperational Stage
“the most important things a culture • The child is incapable of logical thinking.
passes on to its members” • They have trouble seeing things from
someone else perspective.
• The act of learning through social
interactions.
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p.42)
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p. 51)
 Observed 5-year-old
Cognitive/Intellectual Characteristics
The 5-year-old I observed asked tons of questions. He enjoyed
talking and telling me about everything going on in his life. He was
able to write is full name. He was able to read basic books and first
to offer help to a classmate that needed help when reading.
 Cognitive/Intellectual
Developments Recommendations
• Patiently answer all questions
• Read stories
• Play games with unknown words to help increase
vocabulary
• Practice writing name and other words/shapes

(University of Washington, 1993)

 Psychosocial/Social Developments
• Seeks to fit in • Likes to play with other children
• Will follow rules • Understands gender
• Enjoys performing arts • “Competitive”
• Able to tell the difference between • Likes gender specific activities
real and make believe (Child Development Institute, 2015)
• Independent
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
 Psychosocial/Social
Developments Recommendations

•Don’t take things to serious, laugh

with them.
•Set boundaries and stick with
them.
•Let the child know that they can
do things on their own.
•Provide opportunities to play
with others.

(University of Washington, 1993)

 Observed 5-year-old
Psychosocial/Social
Characteristics
The 5-year-old I observed loved
being the center of attention. He
liked to make others laugh. He
enjoyed playing with his friends.
At recess they played tag,
basketball, and raced. I noticed
that his group of friends was
made up of all males. Once a girl
tried to join in and they would
not allow her. They told her their
club was for boys only.
 Psychosocial/Social Developments
According to Erikson
“Initiative Versus Guilt”
Initiative: Guilt:
• Give the child “freedom to explore • If the child is restricted and feel as
and experiment” and “take the time if their activities and questions are
to answer questions”, this will make unimportant, “they will feel guilty
the child feel encouraged to take about acting on their own.”
initiative.
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p.29)
Typical Moral/Character
Developments
• Understanding what is right and what is wrong
• Wants to do the right thing
• Might blame others for own mistakes

(University of Washington, 1993)

 Typical Moral/Character
Developments According to Kohlberg
Stage 1:
Punishment-obedience orientation
• “The physical consequences of an action
determine goodness or badness.”
• Obey authority
• Stay out of trouble to avoid punishment.
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p.61)
Stage 2:
Instrumental relativist orientation
• “An action is judged to be right if it is
instrumental in satisfying one's own needs or
involves an even exchange.”
• You should receive a benefit for obeying rules.
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p.61)
 Observed 5-year-old Moral Characteristics
The 5-year-old I observed fit the characteristics of a child his age. I noticed
when he would tell stories, they would be exaggerated. He seemed to know
right from wrong but at times would test how far he could push adults. When
he had to go on a time out, he did not like it but understood why he was in
trouble.
 Moral/Character
Developments Recommendations
•Lying is to be expected at this age; do not harshly punish.
•Talk to them about being untruthful
•Encourage their own beliefs.
•Encourage them to take responsibility for their actions.
•Teach them that there is consequences for their actions.

(University of Washington, 1993)

 References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Child development. Retrieved
from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/facts.html

Child Development Institute (2015). The ages and stages of child development. Retrieved
from https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ages-stages/#.WR3Id_QrLrc

Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2015). Psychology applied to teaching, 14th ed. Stamford,
CT: Cengage Learning.

University of Washington. (1993). Child development: Using the child development guide. Retrieved
from http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/chidev/cd06.htm