PEPSI Screening - Case Study

Nicole Smith

College of Southern Nevada

 Biography

The child is seven years of age, African American female. The second youngest of five,

she is the middle child of the three children still living at home with her mother and father. A

middle-class family with the father being the primary breadwinner and the mother working part-

time to support the children at home. Her parents have been married for 15 years. Her humor,

passion, and easy-going personality are evident. It is very likely that she will engage with

students and can participate in her educational progress. Her lack of memorization, however,

seems to play a significant role in her poor academic performance. Although she has been

receiving tutoring for the past year, she is still behind. She was also born prematurely and

suffered from low oxygen levels in the womb at 7 months, which can influence her learning.
 PEPSI Screening - Case Study

This is a case study regarding a 7-year girl. I will be using the Pepsi model to do a

screening, evaluating the Physical, Emotional, Philosophical, Social, and Intellectual

developmental areas of the child. As part of creating the PEPSI, I gathered further information

from family members about the child. Interviews were conducted to collect information about

the child's academics, medical history, family history, and home relations, as well as a list of

parents’ concerns and positive behaviors of the child. Using the information gathered, I

compared the list of behaviors with the 6,7, and 8 age groups and their stage charts. This

screening is intended to help the caretakers identify the child's strengths and weaknesses and

give recommendations on how to foster growth in the child.

Physical Development

The child is 3 feet 8 inches tall. She weighs 62 pounds and has a slim build. The child

has a medium brown complexion and appears to be very healthy. In addition to being agile, she

is strong in large and small muscles, as well as coordinated.

(Santrock, 2010) state:

During this period, children grow average of 2 to 3 inches a year, Muscles mas and

strength gradually increase. Among the most pronounced changes in body growth and

proportion are decreases in head circumferences and waist circumference in relation to

body height. (p. 355)

I observed the child coloring for fun during tutoring. She also mentioned that she loves

running around at the park dancing to music on her tablet and playing soccer at lunchtime with

friends. According to Ellsworth, (1999) “Small muscle control advances and draws the child's
energy and enthusiasm. touching, exploring, feeling the other kinesthetic activities become

exciting with love for coloring, drawing, marbles, jacks, doing puzzles, making model giving

great pleasure is normal for the child”

Ellsworth Stated:

Remember! Almost all children develop physically at a pretty normal pace, but in every

other area, the development is much less rigidly fixed. Nearly everyone matures

physically, but many of us do not seem to mature as naturally or in as orderly a fashion in

other areas of development.

Emotional Development

During the evaluation of the child's Emotional Development, the child seemed to have a

good sense of self-description, she had a good sense of her physical characteristics, and she

could describe her physical characteristics. She also has a positive self-concept, the child

believes she is a “nice person, has lots of friends” socially adapted, and loves her appearance but

thinks they’re not as smart as some of her peers. As a result, I suspected the child's self-esteem

is being affected by their intellectual ability. Based on my study, “comparison with others is the

fundamental basis of a self-image during the elementary grades. This orientation is due in part to

the fact that children are not as egocentric as they were a few years earlier and are developing the

capability to think in terms of multiple categories.

The child seemed to be inner-directed. Possibly due to the predominant parenting style at

home, which is authoritative.

(Snowman & McCown, 2014 Stated:

 “Authoritative parents tend to raise competent children. Authoritative parents have

confidence in their abilities as parents and therefore provide a model of competence for

their children to imitate. When they establish limits and explain reasons for restrictions,

they encourage their children to set standards for themselves and think about why certain

procedures should be followed……reasoned, negotiable, outcome-oriented, and

concerned with regulating behaviors.” (p. 83)

The mother was concerned about the child's sensitivity. According to the mother, when

the child cries they won't stop until someone hugs them. When asking the child where she

learned that behavior the child stated that their teacher told them that giving someone a hug when

they are sad is okay. She does this quite often with her mom and requires reassurance that she is

still loved when she is told she is in trouble.

It is natural for a child of this age to be sensitive, but she does not need hugs when she

gets upset. “Students are sensitive to criticism and ridicule and may have difficulty adjusting to

failure. You children need frequent praise and recognition.” (Snowman & McCown, 2014, 86)

While watching the child work on phonics with her tutor, she started out participating,

but then began to play with colored pencils while instructions were being given. Then she

interrupts her tutor, asking if she can color during the phonics lesson?

According to the age chart of Ellsworth, (1999) a child's "motivation to work and do is

easily thwarted, subverted" is a typical emotional development of a 6-year-old, and "Bad days"

are accompanied by not hearing directions, having to be brought back to reality, to tasks at hand,

and forgotten and lost work or getting off track” are common in 7-year-olds.
 Philosophical Development

I observed playtime amongst the three children. I noticed In spite of the child and her

siblings being close in age and frequently playing together, it appears that the child and her older

sister have a more close relationship than their younger brother.

After we were talking about the relationship among the children, the child walked up to us and

told us that her brother had shoved her sister and was trying to take her sister’s toy. The brother

came over and said the sister hit him, so he pushed her back.

The child tried to protect her sister by only sharing the brother’s bad behavior in hopes to

get him in trouble but not her sister. According to the age chart of Ellsworth, (1999) “Intention

is unimportant while getting caught or not getting caught becomes paramount” at this age. Mom

asked the child why she didn’t tell on both of her siblings for fighting. The child said because

boys aren’t supposed to hit girls. As expected, the child’s response is in line with Ellsworth,

(1999) the child “Believes rules must remain unchanged, immutable”. The mother then states

correct but was it ok for your sister to hit your brother. The child replied, “I don’t think it was

right for boys to hit girls but maybe girls can hit boys but soft”. The child “Holds single absolute

idea of appropriate behavior”. (Ellsworth, 1999) Upon being asked what our rules regarding your

hands are, the child recited, "keep your hands to yourself," they agreed that neither sibling should

have hit the other. The child “Believes rules must remain unchanged, immutable” (Ellsworth,

1999)
 Social Development

As the child stated earlier, she has a lot of friends at school. She shared with me their

names and why they were special to her. She mentioned they have a lot of fun playing together

at lunchtime, one of her friends got her a book she wanted for Christmas, she goes to their

birthday parties, and they cheer each other up they are sad. The child also mentioned she told her

mom and dad that she misses her teacher and school and can’t wait to meet her new teacher.

According to Ellsworth, (1999) “Referents: Fathers may be more highly valued and quoted as

authorities Teachers continue to be valued if the child is able to succeed at school Best friends

become vital for many children.” Additionally, we discussed what she enjoyed doing during the

summer, and she said she went swimming with her dad and siblings, watched Lizzy's channel on

her tablet, and played with her Barbie house.

The child also has open communication with parents which guides social skill

development, according to Vygotsky. Snowman & McCown stated:

“He saw social interactions as the primary cause of cognitive development. Vygotsky

believed 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.” (p. 5)

Because there are multiple siblings close in age in the home the child has an

increased/high level of social ability in a way like cultural differences. Snowman & McCown

stated:

“Although children in Western industrialized societies (such as the United States)

usually are not given babysitting responsibilities until they are at least ten years old
 because their high level of egocentrism prevents them from considering the needs of the

other child, in Mexican villages Mayan children as young as age five play this role

because their culture stresses the development of cooperative behavior.” (p. 47)

As I mentioned earlier, the child told her mother that her sibling was fighting, which is

also related to social development. According to Ellsworth, (1999) when upset the child often

comes to others to fight the battle or square things. Frequently complaints about others and

unfairness as well as tattling are normal.

Intellectual development

In light of concerns about the child's intellectual ability, I reviewed the child's school

records and his or her parent’s medical histories. The child was behind in most academics. The

mother showed me the medical record and added that the child was born at 7 months

prematurely. The mother was at risk of miscarrying the child because the blood flow was low

causing the child to lose oxygen to the brain.

I considered the way the child was being parented because it also influences the child's

intellectual level as well. After understanding that children's social and intellectual abilities are

negatively affected by their parents' rejection and neglect, I searched for clues to determine if this

was happening. The home environment didn't appear to lack structure or be non-supportive of

the child's goals and activities. As a result of my observations, I ruled this parenting style out.

Despite this, the mother was slightly permissive since she avoided confrontation with the

child due to frustration. In terms of intelligence, this was not a major concern since the dominant

parent was the father, who was the authoritative parent.

 The adult sibling expressed concerns about the child expressing negative thoughts aloud

when in trouble. The child verbally repeats “I’m a bad girl” This behavior is partly normal for

the child’s age group. “Talking aloud to oneself reaches a peak between the age of six and seven

and then rapidly declines…. This is a well-documented phenomenon that Vygotsky called

private speech. Vygotsky described the private speech as a transition between speaking with

others and thinking to oneself.” (Snowman & McCown, 2014, 87)

Parents were concerned about the child's memorization when helping with homework.

She forgets things long-term. Snowman & McCown Stated:

“Not until children are about seven or eight years of age do they begin to realize that

learning and memory stem from cognitive processes that are under their conscious

control. When learning words, for example, younger children may need to be prompted

or directed to group the words by category because they do not realize that such a

technique aids recall.” (p. 87)

While observing the child in her tutoring session. The child would give up easily when

doing problems, she didn’t know the answer to. Memorization is playing a major part in her

intellectual abilities. According to Ellsworth, (1999) thinking process is very susceptible to

"shutting down". If a child does not feel successful, emotions may cause a shunt closure in the

brain this is taking place in the 6-year-old stage.

“Using the chart also helps to highlight previously undetected strengths the child possesses and
may allow parents and caregivers to acknowledge these strengths and encourage the child to use
them fully to his or her advantage.” (Ellsworth,1996,31)
 RECOMMENDATIONS

“When educators or parents believe a child may have a developmental delay, in particular, they

need a simple format for screening a child's potential strengths or delays across several

dimensions”. (Ellsworth,1996, 33)

To Increase Physical development, “to minimize fidgeting, avoid situations in which your

students must stay glued to their desks for long periods. Have frequent breaks and try to work

activity (such as bringing papers to your desk) into the lessons themselves”, (Snowman &

McCown, 2014, 84) To Minimize distractions “children use computer software that contains

sound effects, distribute headphones to ensure that they concentrate on their own work and to

minimize distractions among students.” (Snowman & McCown, 2014, 84)

To increase Emotional development, to build confidence “Students are sensitive to

criticism and ridicule and may have difficulty adjusting to failure. You children need frequent

praise and recognition.” (Snowman & McCown, 2014, 86) “To provide positive reinforcement as

frequently as possible and reserve your negative reaction for nonacademic misbehavior.”

(Snowman & McCown, 2014, 86)

To increase Philosophy development, to help focus on a task, staying with it until it is

completed, and encoding and storing memories, use learning word prediction software

To increase Intellectual development due to the medical history which indicated a

traumatic brain injury, my evaluation on emotional and intelligence level I recommend a

Placement Evaluation be done in order to determine if the student will be eligible for an

Individual Educational Program.

 Reference Page

Snowman, Jack, and Rick McCown. Psychology Applied to Teaching. Cengage

Learning, 2014.

Ellsworth, J. (1996). “Pepsi”: A screening and programming tool for understanding the whole
child. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 29(2), 33–44.

Santrock, J. (2010). Life-Span Development (13th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Ellsworth, J. (1999). 6th Year. Northern Arizona University. Retrieved July 22, 2022,

from https://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jde7/ese504/class/pepsi/PEPSIObserv/year6.html

(Ellsworth, 1999)