Running Head: Case Study: Sophia

Case Study: Sophia Susannah Saylor November 29, 2011 EDUC 225

Case Study: Sophia

Outline I. Physical Development A. Birth 1. Weight 2. Caesarean due to breech presentation 3. Premature at 37 weeks 4. Height 5. Apgar scale B. First Two Years 1. Breastfed 2. Brain development 3. Reflexes and motor development a) Walking: Sophia walked later due to lack of muscle C. Play Years 1. Body Changes a) Adult-like body proportions (1) Sophia remained small

2. Brain Development a) Myelination b) Corpus callosum c) Lateralization d) Limbic system (1) D. School Years immature in Sophia due to her emotional intensity

Case Study: Sophia 1. Middle Childhood a) healthiest times in life b) muscles grow stronger c) develop any motor sill 2. Physical activity a) improves social skills b) received through school, neighborhood, club 3. Brain Development a) Reaction time increases b) Think before you act c) Selective attention II. Cognitive Development A. First two years 1. Piagets sensorimeter intelligence a) Stage of reflexes b) Adaptations c) Interactions with others d) Adaptation and anticipation e) Mental Combinations 2. Language a) Sophia started talking at 12 months with a wide vocabulary b) Babbling c) Holophrase B. Play Years 1. Piagets preoperational intelligence a) At age 8 Sophia continue to remain, in part, at this stage in play patterns

Case Study: Sophia b) Obstacles 2. Vygotskys social learning theory a) Guided participation b) zone of proximal development c) scaffolding 3. Language a) naming explosion and secondary techniques C. School Years 1. Piagets concrete operational intelligence 2. Information-processing theory a) sensory memory-working memory-long term memory 3. Language a) Learning: phonics and whole-language approaches b) metacognition III. Psychosocial Development A. First two years 1. Specific emotions 2. Freuds psychosexual stages: oral and anal 3. Eriksons psychosocial stages: trust v. mistrust and autonomy v. shame/doubt 4. Attachment B. Play years 1. Freuds psychosexual stages: phallic 2. Eriksons psychosocial stages: initiative v. guilt 3. Gender differences C. School years 1. Freuds psychosexual stages: latency

Case Study: Sophia 2. Eriksons psychosocial stages: industry v. inferiority 3. Kohlbergs moral reasoning: preconventional and conventional IV. Predictions A. One year: 9 years old 1. school years 2. social/emotional development a) Sophia is mature intellectually, but immature socially b) social cognition and effortful control 3. Kohlbergs moral reasoning 4. Lose elements of preoperational intelligence B. Five years: 13 years old 1. Adolescence 2. Puberty a) physically b) cognitively c) psychosocially C. Ten years: 18 years old 1. Adolescence 2. Complete puberty 3. Expand on social development V. Environment A. Optimal Development 1. Strengths of Sophia 2. Family 3. Community B. Problems

Case Study: Sophia 1. Weaknesses of Sophia 2. Family 3. Community

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million (Streightiff, 2010). Youth possess a certain curiosity and zeal for life absent in any other stage of life. The world fascinates kids during middle childhood, often driving them to ask every question imaginable. Observations of such individuals prove to be inspiring and often quite interesting. One such person is a little girl named Sophia, whose case study provides valuable insights into the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of a child. This case study merits some necessary background information in order to fully understand the context in which this child develops. Sophia is a female, eight years of age, born on August 13, 2003. She has one female sibling, Maria, that is four years of age. The economic background of her family is middle to upper class with a working father and a stay at home mother. The parents ensure a safe and secure financial environment for their kin, providing them with personal bedrooms, toys and a solid education. The ethnic background of the family is caucasian with a european descent. The parents are happily married and are both graduates of Wheaton College. The father majored in business/economics while the mother majored in music. Overall, Sophia comes from a positive atmosphere conducive to proper development. In the first two years of development, Sophia experienced many average growth patterns coupled with some aversions to the norm. Emerging at 6 pounds, 10 ounces during a caesarean style birth at 37

Case Study: Sophia weeks, Sophia did not arrive into the world in a routine way. She was classified as premature due to the low amounts of amniotic fluid and required the commonly known C-section due to a breech presentation. Despite the low birth weight, however, Sophia had an average height of 18 inches and merited positive Apgar scale ratings. This provided confidence that all her bodily functions worked and her senses were developing properly. According to Berger (2008), a baby receives the five common senses in a specific order shortly after birth: hearing, seeing, taste, smell and touch (p. 136). As all these

senses began to develop, baby Sophia was brought home from the hospital and slowly introduced to daily routines. According to her mother, the newborn was breastfed during her early years (K. Buursma, personal communication, November 14, 2011). This enhances little Sophias development for a plethora of reasons: possesses colostrum--a thick, nutritious, high-caloric fluid found solely in breast milk; antibodies to prevent infant illnesses and allergies; more Iron, Vitamin C and Vitamin A than any other milk; a decrease in the risk of diseases in later childhood and adulthood; fats and sugars for a more digestible milk, advantageous for infant brain development and a composition of milk that adjusts to the age of the baby (Berger, 2008, p. 148-150). According to Berger (2008), infants grow rapidly until two years of age (p. 125). Different domains in the development of children are exploding with new information to process, particularly in the brain. The moment a baby is born networks of neurons start forming in the brain. Neurons connect with other neurons through nerve fibers called axons and dendrites (Berger, 2008, p. 130). Electrical impulses release neurotransmitters that send information to a single axon which crosses the synaptic gap to meet dendrites. As soon as the axons and dendrites reunite, there is a synapse. This term refers to the critical communication links within the brain (Berger, 2008, p. 130). Finally, the brain stem controls all automatic responses (Berger, 2008, p. 129). These involuntary responses to particular stimuli are referred to as reflexes. As a baby, Sophia started to form these automatic responses from birth. There are three categories: oxygen supply (breathing, hiccups, sneezing), maintenance of body temperature (shivering), and management of feeding (sucking, rooting, swallowing, crying and spit up) (Berger, 2008, p. 138-139). After reflexes, Sophia would have moved on to the gradual development of motor skills, or abilities needed to move/control the body. These general

Case Study: Sophia movements would have evolved into gross motor skills, which entail deliberate actions that require

coordinating many parts of the body such as walking (Berger, 2008, p. 140). According to Berger (2008), there are three prerequisites to walking: muscle strength, brain maturation within the motor cortex and practice (p. 140). Sophia started walking a little later in life due to her small size and lack of muscle strength, however, at age eight years of age has the capability for any motor oriented skill. Physical development in the play years focuses on two domains: body changes and brain development. As Sophia approached this window of growth, critical changes within her appearance occurred. Her baby fat turned into muscle and her center of gravity transferred from the breastbone to the naval (Berger, 2008, p. 207-208). A child during this time tends to gain adult-like body proportions, generally weighing 40-50 pounds and achieving a height of at least 3 and a half feet (Berger, 2008, p. 208). Sophia accomplished these general guidelines, however, remained on the small side. Brain development also achieves great distances during this time. Myelination, a process which speeds up transmission, occurs. The corpus callosum--a band of nerve fibers that connect the right and lift side of the brain--matures and increases efficiency and coordination (Berger, 2008, p. 210). Lateralization or sidedness specializes each side of the brain. The left produces logical reasoning, detailed analysis and basics of language while the right produces emotional and creative impulses (Berger, 2008, p. 210). The limbic system emerges, which is in charge of expression and regulation of the emotions. The amygdala registers emotions and is responsible for nightmares and responses to facial expressions. The hippocampus is the central processor of memory. This responds to anxieties of the amygdala. The last component is the hypothalamus, which responds to signals from the amygdala and hippocampus to produce hormones that activate other parts of the brain and body (Berger, 2008, p. 213-215). However, this process still seems to be immature in Sophia since she is said to be emotionally intense at times (K. Buursma, personal communication, November 14, 2011). The regulation of emotions hasnt set in quite yet for her. Sophia has just entered the school years at age 8. Body changes, physical activity, and brain development are central in this stage of development. Children are said to enter middle childhood

Case Study: Sophia which consists of ages 7-11 (Berger, 2008, p. 283). This stage is one of the healthiest periods in a humans lifespan, when growth slows down and muscles grow stronger. Due to this phenomenon, children have the ability to master any motor skill with culture, motivation and practice (Berger, 2008, p.

284). Physical activity is key in strengthening the body, appreciating cooperation and fair play, improving problem solving and respecting all nationalities. Kids receive exercise through neighborhood play, school, and athletic clubs/teams (Berger, 2008, p. 286-287). Sophia regularly engages in activities with the kids next door, fulfilling the requirement for physical activity. There are a couple key advances in brain development. Reaction time--the length of time it takes to respond to a stimulus--increases. Children are able to analyze consequences before their actions. They also develop selective attention: the ability to concentrate on some stimuli while ignoring others. This is due to the increase in myelination and production of neurotransmitters. The firs two years of Sophias life were crucial in the growth of her thought processes. According to Piaget, she experienced cognitive development in several stages, the first of which is sensorimeter intelligence. This stage includes individuals from birth to 24 months and emphasizes the learning curve in understanding senses and motor skills (Berger, 2008, p. 155). Within each stage, there are sub levels that indicate a new advance in cognitive thinking. Level one is called the stage of reflexes. In this step, a child learns to absorb sensations around them, transfer these feelings to perceptions in the brain, and develop these into cognition (Berger, 2008, p. 156). Level two involves adaptations such as assimilation and accommodation (Berger, 2008, p. 156). The former involves fitting new experiences into old mental frameworks while the latter refers to old ideas restructured to include new experiences (Berger, 2008, p. 45). The next level involves the interaction with other people to produce exciting experiences (Berger, 2008, p. 157). Levels four and five go hand in hand as the first sets the foundation for adaptation and anticipation while the second expands on the growth. Object permanence, the ability to recognize the existence of objects/people out of sight, poses a challenge. There is also an emphasis on goal-directed behavior: children focus their activities on accomplishing specific cognitive tasks (Berger, 2008, p. 157159). The last level is called mental combinations. This is the stage in which children anticipate and solve

Case Study: Sophia

10

problems and start to imitate the actions of others (Berger, 2008, p. 159). Language also emerges during this stage. Sophia started talking right at 12 months and used an expansive vocabulary (K. Buursma, personal communication, November, 14, 2011). As an infant, Sophia babbled, which is the repetition of specific syllables (Berger, 2008, p. 169). Holophrases are often used during this stage, which is the use of single words to convey an entire sentence (Berger, 2008, p. 170-171). At age eight, Sophia is described as a highly verbal individual, therefore, this was a crucial stage for her to experience. The play years define cognitive thought through two domains: Piagets preoperational thought and Vygotskys social learning theory. Preoperational intelligence is the second of several stages in Piagets cognitive theory. Children focus on a learning of language and imagination that is very selfcentered and magical (Berger, 2008, p. 231). In some ways, Sophia still remains in this stage of development, despite her age. At eight years old she continues to play with imaginary friends and creates magical scenarios to play out with her sister, Maria. Although Sophia plays as though she is stuck in the play years, she has triumphed over the many obstacles: centration, egocentrism, static reasoning, irreversibility and conservation (Berger, 2008, p. 232). The next arena is Vygotskys social learning theory, which emphasizes gaining knowledge from others who guide their experiences and explorations (Berger, 2008, 234-235). The zone of proximal development focuses on the skills a person performs with the assistance of others in hopes of one day working independently. This is relevant in the classroom, where kids often need assistance from teachers who provide scaffolding, temporary sensitive support, and aid in advancement. The play years, ages two to six, is a critical period for language development. Children encounter the naming explosion phenomenon, in which children learn 50-100 words per month after the initial 50 (Berger, 2008. p. 169). There are a few more techniques kids develop to advance learning. Private speech, an internal dialogue to foster the development of new ideas, is frequent (Berger, 2008, p. 235). Sophia often uses this method in play as she creates imaginative games to enact. Fast mapping, another technique, is used as an organizational technique by categorizing words into meaningful categories (Berger, 2008, p. 240-241).

Case Study: Sophia The school years concentrate on concrete operational thought and the information processing

11

theory regarding cognitive development. The former concerns the understanding a child develops as they learn to reason logically about experiences and perceptions. There is a focus on observable behaviors and ideas (Berger, 2008, p. 307-308). Classification advances the organization of this process as children organize subjects into groups according to their commonalities. This highlights the ability to use mental categories and subcategories simultaneously. The information-processing theory stipulates that children take in large amounts of information in order to search for knowledge, analyze and communicate its analysis to others for interpretation (Berger, 2008, p. 310). Similar to a computer functioning system, children first input the information of stimuli into the sensory memory for a split second and transfer this to the current working memory of conscious mental activity (Berger, 2008, p. 311). This information, through rehearsal, can be stored in long-term memory indefinitely. Language becomes centered on activities at school. There are two approaches to learning words: the phonics and whole-language. The former involves learning letter-sound correspondences to decipher words, while the latter encourages the use of all language skills (talking, listening, reading, writing) (Berger, 2008, 324-325). Metacognition is used the evaluate a cognitive task, determine how best to accomplish it and adjust though according to the results (Berger, 2008, p. 313). Sophia constantly uses this method as she dictates stories and recalls information learned at school to her family members. The first two years of psychosocial development focus on the interaction between the infant and the parent. Children develop specific emotions such as pleasure and pain (Berger, 2008, p. 180). Happiness is expressed through a social smile--a response to a human face. There are two fears: stranger wariness and separation anxiety (Berger, 2008, p. 181). At the end of this stage, many emotions such as pride, shame, embarrassment, guilt, anger and sadness develop. Many stage theorists divide the psychosocial ages into stages of development. Sigmund Freud created the psychosexual stages. For this age, children experience an oral fixation, in which the infant focuses on its mouth as the primary source of pleasure. Next, the child becomes fixed on the anus as a source of gratification and control (Berger, 2008, p. 183). Freud believed that if the child did not accomplish a given stage, problems would continue into

Case Study: Sophia

12

adulthood. Erik Erikson developed psychosocial stages that describe a crisis a child must accomplish at a given age. For this period, the trust v. mistrust and autonomy v. shame/doubt stages are significant. The former involves an infants attachment with its parents. If food and comfort is provided, the child trusts the world and feels comfortable in exploration. The latter describes the amount of freedom an infant is given. Children at this stage desire self-rule in performing daily routines. If the parents allow even minimal liberty, the child will feel proud. The alternative results in a very shameful individual that doubts everything in their world (Berger, 2008, p. 183-184). This stage is crucial for the initial development of social bonds. Synchrony is the interaction between a caregiver and an infant (Berger, 2008, p. 191). Attachment is the lasting emotional bond between a caregiver and the infant (Berger, 2008, p. 192-193). There are several different types of attachment indicating the health of the relationship. A secure infant feels confident and comfortable around people and its caregiver. The insecure infant plays with minimal acknowledgement and contact with the parent. The insecure-resistant/ambivalent infant has separation anxiety and wont leave the parents side. The play years involve a little more interaction with people and focuses on a growing awareness of ones gender role in society. Freud believes children in this stage experience the phallic stage, which focuses on genitalia. Erikson provides an initiative v. guilt stage in which children develop self-esteem through the acquisition of skills and competency (Berger, 2008, p. 255-256). Motivation is derived either intrinsically or extrinsically. The former involves performing a task without the expectation of any benefits whereas the latter entails gains as a result for doing an action (Berger, 2008, p. 257). Gender distinctions become increasingly significant as children realize their role in society (Berger, 2008, p. 274). Gender schemas are the focus of this stage. Children adapt a cognitive concept of belief based on their experiences of sex differences (Berger, 2008, p. 274). Society has values/attitudes regarding preferred behavior for men and women (Berger, 2008, p. 275). Parents become increasingly influential and start teaching their children about these socially acceptable behaviors according to each gender. The school years focus on the maturation of individuals and an increased exposure to peers and intellect. Freud believes this is the latency stage: children have submerged sexual conflicts and emotional

Case Study: Sophia drives that remain quiet and unconscious (Berger, 2008, p. 351). Erikson assigns the industry v. inferiority crisis to this particular age group. As children are expected to perform well in school with an increased amount of homework, they desire to master these skills and competencies. Recognition of success in a particular subject area is key in this stage (Berger, 2008, p. 351-352). Lawrence Kohlberg created a set of stages regarding an individuals moral reasoning. At the point, children would only choose two of the three stages, which are preconventional and conventional (Berger, 2008, p. 336). The former depicts decisions of an egocentric nature. Sophia exemplifies this reasoning in wanting things solely for her benefit. The next stage focuses on observable practices and often is demonstrated through

13

the good boy/girl scenario. Children want to make the right decision in accordance with the law and be hailed as obedient. Individuals are beginning to acquire social cognition, or the ability to understand human interactions (Berger, 2008, p. 338). Sophia has not yet fully grasped this concept due to her lack of social interaction all together. Effortful control, the modification of impulses and emotions, is also a challenge in this critical period (Berger, 2008, p. 338). Sophias development is subject to change within a year, five years and ten years. She will transfer from stage to stage in hope of growing into a more mature individual with help from the family and community. However, within the next year Sophia will remain more or less the same with a few changes. She will remain in the school years phase, with the most change occurring in the social/emotional realm. The little transition in the other domains is limited to a physically stronger body with gain in weight, height and muscle. Cognitively, Sophia will remain constant due to her intellectual maturity. However, she is socially behind in comparison with her class (K. Buursma, personal communication, November, 14, 2011). There will be development in social cognition and effortful control. According to her mother, Sophia tends to be emotionally intense, which indicates an immaturity in the prefrontal cortex (K. Buursma, personal communication, November, 14, 2011). Lastly, her moral reasoning will shift from preconventional to conventional with less egocentrism. There will be more of a focus on obedience and the law rather than gains for herself.

Case Study: Sophia In five years Sophia will be 13 years old and entering adolescence. The physical realm will be important due to her small size. She will experience puberty, the rapid physical growth and sexual maturation between childhood and adulthood (Berger, 2008, p. 364). This includes a growth spurt and menarch, or a first period, among girls (Berger, 2008, p. 364). However, Sophia is physically immature and so she might not reach this point until later in adolescence. Hormones will be a big part of Sophias

14

life due to her premature emotional intensity. If she experiences mood swings now at age 9, they will only get worse during the teenage years. Primary and secondary sex characteristics usually occur earlier for girls than boys, however, again due to size Sophia will not experience these until later in this stage. Cognitively, there will be a transition from concrete to formal operational thought. This includes more abstract and hypothetical thought complete with deductive and inductive reasoning (Berger, 2008, p. 395397). Sophia will surely enter this stage due to her high intellectual achievement in school thus far (Berger, 2008, p. 398). She will also start developing an intuitive and analytical process system. Adolescent egocentrism will be apparent coupled with the invincibility fable and imaginary audience (Berger, 2008, 391-393). Here there is a focus on oneself and appearance. Sophia tends to be an introverted person, but doesnt seem to feel pressure to fit in. Therefore, she might experience a more mild case of this aspect in adolescence. Eriksons identity v. role confusion stage will become relevant at this age. Sophia will experience the confusion, however postpone it until later (identity moratorium) due to more pressing academic priorities (Berger, 2008, p. 416). Peer pressure wont be a problem, since Sophia works well independently and doesnt need a social setting to succeed (Berger, 2008, p. 423). Ten years from now Sophia will be 18 years old and remain in adolescence for a little longer. At this point, she will enter puberty completely with fully developed sexual characteristics and menarche. Cognitively, she will merely advance in formal operational thought and the dual process model. However, adolescent egocentrism will diminish slowly as self-confidence and identity set in. The identity moratorium might turn into identity foreclosure as she develops ideas similar to her parents (Berger, 2008, p. 416). Sophia is responsible and enjoys pleasing her parents, so might adapt their viewpoints in order to remain obedient. In the social realm, she will develop a circle of friends through peer selection

Case Study: Sophia and learn to control her hormones more effectively. After the initial academic adjustment into middle

15

school and high school, Sophia will learn to adapt socially as well, thus, the peer selection will come later in adolescence. Optimal development for Sophia will depend greatly on the strengths of family and community. Personally, Sophia is very creative, verbal, curious, smart, full of innovative ideas and independent (K. Buursma, personal communication, November, 14, 2011). These strengths will help facilitate beneficial development in every facet. Academics will remain strong and the creativity aspect will aid in social acceptance. The family has an excellent rapport. The father is involved in the lives of his children and remains the preferred playmate. Both parents read to Sophia and put her to bed. This interaction on a daily basis will facilitate a beneficial relationship with her parents and alludes to strong relationships with others outside the household. The family includes a happy marriage with minimal bickering, which aids in the emotional development of Sophia. She will have less of a desire to rebel and have healthier tendencies in decision-making. There is also a lot of encouragement in the family, which provides for an atmosphere with high expectations and sensitivity. The community is friendly with minimal violence and crime. The neighborhoods are safe and provide for a comfortable setting for play and exploration. The school system is excellent and prepares students for college. The town itself has many activities that facilitate community bonds. Socially, Sophia has many opportunities to grow within the town itself and learn to interact with others. There are a few problems with the family and community and even in Sophias behavior that could inhibit development. According to her mother, Sophia can be emotionally intense and very reserved with strangers (K. Buursma, personal communication, November, 14, 2011). Especially in adolescence, the high emotions combined with an introverted nature can be a lethal combination. The mood swings can drive her to many psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression. Also, social situations might be increasingly hard to handle. Bullying might be a problem in her life due to the inability to defend herself and lack of friends. The family is a strong support system, however, much of the focus is on the younger sister. This could cause problems for Sophia as she requires attention for transitions in her life such as

Case Study: Sophia middle school, high school and college. She might feel ignored and feel the need to rebel. The parents dont facilitate a very open and communicative atmosphere within the household. Sophia and Maria do

16

what they are told without question, even though they might disagree. When the girls have a question they might resort to friends instead of family for answers, despite the accuracy. The community is strong in facilitating growth. The only drawback would be the lack of diversity. Wheaton tends to be stereotyped as a white, middle to upper class neighborhood with a heavy christian population. Therefore, the exposure to urban settings and different perspectives to ideas in the world would be severely lacking. Sophia will grow up in a severely one-sided world, which could throw her into disequilibrium once college approaches. These predictions are rooted in fact, however, they can be inaccurate. Depending on many variables, the development of Sophia could be slightly different. Her small size could change permanently in the next couple of years and might enter adolescence as a normal child. She could adapt socially and have a solid group of friends that remains constant throughout school. Cognitively, harder material might inhibit such a high achieving academic ability she has now. A tragedy in her life could alter her emotions and the dynamic of the family. A number of variables could alter the results of the predictions listed above. It all depends on the consistency and atmosphere in which Sophia continues to develop. There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million (Streightiff, 2010). Children fascinate the world with their curiosity and exploration of the world. Development influences a childs perspective and approach in their understanding of the surroundings around them. Sophia sees the world through a creative, verbal, and introverted lens. She has had normal development patterns with a few inconsistencies such as size. She will grow up to achieve in a highly academic world and learn to adapt to social situations. However, as an eight year old Sophia is content with seemingly insignificant thrills such as getting to eat a popsicle after dinner.

Case Study: Sophia

17

References Berger, K. S. (2008). The developing person: Through the life span. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Streightiff, W. (2010, May 10). There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.. Dictionary Quotes. Retrieved November 20, 2011, from http://www.dictionary-quotes.com