3rd Grade Child Study: Bria Janine Rinaldi The College of New Jersey

Table of Contents Cover Sheet...3 Anecdotal Records.4-14 Work Samples15-20 Developmental Checklist...21-31 Summary Reports..32-38 Synthesis Paper..39-53 References54 Attendance Sheet55

3 Cover Sheet For the span of nine weeks, I observed a third grader named Bria. Bria attends a K-3 elementary school in a small, Northeastern urban district. Bria is eight years old and she has an older brother who is ten years old. She has long black hair and big brown eyes. Bria is very slim and she is not the tallest or the shortest in her class, she is right in the middle. Her ethnicity is Puerto Rican, however, she speaks fluent English. Her favorite food is pizza, but she also loves her grandmothers cooking. Her least favorite food is pork because it makes her sick. For fun, Bria enjoys playing outside with her friends and riding around on her scooter. She also likes to sit inside her house to watch the television. Her favorite TV show is Victorious on Nickelodeon. Outside of school, Bria is involved in dance lessons. In school, Brias favorite subject is math and when she grows up, she would like become a teacher. In the classroom, Bria is a fairly quiet girl at first, but she opens up to strangers once she gets to know them better. Bria easily interacts with her classmates, and seems to be friends with everyone. However, she has two best friends in her class that she always eats and plays with. When the teacher addresses the class, telling them what to do, Bria does it right away. When observing Bria, she gets her work done without talking to anybody in the process, unless the teacher tells them they can talk and work. Bria is an organized student, knowing exactly what needs to get accomplished in the day. In the classroom, Bria strives to do her best, and she is a great student.

4 Anecdotal Records I. Personal and Social Development A. Self Concept 1. Demonstrates self-confidence. a. 10/16: When Bria was running for class council, she said, In order to be elected, you have to be confident in yourself, which I am. 2. Shows initiate and self-direction. a. 10/23: Because Bria takes the bus home, she leaves twenty minutes before regular dismissal. Since she was leaving early, she asked me for her homework folder before she left school. b. 9/18-12/4: Every week I noticed that Bria has always completed her homework. Right when she gets into the classroom, she puts her homework folder on her desk, ready to be collected. B. Self Control 3. Acts with responsibility and independence. a. 9/25: My co-op told Bria that she could play the Dictionary Race game. Bria quickly went to the dictionary shelf, grabbed a dictionary for herself, and began playing the game. b. 11/27: When my co-op was late to class and we had a substitute teacher, Bria internalized the morning daily schedule. She told the substitute that the class does silent reading for thirty minutes after unpacking in the morning. 4. Uses coping strategies to manage a range of feelings and situations. -Not observed C. Approaches to Learning 5. Shows eagerness and curiosity as a learner. -Not observed 6. Begins to use time constructively and works in a focused manner. a. 9/25: Bria had to do a research project on Spain. She went to the computer and focused her research on what people in Spain wear. 7. Approaches tasks with flexibility and inventiveness. a. 11/20: When playing a game, Brias group was having difficulties figuring out who would go first. Bria asked the players when their birthdays were and how old

5 they were. Then, she arranged the order by oldest to youngest according to their birthdays. 8. Uses technology to assist with thinking and problem solving. a. 9/25: Bria was assigned a research project on Spain. When she went to the computer, she knew how to navigate to Google and search what she was looking for. D. Interaction with Others 9. Interacts easily with peers. a. 11/13: Bria and I were in the middle of playing Memory, and Lisa came over asking if she could play. Bria said to her, Okay, youre next. b. 10/9: During math, Bria was placed in a group with 4 other girls. She interacted easily and effortlessly with them, listening to their answers and giving her answers as well. 10. Interacts easily with adults. a. 10/2: Bria volunteered to collect the homework folders. 11. Participates in the group life of the class and school. a. 10/23: Bria ran and was elected by her class to be class representative in student council. 12. Shows empathy and caring for others. a. 9/18: When Bria was playing the game Sorry with a group of her friends, she saw a classmate standing by herself. Bria tapped her on her shoulder and asked her if she wanted to be on her team. b. 10/9: Rebecca had a nosebleed and my co-op told Bria to go to the nurse with Rebecca. While they were walking out of the classroom, I heard Bria ask Rebecca if she was feeling ok. E. Social Problem-Solving 13. Uses strategies to make social decisions and solve social problems. a. 11/20: When playing a game, Brias group was having difficulties figuring out who would go first. Bria asked the players when their birthdays were and how old they were. Then, she arranged the order by oldest to youngest according to their birthdays.

6 II. Language and Literacy A. Listening 1. Gains meaning by listening. a. 9/18: When Bria was on the computer about to play an educational game, I told her the instructions on how to play the game, and she listened. When it was time for her to play, she knew exactly how to play the game because she listened to the instructions I gave her. 2. Critically analyzes what is heard or seen. -Not observed B. Speaking 3. Speaks effectively using increasingly precise vocabulary. a. 10/9: Bria participated in the math discussion of even numbers versus odd numbers. When the teacher asked the class to give examples of even numbers, Bria raised her hand and said, 500 is an even number because 0 is an even number and its in the ones place. C. Reading 4. Shows interest in books and reading. a. 9/25: Bria chose to read the book Thunder Cake because she said she likes to bake and this book is about baking. b. 10/2: Bria chose to read a book about cherry blossoms because she thinks they are pretty. 5. Analyzes words and acquires new vocabulary from reading. a. 11/20: Bria paused at the word interesting and she decoded the word by saying, in-ter-es-ting. 6. Uses strategies to construct meaning from print. a. 10/9: When my co-op was reading A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim, she read the title and skimmed through the illustrations. Then, my co-op asked the class, What do you think well learn about a pilgrims day? Bria raised her hand and said, Well learn about her chores. 7. Comprehends and interprets fiction and non-fiction text. a. 10/2: Bria understands the difference between fiction and non-fiction texts. See Work Sample #5. b. For fiction books, Bria is able to identify the characters in the book and the problem of the story. See Work Samples #3 and #4.

c. Bria is not able to describe the setting for fiction books in-depth. See Work Samples #3 and #4. 8. Reads for varied purposes. a. 9/25: Bria went online to find out more information for her research project about Spain. b.10/2: Bria read a non-fiction book about cherry blossom trees because she likes cherry blossoms and she said she thinks they are really pretty. 9. Reads fluently and independently. a. 10/16: During the Bullying Workshop, Bria volunteered to read a passage out loud in front of her class, and she did so independently and fluently. D. Writing 10. Uses writing strategies to convey ideas. a. 11/13: Bria made a brainstorming web to collect her ideas for her paper, A Fun Trip I Went On. 11. Writes for different purposes in different formats. a. 9/25: Bria had to write what the setting was for the books Ants and Thunder Cake. For both books, her setting descriptions were not very descriptive. She only wrote, Inside and outside mostly. See Work Samples #3 and #4. 12. Applies mechanical and grammatical conventions when drafting and editing. a. See Work Samples #3 and #4. In her schoolwork, Bria does include periods at the end of her sentences and capitalizes correctly. For example, she capitalizes I and the first word in each sentence. 13. Uses a variety of spelling strategies. a. 11/20: Although Bria attempts to sound out words she is unfamiliar with, when she has to spell an unfamiliar word, she only asks people around her how to spell the word. If nobody knows, she just guesses the spelling. b. 10/16: When writing, Bria does not notice and make corrections on misspelled words. See Work Samples #3 and #4. 14. Revises drafts to refine writing. -Not observed E. Research

15. Gathers and uses information for research purposes. a. 9/25: For Brias research paper on the country of Spain, she went online to research information about this country. III. Mathematical Thinking A. Mathematical Process 1. Applies concepts and strategies to solve mathematical problems. a. 9/18: When playing Place Value Picnic, I taught Bria how to determine the place values in the one hundred thousands, ten thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones place. In the game, when Bria had to read a six-digit number, she did not give up. She applied the strategies I taught her to the individual problems and solved it correctly. 2. Communicates and represents mathematical thinking. a. 10/2: Bria participated in the math discussion of even numbers vs. odd numbers. When the teacher asked the class to give examples of even numbers, Bria raised her hand and said, 500 is an even number because 0 is an even number and its in the ones place. B. Numbers and Operations 3. Shows understanding of number, quantities, and their relationships. a. 9/18: See Work Sample #1. Represents a four-digit number in expanded form. 4. Estimates and accurately computes addition and subtraction problems. a. 10/2: Bria was talking about how every Easter, her family does an Easter Egg Hunt. I asked her the question, If you found 7 Easter eggs and your brother found 6 Easter eggs, how many eggs would you and your brother have all together? She answered correctly saying, 13 Eggs. 5. Uses some strategies to multiply and divide whole numbers. a. 11/13: During the multiplication lesson, Bria was able to see and understand that multiplication was the same as repeated addition. For example, the textbook asked, Find 5 groups of 2 apples using addition and subtraction. Bria was able to set up and solve this problem. She drew out the picture and wrote 5 x 2 = 10 and 2+2+2+2+2=10. 6. Shows understanding of fractions and decimals as parts of wholes. -Not observed C. Patterns, relationships, and functions

7. Uses the concept of patterning to make predictions and draw conclusions. a. 10/2: When looking at a chart listing the numbers 0-100, Bria noticed many patterns in this chart. For example, she noticed that for the multiples of ten, she said, The numbers 1-9 in the ones place changes, but it always ends in zero. 8. Uses variables in equations and inequalities to express number relationships. a. 10/2: On the state math test, Bria could not create a word problem to represent a multiplication problem. She just left the question blank. D. Geometry and spatial relations 9. Analyzes properties and relationships among 2-D and 3-D shapes. - Not observed 10. Explores and solves spatial problems using manipulative and drawings. - Not observed E. Measurement 11. Demonstrates understanding of attributes that can be measured. a. 11/13: I asked Bria if she could tell me how many minutes were in two hours, and she was not able to answer this question. 12. Uses tools and techniques to estimate and measure. - Not observed 13. Shows understanding of time concepts. a. 10/23: I asked Bria, How many more months until Christmas? She did not know how many months there were until Christmas. However, after I said, Were in October now, and Christmas is in December, so we have to go through November and December, she was able to answer correctly that there were two more months until Christmas. b. 10/23: I showed Bria my analog clock and asked her, What time it is? She said, I only know the time when the little hand is on the 12 or the 6. F. Data collection and probability 14. Collects, records, and interprets data using tallies, lists, charts, and graphs. - Not observed 15. Makes predictions based on data. - Not observed

10 IV. Scientific Thinking A. Inquiry 1. Seeks information through active investigation. a. 9/18: Bria asks me many questions about myself. For example, in the picture of me on my All About Me paper, Bria was wondering where I was when that picture was taken. Some other questions she asked me were if I had any brothers or sisters, and if I did, how old were they. 2. Demonstrates some understanding of how tools and technology advance scientific investigation. a. 11/20: I asked Bria, Why would it be important to wear safety goggles before doing a science experiment? She responded, Because if they are doing an experiment, something can explode and get in their eyes. b. 10/9: I asked Bria, What would you use to measure how hot or cold it is outside? She correctly responded with saying a thermometer. c. 11/20: I asked Bria, What would you use to measure how much you weigh? She incorrectly responded saying, A measuring tape. 3. Forms explanations and communicates scientific information in a variety of ways. a. 9/25: Bria knows the symbol and terminology for the word degree. I showed her 68 and I asked her to read that to me and she said, Sixty-eight degrees. b. 11/27:After looking at Bria moon journal, I asked her to explain to me why she thought the moon changes shape and she said, Because the years change, the moon changes its shape for the year that it is in. B. Physical Science 4. Identifies, describes, and compares properties, position, and motion of objects. -Not observed 5. Demonstrates some understanding of the properties of light, heat, electricity, magnetism, and sound. -Not observed C. Life Science 6. Observes and describes characteristics and life cycles of living things.

11 a. 11/27: I asked Bria, How could you find out how a frogs eating habits change throughout its life cycle? Bria responded saying, To look it up on the computer. 7. Understands the relationship between the basic needs of organism and their environment. -Not observed D. Earth Science 8. Demonstrates understanding of properties and uses of the earths materials. a. 11/27: I asked Bria, What happens if we throw trash in the ocean? She responded by saying, Then it can start pollution and the animals could get hurt. 9. Observes and describes simple changes in the earth and sky. a. 11/27: Inside Brias moon journal, she was able to draw what the moon looked like in the sky on different nights.

V. Social Studies A. People, past, and present 1. Identifies similarities and differences in habits and living patterns now and in the past. a. 10/2: I asked Bria if she could think of any similarities between her and a child the same age as her who was alive 200 years ago. Bria looked at me blankly, not able to think of any similarities or differences. 2. Demonstrates awareness about state, region, and country. -Not observed 3. Shows understanding of time and how the past influences peoples lives. -Not observed B. Human interdependence 4. Shows some understanding of how people rely on each other for economic needs. a. 11/20: I asked Bria, How do people depend on each other for economic needs? Bria responded by saying, The people share their money. 5. Shows understanding of the influence of technology on peoples lives now and in the past.

12 a. 10/16: I asked Bria, How do you think cell phones changed peoples lives? She responded by saying, They help people make phone calls when theyre in the car and to play games. C. Citizenship and government 6. Shows some understanding of how rules and laws help protect people and property. a. 10/16: Before the classs lesson on communities, I asked Bria, Can you think of any rules that keep you and your community safe? Bria responded by saying, No, we just all play outside. b. 11/20: In a group project, Bria and four other children had to create their own communities. A part of the project was to create laws for their community. I asked Bria, Why do you think its important for communicates to have rules? She responded by saying, To keep people safe. Some of the laws she wrote were to wear your seatbelt, to be nice to everyone, to not hurt people, and to not steal things. 7. Shows some understanding of government functions. a. 10/23: Since Bria was elected class representative in student council, I asked her, Can you tell me how your schools student government is the same as the local government? Bria did not know the student government related to the local government. D. People and where they live 8. Uses maps to organize information about people and their environment. -Not observed 9. Identifies ways the environment affects how people live and work. -Not observed 10. Recognizes how people affect their environment. a. 11/20: Bria showed concern for the animals because I asked her what she thought would happen if people threw trash in the ocean and she responded by saying, The animals could get hurt. VI. The Arts A. Expression and representation

13 1. Experiments with new ideas, materials, and processes in the arts. a. 11/6: When Bria was painting her tree cookie, she applied new painting techniques to paint her tree cookie. She painted back and forth, up and down, and she also was able to control the paintbrush to make polka dots. b. 10/9: Bria was able to put a piece of loose-leaf over her Hello Kitty folder and trace the picture on her folder. See Work Sample #2. c. 10/2: When playing freeze tag, Bria suggested that instead of freeze tag, we should play dance tag where if you get tagged, you have to dance in place. When watching Bria dance, she had a variety of dance moves such as the robot and some ballet steps. 2. Uses the arts to express and represent ideas, experiences, and emotions. a. 10/16: Bria created a 2-D representation of an Aztec Sun Calendar. b. 10/2: Bria was asked to draw her favorite place and she drew a 2-D representation of the beach. c. 11/27: Bria drew pictures of what she observed the moon looked like each night she was able to see the moon in the sky. d. 10/2: Bria created a Spanish moles. See Work Sample #6. B. Understanding and Appreciation 3. Interprets and extracts meaning from artistic products and experiences. -Not observed 4. Demonstrates understanding of how the arts connect with culture and history. a. 10/16: Bria learned about the history of the Aztec Sun Calendar, and after learning about this she made her own Aztec Sun. b. 9/25: Bria learned about Spanish Moles in Spain, and created her own Spanish Mole. VII. Physical Development and Health A. Gross motor development 1. Moves with agility, speed, and control while performing gross motor tasks. a. 10/9: I was playing freeze tag with Bria and I was It. When I was running after her, she was able to run fast and easily change directions of her running, simultaneously.

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b. 10/2: When playing 7-Up, Bria was able to quickly walk between desks and chairs to push the thumb down of the person she wanted to choose. 2. Demonstrates coordinated movements in games, sports, and other activates. a. 10/23: In kickball, Bria ran to kick the rolling ball and successfully kicked the ball. B. Fine motor development 3. Uses strength, control, and hand-eye coordination to accomplish tasks. a. 9/25: During an art project, Bria had to use scissors to cut tiny triangles. Then, she had to apply paint on to these small triangles, which she successfully completed. See Work Sample #6. b. 11/13: Bria was able to use her fine motor skills when using a toothpick to paint tiny glue dots on her wooden heart. c. 11/20: Bria was able to use her fine motor skills to pick up very tiny beads to put on her wooden heart. 4. Uses writing tools with confidence and control. a. 9/18-11/27: Bria writes legibly with good spacing. See Work Sample #3 and #4. b. 9/18-11/27: Bria uses her pens and pencils with a purpose to write assignments and answer math problems. C. Personal health and safety 5. Begins to problem-solve and make decisions that promote personal health and safety. a. 10/16: Bria said during an Anti-Bullying presentation that if she witnessed someone getting bullied, she would tell the principal. b. 10/23: Bria maintains good personal hygiene. Her hair is always neatly brushed, either pulled back in a ponytail, or worn down. Bria said that she takes a shower every night after dinner. 6. Demonstrates some awareness of current issues related to health and safety. -Not observed

15 Work Sample #1

16 Work Sample #2

17 Work Sample #3

18 Work Sample #4

19 Work Sample #5

20 Work Sample #6

21 Developmental Checklists
DEVELOPMENTAL CHECKLIST Domain I Personal and Social Development Third Grade
Proficient In Progress Not Yet Developed Not Observed

Comments See Section I-A-1 in the anecdotal records. See Section I-A-2 in the anecdotal records.

A. Self Concept 1. Demonstrates selfconfidence 2.Shows initiative and self-direction B. Self control 1. Acts with responsibility and independence 2. Uses coping strategies to manage a range of feelings and situations C. Approaches to learning 1. Shows eagerness and curiosity as a learner 2. Begins to use time constructively and works in a focused manner 3. Approaches tasks with flexibility and inventiveness 4. Uses technology to assist with thinking and problem-solving D. Interaction with others 1. Interacts easily with peers 2. Interacts easily with adults 3. Participates in the group life of the class and school

See Section I-B-3 in the anecdotal records.

See Section I-C-6 in the anecdotal records.

See Section I-C-7 in the anecdotal records.

See Section I-C-8 in the anecdotal records.

See Section I-D-9 in the anecdotal records. See Section I-D-10 in the anecdotal records. See Section I-D-11 in the anecdotal records.

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4. Shows empathy and caring for others E. Social problemsolving 1. Uses simple strategies to make social decisions and solve problems X See Section I-D-12 in the anecdotal records.

See Section I-E-13 in the anecdotal records.

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DEVELOPMENTAL CHECKLIST Domain II Language and Literacy
Proficient In Progress Not Yet Developed Not Observed

Third Grade Comments

A. Listening 1. Gains meaning by listening 2. Critically analyzes what is heard or seen B. Speaking 1. Speaks effectively using increasingly precise vocabulary C. Reading 1. Shows interest in books and reading 2. Analyzes words and acquires new vocabulary from reading 3. Uses strategies to construct meaning from print 4. Comprehends and interprets fiction and non-fiction text 5. Reads for varied purposes

See Section II-A-1 in the anecdotal records. X

See Section II-B-3 in the anecdotal records.

See Section II-C-4 in the anecdotal records. See Section II-C-5 in the anecdotal records.

See Section II-C-6 in the anecdotal records.

See Section II-C-7 in the anecdotal records.

See Section II-C-8 in the anecdotal records.

6. Reads fluently and independently D. Writing 1. Uses writing strategies to convey ideas 2. Writes for different purposes in different formats

See Section II-C-9 in the anecdotal records.

See Section II-D-10 in the anecdotal records.

See Section II-D-11 in the anecdotal records.

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3. Applies mechanical and grammatical conventions when drafting and editing 4. Uses a variety of spelling strategies 5. Revises drafts to refine writing X See Section II-D-12 in the anecdotal records.

See Section II-D-13 in the anecdotal records. X

E. Research 1. Gathers and uses information for research purposes

See Section II-E-15 in the anecdotal records.

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DEVELOPMENTAL CHECKLIST Domain III Mathematical Thinking
Proficient In Progress Not Yet Developed Not Observed

Third Grade

Conclusions

A. Mathematical processes 1. Applies concepts and strategies to solve mathematical problems 2. Communicates and represents mathematical thinking B. Number and operations 1. Shows understanding of number, quantities, and their relationships 2. Estimates and accurately computes addition and subtraction problems 3. Uses some strategies to multiply and divide whole numbers 4. Shows understanding of fractions and decimals as parts of wholes C. Patterns, relationships, and functions 1. Uses the concept of patterning to make predictions and draw conclusions 2. Uses variables in equations and inequalities to express number relationships D. Geometry and spatial relations

See Section III-A-1 in the anecdotal records.

See Section III-A-2 in the anecdotal records.

See Section III-B-3 in the anecdotal records.

See Section III-B-4 in the anecdotal records.

See Section III-B-5 in the anecdotal records.

See Section III-C-7 in the anecdotal records.

See Section III-C-8 in the anecdotal records.

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1. Analyzes properties and relationships among 2-D and 3D shapes 2. Explores and solves spatial problems using manipulatives and drawings E. Measurement 1. Demonstrates understanding of attributes that can be measured 2. Uses tools and techniques to estimate and measure 3. Shows understanding of time concepts F. Data collection and probability 1. Collects, records, and interprets data using tallies, lists, charts, and graphs 2. Make predictions based on data X X X See Section III-E-11 in the anecdotal records. X

See Section III-E-13 in the anecdotal records.

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DEVELOPMENTAL CHECKLIST Domain IV Scientific Thinking
Proficient In Progress Not Yet Developed Not Observed

Third Grade Conclusions See Section IV-A-1 in the anecdotal records

A. Inquiry 1. Seeks information through active investigation 2. Demonstrates some understanding of how tools and technology advance scientific investigation 3. Forms explanations and communicates scientific information in a variety of ways B. Physical science 1. Identifies, describes, and compares properties, positions, and motion of objects 2. Demonstrates some understanding of the properties of light, heat, electricity, magnetism, and sound C. Life science 1. Observes and describes characteristics and life cycles of living things 2. Understands the relationship between the basic needs of organisms and their environment D. Earth science 1. Demonstrates understanding of properties and uses of the earths materials 2. Observes and describes simple changes in the earth and sky

See Section IV-A-2 in the anecdotal records.

See Section IV-A-3 in the anecdotal records.

See Section IV-C-6 in the anecdotal records.

See Section IV-D-8 in the anecdotal records.

See Section IV-D-9 in the anecdotal records.

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DEVELOPMENTAL CHECKLIST Domain V Social Studies
Proficient In Progress Not Yet Developed Not Observed

Third Grade Conclusions

A. People, past and present 1. Identifies similarities and differences in habits and living patterns now and in the past 2. Demonstrates awareness about state, region and country 3. Shows understanding of time and how the past influences peoples lives B. Human interdependence 1. Shows some understanding of how people rely on each other for economic needs 2. Shows understanding of the influence of technology on peoples lives now and in the past C. Citizenship and government 1. Shows some understanding of how rules and laws help protect people and property 2. Shows some understanding of government functions D. People and where they live 1. Uses maps to organize information about people and their environment 2. Identifies ways the environment affects how people live and work X X See Section V-C-6 in the anecdotal records. X X See Section V-A-1 in the anecdotal records.

See Section V-B-4 in the anecdotal records.

See Section V-B-5 in the anecdotal records.

See Section V-C-7 in the anecdotal records.

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3. Recognizes how people affect their environment

See Section V-D-10 in the anecdotal records.

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DEVELOPMENTAL CHECKLIST Domain VI The Arts
Proficient In Progress Not Yet Developed Not Observed

Third Grade Comments

A. Expression and representation 1. Experiments with new ideas, materials, and processes in the arts 2. Uses the arts to express and represent ideas, experiences, and emotions B. Understanding and appreciation 1. Interprets and extracts meaning from artistic products and experiences X X See Section VI-A-1 in the anecdotal records.

See Section VI-A-2 in the anecdotal records.

2. Demonstrates understanding of how the arts connect with culture and history

See Section VI-B-4 in the anecdotal records.

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DEVELOPMENTAL CHECKLIST Domain VII Physical Development and Health Third Grade
Proficient In Progress Not Yet Developed Not Observed

Conclusions

A. Gross motor development 1. Moves with agility, speed, and control while performing gross motor tasks 2. Demonstrates coordinated movements in games, sports and other activities B. Fine motor development 1. Uses strength, control, and eye-hand coordination to accomplish tasks 2. Uses writing tools with confidence and control C. Personal health and safety 1. Begins to problemsolve and make decisions that promote personal health and safety 2. Demonstrates some awareness of current issues related to health and safety

See Section VII-A-1 in the anecdotal records.

See Section VII-A-2 in the anecdotal records.

See Section VII-B-3 in the anecdotal records.

See Section VII-B-4 in the anecdotal records.

See Section VII-C-5 in the anecdotal records.

32 Summary Reports I. Personal and Social Development Bria is a pleasure to have in the classroom and she is right where she should be in regards to her personal and social development. In the classroom, according to the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon, Dichtelmiller, Marsden, Ashley, & Meisels, 2001), Bria is really excellent in showing initiative and self-direction, acting with responsibility and independence, using her time constructively, interacting easily with others, and engaging well in social problem-solving. One of her strengths is showing empathy and caring for others. One of her classmates had a nosebleed and my co-op told Bria to take her to the nurse. As the two of them were walking out of the classroom, I heard Bria ask if she was feeling alright. Also, I observed Bria include a classmate in a game of Sorry because that classmate was all by herself with no one to play with. Another strength Bria shows in her personal and social development is she acts with responsibility and independence. From what I have observed, every morning she always has her homework folder completed and put on her desk ready to be taken by the teacher. Since Bria is right on target for a third grader in her personal and social development, some topics Bria should engage in for continued progress, in accordance with the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon et al., 2001) is to approach tasks with flexibility and inventiveness, like contemplating different ways to approach a task before starting it, to begin to maintain close friendships without excluding others, like pairing up with someone in the class other than her best friend, and to set personal goals for herself.

33 II. Language and Literacy In the language and literacy domain, Bria is right where she should be in some aspects, however, in others, Bria is still in progress trying to master some topics in language and literacy for her grade level. According to the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon et al., 2001), in the domain of language and literacy, Bria is still progressing in writing for different purposes in different formats and using a variety of spelling strategies. When asked to describe the setting of books she reads, Bria does not put any detail in really describing where the books are taking place. All she says is, Inside and outside mostly. In addition, when Bria comes across a word she does not know how to spell, she either guesses on how to spell it or asks someone next to her how to spell the word. Bria does not use resources available to her such as a dictionary to check her spelling. She also seems to not take note of her misspelled words when looking over her writings. In accordance with the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon et al., 2001), Bria is great at gaining means by listening, analyzing words and acquiring new vocabulary from reading, using strategies to construct meaning from print, reading fluently and independently, gathering information for research purposes, and using writing strategies to convey ideas. In addition, Bria shows great interest in books and reading. When Bria is finished early with her schoolwork, she always takes out an independent reading book in her desk and quietly reads until told further instructions from the teacher. Another strength Bria shows in language and literacy is she gains means by listening. Bria is great at listening to directions and instructions. For example, when she was playing a math educational game on the computer, I told her the instructions on how to play the game, she listened, and successfully played the game.

34 III. Mathematical Thinking In accordance with the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon, et al., 2001), overall Bria is doing very well in the domain of mathematical thinking. She is proficient in understanding mathematical processes, numbers and operations (excluding fractions and decimals) and recognizing and using patterns. Bria is able to apply strategies she has learned to more challenging math problems. For example, when Bria was playing a game dealing with place values, I taught her how to read numbers up to the thousands place value. A card came up where the number was in the hundred thousands place value. Bria applied the strategies I previously taught her to the six-digit number, and got the answer correct. In regards to numbers and operations, another strength Bria has is that she is able to compute addition and subtraction problems. When Bria and I were talking about Easter, she said that she and her brother have an Easter egg hunt every year. I made up a question and asked her, If you found 7 Easter eggs and your brother found 6 Easter eggs, how many eggs did you and your brother find all together? Bria was able to understand and calculate this problem, answering correctly with thirteen eggs. The area in mathematical thinking where Bria is still developing in is showing understanding of time concepts. I asked Bria if she could tell me what time it was on the analog clock, and she was not able to tell me the time. However, she did say that she was able to tell the time when the big hand is on the 12 and the 6. In addition, in October I asked Bria how many more months there were until Christmas, and she said she did not know. However, after I said, Were in October now, and Christmas is in December, so we have to go through November and December, she was able to answer correctly that there were two more months until Christmas. The area in mathematical thinking where Bria has not yet developed in is being able to understand consistent units of measure and being able to create real-world word problems when

35 given a math problem. I asked Bria how many minutes there were in two hours, and she did not know the answer to this question. In addition, on the state given math test, Bria was not able to create a word problem for a given math question.

IV. Scientific Thinking In accordance with the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon et al., 2001), in the domain of scientific thinking, Bria is still developing in some concepts but overall, she has mastered most of the concepts for her grade level. The concepts where Bria is still developing in are the ability to demonstrate some understanding of how tools and technology advance scientific investigation, communicating her scientific findings in a variety of ways, and observing and describing characteristics and life cycles of living things. In regards to Life Science, I asked Bria a question regarding how she could find out how a frogs eating habits change throughout its life cycle. She responded by saying to look it up on the computer. Although one can most certainly look up a frogs eating habits on the computer, Brias response did not reveal any depth such as going to the library and looking up books about frogs or even going to the zoo and asking a worker at the zoo. In addition, although Bria was able to answer how to measure the temperature outside with a thermometer and explain why one should use safety goggles during an experiment, she was not able to identify the tool people use to measure how much a person weighs. The concepts that Bria have mastered in the domain of scientific thinking are demonstrating a good understanding of the earth sciences and seeking information through active investigation. In the nine weeks I spent with Bria, she was always very interested in my life. She actively investigated me, asking me many questions. Bria wondered how old I was, what my favorite color was, how many siblings I had, etc. In addition, in regards to earth sciences, she

36 was able to recognize how abuse to the earth can harm natural resources. I asked Bria what she thought would happen if people threw trash in the ocean and she responded by saying that it would start pollution and the animals would get hurt.

V. Social Studies In the domain of social studies in the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon et al., 2001), Bria has mastered only one concept, which is the ability to recognize how people affect their environment. Bria showed concern for the animals because I asked her what she thought would happen if people threw trash in the ocean. She responded by saying, The animals could get hurt. Bria is still progressing in some concepts such as understanding how technology influences peoples lives now, in comparison to the people living in the past and showing some understanding of how rules and laws help protect people and property. For example, I asked Bria, How do you think cell phones changed peoples lives? She responded by saying, They help people make phone calls when theyre in the car and to play games. Although cell phones allow people to make phone calls while driving and to play games, she did not thoroughly respond by giving an answer involving concepts like how cell phones allow people to be constantly in touch with each other, no matter where they go, or how cell phones are useful in emergency situations where there are no pay phones. Bria has not yet developed the ability to identify similarities and differences in habits and living patterns now and in the past. I asked Bria what she thought it would be like living 200 years ago, and she just blankly looked at me, not able to answer the question. In addition, Bria has not yet developed the concept of how people rely on each other for economic needs. I asked Bria, How do people depend on each other for economic needs? Bria responded by saying, The people share their money. In addition, Bria

37 has not yet developed some understanding of government functions. Since she was elected to be class representative in student council, I asked her how she thought student council is similar to the real government and she said she did not know.

VI. The Arts In the domain of the arts in the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon et al., 2001), Bria is right where she should be for her grade level. She is able to experiment with new ideas, materials, and processes in the arts, she uses the arts to represent experiences she has had, and she is able to connect the arts with culture and history. One of Brias strengths in the arts is experimenting with new ideas. When the class was painting their tree cookies, Bria applied different painting techniques to her tree cookie by controlling her paintbrush to paint up and down, back and forth, and even making polka dots. Also, Bria is great at using the arts to represent experiences. I asked Bria to draw her favorite place and she drew a picture of the ocean, including the blue water, the yellow sun, and puffy clouds. Since Bria is right on target for a third grader in the arts, some topics Bria should engage in for continued progress, in accordance with the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon, et al., 2001), is to look at an artistic product and discuss how the artists attempted to express an idea or an emotion in his/her work. Bria could also begin to examine how famous paintings from the past can give insight to the people and culture of the time. She could also begin working with complex art materials such as oil paint and carving tools.

38 VII. Physical Development and Health In the domain of physical development and health in the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon et al., 2001), Bria is right where she should be for her grade level. She is able to move with agility, speed, and control while performing gross motor tasks and she demonstrates coordinated movements in games and other activities. Bria is able to use strength, control, and eye-hand coordination to accomplish tasks and she uses her writing tools with confidence and control. Lastly, Bria is beginning to problem-solve and make decisions that promote personal health and safety. One of Brias strengths in physical development and health is the ability to use strength, control, and hand-eye coordination to accomplish tasks. During an art project, Bria was able to use a toothpick to paint tiny glue dots on her wooden heart. She also picked up miniscule beads with ease, and put them on top of her glue dots. In addition, during an Anti-Bullying presentation, Bria began to problem-solve and make decisions that promoted personal safety by saying if she witnessed someone getting bullied, she would tell the principal. Since Bria is right on target for a third grader in the domain of physical development and health, some topics Bria could engage in for continued progress, according to the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon et al., 2001), is to apply gross motor skills in games or sports like being able to dribble a ball with a small group during basketball practices or linking a series of dance steps together to create a routine. Also, Bria could begin to combine and organize several fine motor skills to produce a product such as a painting with small details. Finally, Bria could being to seek out information about topics of health and safety through research, discussion, and community resources, such as giving a presentation with a group of peers on the abuse of drugs.

39 Synthesis Paper Introduction For the span of ten weeks, I observed an eight-year-old third grader named Bria. Bria attends a K-3 elementary school in a small, Northeastern urban district. Brias ethnicity is Puerto Rican, however she speaks fluent English. In the ten weeks I was in the classroom, I spent this time observing her development in three specific domains: physical, cognitive, and social and emotional development. In this paper, I will explain the developmental trends, theories, and concepts in these three developmental domains, and relate examples of observations I made with Bria that connects to specific appropriate trends, theories or concepts. Physical Development Since Bria is eight years old, she is a part of the middle childhood years. Children are in the middle childhood when they are between the ages of six and ten years old (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). When comparing Brias height to her female classmates, Bria is approximately right in the middle, between the shortest girls and the tallest girls in her class. At her age, normally she would grow approximately two inches per year (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). Weight wise, Bria is skinny. When in comparison to her female classmates, I would estimate that Bria is one of the slimmest girls in her class. Although she is skinny, she does not appear to be unhealthily skinny or malnourished. For her age, Bria should be gaining an estimate of about six pounds per year (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). When observing Brias height and weight, I believe that she is developing appropriately for her age. When looking at Brias teeth, I can tell that she definitely lost at least her two front teeth because they look very large inside her tiny mouth. During middle childhood, childrens primary teeth begin to fall out, and they are replaced with their permanent teeth. Since females mature at

40 a faster rate than males, their growth of skeletal maturity develops quicker. Therefore, females permanent teeth grow in somewhat faster than boys permanent teeth (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). When children enter elementary school, the average hours of sleep needed ranges from eight to eleven hours of rest per night. Children need their sleep because it recharges them, allowing the children to function properly, retain information, and be energetic. Lack of enough sleep causes many negative side effects such as causing children to underperform academically and become unfocused, short-tempered, and irritable (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). Bria gets the average amount of sleep needed for her age. She goes to bed at 9:00 p.m. and wakes up at 7:30 a.m. Therefore, she gets ten and a half hours of sleep. Brias appropriate hours of sleep shows through her performance during the school day. She never shows any signs of weariness, and is always focused, alert, and eager to handle what the day brings her because of the appropriate hours of sleep she gets. During middle childhood, childrens gross motor skills occur with no difficulties. They become quicker and more coordinated in running, kicking, catching, and dribbling. In addition, children are very flexible and have good balance (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). When observing Bria perform gross motor tasks, according to the Omnibus Guidelines (Jablon et al., 2001), she does move with agility, speed, and control. For example, when I was playing freeze tag with Bria and I was It, she was able to run fast and easily change directions simultaneously while I was chasing her. Swerving between her classmates and running around trees and piles of leaves appeared easy to her. In addition, when playing a version of kickball with Bria, she was able to run up to a rolling ball and kick it perfectly. This showed that she had coordinated movements

41 between her eyes and her foot. Bria has a lot of control while performing gross motor tasks, which is what is appropriate for children her age. Not only do childrens gross motor skills improve, but their fine motor skills improve as well. At this age, children begin to add additional details to their drawings and they have increased control over their writing utensils. This control over their pens or pencils allows their handwriting to become smaller, smoother, and unchanging (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). When looking at Brias handwriting, all of her letters and words were a consistent and appropriate size. When she writes her letters, she writes them with comfort and ease (See Work Samples #3 and #4). When children have control over their fine motor skills, they can participate in many different fine motor hobbies or activities (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). In art class, Brias class was painting and adding beads to their wooden hearts. Bria demonstrated mastery of her fine motor skills when effortlessly painting her heart using a skinny paintbrush. In addition, Bria applied her fine motor skills perfectly when picking up miniscule beads and putting it on the tiny dots of glue. Since Brias fine motor skills emerged, and she uses these skills with ease, she is able to participate in these activities that require fine motor skills. In terms of physical development, Bria is following the appropriate trends for her age group. Her height and weight are average for her age and her sleep patterns promote healthy functioning. In addition, through her physical activities she participates in, her handwriting, and her involvement in the arts, Bria continuously proves that she has control over her gross and fine motor skills. When connecting what is likely of a third graders physical development to Bria, her physical development is aligned with what is expected.

42 Cognitive Development In the domain of cognitive development, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are two major theorists that agree that children create their own learning, actively, rather than learning by sitting down and being spoken to. This perspective is called constructivism. Piaget and Vygotsky have provided insight into how children think and make sense of events that occur every day in their own lives (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). Piaget created four stages of development that addressed childrens cognitive abilities at each stage. Since Bria is eight years old, she should cognitively be in the concrete operations stage. At this stage, children are able to better understand other peoples opinions and emotions because they do not exhibit egocentrism, or the inability to look at situations from another persons point of view. Children can think logically and explain why they thought the way they did. They now have the ability of class inclusion, where they understand that objects have other subcategories, and that an object, at the same time, can be a member of a particular category and to that particular categorys subcategory. In addition, they are able to complete some conservational tasks, for example, the conservation of liquid experiment. The conservation of liquid experiment is when a child is able to realize that if you do not add more liquid to the existing amount of liquid in equal cups, no matter what container you put the liquid in, the amount of water is going to remain the same. However, a difficulty children have in this stage is the ability to grasp the ideas of abstract or hypothetical thoughts and ideas (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). Although Bria should cognitively be in the concrete operations stage, after speaking to Bria and having her participate in Piagetian-like experiments, I believe that Bria is still cognitively in the preoperational stage. When conducting two experiments, which were a

43 conservation of liquid experiment and a class inclusion experiment, Brias thinking and responses were what one would observe from a child in the preoperational stage. For example, when doing the conservation of liquid experiment with Bria, she found this concept difficult to comprehend. She was positive that two, same sized cups with the same amount of water in each cup, had the same amount of water in them. However, after I poured the same amount of water from the first cup into a different shaped bottle, she thought the water bottle had more water in it because the water line was taller than the water line in the cup. This is a typical answer from a child in the preoperational stage because they still cannot grasp the idea that even if the level of the water changes or the container the water is put in changes, if the amount of water remained the same and nobody poured extra water in the cup or emptied the water, then the amount of water will remain the same. In the preoperational stage, the children have the thought process that if somethings appearance differs from before, then the amount of that thing changes as well. In addition, they are unable to form a mental picture of the problem and then imagine the action reversed. Children at this stage are not thinking logically. They are basing their thoughts and opinions on perception (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). Another Piagetian-like experiment Bria participated in was a class inclusion problem. I showed her a picture of five cats and three dogs and asked her if there were more cats or more animals on the paper. She responded by saying more cats, which is what a child at the preoperational stage would say. If Bria was at the concrete operations stage, she would have responded by saying more animals. If she were cognitively at this stage, then she would have been able to categorize these general categories and their subcategories at the same time and realize that, for my example, there are more animals than cats since dogs are animals as well as cats. However, she responded by thinking there were more cats, resulting in her not being able to

44 classify the cats and dogs as one general category of animals. (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). I did not expect Bria to still be in the preoperational stage, but after these experiments, it is clear that cognitively, she is still in the preoperational stage. Vygotsky was influenced by Karl Marxs idea that transformations in society effect how people think and behave. In addition, Vygotsky believed that adults help improve childrens cognitive growth. Through social and cultural factors, along with adults assisting childrens cognitive advancements, Vygotskys perspective is called the sociocultural theory (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). A major idea in Vygotskys theory was that it is important that mediation occurs when children interact with adults. Through this interaction, adults pass culturally suitable meanings to childrens experiences in life (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). In school, my co-op is continuously providing meanings to a variety of things she teaches the class. One valuable moment in particular where my co-op mediated an experience was when she made sense of what cancer was to the class. Many of the students, including Bria, did not truly understand what cancer was. The teacher described cancer as a dangerous disease that some people unfortunately get. Bria dealt with her grandfather having cancer, and the teacher helped her make sense of what happened to him. My co-op told her that it is okay to be sad because cancer is a very difficult situation, not only for the person who has it, but for the whole family as well. I felt like this was a valuable, teachable moment for mediation because my co-op was able to make sense to Bria her experience dealing with cancer in her family. Vygotsky believed that culture gives and teaches children how to use cognitive tools that help advance their thinking. These tools could be tangible, like paper, pens, or books, or they can be intangible like concepts or theories (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). When observing Bria,

45 besides pens, papers, or books, a cognitive tool that she gravitated towards a lot was the computer. The computer was a tangible cognitive tool that allowed her to improve her cognitive ability. When she had to do a research project on Spain, Bria went straight towards the computer to look up information about Spain. Therefore, the computer helped her solve the problem she came across. In addition, I asked Bria a question regarding how she would find out more information about frogs eating habits throughout their life cycle. She responded by saying she would look it up on the computer. This showed that culturally, her parents and her teacher thought the computer was an important tool to advance, cognitively. Therefore, they passed on the importance and the function of the computer, and how to use it, to Bria. Vygotsky believed that thought and language were separate from each other during infancy and toddler years but connected later in childrens lives. This connection of thought and language allow children to verbally say what they are thinking, and think using actual words. Vygotsky mentioned that children engage in self talk when they come across cognitively difficult situations. Through this self talk, they vocally talk to themselves out loud, directing themselves through the task at hand. However, this self talk eventually transforms into inner speech. Instead of the children talking out loud, they guide themselves through tasks silently, however still talking to themselves mentally (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). Bria no longer engages in self talk. Whenever she is given an assignment to complete, she does so silently, mentally guiding herself through the steps. For example, I presented Bria with flashcards that had 18 unrelated words on them, and I told her she could speak as loud or as soft as she wanted to try to memorize as many words as she could. When I showed Bria the cards, she did no use any verbal rehearsal strategies. She used her inner speech by continuously repeating the words over and over to herself inside her head, instead of out loud. Another

46 example of Bria engaging in inner speech was when she trying to solve subtraction problems. Although she had to remind herself of the steps needed to be done in order to solve the problem, she went through these steps mentally, without verbally guiding herself through the subtraction problem. This evolution from self talk to inner speech is an example of internalization. Internalization is when social actions progress into mental actions. In addition, it is when children internalize what adults have been teaching them, so that they are eventually able to internalize these teachings and work independently (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). I have seen Bria internalize the game of tag. Through an adult teaching Bria how to play this game, she internalized the rules and knew how to play, without the help of an adult. However, Bria made this game her own by coming up with a new version of tag called Dance Tag. She said that instead of freezing when you get tagged, you have to dance. This is an example of appropriation because Bria internalized how to play tag, but she also adapted the game to make it more fun for her and her classmates. Vygotsky believed that students could engage in more difficult activities with the help of adults assisting them. This level of difficulty, where a child would not be able to complete an activity on his/her own, without the help of an adult, is called the childs zone of proximal development, or ZPD for short. If children were performing activities that they found too easy and could simply complete the work on their own, then Vygotsky believed the children were not learning much at all. However, if they were learning, with the help of an adult, something that is within their ZPD, then they would truly be learning. This is because cognitively, they are being pushed, yet they still have the help of an adult guiding them through difficult tasks. If a student were to attempt to learn something that was too difficult and way past their ZPD, then the

47 attempted learning would be useless. The material would be too hard for the student to comprehend, even if they had the assistance of an adult helping him or her (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). In the classroom, I have worked with Bria in her ZPD during math intervention. For subtraction, Bria was having difficulties solving the problems on her own. However, my co-op brought Bria to the back table so that I could work with her. I scaffolded the lesson by first teaching her how to subtract, then modeling how to do the problem step by step. Then, I had her complete a problem on her own, with me verbally guiding her through the steps. Finally, I took a step back, allowing her to do all of the work. When Bria had my adult guidance, she was able to successfully understand subtraction, and complete subtraction problems correctly and on her own. Vygotsky was a big proponent of play, especially sociodramatic play. For children in elementary school, their sociodramatic play consists of constructing different things, playing board games, or participating in sports and being a part of a team. Through engaging in these activities, the children are following the rules and putting boundaries on how they behave. They also learn to plan ahead, problem solve, collaborate with others, and play fairly. These skills that they learn give children a taste of how they should act when they enter the adult world (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). I have seen Bria use these learned skills by playing board games. For example, when Bria was playing Sorry with some of her classmates, she used a problem-solving technique to settle the issue of who went first. Bria told her peers that the person with the oldest birthday would go first. During the middle of the game, when one of her classmates was not playing fairly, Bria engaged in self-restraint, not yelling at the girl who cheated. However, she did tell the

48 girl to play fair and that what she was doing was not nice. After she solved this problem, she collaborated with her peers and had a fun time playing the game. Theoretically, humans have information processing systems in their minds. This theory of information processing focuses on how people mentally obtain, interpret, and retain information. Information processing begins with the sensory register, where your senses are taking in all of the information from the environment. The sensory register only holds sensory data for two to three seconds. The human memory also includes the working and the long-term memory. The working memory is what people are thinking right at that moment (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). According to Willingham, it is the, location of consciousness (Willingham, 2009). The working memorys duration lasts less than a minute and it can only hold so much information at a given time. Lastly, the long term memory is the minds storage space. Here is where knowledge and skills are present and saved, and it has a boundless capacity (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). In order for information to pass from the sensory register into ones working memory, that person must pay attention. I have seen Bria pay attention, where the information being taught moved from her sensory register into her working memory. During a vocabulary lesson I taught the class, my lesson focused on movement to teach new vocabulary words. Bria paid attention when I acted out the different movements that defined each word. When it was time to act out the definitions as a class, she was able to act out each vocabulary words definition because she paid attention. Therefore, the information moved from her sensory register to her working memory during the lesson. Throughout childrens education, they develop learning strategies where they are able to call on different techniques to help them better remember information. Three learning strategies

49 are rehearsal, organization, and elaboration. Rehearsal is a learning strategy that people use by repeating the information that is presented to them over and over again in order to help them remember and learn the information. When it comes to rehearsal, the older you are, the more strategic you become when trying to memorize the information. Organization is when a person makes connections with the information and puts the information in related categories, or groups, in order for him/her to remember and learn the information better. Finally, elaboration is using previous knowledge to add details to new information and to learn the information more effectively (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). In an experiment Bria participated in, she could use any learning strategies she previously knew in order to memorize as many words as she could from a stack of eighteen cards. Bria used the rehearsal strategy, where she repeated each word silently, until she was presented a new card. By doing this strategy, Bria remembered four out of the eighteen words. In another experiment Bria participated in, she had to create groups out of ten different words. Bria used the organization learning strategy and made five types of groups out of the ten cards. When asking her to remember all of the cards she could after using this organization skill, she remembered eight out of the ten cards. In terms of Brias cognitive development, Piaget would say that Bria is cognitively lower than where she should be. Instead of being in the concrete operations stage, he would put her in the preoperational stage. Vygotsky would view Brias social and cultural environment as cognitively stimulating. Since she is interacting with both her peers and adults, Vygotsky would believe that Bria is making cognitive advancements. In the classroom, when Bria does pay attention, the information moves from her sensory register to her working memory. Lastly, Bria

50 demonstrates that she knows and could put into practice the two learning strategies of rehearsal and organization. Social/Emotional Development In terms of social and emotional development, Erik Erikson created eight stages or crises that people go through in their lifetime. These stages are characterized by a core conflict and are turning points in peoples lives. As people advance through the stages, they continuously build healthy personal qualities. However, people could remain at a stage for a while, or revisit a stage, causing them to dwell on their social-emotional issues (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). At Brias age, she should be in the industry versus inferiority stage. Here, children either demonstrate industry, where they view themselves as hard workers, wanting to learn, improve, and advance in their education or inferiority because they have a sense that they are dumb and are punished for not meeting the standards of adults (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). When observing Bria in the classroom, I believe she demonstrates industry. Bria is a hard worker and she always does her homework. Every morning she has her homework folder on her desk, completed, ready to be collected. Whenever she works on math problems and does not get the correct answer the first time, she does not give up or view herself as dumb. She works hard to understand the material and tries her best to comprehend what is being taught. In addition, she shows self-confidence. When Bria was running for class council, she said that in order to be a part of the class council, she needs to be confident in herself, and she said that she was. Apparently, her classmates viewed Bria as confident as well because her peers voted her as their class representative. Since Bria shows industry in the elementary school years, this means that she has advanced through the first three stages of Eriksons theory. At infancy, she learned that she could

51 trust people and the world around her. During her toddler years she developed autonomy where she was able to address problems by herself. Lastly, before industry, she developed initiative where was excited to participate in different activities on her own (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). In regards to attachment, children in middle childhood begin to loosen their strong attachments with their family. The children feel comfortable venturing outside of their family, and meeting and befriending non-family members (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). In terms of Brias attachment with her caregivers, I noticed that she is comfortable leaving her family when going to school. In the mornings, Bria shows no anxiety leaving her mom for the school day. In addition, at this age children begin to make stronger relationships with their peers (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). I observed that Bria has many friends in the classroom, and she specifically has two best friends she always eats with and plays with during free time. Self-regulation is the ability to control ones impulses of either emotions or personal actions. One capability self-regulation includes is impulse control. Impulse control is the ability for children to resist their impulses, and not take part in something that they know is wrong (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). Bria shows impulse control in the classroom. Whenever she knows an answer to a question, she always raises her hand, and never shouts out her answers. In addition, when Bria is standing in line, she is able to stand still, resisting her urges to move around while waiting in line. Another capability self-regulation includes is self-socialization. This is when children act and behave within the norms and standards of society (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). When I first met Bria, she came up to me saying, Hello, my name is Bria. Through Bria beginning the conversation and introducing herself to me, this shows that she has the ability of self-socialization.

52 Motivation gets people boosted to begin something, go in a certain direction, and allows them to keep pushing on. There are two types of motivation, extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is when children need something external, for example a reward or a bribe, to get them motivated. Intrinsic motivation is the same as self-motivation, where the childrens motivation comes from within (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). I have seen Bria become extrinsically motivated in class. For the 100 Book Challenge, the teacher rewarded everybody with candy if they were able to fill out their entire reading logs. Bria told me that she wanted the candy and that she was going to read a lot in order to get the reward. The next week I went into the classroom, I noticed that Brias log was filled. She was extrinsically motivated to read as many books as it took to fill the entire log and get her reward. I have also seen Bria intrinsically motivated. One time at lunch, one of her classmates did not eat her lunch because she did not like the lunch she was given. However, Bria was intrinsically motivated to share her hot dog and fries with her classmate because she felt bad and wanted to see her friend happy. A sense of self is how people believe, judge, know, feel and view themselves as a person. Children in middle childhood begin to develop a realistic sense of self. They begin to know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and they begin to compare these strengths and weaknesses to their classmates (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). Bria has a pretty positive sense of self. Through asking her questions about her self-concept, I got a glimpse of how Bria views herself. She sees herself as a good dancer, a good helper to her grandma, and a good friend. When I asked her questions regarding her self-esteem, Bria felt that her schooling was the most important thing to her. She said that she needs school in order to become a teacher when she grows up. When I asked her if she thought she was successful in school, she responded by saying yes because she

53 always tries to get good grades. From this response, I can tell that Bria has a high self-esteem because she views herself as a successful student, always becoming one step closer to achieving her dream of becoming a teacher. Lastly, I asked Bria questions regarding her self-efficacy. Selfefficacy is when children believe they are able to perform different activities successfully (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2013). Bria has a high self-efficacy because I asked her to tell me something she is really good at, and she responded by saying dance, because at the last dance recital she practiced and worked hard enough to get a solo. In terms of Brias social and emotional development, she is developing just fine. She demonstrates industry and is a hard worker. She is attached to her family, but not too attached where it is affecting her social life outside of her nuclear family. Bria demonstrates intrinsic motivation, but extrinsic motivation helps push her to achieve her goals. Finally, she has a positive sense of self concept, self esteem, and self efficacy.

Conclusion In the three domains of physical development, cognitive development, and social/emotional development, for the most part Bria is developing normally. The only concern, according to Piaget, is Brias cognitive development. Since she found the concepts of conservation and class inclusion difficult, this put her a stage lower than where she should be for her age. However, Piaget is just one theorist out of many. Through these ten weeks of observing Bria, I was able to see her grow, develop, and progress in her third grade class, especially in these three domains of physical development, cognitive development, and social/emotional development. In conclusion, I believe that Bria is a healthy, intelligent child who is selfconfident and motivated to get the most out of her education.

54 References Jablon, J. R., Dichtelmiller, M. L., Marsden, D. B., Ashley, L. A., & Meisels, S. J. (2001). The work sampling system. Kindergarten through fifth grade. Omnibus guidelines. New York, NY: Pearson Early Learning. McDevitt, T. M., & Ormrod, J. E. (2013). Child development and education. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Willingham, D. T. (2009). Why dont students like school? A cognitive scientist answers questions about how the mind works and what it means for the classroom. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

55 Appendix A Attendance Sheet Date 9/18/12 9/25/12 10/2/12 10/9/12 10/16/12 10/23/12 11/13/12 11/20/12 11/27/12 12/4/12 Janine Rinaldi Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Bria Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Absent