PRISM PT 1

Child's First: Trae

Expected Characteristics Actual Child's Characteristics
Name and Age: 7

Trae is 45 inches tall and weighs

Average height and weight for 6 year olds is 46
36 pounds. I observed him
pounds and 45 inches. The average height and
drawing, coloring, making up
weight for 8 year olds is 56 pounds and 50
songs and playing actively with a
inches (Livestrong.com, Callaway 2013).
family members dog. He
Kinesthetic activities increase including
observed his older sister (age 21)
drawing, coloring, games, and making models.
making a model of Dracula and
Interest in body and sexual identity of others
inquired about getting a model of
wanes. Sphincter control is generally complete
his own. Trae is
Physical/General with a deepening of self, body and emotions.
developmentally delayed by two
Tires easily may need rest (www.NAU.edu,
years due to fetal alcohol
Ellsworth 98). Energy is released in form of
syndrome he was adopted from
nervous habits, large muscle control is superior
his mother at birth but appears to
to fine coordination. Many boys have difficulty
be alert and responsive towards
holding a pencil. Initial roles being established
his environment. He has
that may set a lasting pattern. Extreme in
sphincter control but refuses to
physical activities underestimating danger of
use a toilet because of fear of
these activities (page 53 ED PSYCH,
being flushed down the drain so
Snowman/McCown 2013)
he still uses diapers.

Students are sensitive to criticism and may have
difficulty adjusting to failure. Children this age
are eager to please, like to help, enjoy
responsibility, and want to do well in their
schoolwork. Children this age are becoming
sensitive to others feelings (page 54 ED
(R) Emotional PSYCH, Snowman/Mccown 2013). Inferiority
is a great concern, setbacks may create work
paralysis. Increase in nervous behaviors thumb
sucking, chewing fingernails/hair/clothing, self
stimulation, tics and habits. Fear is pervasive
with night terrors, night walking/talking, and
talk of monsters (www.NAU.edu, Ellsworth
98).
Trae is very sensitive to
criticism. During an observation
at his grandmothers house she
remarked about his over
dramatized smile during a photo
and he was offended. I did not
notice any nervous behaviors.
The observation was done at his
grandmothers house and most of
his energy was spent running,
jumping, playing with action
figures and sitting with his
grandmother while she showed
him words in some picture
books. He smiles often and likes
to make up jokes. He is very
inquisitive and asks questions
about what adults are doing and
occasionally shares his feelings.
He does have a fear of the toilet,
he says he is afraid of the drain
because he doesnt want to die.

Concrete operational stage is beginning. With
formal instruction, informal experience, social
contact and maturation the child becomes less
influenced by perceptual centration,
irreversibility, and egocentrism. Schemes
develop for better understanding of logic based
tasks such as conservation, class inclusion, and
seriation but operational thinking is limited to
objects that are actually present or that have
been experienced concretely and directly (page
Intellectual/Cognit 27 ED PSYCH, Snowman/McCown 2013). The
beginning of scientific thinking when children
ive start to understand there is the theoretical way
of explaining things and an evidence based way
to explain a situation. Metacognition begins at
this age, children begin to understand that
learning and memory is a process they can
control. At this time private speech reaches its
peak and may constitute 20 to 60 percent of a
childs utterances (page 54/55 ED PSYCH,
Snowman/McCown 2013. Child begins to
understand causality and continuity in objects,
time, numbers etc (www.NAU.edu, Ellsworth
98).
Trae shows interest in his
environment. He is becoming
less egocentric sometimes asking
another person what they are
doing and why. I observed him
creating taxonomies by grouping
toy cars with a toy train and a toy
airplane as modes of transport.
Independently he is influenced
by centration but if interacting
with an adult he is able to be
guided into observing more than
one characteristic at a time. His
schemes are a bit
underdeveloped and his attention
is usually based in the present
and what objects are currently at
hand. His metacognition is also
underdeveloped. He has a
limited understanding of the
purpose of school and does not
understand that learning is in his
control. When asked about
school he sees attendance as
simply what every child is
supposed to do. Trae exhibits
personal speech throughout the
day often preferring to speak his
thoughts alone rather than to
another person.

Children at this age become more selective in
their choice of friends and are likely to have a
permanent best friend. Friendships typically of
the same sex and are marked by mutual
understanding, loyalty, sharing and cooperation.
This age group often enjoys organized games in
small groups but may be overly concerned with
rules. They find it difficult to understand why
Social/Psychosoc rules may need to be adjusted for situations.
Fights are to be expected (page 53/54 ED
ial PSYCH, Snowman/McCowan 2013). Fathers
may be more highly valued as authority figures.
Withdrawing is common. Moodiness and
melancholy are common. Extra time filled with
solitary pursuits. Complaints about fairness and
tattling are normal. Requests for assistance
usually honored. Bickering and teasing increase
if there is a sense of insecurity. If there is
conflict the child brings the fight to others for
resolution (www.NAU.edu, Ellsworth 98).
Holds single, absolute moral perspective.
Believes rules are unchangeable. Determines
extent of guilt by amount of damage. Defines
moral wrongness in terms of what is forbidden
or punished (page 41 ED PSYCH,
Snowman/McCown, 2013). Morality of
constraint rules are seen as edicts handed down
by those in authority. Focus is on physical
Moral
consequences. Obeying the rules should bring a
benefit in return (page 53 ED PSYCH,
Snowman/McCown 2013). Self justification is
common. Intention is unimportant while getting
caught and not getting caught becomes
paramount. Feels peer aggression and
transgression are especially grievance will tattle
to assume self validity (www.NAU.edu,
Ellsworth, 98).
Trae has one best friend at
school. He is greeted by many at
his school but he prefers the
company of only a few other
children of the same sex. At
times he becomes withdrawn.
During a portion of the
observation he noticed me
watching him and went to
another room for 35 minutes to
be alone. His concept of rules
are that they are not to be
questioned and are obeyed to
avoid punishment. He has
arguments with his older sister
(age 11) and sometimes when he
feels discomfort such as triping
and scraping his knee he will
seek out an individual to blame
even if he was alone. He enjoys
being helpful and awaits his
thank you when volunteering
to help his grandmother about the
house.
Trae has a concept of rules as to
be obeyed for a reward. When
told he was going to nhis older
sisters house he asked if she
could buy him a model after he
obliged the request. He doesnt
question rules but at times he
will ask why he has to be at a
certain place when he feels he is
bored. Self justification is
evident and when he gets in
trouble for misbehaving his
response is usually She did it
first or She made me do that.
He often tattles as a way to even
the score.