Case Study of a

Child Age

Nicholas Vona
EDU 220-1001
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF 4-YEAR-
OLD OBSERVATION

Physical Development Emotional Development Cognitive/Intellectual Development

• Coordination • Becoming more independent • Language Skills
• Safety • Self-awareness • Math Skills
• Growth and Development • Managing Emotions • Personal/Social Experiences
• Motor Skills • Complex thinking
• Problem Solving
Psychosocial/Social Development Moral/Character Developments
• Empathy • Leaders and Helpers
• Friendships • Caring Culture
• Teamwork • Obeying Rules
• Praise and Acknowledgement • Increased Confidence
TYPICAL PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENTS
• Early sports skills begin
to develop
• Gain about 4-5
pounds/year
• Grows 2-3 inches/year
• 20/20 vision by age 4
• Has all 20 primary teeth
(Medline Plus, 2017)
•Gross motor skills still improving
•Can catch a bouncing ball
•Improving at running, jumping, early throwing, kicking
•Able to pedal and steer a tricycle
•Hopping on one foot
•Fine motor skills improving
•Drawing a circle
•Drawing a person with 3 parts
•Begin to use children’s blunt-tip scissors
•Self-Dressing (with supervision)
TYPICAL PHYSICAL BEHAVIORS
ACCORDING TO SNOWMAN
• Extremely active
• Need frequent rest periods
• Large muscles more developed than hand/finger muscles
• Difficulty focusing on small objects
• Undeveloped hand-eye coordination
• Resilient Bones, but soft bones protecting the brain
• Fairly small differences between genders

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2013)

4-YEAR-OLD PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENTS OBSERVED

The 4-year-old I observed showed a lot of the

typical behaviors I expected to see based on my
studies. He was quite active in that he did not
stand in one place for too long and played with his
toys for as long as he was allowed. When it was
time to eat, I paid special attention to the way his
hands work in comparison to the rest of his body.
The still-developing hand and finger muscles were
evident in the way he ate the food that was
prepared for him by his mom.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Set strict limitations about which areas kids are not
allowed to go. Use devices such as locks, doors and gates
to protect them from dangerous areas. (Medline, 2017)
• Engage in physical activities that require coordination to
encourage further development. (PBS Parents, 2017)
• “Play provides a means for energy to be put to use. It
strengthens and refines small and large motor skills, and
it builds stamina and strength. (Myers, 2012)
• They are improving their gross motor and fine motor
skills, which gets them interested in art, crafts, and all
kinds of ride-on toys (wagons, scooters, bikes, etc.).
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
TYPICAL EMOTIONAL
BEHAVIORS
• Become more conscious of one’s own feelings and
understand different people may react unlike them in
similar situations.
• Begin to gain control over one’s emotions and use
techniques like talking about problems
• Understanding ways to resolve conflict

(PBS Parents, 2017)

TYPICAL EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORS
ACCORDING TO SNOWMAN

• Good at expressing emotions without hesitation

• May show frustration or anger easily
• Jealousy will occur and be evident
• Will look for attention and praise from adults
• Learns how to deal with emotions by using play or words

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2013)

(PBS Parents. 2017)
4-YEAR-OLD EMOTIONAL
BEHAVIOR OBSERVED

This little guy was always looking to me to see how I

would react to what he could do with his toys. He
got along quite well with his sister and did not show
signs of jealousy when she would have my
attention. He was mild-mannered for the most
part, but also showed his emotions freely. When I
showed up he greeted me with a hug and a smile. I
could tell he wanted me to come to see what he
was up to. When he liked something I did with his
dinosaurs he smiled and giggled.
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
• “From age 4 to 5, many children backtalk. Address these
behaviors without reacting to words or attitudes. If the child
feels these words will give them power over the parent, the
behavior will continue. It is often difficult for parents to stay
calm while trying to address the behavior.” (Medline Plus, 2017)
• “Recognize and acknowledge when the child behaves or does a
chore correctly or without extra reminders. Take the time to
note and reward good behaviors.” (Medline Plus, 2017)
• “Discipline should give the preschooler chances to make choices
and face new challenges while maintaining clear limits. The
structure is important for the preschooler. Having a daily
routine (including age-appropriate chores) can help a child feel
like an important part of the family and enhance self-esteem.”
(Medline Plus 2017)
 TYPICAL COGNITIVE/INTELLECTUAL
DEVELOPMENTS
• Begins to understand size relationships
• Can follow multi-step commands (3-4 steps)
• Can count up to single digits
• Memorizes color
• Recognizes word games such as rhyming
• Language skills dramatically improve
• Math skills improve
• Share thoughts easier

(Medline Plus, 2017)

(Child Development Institute. 2015)
COGNITIVE/INTELLECTUAL
DEVELOPMENTS ACCORDING TO
PIAGET AND VYGOTSKY
Piaget Vygotsky
-Learning is assisted from prior
- Sociocultural: social and
experience by the use of symbols,
cultural realities influence
such as letters and numbers.
how one thinks

-Pre-operational thinking (illogical) -Children’s learning is

• Difficulty understanding other
viewpoints (egocentric)
• Difficulty understanding
complexity (narrow-focused)
influenced by social
interactions with teachers,
parents, and classmates

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2013,

p. 38-57)
COGNITIVE AND INTELLECTUAL
OBSERVATIONS

The 4-year-old I observed enjoyed talking with me

while he was playing with his toys. He knew the
names of all his dinosaurs and would tell them to
me as he was showing what he could do with them.
Also, he would describe to me what he was doing
with them or how he perceived them in his own
words and sounds effects. He showed me that he
could count up to 100 which I thought was
impressive for his age. He also sang a complete
song on his karaoke machine.
 COGNITIVE AND INTELLECTUAL
DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
• Spend plenty of time reading and talking with the child.
Allow the child the opportunity to learn to express himself
and his ideas while giving him your full attention.
(Medline Plus, 2017)
• Allow the child to make his own choices. (PBS Parents,
2017)
• Give lots of praise and encouragement. Avoid being too
critical so the child does not become discouraged from
learning. (PBS Parents, 2017)
• Give him plenty of time to accomplish a task, and help
them finish what he starts. (PBS Parents, 2017)
• Allow him to be creative and explore options when
problem-solving. (PBS Parents, 2017)
 PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENTS
• Curiosity heightens in the child’s mind
• The child will ask questions and speak his or her mind more frequently
• Playtime piques the child’s interest in science
• Supported explorative behavior encourages the child to learn
• Exploring and imagination still present
• Differences from imagination and reality become more apparent
• Productive social skills progress
• Starts bonding more with other kids

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2013)

PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENTS ACCORDING TO
ERIKSON
Industry vs Inferiority
Industry = results when a child is praised and encouraged
Inferiority = result of a child not being rewarded for their effort

Initiative vs Guilt
Initiative = Good
-Will be encouraged when children are allowed to explore, ask questions, and
exercise their curiosities.
-Encouraged when adults actively participate in these habits of children.
Guilt = Bad
-Will occur in the child’s mind when adults make children feel bothersome or
unimportant while exercising curiosity, asking questions or exploring.

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2013, p. 28-35)

4-YEAR-OLD PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL
OBSERVATIONS

The child I observed was very interested in including

me in his play time. He greeted me warmly and
when I sat near him during his play time he
intentionally involved me in his activities. When I
would attempt to show him something or be
creative with a toy he would be very interested in
what I was about to do. Additionally, he seemed to
give me praise and show support for what I was
doing!
PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

• Lead by example to teach sympathy towards others. (PBS Parents,

2017)
• Encourage the child to find solutions and compromise with other
children. (PBS Parents, 2017)
• “It’s vital that your child has the opportunity to play with other
children—this will give him the social skills he needs to make friends
when he starts school as well as teach him the concepts of sharing,
taking turns, and winning and losing.” (Child Development Institute,
2015)
• ”It is important for the child to have appropriate role models of both
sexes. Single parents should make sure the child has the chance to
spend time with a relative or friend who is the opposite sex of the
parent.” (Medline Plus, 2017)
TYPICAL MORAL/CHARACTER
DEVELOPMENTS
Empathy
• Will show compassion towards the hardship of others and will try to
help
Confidence
• Realizes ones own achievements, and will make it known.
Mental Fortitude
• Increasingly gains better control over one’s emotional reactions to
stress
Leadership
• May take the lead or managing role in a group of friends
Friendly
• Gets better at sharing and offering to make others happy
(PBS Parents, 2017)
TYPICAL MORAL/CHARACTER
DEVELOPMENTS ACCORDING TO
KOHLBERG
Pre-conventional Mortality
Stage 1
• “Punishment-obedience orientation. The physical consequences of an action
determine goodness or badness. Those in authority have superior power and
should be obeyed. Punishment should be avoided by staying out of trouble.”
Stage 2
• “Instrumental Relativist Orientation. An action is judged to be right if it is
instrumental in satisfying one’s own needs or involves an even exchange.
Obeying rules should bring some sort of benefit in return.”

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2013, p. 60-62)

4-YEAR-OLD MORAL/CHARACTER
OBSERVATIONS
He greeted me with a warm and wholehearted welcome.
When engaging with him, he had no problem sharing his toys
with me and allowing me to touch anything that was his.
Also, he would use phrases such as “thank you” and “you’re
welcome.” He was very respectful and obedient toward his
mother when she told him that playtime was over.
MORAL/CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS

• Be a good role model and provide the child with role

models of both sexes.
• Encourage them to consider the feelings of others.
• Favor praise and encouragement over criticism and
discipline
• Allow them to share their feelings and be honest, don’t
discourage them from discussing their feelings. Encourage
honesty.
• Encourage teamwork and support for peers as the child
will now be better at entering groups of friends.
(PBS Parents, 2017)
REFERENCES
Child Development Institute (2015). The ages and stages of child
development. Retrieved from https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ages-
stages/#.WR3Id_QrLrc
Medline (2017). Adolescent Development. Retrieved
from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002003.htm
Myers, Robert. (2012, November 20). Why Play is Essential for Healthy
Development. Retrieved from
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/encouraging-play-
encourages-a-childs-development/#.XR-pVehKjIU
PBS Parents. (2017). Child development tracker Ages 2-
8. Retrieved from http://nunu.pbs.org/parents/childdevelopmenttracker/in
dex.html
Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013). ED PSYCH. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,
Cengage Learning