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Jessica Quezada
TTE 303
May 7, 2014
Case Study Child Development

Child Family Background
This year I had the opportunity to follow the development of my case study child Eli. Eli
is a 4-yer-old boy who is a student in the TUDS school district in the PACE program. This is
Elis first school experience and he has been in the program since the beginning of the school
year in early August of 2013. Before this school experience Eli was taken care of by his mother
who at that point was a stay at home mom. Eli is Hispanic and has brown hair and eyes, and he
has a buzz cut.
Over the all semester I had the opportunity to have several home interaction s with Eli
and his mother. During these interactions I was able to collect field notes from my experiences,
and I have learned a lot about Elis home environment. The following information was collected
during two of my home interaction on October 21, 2013 and November 11, 2013.
Eli is one of three children and he is the middle child. He has an older brother who is 10
years old and a younger sister who just recently turned 1 year old. He lives with his parents and
his siblings in a two-bedroom apartment, and he shares a room with both of his siblings. While
Eli attends a school in the TUSD school district, his brother goes to a school in the SUSD school
district. The school program that Eli is involved in is only a half-day program and his mother is
the person who takes him to school and picks him up almost every single day. Even though mom
has a job she is able to be so involved in Elis education because of what her job is. Mom works
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for a small carpet cleaning company as the secretary, but because all of her work is done over the
telephone she has the flexibility to be more involved in Elis education. It is important that she
has a job that allows for flexibility because she is required to participate frequently in her sons
school program. She is required to put in eight hours of volunteer work per month, which usually
means that she stays to volunteer two times a month for the entire time the students are at school.
Elis dad works at an apartment complex as part of the maintenance crew. Mom has only been
working at her job for approximately six months, Elis dad has been working at his job for much
longer, and he is the breadwinner of the family. While mom has the ability to be involved in Elis
education at school, dads role is much more limited to the educational interactions that Eli has at
home.
Both of Elis parents are from a Mexican border town and they both lived there for
portions for their childhood. Both of their first languages are Spanish and they learned English
when they moved to the United States. Since their primary language is Spanish and their other
family members such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles all speak Spanish it was important that
Eli spoke Spanish as well. Spanish was Elis first language end he still uses it on a regular basis
because he needs it for communication with family, school friends, the Spanish language is also
a strong component of his preschool classroom so he is surrounded by the language everyday of
his life. In addition to this he takes trips to Mexico on occasion to visit family.

Physical Development
Growth
Through my observations of Eli I have seen his growth occur in both gross and fine motor skills.
Even though Eli has always been well developed in his gross motor skills, I have seen his
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movements and use if gross motor skills become more intricate. On March 10
th
during a field trip
I observed as Eli climbed up onto a wall that was only slightly shorter than him and maneuver
his body so that he was sitting on his bottom (Anecdotal Notes). Only a couple of weeks later on
March 31
st
I observed Eli do a more intricate movement. He jumped off from one platform of the
jungle gym to another and landed on his knees, he immediately twisted his body over and kicked
his legs out form under him so that he was sitting on his bottom ready to go down the slide
(Anecdotal Notes). In the second observation Eli connected many movements together in a rapid
motion, while in the first scenario he used a lot of his muscles but he used them at more isolated
times, and at a slower pace. In terms of fine motor development I have noticed that Eli is more
comfortable with activities that involve his whole hand and has started to develop further in the
activities that require only isolated parts of his hand. On March 31
st
Eli was having difficulty
maneuvering an eyedropper so that he could transfer liquid. After the activity was modeled for
him several times he was able to successfully transfer large amounts of liquid from one jar to
another. He also started to gain more control over his hand actions as observed while opened a
milk carton and a juice cup on his own (Anecdotal Notes).

Strengths
Through the observations that I have done I have seen how strong Eli is in his gross motor skill
development, especially compared to his fine motor skill development. Eli is able to do intricate
maneuvers that incorporate many of his gross motor muscles. Two example of this were
demonstrated on March 10
th
and 31
st
, he used multiple gross motor muscles to climb onto a wall
and jump from one platform of a jungle gym to another (Anecdotal Notes). Both of these
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maneuvers required the combination of arms, legs, and core motor skills used simultaneously. It
is clear that Eli is well developed in this area.

Areas for Future Growth
The observations of Eli that have been completed over the semester have shown that the area of
physical development in which Eli has most room for growth is the area of fine motor skills. Eli
should continue to do activities, which will improve the use of isolated fine motor muscles. For
example the use of water droppers, and opening small clasps (Anecdotal Notes 3/27, 3/31). The
focus should be on the use of isolated fingers rather than his whole hand.

School Based Activity
In order to help Eli continue to grown in his fine motor development he should do activities that
focus on isolated finger use. One activity would be stringing small beads onto a piece string.
Another activity that would further his development would be using a needle on a string to
weave, or to simply string through any piece of plastic or cardboard with small holes. We can
also have him use thin paintbrushes and markers in order to work those small muscles.

Home Based Activity
In order to help Eli develop this domain in his home environment I would suggest that when Eli
plays with small Legos and blocks. Eli should also serve himself his own fool, specifically when
using tongs. I would also recommend that he plays with his dads work tools such as nuts and
bolts and help them screwing and unscrewing them from one another.

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Language Development
Growth
Over the last couple of months Eli has shown signs of language development. In the beginning of
the semester it was common for me to hear phrases such as the ones I recorded on March 10
th

which included I want eat, I want work, and When we gonna eat? (Anecdotal Notes). As
the semester has progressed I have started to hear more complete sentences such as Im
pretending to be the king, even though he will still make the occasional mistake and speak in
grammatically incorrect phrases. (Anecdotal Notes 4/7)

Strengths
Over the time I have spent working with Eli I have made observations of his language, and its
development over time. One of his strong points when it comes to language is his ability to speak
in long coherent sentences. For example on March 2
nd
I recorded his saying I know you have a
boyfriend, Im not mad at you (Anecdotal Notes). On another occasion on April 7
th
I heard Eli
say, Im pretending to be the king (Anecdotal Notes). Both of these are relatively long
sentences that are grammatically correct. In both of these observations Eli also demonstrates the
ability to speak in the correct tense. Another strength of Elis is being able to use the right
pronouns at the correct time. On March 31
st
I heard Eli say, Hes not your boyfriend, and
Your not my daughter, when speaking to a girl (Anecdotal Notes).

Areas for Future Growth
Even though Eli does tend to speak in grammatically correct sentences, sometimes he does slip
up and leave out some words. For example on March 10
th
I heard Eli say the following phrases I
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want eat, I want work now, and When we gonna eat? (Anecdotal Notes). Even though
forming grammatically correct sentences is one of Elis strengths, on occasion it is also a
weakness of his. Another area that Eli has room to grow in is his phoneme omission and
substitution. There are times when he says one word but it sounds like another, such as the word
daughter sounding like dader, and the word eat sounding like eah (Anecdotal Notes
3/10, 4/11).

Home Based Activity
In order to continue the development of language I would suggest that both mom and dad model
grammatically correct sentences whenever they are speaking to Eli, as well as speaking in a clear
tone of voice. I would suggest that when mom an dad are engaged in conversation that they
invite Eli to participate in the conversation and ask him questions to get him talking. Whenever
Eli makes a grammatical mistake it is important to model to him the correct way to organize the
sentences by repeating the sentences to him in correct terms. The last suggestion I would make is
to have Eli summarize the story that he is read to at night.

School Based Activity
Just as in the home school environment, it is important that Eli continues to hear how
grammatically correct sentences are phrased in his school environment. In order for this to
happen I would suggest that whenever Eli is being spoken to that the teacher and assistant speak
clearly and slowly, as well as in grammatically correct sentences. Eli would benefit form a
storytelling center or activity in which Eli has the opportunity to reenact scenes from a story or
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entire books, specifically the ones that are being read in class as well as the books he most
enjoys. This center can also include CDs that have the recording of different books being read.

Cognitive Development
Growth
Over the course of the last semester Eli has really grown in the problem-solving and egocentrism
portions of cognitive development. On April 4
th
during lunchtime Eli took more than his portion
of macaroni, the assistant teacher had to help him figure out how to help the friends he had left
without food. A while later during the same lunch period Eli took an extra sandwich and once
again the assistant teacher had to talk to Eli about the issue and help him solve it. She also had to
help him understand how his friends might be feeling because of his actions (Anecdotal Notes).
Just about two weeks later on April 26
th
Eli encountered a similar situation but had a completely
different response to the situation. In this case Eli saw that a student at his table took a sausage
that was not intended for him. When Eli saw this situation take place he decided to give his
sausage to the student who was left without one (Anecdotal Notes).

Strengths
At this point in the school year Elis strengths under the umbrella of cognitive development is his
ability to problem solve. One example of this was recorded on April 16
th
. Eli noticed that a
student at his table had taken more than his share of sausages, which meant that one student was
left without one. He informed a teacher about the incident and ultimately came to the conclusion
that in order to solve the problem he could give his sausage to his friend (Anecdotal Notes).

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Areas for Future Growth
The area of cognitive development in which Eli has the most room for growth is attention span.
On April 29
th
during the reading of a book that took place during a literacy event Eli had trouble
paying attention which was evident because he would look around the room constantly, play
with the toy in his arms, and wiggle around in his spot by switching to a lying down position
(Anecdotal Notes). On May 2
nd
while we were practicing the Macarena dance Eli would start by
following the correct dance moves and would eventually stop following the steps and create his
own dance moves (Anecdotal Notes).

School Based Activity
In order to help Eli stay focused on the task at hand I suggest that the teacher and Eli work
together to make an On Task Plan. The student and teacher should come up with a plan that
allows for Eli to take a mental break in a way that is not distracting to the other students. This
plan should limits the amount of time Eli can spend away from an activity while also giving him
time to take a mental break. It is also important that the space that Eli is working in is free from
all potential distractions, which can include audio, visual, or sensory distractions. Lastly Eli
should have a timer set up for him that clearly displays that time that he has to work on an
activity so that he knows how long he has before he gets a break.

Home Based Activity
At home Eli would benefit from engaging in activities that require his attention for longer
periods of time. Eli should engage in playing simple board games such as Candyland and Chutes
& Ladders. He can also work to put a puzzle together while focus on the attention aspect of the
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activity. For example a parent Eli on how long it takes for Eli to complete a puzzle, he can then
work to beat his time. Another variation would be to give him a certain amount of time to put
together a certain number of puzzle pieces.

Emotional Development
Growth
Over the time that I have been observing Eli I have only slight changes in his emotional
development. Eli has consistently been comfortable with expressing and showing his emotions to
others. Recently though I have started to hear him say phrases such as Im scared rather than
just expressing those emotions (Anecdotal Notes 4/24). In the past this was not a common
occurrence. On March 27
th
Eli started crying when his mom got visibly upset at him but he only
expressed this emotion by crying instead of talking to her (Anecdotal Notes).

Strengths
In the domain of emotional development Eli has shown strengths in displaying his emotions and
stating his feelings as well as showing empathy towards others. On April 24 Eli was looking at
caterpillars in their cocoons and Eli accidentally dropped one. When I told him to pick it up and
put it back in its place he told me that he was scared and he hugged me. On April 22 I observed
him accidentally step on the assistant teachers foot, he asked her if he had if he had stepped on
her and when she replied that he had Eli told her that he was sorry. On another occasion while
playing with blocks outside Eli took a block that someone else was using. When the student
confronted him about the situation Eli said that he was sorry and gave the block back to him
(Anecdotal Notes).
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Areas for Future Growth
The area of emotional development that Eli has the most room for growth in is that area of self-
control. For example on April 9
th
when he got into an argument with a school friend he resolved
to hitting them instead of asking for help solving the problem. On another occasion on April 16
while Eli was supposed to be washing his hands he started to play with the paint that was next to
the sink by painted his hands.

School Based Activity
In order to get Eli accustomed to the idea of sharing his emotions and being comfortable with it
he should use peace puppets to deal with any emotional struggles that he is experiencing. These
peace puppets can be used with other students if Eli is having a conflict with them or with a
teacher to help him deal with an emotional struggle that does not concern other students.

Home Based Activity
At home Eli should continue to practice expressing his emotions and working through his
problems in a reasonable way. In order for this to happen Eli needs to have a way of
communicating his emotions with family members. This would work well with cards that display
different emotions, Eli can use these to tell his family how he is feeling and from there they can
talk about why he is feeling that way and what they can do to work through the problem.

Social Development
Growth
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Over the last semester I have seen Eli start to solve conflicts on his own. In the beginning of the
semester Eli needed adult assistance in order to solve problem. On one occasion Eli had to figure
out how to help a friend whose food he had taken (Anecdotal Notes 4/4). Eli has shown that he
has the ability to resolve a problem when his own feelings were not involved, which was proven
when he helped resolve a conflict that was between two students (Anecdotal Notes 4/26). Up to
this point Eli has not been seen his resolve a conflict when his own feelings are involved without
the assistance of an adult.
Strengths
Eli is a very social person and he is great at building relationships with others. One sign of his
ability to cooperate was present on April 13
th
, Eli worked with two other students in the
classroom to create a tower structure. One of the students was a Spanish speaker and the other
was an English speaker and he communicated with both of them effectively (Anecdotal Notes).
He has also been observed interacting in the dramatic play center with numerous students. On
May 1
st
Eli played in the dramatic play center for about twenty minutes with three other students
who transitioned in and out of the area at different times. He was able to cooperate with all
students during this play interaction (Anecdotal Notes).

Areas for Future Growth
While Eli has the ability to cooperate with all of the students in the class with success he has
room to grow in the area of conflict management. On April 9
th
Eli got into a disagreement with
another student and resolved to hitting the student instead of managing the problem with his
words (Anecdotal Notes). On another occasion while playing with blocks Eli began to take
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blocks away from another student, while the other student tried to solve the problem by telling
Eli that he was taking her blocks Eli continued take the blocks (Anecdotal Notes 4/13).

School Based Activity
Eli can begin to understand how to peaceful resolve conflict with peace puppets. The puppets
should be introduced to the entire class, which will allow for all students to become familiar with
problem solving techniques that do not involve physical harm. The puppets should be modeled
for the whole class so that no adults are needed to interact with the students while the problems
are being solved. I also recommend that Eli have a social story pertaining to conflict
management skills, which can be read whenever the teacher feels that a conflict might arise. This
can be presented in a whole class environment or just to Eli depending on the situation.

Home Based Activity
When Eli is read to at home parents should choose books that display conflicts between
characters. During the reading of the book Eli should work with mom and dad to solve the
conflict that characters are having. As he starts to develop the ability to solve conflicts he can
start coming up with solutions on his own. Books should be read several times so that Eli can
come up with different solutions to the conflict. Mom and dad should relate the conflicts in the
books to conflicts that Eli is having in his own life so that he sees he is able to think of the
conflicts in the book when solving his own. This same activity can be done with television
shows or movies.

Conclusion
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Through the observations of Eli that I have been doing for the past year I have been able to
record his growth and development throughout all of the areas of development. Watching
him grow and develop helps me understand who he is as an individual, and it allows me to
create school and home based lesson plans that will continue to foster his future growth
and development.