Case Study of a Child

Age 5
JAIME GONZALEZ
EDU 220
 Children are developing more control of their motor skills.
Typical


(Child Development Institute, 2015)

Physical  Children in this age group gain 4 to five pounds every year.
(Medline, 2017)
Behaviors at  At age 4 to 5, children grow about 2 to 3 inches every year.

Age 5 (Medline, 2017)

 They sleep 11 to 13 hours at night (without taking a nap in the daytime)
(Medline, 2017)
 “Jumping, running, skating, tumbling, throwing and kicking large balls,
are compelling and exciting for many children.”
(Ellsworth, J.,1998)
 Children can copy complex shapes.
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
 Able to use the toilet by themselves.
(Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
 “Preschool children are extremely active.”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, 77)

The muscles that control the fingers and hands are

Typical Physical less developed than larger muscles.
Developmental
Level
The bones that surround the brain are still soft and
According to developing.
Snowman (Age
5) Have imperfect eye-hand coordination.
“Preschoolers’ often have bursts of activity, they need
frequent rest periods.”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p.77)

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)

 Developmental Milestones met:
 When dancing to a song, he was able to
balance and jump on one leg.

Physical  He can kick and toss the ball to his fellow

classmates.
Development
Observation Developmental NOT Milestones met:

of a Child  Struggled to effectively feed himself with a fork

and spoon. Used his hands instead.
Age 5  Unable to properly clothe himself. He needed
help with his shirt, pants and shoes.
 While observing, Benjamin had a potty accident
during nap time.
 Recommendations for Continued
Physical Development at Age 5

 Give children the opportunity to play tag, scale climbing frames and kick balls.
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
 Let them to get dressed by themselves in the morning. This will encourage
children to master fine motor skills by buttoning and zipping their clothes.
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
 “Provide ample protein in the diet since nutrition is important.”
(University of Washington, 1993)
 “Provide plenty of play space both indoors and out. Provide for rest, as child
tires easily.”
(University of Washington, 1993)
Typical  They are becoming aware of what is right and wrong. They have the
want to do right, however, if they do wrong, they will often shift blame
Emotional onto another.

Behaviors at
(University of Washington, 1993)
 You may see children go from one extreme to another. Such as being

Age 5 bossy but then change to being incredibly shy.

(University of Washington, 1993)
 They often cry, whine and complain.
(University of Washington, 1993)
 “Develops responsibility, guilt, and pride.”
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
 At five years old, preschool students are interested in working together
with other children.
(Ellsworth, J.,1998)
 Children are verbally able to express their needs and ideas.
Ellsworth, J. (1998).
 Age 5 children are able to express their
emotions freely and openly.

Typical
Emotional It is common for children in the age group
to have frequent anger-induced outbursts.
Developmental
Level
Jealousy of other classmates is common in
According to preschool-aged children.
Snowman (Age
5)
When it comes to adult relationships
(teacher, parent, or guardian), children
want their approval.

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)

 Developmental Milestones met:
 Benjamin often showed jealousy of other students
receiving attention.

Emotional  Benjamin strives to get approval from his

teachers. He helps his teachers grab items.
Development
Observation Developmental NOT Milestones met:

of a Child  The child observed chose to work by himself and

would be upset if another would try to join.
Age 5  He is not confident in showing his emotions. When
he is sad, he often hides away.
 Doesn’t communicate needs. The teachers must
ask him if he wants a certain item.
 Recommendations for Continued
Emotional Development at Age 5

 “Provide outlets for emotional expression through talking, physical activity, and
creative media.”
(University of Washington, 1993)
 Continuously telling the child that he or she is loved.
(University of Washington, 1993)
 Strengthen positive self-esteem by pointing out the thing's child can do for
themself.
(University of Washington, 1993)
 “Listen to children's behavior and then help them put a name to their
emotions.”
(PBS, 2019)
Typical  Have an extensive vocabulary. Children at this age can speak
Cognitive/ around 1500 to 2000 words
(University of Washington, 1993)
Intellectual  Likes to shock adults by using bathroom language.
Behaviors at (University of Washington, 1993)

Age 5  “Has insatiable curiosity; talks incessantly; asks innumerable

questions.”
(University of Washington, 1993)
 “Knows about things used every day, like money and food”
(Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
 They have a longer attention span.
Ellsworth, J. (1998).
 Typical Cognitive Developmental Level According to
Piaget and Vygotsky (Age 5)

Piaget
 Young children interact with their environment by
using schemes. “Example: a ball is a round object of
various sizes, colors, and materials that can be
bounced, thrown, hit, etc.”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p. 38)
 “A child may adapt by interpreting an experience so
that it fits an existing scheme (assimilation) or
changing an existing scheme to incorporate the
experience (accommodation).”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p. 38)
 “Gradually acquires the ability to conserve and
decenter but not capable of operations and unable
to mentally reverse action”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p. 40)
Vygotsky
 “Gain significantly from the knowledge and
conceptual tools handed down to them by those
who are more intellectually advanced, whether
they are same-age peers, older children, or
adults.”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p. 52)
 Young children, such as preschoolers can learn
and understand the world by using scaffolding
techniques.
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)
 According to Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development, children from 2 to 7
years old belong in the concrete operational stage.
Typical
Cognitive
“Gradually acquires the ability to conserve and decenter but not capable of
Developmental operations and unable to mentally reverse actions.”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p. 52)
Level
According to “Vygotsky believed that children gain significantly from the knowledge and
conceptual tools handed down to them by those who are more intellectually
Piaget and advanced, whether they are same-age peers, older children, or adults.”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p. 52)
Vygotsky (Age
Preschoolers can learn and understand the world by using scaffolding
5) techniques.

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)

 Developmental Milestones met:
 Benjamin enjoyed it when his teacher would use
silly voices and words when reading.
 Benjamin uses a lot of potty words when talking
Cognitive to his friends.
Development  He is reserved and often doesn’t speak very
much in the classroom. Uses very few words.
Observation
of a Child Developmental NOT Milestones met:
Age 5  He has a hard time paying attention and often
begins to mentally wonder after 30 seconds.
 Benjamin seemingly lacks curiosity as he is
unamused by new activities and topics.
 Recommendations for Continued
Cognitive Development at Age 5

 Allow students to opportunity to work with one another. Students may

learn best from their more knowledgeable classmates.
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)
 “Ignore bad language, since paying attention to it only reinforces it.”
(University of Washington, 1993)
 “Answer questions patiently.”
(University of Washington, 1993)
 Let them use their creativity and imagination.
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
Typical  At this age, children enjoying playing together, however, they are
Psychosocial/ often selective as to who they play with. During playtimes, it is
normal to see that relationships can get a bit stormy.
Social (University of Washington, 1993)

Behaviors at  Children do imaginary play and often mimic or act out adult roles.
(University of Washington, 1993)
Age 5  When playing with other children, things normally get competitive.
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
 At the age of five, it is common to see children take on a gentler
play than seen before.
(Ellsworth, J.,1998)
 Children are not overly demanding of their classmates, instead,
they are more gentle and friendly.
Ellsworth, J., 1998)
 If given positive experience and feedback,
children will have tendencies to take initiative.

Typical Social Children experience guilt if adults treat them as

Developmental a nuisance.
Level
According to If children are interacting with an adult and feel
as though their activity or question had no point,
Erikson (Age 5) they will feel bad for acting on their own.

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)

Psychosocial/ Developmental Milestones met:

Social  He heavily uses pretend play.

Development  When playing freeze dance, he got competitive

with his classmates.
Observation Developmental NOT Milestones met:

of a Child  Benjamin is quiet and reserved. He does not like

to play with his classmates.
Age 5  When working with classmates, he got aggressive
and hit his friends' hands.
 Benjamin was demanding of his classmates.
 Recommendations for Continued
Psychosocial/Social Development at
Age 5
 “Allow children to participate in adult activities which he/she can
manage, e.g., dusting, setting the table, filling pets' water dish.”
(University of Washington, 1993)
 “Send the child to a good preschool or playgroup. If not possible,
encourage group play, but don't be surprised by disagreements or child's
behavior toward different playmates.”
(University of Washington, 1993)
 “Allow the child to take simple responsibilities and follow simple rules, such
as taking turns.”
(University of Washington, 1993)
Typical  Beginning to understand that others have different needs or
Moral/ ideas.
(Ellsworth, J., 1998)
Character/  Because children aged 5 want to be seen as good, behaviors
Philosophical such as lying, stealing things, and cheating may occur.
Ellsworth, J., 1998)
Behaviors at  Children are now aware of what is right and wrong. If they do
Age 5 something wrong, they may blame others for their mistake.
(University of Washington, 1993)
 Loves to be called helpful as they have a desire to be perceived
as “good”
(Ellsworth, J.,1998)
 “Young children do not really understand the conventions
Typical Moral/ or rules of a society.”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p. 61)
Character/
Philosophical “Understand that punishment should be avoided by staying
Developmental out of trouble.”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p. 61)
Level
According to “An action is judged to be right if it is instrumental in
Kohlberg (Age satisfying one’s own needs or involves an even exchange.
Obeying rules should bring some sort of benefit in return.”
5) (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, p.61)

Children understand the those that have superior power

should be obeyed.
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)
 Developmental Milestones met:
Moral/  Benjamin loves to be the teacher's helper. He
Character/ often grabs stuff for the teacher.
Knows right from wrong. He was turning off the
Philosophical 
lights on his classmates when they were going
Development potty. The teacher looked at him and he bowed
his head.
Observation  While playing a game of freeze dance. Benjamin
of a Child continued to cheat and would sit down after he
was spotted moving during the freeze time.
Age 5 Developmental NOT Milestones met:
 He believes that all his classmates have the same
ideas and needs as him
 Recommendations for Continued
Moral/Character/Philosophical
Development at Age 5
 “Help the child be responsible and discover the consequences of his/her
behavior. Be aware of your feelings and try to understand his/her
perspective.”
(University of Washington, 1993)
 “Use descriptive praise when you see your child reaching out to someone
else with compassion”
(PBS, 2019)
 “In your daily interactions, model saying "thank you.”
(PBS, 2019)
 References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Child development.

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/facts.htm
Child Development Institute (2015). The ages and stages of child development.
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ages-stages/#.WR3Id_QrLrc
Ellsworth, J. (1998). Online lesson: PEPSI as a screening tool.
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jde7/ese504/class/pepsi/lesson2-1-1.htm
Medline (2017). Adolescent Development. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002003.htm
PBS (2019) Learn & grow by age. https://www.pbs.org/parents/learn-grow/age-3
Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2015). Psychology applied to teaching, 14th ed. Stamford
University of Washington. (1993). Child development: Using the child development guide.
http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/chidev/cd06.htm