Developmetal Domains

CASE STUDY MacAloney, 1
Case study : Child X
Spencer MacAloney (#40127477)
Professor Adrien
Specialization in Early Childhood and Elementary Education
EDUC 297:Observation and Evaluation in Education
Professor Adrienne
April 17th , 2023

Table of Content
Description of focal child —--------------------------------------------------------- 1
Environment—------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 - 2
Physical and Motor Development—---------------------------------------------- 4 - 9
Emotional Development—----------------------------------------------------------- 9 - 13
Social Development—---------------------------------------------------------------- 13- 16
Language Development—----------------------------------------------------------- 16 - 19
Cognitive Development—----------------------------------------------------------- 20 - 21
Conclusion —------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 - 24
Reflection —-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 - 26
References —------------------------------------------------------------------------ 27 - 29
Appendices —----------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 - 51
Description of Child X
My focal child is five years old, her birthday is April 1st, 2018, and she is around 3-4 ft
tall, with curly ashy blond hair. I would describe her personality as shy with her peers but not
with adults, and she gravitates toward new adults within the classroom. She is very talkative and
gets lost in nonsensical conversations with herself, does not participate in group activities or
circle time, and uses her fake feebleness with the new adults in order for them to do tasks
(getting ready to go outside ) for her when she is capable of doing it independently. She loves to
argue and negotiate with the lunch monitor at lunch. She is the middle child, having an older
15-year-old sister and a younger sibling that is five months old. Compared to their peers, they are
usually the least to get tasks and work done in the class, not as social as the rest of the class and
have a hard time being integrated into the group.
Environment
Dunrae Gardens Elementary is located in mont royal in a residential area. It is across the
street from Mohawk Park. The classroom is on the first floor and close to the front door. It is
right beside the other pre-k classroom and the school's daycare. It is also in the same hallways as
the gymnasium. My CT has an aide that comes in 4 days a week and another that comes in for
the morning on Friday. This class also has the same lunch monitor come in every day. Mt CTs
classroom comprises 14 students, all four turning five or are already 5. The physical classroom
was originally not supposed to be a pre-k classroom and was turned into one two years ago.
My classroom has two bathrooms with their sinks and a standalone sink near the cubby
room. They have a cubby room that ten kids use as their cubby and storage. , and four lockers in
the hallway. The cubby room is used as the room for the students that need supervision and
guidance when they are getting dressed and undressed, and the lockers are for the more
independent study in the classroom as well as those who are in the before and after school
program. There are three tables in the classroom. Each table has its own assigned sink for the
students to have an easy and quick transition when they are getting prepared and done eating and
when doing activities where their hands will get dirty, and they will have to wash their hands.
They have a whiteboard and smart board within the classroom. All the toys are stored in
transparent or opaque plastic bins with images of what the bins contain on the front. They have
one socio-dramatic area of a grocery store clerk. On the classroom walls, there are three main
bulletin boards to showcase the students' work and a bulletin board for administrative documents
such as the attendance list and any other paperwork you would need. The bulletin boards
surrounding the whiteboard are all covered in information related to the weather, the days of the
week, the months, the different colours, the different numbers and a pocket with binders for each
child. One of the classroom's walls is dedicated to just windows; they all have adjustable blinds.
The outdoor area at Dunrae Gardens is very simple; it is a field with no play structures, just a
field.
Physical and Motor Development
Through my informal and formal anecdotal record observations, I believe that my focal
child has a delay in gross and fine motor skills and healthy living habits. Through observing
them in the gymnasium and the morning lesson, my focal child has shown significant issues with
being able to "use gross motor skills, use fine motor skills, develop body awareness, adopt
practices associated with good personal hygiene" (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2001).
Fine motor
Through my informal observations of my focal child during the morning lesson, I have
noticed that they have an issue with fine motor skills, specifically with holding their pencil
efficiently and holding their scissors correctly and do not correct themselves when Miss Vanessa
or I correct them (Appendix 1 Running record). I have noticed that they have a pincers grip,
where they can connect the index and thumb to pick up and move small objects. However, I have
noticed that they do not have a pincers grip, where the index, thumb and middle finger are in
order to move small items. I mention this because the pincer's grip lends itself to a tripod grip for
handwriting and drawing (Fine Motor 2019). This finding shows they are on the right track with
their fine motor skills; however, they are a bit delayed compared to their peers and the QEP.
based on the QEP, my focal child does "explore different aspects of motor skills involving the
face (e.g. making a face), the mouth (e.g. blowing), the eyes (e.g. winking), make proper use of
the tools or materials placed at their disposal (e.g. scissors, glue, crayons, a stylus for drawing on
an interactive whiteboard)"(Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) which showcases good
muscle movement in the face and are curious about the ways that the different tools work,
however, there is a significant gap between what she can do and things she either has difficulty
performing and overall does not do. My focal child has difficulty with "manipulating various
modelling materials (e.g. roll modelling clay, make coils or balls of different sizes), perform
actions such as lacing, buttoning, twisting, cutting, tearing or folding, using a variety of tools to
paint, draw or make crafts, manipulate different materials (e.g. paper, tissue paper, finger paint,
modelling clay)" (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) during my observation, I have

noticed that when my focal child does use any form of modelling clay, they tend to flatten it and
mix colours, which does showcase good practice for improving their fine motor skills and
muscles in their hands in order to develop a tripod grip. My focal child has a big issue with
lacing, tying and overall anything that has to do with getting ready or unready; in these moments
where she does it independently, she is usually the last to get ready, and I have to remind her to
do certain things like zipping up her coat, velcroing her boots, closing her bag. However, when a
new adult is around, she acts as if she cannot do it for the adult to do it for them. This Behaviour
might not be an issue with a delay in this circumstance but an issue with them being too tired to
do it or their parent or sibling at home doing it all for them, and she expects the same to be done
at school. When observing my focal child, I have noticed that she also has a hard time using
various tools in order to complete a task; when in the morning lesson where they have to use
scissors and twisting crayons and either Miss Vanessa or myself have to remind them to use the
correct tools and always model how to hold each tool, yet she does not correct themselves, and
this is a repeated behaviour where we have to correct and her continuously. My focal child has
also shown lateral dominance for the right hand. You can also see how she struggles in her work,
especially when writing her name. In Appendix 3, you can see that there is some writing on the
back of her artwork, and it is supposed to be her name; however, since she does have an issue
with fine motor skills that are based on her hand grip with her pencil, she is not able to write her
name correctly. You can make out how she knows that there is the movement of making an N
and an M, which are both letters in her name, but she cannot write the other letters in her name.
Thus, showcasing how she has an issue with fine motor skills, affecting their ability to write their
name. In a study titled The Effects of Lined Paper, Prompting, Tracing, Rewards, and Fading to
Increase Handwriting Performance and Legibility with Two Preschool Special Education
Students Diagnosed with Developmental Delays and Fine Motor Deficits, where they found "that
tracing letters and then fading the prompts for those traceable letters was developmentally
appropriate. Each participant improved in their ability to write his or her name." (Smith 2013). .
with this in mind, this is common practice for preschool and, this is a strategy that my CT does.
Miss Vanessa traces Child X's name first in highlighter in order for her to trace over the letters
and develop the skills to write her name and understand the size, slants and formations of the
letters in her name. However, at this stage in the school year, Child X is the only student in her
class that cannot spell her name, and my CT has to continuously trace her name in highlighter if
she wants Child X to write her name properly. Furthermore, based on this study, this practice to
develop their fine motor skills and understanding of the letters in her name should be effective by
now; where Child X should be able to write her name independently, but this is not the case, and
it is still a recurring issue where she is not able to write letters and more importantly, letters in
her name. Based on this study, my observations and Child X's writing skills, I would believe that
they have a delay in fine motor skills and need to focus more on improving their grip with the
pencil and improving the muscles in their hands to bridge the gap in their delay.
Gross Motor
My focal child can "explore different movements involving every part of the body and
move around in different ways (e.g. imitate the movements of an animal, follow a rhythm),
explore a range of motor skills (e.g. running, jumping; catching, throwing, kicking or hitting a
ball) (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) .However, she has many difficulties with "play
hopscotch, skip rope, bounce or start to dribble a ball, go up and down stairs, first by placing
both feet on each step, and then by alternating feet, catch an object with both hands, moving their
bodies to adapt to the object's trajectory and walk in a straight line, along a beam or on the
unstable ground" (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) During my observation, I got the
chance to observe her during indoor recess, where they got the chance to use the gym and play
with basketballs and hoops, and she had much difficulty throwing the ball, dribbling the ball,
catching the ball, and all around had difficulties holding, throwing and catching the
ball(Appendix 2). During transition times, when they have to get into line and go around the
school in a line, she always loses her spot, cannot walk in a straight line on a flat surface and
walks at different speeds randomly when transitioning in the line. Based on the milestones of
development outlined by the center for diseases control and Prevention states that by the age of
4, they should be able to "Catches a large ball most of the time" However, when I was playing
catch with her during indoor recess, they were never able to catch the big ball, nor were they able
to throw the ball differently by have it bounce in between us as she passes it to me. Based on my
formal and informal observation and developmental milestones, I would suggest that they have
significant challenges with gross motor skills within their arms and upper body.
Healthy living habits
Child X comes from a low SES household, and this does affect the food they eat at
school. My focal child comes to school with no snacks, and my CT always has some snacks for
her, so the choice of a healthy snack is not an option for the child or the choice of the family. My
focal child is also on the school meal plan and has trouble eating. Based on the QEP, my focal
child can "observe, feel, touch and taste foods and name foods" (Ministère de l’Éducation du
Québec, 2021) . However, they are very challenging to get to eat as they are not "willing to taste
new foods"(Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) and only want the dessert that comes
with their meal. During lunchtime, the lunch monitor and I have to negotiate with Child Xon
how many bites they must take of their meal before they can have the dessert. They also never
finish their meal and usually take 3-4 bites, and getting them to eat their 3-4 bites is a challenge.
When observing their hygiene habits, I noticed that Child X can "go to the bathroom alone and
learn to use a tissue." However, with using a tissue, they do have to be prompted by either myself
or Miss Vanessa. Child X, however, is not able "wash their hands (e.g. before and after snack
time, after going to the bathroom, after making crafts, before using a touch screen), wipe their
mouth after eating, sneeze or cough into the crook of their arm" (Ministère de l’Éducation du
Québec, 2021) . With the different aspects, Miss Vanessa and I always have to prompt Child Xin
order to do these different tasks, they do not do them independently, and when observing them, I
notice that they have their hand in their mouth and nose an unreasonable amount (Appendix 7)
that would require more hand washing and hygiene that it is hard to monitor and correct these
unhygienic habits. I have also noticed that Child Xis sick a lot, which might explain why they are
since they are not washing their hands enough and playing with their mouth.
Based on these observations, I would say that they are delayed in their fine motor and
gross motor skills as they constantly need to be corrected and modelled on how to perform these
tasks and how they do not correct these behaviours after we correct them. Overall they need
more guidance and support in these areas than other students.
Emotional development
Based on my observations, formal and informal, Child X has an issue with
self-regulation, expressing and identifying her emotions. Based on the QEP, Child X cannot
"Recognizes own needs, Recognizes own characteristics, Expresses own emotions, Regulates
own emotions, Explores own autonomy, Respond with confidence"(Ministère de l’Éducation du
Québec, 2021) . However, with this in mind, Child X can show empathy to others and knows
when she has hurt others and apologized independently; she has apologized after disrespecting
me and my instructions.
Self knowledge
One of the most significant issues Child X has is self-knowledge development; overall,
they are delayed in their emotional development. Based on conversations I have had with my CT,
she has disclosed that at the beginning of the year, Child Xwould throw herself on the ground,
cry and scream when she could not get what she wanted and had to obey the class routine and
rules. Child X would also run away from the class as an alternative when she did not get what
she wanted. Based on my anecdotal record (appendix 13), we can see she has an issue with
identifying how she feels as she responded to my prompt of "Are you tired?" expecting Child X
to say yes due to her yawning, having her eyes half open and had to be guided to do everything
that day, but Child X responded with no and then slept for the whole 50-minute bus ride 3
minutes after prompting her. This observation is an excellent example of how Child X does not
know her emotions and cannot express them, nor does she know her own needs in this situation;
she needed more sleep but was defiant to my prompt. That said, it could have been a problem
with my prompt. Are you tired? My CT and I both suspect ODD and instead of assuming she is
tired and asking for confirmation if she is, I could have asked, "How are you feeling?" so that she
did not have an opportunity to defy my assuming prompt. However, I have informally observed
Child Xbeing unable to express how they feel as they have an oral language issue, cannot
express themselves appropriately, and does not have the language to do so. Based on the QEP,
Child X should be able to "express their needs verbally (e.g. movements, facial expressions,
drawings), accept help from an adult or other children, ask for help from an adult or other
children, name some of their needs (e.g. being thirsty, needing to use the bathroom), find ways of
meeting their own needs" (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) but, she can express her
feeling non verbally. However, Child X does not perform these self-knowledge tasks and needs
to be guided, prompted and told firmly to do these things to maintain herself, especially when
knowing her needs.
As outlined by CHADD, it states "It is well established that children with ADHD have
significant difficulties with emotional development, including more frequent shifts in and
intensity of emotions, and difficulties regulating their emotions" (Breaux 2023) due to this
natural difficulty with emotional recognition and regulation within children with ADHD, this
showcases a good reason for why Child X has issues with being able to identify their emotions.
With this being said, Child X also presents with emotional regulation issues. Based on the QEP,
Child X should "\use strategies to calm down, adapt their emotions, behaviours and level of
attention to the demands of a situation, be able to wait a certain amount of time before having
their needs addressed, accept comments and suggestions from others, accept suggestions for
resolving a conflict" (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) however Child X has
significant difficulty doing these emotional regulation skills independently and when being
guided. With that being said, this is not out of the ordinary, considering the concern for ODD and
ADHD. A study examining how Oppositional Defiant Disorder Is Better Conceptualized as a
Disorder of Emotional Regulation found that "disordered emotion regulation is not merely a
component of ODD, but is the core deficit. Our findings indicate that current ODD criteria are
coherent (unidimensional) but not independent and are likely better classified under a disorder of
emotion regulation" (Cavanagh 2014). These findings show why Child X has difficulty
regulating one's emotions and showcase the deficit they face. Based on the concern for ADHD
and ODD, their emotional development makes sense due to the issues they face in other
developmental domains.
Self Confidence
One of the most significant issues observed within Child Xis their ability to express their
autonomy; based on my learning story, time sampling observations, and conversation with my
CT, Child X has significant difficulty with “carrying out activities or tasks without always having
an adult nearby (e.g. get dressed on their own), recognize what belongs to them, be familiar with
class routines and organize themselves accordingly, show initiative and assume responsibilities,
use the references available to them (e.g. a pictogram showing the steps for getting
dressed)”(Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) and needs constant guiding from me or
my CT in order to complete these task. Based on my learning story, I had to constantly guide
them to the next step of getting undressed in the morning (Appendix 14), as well based on my
informal observations, when Child X needs to get dressed for transitions for recess and dismissal,
she is always the last one to be finished. You can also see this guidance that is needed with my
time sampling (Appendix 6), where Child X could not finish her in-class work unless an
adult-guided her one-on-one. Child X also has significant issues with the class routine and needs
to be guided and prompted to follow the day's routine. Based on the cause for concern for
ADHD, specifically inattentive ADHD, it makes sense why Child X needs consistent guidance,
prompting and support from adults to complete and stay on task. As Well with how Child X does
not know the day-to-day routine of the class and is always needed to be guided on what we have
to do next (after they are done the lessons, activity, cleaning up when to wash hands, go to the
bathroom, when to put away their things, when to get their things etc.). Overall, Child X has a
significant issue with self-confidence in their classroom and needs constant guidance and support
to get through the school day.
Social Development
Does not comply with rules:
Based on my observation of my focal child and using the time sampling observations, my
focal child has significant issues socializing with others. Based on the Qep, they do not
"Gradually comply with rules of conduct, Create connections with others, resolve conflicts,
Show openness to others, Participate in group activities and collaborate with others" (Ministère
de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) . Based on the QEP, Child X "knows the class rules of conduct"
(Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) however has an issue with following them as they
are defiant to instruction from an authority figure. Based on my event and time sampling
observation (Appendix 5 and 6), Child X has an issue with adult instructions and rules.
Whenever my CT or I would correct Child X, they do not correct it and, for the most part, argue
back to justify their behaviour. This is also recurring during lunch. Based on my time sampling
(Appendix 6), she argues with how many bites she has to take of her healthy lunch before she
can eat the dessert and usually finds a way to either take smaller bites or no bites at all. During
the 30-minute observation period, she was defiant 12 times to the lunch monitor during lunch
and transitioned to get ready to go outside. These behaviours are also recurring every day during
lunch. As well, in conversation with my CT, she did disclose to me that at the beginning of the
year, she did run out of the class consistently and did not comply with the rules of the classrooms
and would cry and lie down on the ground when she was told what to do. This defiance of the
rules and being asked to complete tasks and directions from the teacher has been an issue since
the beginning of the school year.
Based on these observations, my CT and I are concerned about Oppositional defiant
disorder (ODD). ODD is described by the Mayo Clinic as "Often argues with adults or people in
authority. Often actively defies or refuses to follow adults' requests or rules. Often annoys or
upsets people on purpose." (Mayo Clinic 2023). These behaviours are recurring within Child Xas
they constantly argue with the teacher and other authority figures within the class and actively
defies instructions given by the teacher and other authority figures. In a study titled Defiant
Behavior in Two- and Three-Year-Olds: A Vygotskian Approach, where they examined adult, peer
and object-oriented defiance, the study found that "Stubbornness may be more prevalent ….the
child is exercising the independence of decision-making, but also the inability to break free from
prior decisions—in essence, the child is bound to earlier desires and is unable to change the
course of behaviour once begun." (Keefer 2005). This finding makes much sense for the reason
of defiance in Child X . An example of this can be seen in Appendix 7 (a new anecdotal record),
where Child X has been told to stop having her hands in her face three times in a couple of
minutes, but does not listen to my instructions or My CT is as well, and instead goes in the
corner of the bus seat to hide her face and pick her nose and mouth with her hands. This
observation of behaviour is also a repeated behaviour with Child X, we are constantly telling her
to stop having her hands in her face, yet she never stops unless we use our hands to pull them
out. This relates to the study above as Child X seems to be tied to this behaviour and has been
seen doing it consistently since the beginning of the year, and my CT has been correcting this
behaviour since day 1, yet Child X does not independently correct herself and continues to defy
my instructions as well as my CT's.

Social Play
Based on my observation and the QEP, Child X has a significant issue with socializing
with others; Child X has not and cannot "invite someone to play with them, show interest in
other people, follow the rules agreed upon by the players, take an interest in the other children,
play with other children, participate in group activities, initiate interactions with other children,
approach another child to play" (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) . Based on my time
sampling observations (Appendix 4), Child X has difficulty integrating and socializing with
others in free play. The students were allowed during the 25 minutes of social play, and Child X
was only participating in solo play. Child X had two instances of social play with others but had
to be guided by myself or my CT to speak for Child X or to play with other students in the class.
Child X talked to other students four times but had to be guided and encouraged by either myself
or Miss Vanessa. During these 25 minutes, whenever they wanted to socialize with other students
and play with them, Child X always needed Miss Vanessa or me to ask the other students if she
could play with them. However, based on my observations, the other students did not really want
to play with her, and after 3 minutes of playing with her, the three boys she was playing with left
because she was not contributing to the play they were enacting in and did not wanna contribute
to the block structure they were building and instead, I think, just wanted to enact in parallel play
with the same toy. This observation coincides with how Child X does not follow the rules of
conduct in their social play. Within conversations with my CT as well as observing Child X
during recess, she does not play with anyone at recess and wanders around, nor does she have
friends within the class, and when it is time for social free play, she usually ends up enacting in
solo play unless guided to play with others by myself, Miss Vanessa or another educator. With
the suspicion of ODD and how Child X does not comply with the rules of conduct, This leads me
to believe that this affects their ability to socialize and play with others as they do not want to
follow the rules of the group games or play with others in the same manner as the children she
wants to play with. With this being said, it leaves Child X somewhat ostracized from the group.
During my time sampling (appendix 4), I remember during the final sampling, when Child X
was playing with three other boys, one of the boys came up to me and said, "We do not want to
play with her anymore; she is not following the rules" (rules as is not helping them make their
block tower, but rather taking the blocks to make her structure). A study titled Examining
ODD/ADHD Symptom Dimensions as Predictors of Social, Emotional, and Academic
Trajectories in Middle Childhood found that "defiance also showed robust, unique associations
with peer rejection at Grades K–2" (Evans et al. 2020). In this study, Evans defines defiance as
"argues, defies/refuses, blames, annoys, spiteful/vindictive" (Even et al., 2020). This study
showcases how defiant behaviours and social rejection are linked in early childhood. Based on
my observations and Appendix 4, this connection between ODD and social rejection among
Child X's peers is apparent due to how she defies the teacher, routine, rules, and her class peers
when trying to play with others.
Language
Based on my observations and the child's work, my focal child showcases a significant
delay in their written and oral language development; based on the QEP, they don't showcase a
full grasp of "Demonstrates understanding, Expands own vocabulary, Explores different kinds of
statements, Develops phonological awareness, Interacts with written language, Recognizes some
reading and writing conventions, Discovers some functions of writing, Knows the letters of the
alphabet" (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) .

Written Language Development
Based on my observations and conversation with my CT about their written language
development and class work, there is a significant delay in their written language development.
Based on Child X's written language work, there is an issue with her ability to recognize and
write the letters of the alphabet. Based on Appendix 8, there are six examples where she did not
colour in the correct letter (I i); out of these six examples, there are two that make sense for
colouring in the wrong letter due to the shape of the letter having similar attributes ( j and L).
However, this showcases how she can not distinguish her letters from other letters with similar
attributes. The other four examples (M, W, Y and X ) are clear examples of either Child X not
being able to identify the correct letter on the worksheet or how Child X is not paying attention
to the directions of the worksheet and what she needs to be colouring in. However, based on
Appendix 8, I believe she does not know what letter to colour in, as there are four instances
where she did not colour in letters I and i. Based on appendixes 9, 10 and 11, you can also see
where it says to spell it in the top section! It is never filled out, showing how Child X can not
independently write her letters without a tracing of them. This is further proven due to how, on
the bottom of each page, there is a trace of its section, and it is filled out, except for appendix 11,
where the lowercase u is not traced (I believe that this is due to not having time, but I was not
there for this activity). You can also see Child X's struggle with written language with Appendix
9, 10, 11 and 12 in the spot for the name; it just circles (could be interpreted as o's, but I have
talked to my CT, and she says it is o's), as well as even when it is written above the lines where
Child X's name is supposed to be ( appendix 12). You can also see Child X's issues with writing
language in the trace in a section of appendix 9, where 4 out of the six lowercase m's are either
two circles together or one circle with the first hump of the M before it. Based on these
observations following the QEP, Child X is significantly delayed in her written language
development as she has not met the standard for the end of pre-school outcomes. This could be
caused by many things, based on my observations of their fine motor skills. It could be caused by
the fact that they cannot hold a pencil correctly and could have an issue with creating the shapes
of the letters due to this delay in their hand dexterity and fine motor skills.
On the other hand, this could also be caused by the concern for ADHD that Child X
presents with. In a study titled Written-Language Disorder Among Children With and Without
ADHD in a Population-Based Birth Cohort, they found that "ADHD is strongly associated with
an increased risk of written language disorder (with or without reading disability) for both boys
and girls. Girls with ADHD are at higher risk of having written language disorder with reading
disability" (Yoshimasu 2011). These finds based on their fine motor delay and the concern for
ADHD; these two concerns could be the cause for their delay in their written language abilities
or could be written language disorder that is causing this delay in their ability to "recognize their
first name, other first names or other written words, know the letters in their first and last name,
use letters when attempting to write, name letters of the alphabet (name and sound), write their
first and last names or words that have meaning for them, use letters when attempting to write"
(Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) . Based on these findings, my observations, Child
X's class work and conversations with my CT, there need to be more plans of intervention for
Child X's written language development in order to bridge the gap in their written language
development that is intertwined with their cognitive abilities and fine motor abilities.
Oral Language development
This delay in language development is also seen in their use of oral language. Based on
my informal observations of having conversations with Child X and discussing their oral
language abilities with my CT, we both have to decipher her sentences and words when speaking
as she has issues with “blending syllables, and then phonemes, to form words, speak using
simple sentences that become progressively more complex, speak with other children while
playing”(Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) . Compared to Child X’s peers, she is
significantly behind in her oral language as most of the other students can converse with each
other and adults, while Child X does not have a whole conversation but rather just short
statements. This delay in her oral language also influences her social behaviours as it is hard to
communicate with other students her age due to them not being able to decipher her words and
sentences and cant add to any of the conversations other students are having. In a study
examining Language deficits in ADHD preschoolers, they found that “ADHD preschoolers also
performed lower than controls in the subscale phoneme synthesis, and the scores obtained were
lower than every other subscale, placing them in the deficient subzone of the lower-deficient
diagnostic zone. This finding indicates that ADHD preschoolers are significantly deficient in
metalinguistic awareness, suggesting difficulties in their capacity to analyze elements of the
phonological structure of their oral language.”(Agapitou 2008). These findings show a link
between the cause for concern for ADHD and reinforce it and how it ties to their oral language
development with how she has an issue with structuring complete sentences and their phonemic
awareness. Based on my observation, conversations with my CT about their language abilities
and the different child development literature used, there is a significant concern for their
language development at this stage of Child X’s development and needs to have more
interventions in order to bridge this gap of discrepancies within their language development.
Cognitive Development
Based on my time sampling observation, running records and informal observations, my
focal child showcases significant evidence of a concern for a psychological education assessment
and a concern for ADHD or another neurodivergent disorder. Based on the QEP, Child X can use
their imagination somewhat. However, they present themselves with issues in taking action,
explaining action, using reasoning skills and exploring different actions(Ministère de l’Éducation
du Québec, 2021) . They need to be guided in these areas to showcase their abilities. However,
even when guided, it is difficult due to their oral and written language delays, and it is hard for
them to communicate the reasoning for their actions. They also do not explore different actions
even when it is causing them trouble and leads to emotional dysregulation. Based on
observations, there is a significant delay in their cognitive development; within my learning story
(Appendix 14), you can see how they do not stop to try and find an easier way of getting
undressed but rather struggle and use brute force when taking off their shoes and snow pants at
the same time. This observation showcases their inability to use trial and error when performing
tasks. They also have significant issues with being corrected and do not correct themselves when
corrected. Child X also does not showcase independent action-taking and needs to be guided to
get the materials needed for their work/ play, use the different resources in the class to complete
the task, and overall does not showcases effective action-taking, reasoning skills as her language
development is delayed and cannot explain her reasoning behind her actions, nor does she
independently tackle action. Child X is significantly delayed in cognitive development, and I
hypothesize that a concern for inattentive ADHD causes it. Based on the checklist (appendix 15)
I made on the different characteristics of inattentive ADHD, Child X fills out every characteristic
and some hyperactive ADHD characteristics. This checklist showcases how this concern for
ADHD is significant and could be the catalyst for all the other delays within their developmental
domain; as showcased above, ADHD is connected to a delay in emotional, language, social and
cognitive development. Based on Erikson's stages of development, Child X should be on the
third stage of development: initiative vs guilt, and if successful in this stage, should develop
initiative-taking, a sense of purpose and develop social behaviours. However, based on this stage,
if delayed, they will feel shame, lack of initiative and doubt, which is evident within Child X's
behaviour due to them never being able to take the initiative in action making, consistently needs
guidance in order to complete tasks, and is delayed in their social development. Overall there is a
significant concern for a psych ed assessment to pinpoint the cause for the delays in Child X
cognitive development based on my formal observation, informal observation and child
development theories.
Conclusions
As you can see, based on the different developmental domains and my observations, there
is a delay in every domain. Based on the chapter by Brodie titled deciding the next steps based
on assessment and observation , I chose to follow category 1 : child development , as there are
significant delays in all the developmental domains . My suggestions for each developmental
domain are the following: (for the sake of page count, i will focus on one delay from each
developmental domain)
Fine motor, gross motor and healthy habits
Based on my observations, I would suggest that Child X continues working on their
pincers and pincers grips to have the proper pencil-holding technique and develop the muscles in
their hands to perform consistent written language and printing practices. In order to reach this
goal, I suggest creating lessons around fine motor skills, such as my lesson plan on loose letters
and having them use different techniques and hand-holding positions to get them comfortable
using different fingers and hand movements in order to pick objects up. Furthermore, they
develop a tripod grip to properly hold their pencil and make these activities part of their daily
routine to have constant practice. A study titled Directed, Structured Fine Motor Activities and
Handwriting Development found that "students who participated in directed, structured fine
motor activities increased their fine motor skills compared to those who did not receive
individualized fine motor attention" (Rozenboom 2020). With this being said, I would suggest
daily activities surrounding fine motor skills that gradually go from a pincer grip to a pincher's
grip to a tripod grip in order for them to have an easy progression into holding a pencil correctly.
Emotional development
Based on my observations, I would suggest working on their vocabulary of emotions and
showing them visuals of how these emotions might feel for Child X to have a visual cue of what
emotions might look and feel like. As she has an issue with identifying and expressing her
emotions since she has a language delay, I would suggest having a visual emotions wheel in the
classroom so she can use it as a reference when she can't express her emotions verbally. I also
suggest this as this can be an opportunity for all the children in the class to participate and create
a class conversation around emotions and can create meaningful moments for Child X to be able
to watch her peers express their emotions altogether, and she can slowly learn from them and
expand her vocabulary. The Emotion Wheel: What It Is and How to Use It. Based on the
different strategies outlined by CHADD, I would also suggest that "When reading with your
child or watching a show, label emotions or ask your child to label the emotions the characters
are feeling based on facial expressions, body language, and contextual clues. Ask your child
questions extending the story, such as when they felt the same emotion as the character. If they
struggle with answering, help suggest a time they may have felt that way." (Breaux 2023). This
strategy would be extremely beneficial for Child X since this strategy involves visual cues,
language sound emotions, and reasoning practice.
Social development
Based on my findings and how Child X presents themselves with a concern of ODD, I
would say that the biggest suggestion I can make is to supply choices to Child X in order for
them to have some autonomy of choice within their activities and tasks and always have more
options in case they defy the ones you suggest. An excellent example of this is outlined by
Edutopia, where they showcase different interventions to support children with ODD. It states,
“Clearly communicate expectations and limits so kids understand. You might say, “I see you’re
upset, but yelling at me is not OK. You can either get a drink of water and come back in five
minutes, or sit in the reading chair, and I will check in with you in five minutes”(Gosner 2021).
Language development
Based on the delays presented, I would focus on written language, specifically being able
to write the different letters of the alphabet. I would suggest continuing with the outline of the
letters and having Child X trace them in order to refine their skills of writing with “starting dots
and the opportunity to trace letters to learn size, slant, and formation, and then to fade those
prompts appropriately as was supported by previous research”(Smith 2013). My CT does this,
and it is working. However, I would suggest that she continues until she is more refined with her
pencil grip. I would also suggest different activities pinpointing letter recognition, as I believe
the worksheets she provides Child X with might overwhelm her. All in all, these two skills and
interventions can help bridge the developmental delay.
Cognitive development
Based on the issues presented within her cognitive development, I suggest getting a psych
ed test done to pinpoint the cause of the delays within all of her developmental domains. The
earlier, the better for Child X to not have the support needed to bridge this gap in delays, as well
as in order for them not to fall even further behind. in an article titled The Importance of Early
Psychological Assessment for Differential Diagnosis and Detection of Comorbidity in Children
With Autism Spectrum Disorder, they state that "Early assessment of development can also serve
as an important basis for follow-up assessment and treatment…individualized interventions are
of crucial importance for the improvement of many aspects, such as communication skills
(including speech as an important predictor of better prognosis), cognitive capacity, etc."
(Manolova 2021) This article highlights the importance of early assessment to create an
intervention plan as early as possible so they do not fall behind in the later years.
Reflection on Observation Methodologie
When reflecting on my experience with the different observation methods, I found that I
utilized many of the methods showcased in the class and found them all quite helpful in
pinpointing the different delays in the different developmental delays. For the focus of this case,
the methods I found that helped me understand my focal child the most were the time samplings,
checklist and anecdotal records.
My favourite method that showcased a lot about my focal child was the time samplings.
These methods helped me understand the frequency of their behaviours in all their
developmental domains, and I found that I gravitated to this method to pinpoint their social
behaviours and cognitive development. I found that this method was the most useful as it can be
tailored to be used to track every developmental domain, specifically when you have a concern
for a behaviour that is frequent within a specific time of the day, as well as if these behaviours
coincide with other behaviours they exhibit and could be linked. Overall the time sampling
method helped me observe all my focal child's developmental domains. It is also with this
method that I found what I wanted to focus my case study and observations on.
Another method that I found quite helpful was the anecdotal records. This method was
insightful to capture a specific moment where the child was either showcasing difficulties or
improvement as this method is meant to capture any developmental domains that showcase
themselves, as well as how you do not have to be actively observing in order for it to be
effective. It is based on remembering the anecdote after a couple of minutes of the occurrence.
The one negative I found about this method is that you have to have sufficient writing skills in
order for this method to be useful as it is very detailed oriented; however, overall, I found it quite
helpful due to how one anecdotal record can be used to justify any hypothesis in any
developmental domain that is exhibited within the anecdote.
The last method I truly enjoyed using was the checklist. I found this quite useful when
categorizing a behaviour based on a specific developmental delay or neurological disorder a

child may have, as well as how it can be tailored for anything that you might have a hypothesis
and can create your own or use a premade one. With this method, I found a concern for an
ADHD assessment for my focal child.
The learning story is one method I found myself intimidated by/ not useful for my focal
child. I found that this method was not the most insightful in my focal child's behaviours and
how it does lean on being able to write a story which I have difficulty with, and also does not, in
my opinion, show the depths and breadth of different behaviours that a child is exhibiting.
Overall I found the time sampling, checklist and anecdotal records very helpful in pinpointing
and understanding my focal child's behaviours during my time at Dunrae garden elementary
school.
References
Agapitou, P., & Andreou, G. (2008). Language deficits in ADHD preschoolers. Australian
Journal of Learning Difficulties, 13(1), 39–49.
https://doi.org/10.1080/19404150802093711
Breaux, R. (2023, March 17). Understanding emotional development. CHADD. Retrieved April
17, 2023, from
https://chadd.org/adhd-news/adhd-news-caregivers/understanding-emotional-developmen
t/
Brodie, K. (2013). Observation, assessment and planning in the early years. Open University
Press.
Cavanagh, M., Quinn, D., Duncan, D., Graham, T., & Balbuena, L. (2016). Oppositional defiant
disorder is better conceptualized as a disorder of emotional regulation. Journal of
Attention Disorders, 21(5), 381–389. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054713520221
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, December 6). Important milestones: Your
baby by Four Years. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 11,
2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-4yr.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, August 9). Symptoms and diagnosis of
ADHD. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved April 17, 2023, from
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html
Evans, S. C., Cooley, J. L., Blossom, J. B., Pederson, C. A., Tampke, E. C., & Fite, P. J. (2019).
Examining odd/ADHD symptom dimensions as predictors of social, emotional, and
academic trajectories in Middle Childhood. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent
Psychology, 49(6), 912–929. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2019.1644645
Fine Motor. Department of Education. (2019, March 13). Retrieved April 11, 2023, from
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/professionals/learning/ecliteracy/emergentlit
eracy/Pages/finemoto.aspx
Gonser, S. (2021, January 15). 6 ways to help students with odd. Edutopia. Retrieved April 16,
2023, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-ways-help-students-odd/
Keefer, L. R. (2006). Defiant behavior in two- and three-year-olds: A vygotskian approach. Early
Childhood Education Journal, 33(2), 105–111.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-005-0001-y
Manolova, H., Hristova, M., & Staykova, S. (2021). The importance of early psychological
assessment for differential diagnosis and detection of comorbidity in children with autism
spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.671744
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2023, January 4). Oppositional defiant
disorder (ODD). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oppositional-defiant-disorder/symptoms-
causes/syc-20375831
Rozenboom, M. (2020). Directed, structured fine motor activities and handwriting development.
https://nwcommons.nwciowa.edu/education_masters/215/. Retrieved April 15, 2023,

from
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masters
Smith, E., McLaughlin, T. F., Neyman, J., & Rinaldi, L. (2013). The effects of, lined paper,
prompting, tracing, rewards, and fading to increase handwriting performance and
legibility with two preschool special education students diagnosed with developmental
delays, and fine motor deficits. i-Manager’s Journal on Educational Psychology, 6(4),
23–29. https://doi.org/10.26634/jpsy.6.4.2184
Yoshimasu, K., Barbaresi, W. J., Colligan, R. C., Killian, J. M., Voigt, R. G., Weaver, A. L., &
Katusic, S. K. (2011). Written-language disorder among children with and without
ADHD in a population-based birth cohort. Pediatrics, 128(3).
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-2581
(Appendix 1) New Running Record
Running Record
School: Dunrae Garden Elementary Child’s name (pseudonym): Child X

Date: March 24th 2023 Child’s age & grade level 4 and Pre-K
Time: 10:10-10:25 # of adults present: 3
Activity: Fourmi Collage # of children present: 14
Description of Atmosphere:
Very quiet , ct requires the morning lesson to be quiet, active engagement with the activity, every student is sitting
at their own desk workin on their fourmi collage
Observations Time/Comments
Child X is sitting at their desk with their feet swinging and shaking under the table while 10:10
-Hyperactivity?
they are leaning their head back past the back of the chair. Child X has a lot of energy -Stimming?
while trying to finish their fourmi collage. They reach for the scissors to start cutting out
the different shapes of the fourmi (3 circles, two little antennas, eyes and the letter F that
acts as the feet), holding their scissors in their right hand with their thumb and pointer -Fine motor issues
finger, but holding the scissors upside down (example: hold the scissors correctly, then
turn your wrist 180 degrees). Child x starts to cut the different shapes out with extreme
difficulty and does not cut in a straight line. Miss Vanessa notices child x struggling with
10: 15
their scissors and cutting techniques; she comes over to child x and corrects them, and
-Not able to fix
shows Child X how to properly hold the scissors with the scissors that child x is using. corrections
Miss Vanessa gives Child X their scissors back, and Child X does not correct themselves
-fine motor issues
and continues to hold the scissors like she was before. Child x continues to cut the shapes
out with difficulty creating a lot of jagged lines and does not cut on the line and, instead,
lets the straight edge of the scissors do the work for her. They continue to do so until half
of the shapes are cut out. Child x then decides to start gluing the pieces together in her
sketchbook. Child x gets her glue stick out of her pencil case and asks Miss Vanessa's
help to remove the lid. With the glue cap now off, child X presses the tip of the glue stick 10:19
-Fine motor issues
firmly to the page, creating excessive glue on her page. Child X then gets her right hand
stuck to the page and needs Miss Vanessa's help to remove it. Child x then sits down,
ready to get back to gluing, but is interrupted by Miss Vanessa asking her to wash her
hands. Child x then goes to her assigned sink and washes her hands by only rubbing the
-Improper hygiene
soap with flat hands together; she washes her hands very quickly and then runs back to habits
her seat with her head and body leaned forwards as she runs. Child x then starts to glue -Not allowed to run in
class , not following
the different parts of the fourmi to the page. Child x glues the pieces of the fourmi in the the class rules
wrong order. Child x then applies more glue, struggling to glide the glue across the page;
10:20
she starts stamping the glue in the spots where she wants to apply the different shapes. -Fine motor issues
Child x continues to glue the shapes in the wrong order. Child X stamps the different
shapes of the fourmi softly with her right hand, making sure the shapes are glued on (she
is not done with the collage yet). Child x then mumbles to themselves," Where are my
scissors? " Miss Vanessa comes over to help guide Child X to help them find their
10:23
scissors, but child x still cannot find them. Miss Vanessa points to the scissors on their -Issues with trial and
error . Does not lift
table right in front of them. Child x, standing up in front of their desk, holding the glue things on the desk to
look for her scissors. I
stick with their left hand, puts the cap on with their right hand, winds down the glue, and assume she is waiting
for Miss Vanessa to
puts their glue stick away in their pencil case. Child x, with the same scissors-holding find them for her.
technique as before, begins to cut out the rest of the shapes that make up the fourmi -fine motor issues
collage very slowly (still standing). Child x then finishes cutting out the shapes of the
collage and takes the glue back out of their pencil case. Child X winds up the glue about
2 centimeters above the edge of the glue stick. Child X then glues the F of the collage to 10:25 : finishes
observing
the page and is now done with the collage. Child X is the last student to finish their craft.
(Appendix 2) New Anecdotal record
School: Dunrae Garden Child’s name Child X

Elementary (pseudonym):
Date: March 23rd Child’s age: 4
Time: 11am # of adults present: 2
Activity: Indoor recess in the # of children present: 13 (one on one interaction
gym. between child x and myself)
Amount of time over which anecdote occurred: 5 minutes
Playing with balls and basketball hoops that are smaller , free play, all the kids are running
around and some screaming of excitement . child X and I are playing together , passing the ball
back and forth.
Observations (Anecdote)
Child X and I were throwing a light basketball back and forth in the gym during indoor recess.
I threw the ball to her, and she did not catch it and ran to get the ball as it rolled across the
gym. Instead of throwing it directly at me, I asked her to make it bounce between us as she
passed it to me. I demonstrated what I wanted to see (bounce pass). Child X did not catch the
ball during my example of a bounce pass to her. She ran to get the ball again and then returned
to where we were playing. Child X did not attempt a bounce pass and just threw the ball
directly at me; as Child X threw the ball at me, she leaned forward and almost fell over. I
re-explained and re-demonstrated a bounce pass to her; she did not catch the ball again and ran
to get the ball. She came back and threw the ball directly at me, almost falling as she threw the
ball at me. I did not re-demonstrate and did a bounce pass back to her. She did not catch the
ball again and ran to get the ball again. She came back, threw the ball at me, fell over, and
flopped on the ground to her back.
Conclusion
Over these 5 minutes, child x showcased difficulty following instructions and grasping new
information with the new type of pass I showed her. Child X also had difficulty catching and
throwing the ball using her gross motor skills. Every time she threw the ball at me, she
stumbled out of balance and, by the end, fell over and decided to lie on the ground.
(Appendix 3)
(Appendix 4) New Time Sampling


Date: March 30st 2023 Child’s age & grade level 4 and Pre-K
Behavior : socializing with others
Operational definitions :
Solo play: playing alone and does not interact with anyone else
Social play: collaborative interactions with others during play.
Talked to other : Talking to anybody that is not herself.
Example of behavior: Playing alone at her desk , interacting and playing with other students in the class , adn
talking to anyone but herself.
Reason for observation: I chose to observe these different behaviors as i have informally observed how she has
difficulty socializing and playing with others and wanted to get a closer formal observation of the way she
partakes in play with others and if it is independent or not.
Instructions for time sample 1: 5 minute observation with 1 minute rest (20 minutes of observation + 3 minute
rest)
Instructions for time sample 2: 10 minute observation + 5 minute rest (30 minute observation +15 minute rest)
Time sampling #1: social play
Date: March 31st Behavior 1: Behavior Behavior 3 : NOTES

10:25-10:47 Am Solo play 2:Social Play Talks to others
10:25-10:30 Am II Each tally is a

different game
10:31-10:36 Am IIII I asked child X

if she wanted to
play with others
and she said yes
10:37-10:41 Am I I IIII Miss Vanessa

tried guiding
Child X to play
with others
10:42-10:47 Am 1 By this time all

the other
children that
child X was
playing with left
as she was not
following the
rules of their
play and came
up to me and
said they did not
want to play
with Child X
anymore.,
Summary: For a 20-minute observation period (5-minute observation followed by a 1-minute rest)
that occurred during the morning free play. A tally mark was given every time they partook in solo
play, social play and when she talked to others. Child x partook in 8 moments of solo play, 1 moment
of social play, and talked to others four times ( only talked to myself and Miss Vanessa)
Conclusion : Based on the time sampling observation, child x needs to be heavily guided to play
with others, as well as spoken to be asked if she can play with others. This observation also
showcases a lack of social skills and behaviours within child X. This observation also showcases how
she does not follow the rules of play that other students had previously set when integrated within
their play. This observation highlighted Child X's issues with rules of conduct, social play and
confidence when talking to other students.
Time sampling #2: social play- transition into indoor recess
Date: March 24th Behavior 1: Behavior Behavior 3 : NOTES

10:30- Solo play 2:Social Play Talks to others
10:30-10:40 11 Talked to no one
10:45 -10:55 1 1 Talked to me
11:00-11:10 1 1 Talked to me
Summary: For the 30-minute observation period (10-minute observation followed by a 5-minute
rest), a tally mark was given for when child X partook in solo play, social play and talked to others.
During the 30 minutes of observation, child x received four marks for solo play, 2 for talking to
others and zero for solo play .
Conclusion : In this time sampling, Child X never talked to anyone else except for me, never partook
in social play with others, and remained at their desk playing with a balancing toy for the whole
morning play. Overall this showcases their lack of socializing and their social development.
(Appendix 5) New Event sampling

Date: March 23rd 2023 Child’s age & grade level 4 and Pre-K
Behavior : defiance in the form of not following instructions and silently defies or talks back
Operational definitions : talking back and arguing with the teacher when we give Child X instructions and
guidance/ ignores our guidance and instructions completely and continues with what she was doing.
Example of behavior: Guiding her to use the proper color and correcting herself , but not correcting herself when
we do so. Talking back when we give her instruction.
Reason for observation: There is a concern for ODD on the part of my CT and myself as she is very defiant to
the instructions of activities and does not follow our guidance and corrections.
Date: March 23 Antecedent Behavior Consequence event

rd 2023
9:47 Stated to get their crayons Started coloring in circles I left them alone as i knew they
out of their pencil case . i all over the page just wanted attention
instruct her to start form the
edges of the shape and go
towards the center
9:56 Coloring the snails antennas Does not follow my Continues with the process of
red , i correct her to color guidance and continues the snail collage
them orange like the coloring it red. And then
example. cuts out the antennas
10:01 Drops the letter E on the Child x does not pick the E She never picked it up until she
ground and does not pick it up off the floor and needed to glue it and got upset
up . I instructed them to continues coloring. when she found out it was
pick it up . ripped.
10:06 Starts gluing her snail to the She does not and continues They go to the board with Miss
back to the page and knows with gluing the snail color Vanessa and Miss Vanessa
she's not supposed to. I side down. Miss Vanessa explains how to glue the snail
correct her and tell her to comes to correct her and together.
go to the board. tells her top go to the board
to look at the example.
10: 12 Takes off her shoes to play She responds with “ they Miss Vanessa comes and
with her feet . Told her to just fell off” I tell her to put discip-lines her to put her
put her shoes back on and her shoes back on. She shoes back on.
continue her snail craft. does not put them back on
and continues playing with
her feet
10: 35 Standing in front of their Respond with “Why” in a I tell her we do not speak like
snowsuit . I tell her to put rude tone. that to others. Miss Vanessa
her snowsuit on. pulls her aside and talks to her.
Conclusion: Based on this time sampling observation, it is apparent that child x is defiant to guidance and
corrections when prompted with them. As Well as talks back when she knows she is not supposed to be doing
what she should be doing. Out Of the six entirely, she talked back twice and was silently defiant four times
when either Miss Vanessa or myself guided her. This observation showcases her defiant behaviour towards
authority, which is verbal defiance and silent defiance.
Date: March 23 Antecedent Behavior Consequence event

rd 2023
12:10 The lunch monitor handed Looked at her lunch and The lunch monitor came over
child X her lunch provided said she did not want it . and said to child X , you have
by the meal plan to eat your lunch.
12:13 Does not take any bites of Child X says no , and says The lunch monitor takes the
her lunch and the lunch she's going eat her desert dessert away and says unless
monitor comes over and you eat your lunch you can't
says “eat your food child have your desert.
X”.
12: 14 Lunch monitor says ,”you Child X pushes her lunch The lunch monitor pushes the
need to eat child X” away into the middle of her lunch back in front of her and
desk. cuts up her food.
12: 16 Child x still has not taken a Child X looks up at the The lunch monitor says no 4
bite , the lunch monitor says lunch monitor and has 1 bites.
“4 bites child X” finger up , signaling only 1
bite.
12: 20 Child X takes one very Child x then raises 2 The lunch monitor says no 3
small bite , and lunch fingers, singaling 2 more more bites.
monitor says 3 more bites bites with a angry face.
12: 24 Child x , still only having Child x turn her body to The lunch monitor looks at her
taken 1 bite, says she's face me (i am behind her) and says three more bites.
done. The lunch monitor and faces away form her
comes over and says “no food .
you are not , you have only
taken one bite”
Conclusion: Based on this time sampling observation, it is apparent that child x is defiant to being told what to
eat and has a hard time in general when it is lunchtime as she wants to eat the dessert and not her healthy lunch.
Based on this observation, there is a big concern for her defiant behaviours, especially when talking back and
arguing with any form of authority and her eating habits.
(Appendix 6) Old time sampling

Date: March 17th 2023 Child’s age & grade level 4 and Pre-K
Behavior :Loss of focus, defiance and vocal/physical stimming
Operational definitions : \
● Loss of focus and forgetfulness refers to distractions that take attention away from what an operator needs
to do when performing a task.
● Defiance refers to vocally abstaining and refusing to follow the instructions and guidance of the teacher,
goes against the teacher's instructions.
● Vocal/Physical stimming refers to the self stimulation by repeating noises using the mouth , vocal cords
and throat, as well as repetitive body movement.
Example of behavior: Looking off into the distance when performing a task , forgetting what they were doing,
starts another task before they are finished with the one they are working on.
Reason for observation: I have observed these behaviors beforehand and wanted to have a closer look into what
might be causing her loss of focus, her cause for defiance and if the vocal/physical stimming is linked to their
ability top focus . Overall I want to pinpoint the stimuli that might be triggering her inattentiveness. Overall I am
just curious about their ability to focus and a concern for ADHD.
Instructions for time sample 3: 5 minute observations + 2 minute rest for 40 minutes.
Time Sampling #3: Lunch and Transition to Recess
Date: March Behavior 1: Behavior Behavior 3 : NOTES

17th Loss focus 2:defiance vocal/physical
12:10-12:50 stimming
12:10-12:15 III II I Lunch time
12:17-12:22 IIIII III III
12:24-12:29 III II I
12:31-12:36 IIIIIII I III Transition from lunch -

getting ready to go
outside for recess
12:38-12:43 III III II Putting on all their

outdoor gear
12:45-12:50 IIII I I Last to get ready
Summary: A 40-minute observation (5-minute observation followed by a 2-minute resting period)

occurred during lunch and transition into recess. A tally mark was given every time they lost focus,
were defiant to the teacher's guidance or instructions, and when they were observed vocally and
physically stimming. During this observation period, they were observed losing focus, were defiant
to the teacher's instructions and guidance 12 times, and were vocally/physically stimming 11 times.
(Appendix 7) New anecdotal record

Date: April 13th Child’s age: 5
Time: 9:30 # of adults present: 3
Activity: In the bus on our # of children present: 13
way to la cabane a
sucre
Amount of time over which anecdote occurred: 5-8 minutes
In the bus with the pre-k5 and kindergarten classes , a lot of screaming and chit chatting came
from the other classes in the bus with us . Hectic environment.
Child X and I were sitting together in the same seat on the bus on our way to la cabane a sucre.
Child X was very tired. Miss Vanessa was sitting right in front of me. Sitting beside me, I
noticed she was putting her fingers in her mouth excessively; I told her to take her hands out of
her mouth, but she did not and continued playing with the inside of her mouth. I told her again,
“Please take your hands out.” She did not follow my instructions and continued. In a firm tone,
Miss Vanessa turned around and, in a firm tone, said, “Hands out of your mouth.” Child X
pulled her hands out of her mouth. Miss Vanessa turned around and was now facing forward.
Child X then puts her fingers in her nose and switches from putting her hands in her nose and
mouth. I told Child X firmly, “Stop picking your nose and putting your hands in your mouth!”.
Child x took her hands down to her lap. Child x then put her head in the corner of the seat
between the wall of the bus and the seat and continued to pick their nose and play with the
inside of her mouth to hide what she was doing.
Conclusion
Over these 5-8 minutes, child x was seen partaking in unhygienic habits if picking her nose
and playing with her mouth. In response to this, I disciplined and instructed her to stop three
times, and she never corrected her behaviour, and Miss Vanessa disciplined her once, and
Child X faked listened for Miss Vanessa to turn around and then continued the behaviour when
she was not looking. Overall this anecdote showcases the way that Child X does not respond
to correction and has unhygienic habits.
(APPENDIX 8)
(APPENDIX 9)
(APPENDIX 10)
(APPENDIX 11))
(APPENDIX 12)
(Appendix 13) New anecdotal record

Date: April 13th Child’s age: 5
Time: 9:49 # of adults present: 3
Activity: In the bus on our # of children present: 13
way to la cabane a
sucre
Amount of time over which anecdote occurred: 3 minutes
In the bus with the pre-k5 and kindergarten classes , a lot of screaming and chit chatting came
from the other classes in the bus with us . Hectic environment.
Sitting with child X on the bus on our way to la cabane a Sucre, I noticed she was yawning
and had her eyes half open for all of the morning before we got on the bus. I asked her, “ are
you tired?”. Child X did not respond verbally, shook her head no, and then yawned. She then
leaned on my arm, closed her eyes, and fell asleep for the rest of the bus ride to la cabane a
Sucre.
Conclusion
This 3-minute anecdote observation showcases how child X has difficulty identifying her
emotions when it is apparent how she is feeling. This could also be interpreted as child X
defying me as I did assume her emotions. Overall this showcases her emotional development
of not being able to identify her emotions.
(Appendix 14) Learning story
Child X and Her Journey to get Undressed
Sitting at my desk waiting for child x to walk in, I see them turn the corner of the door to enter
the class. She walks in with her white polka dot snowsuit, black boots, and blue hat on. As she
walks into the class, she smiles as she sees me; she walks past the desk to go to the room with
her cubby. I follow her. She gets into the cubby room. Other students are there getting undressed
and taking their yellow folders to Miss Vanessa. Child x, on the other hand, stands in front of her
hook, with her mouth open and eyes half shut, looking at the ground. I tell child x, "Hey, you
need to get undressed. " Child X turns her head as fast as she can as I begin to say, "Hey." She
looks at me with a smile and throws her gloves on the ground. Child X then lays down on the
ground and stares at the ceiling, giggling and smiling while her other classmates get undressed.
Now alone in the cubby room, I remind her, "Child X, you need to get undressed; you are late."
Still lying down, she unzips her snowsuit and removes her arms and torso. She removes the
bottom of her snowsuit while her boots are still on her feet.
I see her struggling and decide to let her try different ways of taking off her snowsuit and boots.
Child x starts to whine as she cannot get her show suit off because her boots are stopping the legs
from coming off. It is at this moment that I decide to intervene. I tell Child X, "Take off your
boots first." She says nothing in return and just whines, expecting me to do it for her. After a
couple of seconds of me just standing off to the side and not helping her, she pushes as hard as
she can on her snowsuit, and her boots and snow suit fly off, throwing the boots across the cubby
room. She sits back down and squirms on the floor with a smile. I then tell Child X, "Get up,"
she gets up and runs out of the cubby room, but I block her from leaving as all her belongings are
on the floor, and she has no indoor shoes on and is in her socks. I get down to her level, look her
in the eyes, and say in a firm tone, "Pick up all your things and put your indoor shoes on!". Child
X tries to go in for a hug by putting my hand info on me and saying, "No." she then trunks
around, picks up her things and puts her indoor shoes on. I am still standing at the entrance,
ensuring she cannot leave; she approaches me as she has picked up all her things and put them in
her cubby. However, she forgot one important thing: to get her yellow binder out of her bag. I
said to child x, "What are you forgetting?" she put her hand in her mouth and thinks for a couple
of seconds, trying to remember what she had forgotten. She does not respond, and I must remind
her to get her yellow binder. She returns to her bag, gets her yellow binder and is now ready to
start the school day.

(Appendix 15) Checklist

Date: April 14th (observed all day) Child’s age & grade level 5 and Pre-K
Checklist based on ADHD symptoms
Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in
schoolwork, at work, or with other activities.
Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities.
Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork,
chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked).
Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities.
Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that require mental effort
over a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).
Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (e.g. school materials,
pencils, books)
Is often easily distracted
Is often forgetful in daily activities and needs reminders to stay on task.
Often fidgets with or taps hands or feet, or squirms in seat.
Often leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected.
Often talks excessively.
(Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, 2022)

Conclusion: Based on this checklist , it is significant that there is a concern fro ADHD
for child x.

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CASE STUDY MacAloney, 1

Case study : Child X

Spencer MacAloney (#40127477)

Specialization in Early Childhood and Elementary Education

EDUC 297:Observation and Evaluation in Education

April 17th , 2023

Description of focal child —--------------------------------------------------------- 1

Physical and Motor Development—---------------------------------------------- 4 - 9

Social Development—---------------------------------------------------------------- 13- 16

have a hard time being integrated into the group.

Physical and Motor Development

an interactive whiteboard)"(Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) which showcases good

modelling clay)" (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) during my observation, I have

Healthy living habits

more guidance and support in these areas than other students.

Based on my observations, formal and informal, Child X has an issue with

own emotions, Explores own autonomy, Respond with confidence"(Ministère de l’Éducation du

knowing her needs.

resolving a conflict" (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) however Child X has

ADHD. A study examining how Oppositional Defiant Disorder Is Better Conceptualized as a

dressed)”(Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) and needs constant guiding from me or

to get through the school day.

Does not comply with rules:

the beginning of the school year.

Based on these observations, my CT and I are concerned about Oppositional defiant

my instructions as well as my CT's.

ODD/ADHD Symptom Dimensions as Predictors of Social, Emotional, and Academic

when trying to play with others.

alphabet" (Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) .

Written Language Development

Based on my observations and conversation with my CT about their written language

(Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) . Based on these findings, my observations, Child

Oral Language development

playing”(Ministère de l’Éducation du Québec, 2021) . Compared to Child X’s peers, she is

metalinguistic awareness, suggesting difficulties in their capacity to analyze elements of the

awareness. Based on my observation, conversations with my CT about their language abilities

Based on my time sampling observation, running records and informal observations, my

independently tackle action. Child X is significantly delayed in cognitive development, and I

cognitive development. Based on Erikson's stages of development, Child X should be on the

cognitive development based on my formal observation, informal observation and child

Fine motor, gross motor and healthy habits

Based on my observations, I would suggest that Child X continues working on their

Based on my observations, I would suggest working on their vocabulary of emotions and

language sound emotions, and reasoning practice.

prompts appropriately as was supported by previous research”(Smith 2013). My CT does this,

interventions can help bridge the developmental delay.

Psychological Assessment for Differential Diagnosis and Detection of Comorbidity in Children

as an important basis for follow-up assessment and treatment…individualized interventions are

(including speech as an important predictor of better prognosis), cognitive capacity, etc."

Reflection on Observation Methodologie

checklist and anecdotal records.

developmental domain that is exhibited within the anecdote.

categorizing a behaviour based on a specific developmental delay or neurological disorder a

ADHD assessment for my focal child.

Journal of Learning Difficulties, 13(1), 39–49.

17, 2023, from

disorder is better conceptualized as a disorder of emotional regulation. Journal of

Attention Disorders, 21(5), 381–389. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054713520221

2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-4yr.html

Examining odd/ADHD symptom dimensions as predictors of social, emotional, and

academic trajectories in Middle Childhood. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent

Psychology, 49(6), 912–929. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2019.1644645

2023, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-ways-help-students-odd/