Case Study of a Child

Age Four
Yazmin Serrano
EDU 220 - 1005
 Abstract
Physical Development Emotional Development
• Can pour and mash their food • Talkative and understanding of own feelings
• Extremely active • Can test others to see who can be controlled
• Balanced and coordinated • Can be aggressive and threatening

Psychosocial/Social Development
• Good imagination
• Would rather play with others
• Learning to share and accept rules

Cognitive/Intellectual Development Moral/Character/Philosophical Development

• Self-sufficient in routines • Becoming aware of morality
• Curiosity • Can rebel if overwhelmed
• Realistic artwork • Trouble with real vs make believe
 Typical Physical Behaviors at Age 4

■ Hops on one foot without losing balance

(MedlinePlus Adolescent development, 2017)
■ Pours, cuts with supervision, and mashes own food
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
■ May still wet the bed
(MedlinePlus Adolescent development, 2017)
■ Is very active and consistently on the go. Is sometimes physically aggressive
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Catches a bounced ball most of the time
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
 Typical Physical Developmental Level
According to Snowman (Age 4)
■ “Preschool children are extremely active. They have good control of their bodies and
enjoy activities for its own sake.” (Snowman & McCown, 2015, pg. 77)
■ “Have a rest time. Realize that excitement may build up to riot level… if not diverted.”
(Snowman & McCown, 2015, pg. 77)
■ “Young children find it difficult to focus their eyes on small objects.” (Snowman &
McCown, 2015, pg. 78)
■ “Children tend to be extreme in their physical activities. They have excellent control of
their bodies and develop considerable confidence in their skills. As a result, they often
underestimate the danger involved in their daring exploits.” (Snowman & McCown,
2015, pg. 85)
 Physical Development Observation of a
Child Age 4
Development Milestones Met:
■ Four year old boy is able to hop on one foot or jump consistently for a couple seconds, loves
playing hopscotch and is pretty good at it due to this
■ Pours their own juice at meal times, gets his own utensils, needs no help during the meal
■ Extremely active, understands they’d rather play and run around than do sit down activities
Development Milestones Not Met:
■ Can be aggressive when playing with other children and doesn’t seem to understand why that is
wrong
■ Does not seem to understand why flinging himself off slides or other play equipment may hurt or
injure him
 Physical Development
Recommendations
■ Encourage and provide space for physical activity
(MedlinePlus Adolescent development, 2017)
■ Provide ample protein in diet since nutrition is important
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Carefully supervises physical activities. Set necessary limits.
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Provide space for rest, as child tires easily.
(University of Washington, 1993)
 Typical Emotional Behaviors at Age 4

■ Often tests people to see who can be controlled

(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Talks about what they like and what they are interested in
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
■ Romantic attachment to opposite sex parent
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
■ Exhibits a great deal of name calling; can be demanding and/or threatening
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Is beginning to develop some feeling of insecurity
(University of Washington, 1993)
Typical Emotional Developmental Level
According to Snowman (Age 4)
■ “Children tend to express their emotions freely and openly. Anger outburst are
frequent.” (Snowman & McCown, 2015, pg. 80)
■ “Jealousy among classmates is likely to be fairy common, as kindergarten children have
much affection for the teacher and actively seek approval.” (Snowman & McCown,
2015, pg. 81)
■ “Students are sensitive to criticism and ridicule and may have difficulty adjusting to
failure.” (Snowman & McCown, 2015, pg. 86)
■ ”Children are becoming sensitive to the feelings of others.” (Snowman & McCown,
2015, pg.87)
 Emotional Development Observation of
a Child Age 4
Development Milestones Met:
■ When presented with a book about cars, child said they do not like cars and instead
picked a book about dinosaurs
■ Will throw a tantrum when caregivers takes something away to see if they cave in and
give it back
■ Threatening with uninvite to hypothetical birthday party when upset
Development Milestones Not Met:
■ Does not seem to have a fear of strangers or animals, goes up to strangers entering the
room with ease and strikes a conversation
 Emotional Development
Recommendations
■ Keep a sense of humor
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Provide outlets for emotional expression through talking, physical activity, and creative
media
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Establish limits and adhere to them
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Provide opportunities for talking about self and family
(University of Washington, 1993)
Typical Cognitive/Intellectual Behaviors
at Age 4
■ May show increased aggressive behavior
(MedlinePlus Adolescent development, 2017)
■ Tells you what they think is going to happen next in a book
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
■ Self-sufficient in many routines
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
■ Has insatiable curiosity; talks incessantly; asks innumerable questions
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Draws a person with 2 to 4 body parts
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
 Typical Cognitive/Intellectual Level
According to Piaget & Vygotsky at Age 4
Piaget
Preoperational stage 2-7 years old
During this stage, children are getting better with language and thinking.
“The thinking of preschool and primary grade children… centers on mastery of symbols (such as words),
which permits them to benefit much more from past experiences.” (Snowman & McCown, 2015, pg. 41)
Vygotsky
Social interaction within the family and with knowledge members of the community is the primary means
by which children acquire behaviors.
“…This kind of knowledge is unsystematic, unconscious, and directed at the child’s everyday concrete
experiences.” (Snowman & McCown, 2015, pg. 53)
 Cognitive/Intellectual Development
Observation of a Child at Age 4
Development Milestones Met:
■ Predicts what will happen next in the book unprompted
■ When entering the classroom they are aware of their routine and throughout the day
they follow it without having to be told
■ If they are curious about something shown in a book or when playing outside they
question it
Development Milestones Not Met:
■ Drawings of humans and animals are not developed yet, human bodies are just a circle
with no body parts
 Cognitive/Intellectual Development
Recommendations
■ Limit screen time (television and other media) to 2 hours a day of quality programs
(MedlinePlus Adolescent development, 2017)
■ Answer questions patiently
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Read together
(MedlinePlus Adolescent development, 2017)
■ Provide interesting words, stories, and play word games
(University of Washington, 1993)
Typical Psychosocial/Social Behaviors at
Age 4
■ Commonly has imaginary playmates
(MedlinePlus Adolescent development, 2017)
■ Would rather play with other children than by themselves
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
■ Intense curiosity and interest in other children’s bodies
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
■ Relies less on physical aggression; is learning to share, accept rules, and take turns
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Likes to imitate adult activities; has good imagination
(University of Washington, 1993)
 Typical Psychosocial/Social Level
According to Erikson at Age 4
Initiative vs Guilt 3 – 5 years
■ Children begin to assert their power and control over the world through directing play
and other social interactions
■ “The ability to participate in many physical activities and to use language sets the stage
for initiative.” (Snowman & McCown, 2015, pg. 29)
■ “If four- and five- year-olds are given freedom to explore and experiment and if parents
and teachers take time to answer questions, tendencies toward initiative will be
encouraged.” (Snowman & McCown, 2015, pg. 29)
 Psychosocial/Social Development
Observation of a Child Age 4
Development Milestones Met:
■ Enjoys playing with other children most of the time, will play next to children instead of
with them if he does not want to play with them
■ Will often be near children, does not seem to like being by himself
Development Milestones Not Met:
■ Child is aggressive at times and does not like to share toys or take turns with toys
■ Often tries to snatch toys out of other children’s hands and if the other child does not
give the toy up, the child I observed will often get aggressive
 Psychosocial/Social Development
Recommendations
■ Encourage creative play
(MedlinePlus Adolescent development, 2017)
■ Expect child to take simple responsibilities and follow simple rules such as taking turns
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Expose your child to different stimuli by visiting local areas of interest
(MedlinePlus Adolescent development, 2017)
■ Allow child to participate in adult activities which he/she can manage
(University of Washington, 1993)
Typical Moral/Character/Philosophical
Behaviors at Age 4
■ Rebels if too much is expected of them
(MedlinePlus Adolescent development, 2017)
■ Often can’t tell what’s real and what’s make-believe
(Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
■ Will start to develop guild and pride.
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
■ Is becoming aware of right and wrong; usually has a desire to do right; may blame others for
own wrongdoings
(University of Washington, 1993)
Typical Moral/Character/Philosophical
Level According to Kohlberg at Age 4
■ Kohlberg’s approach to the study of moral development was based on analyzing how
individuals responded to a set of short stories that involved moral dilemma.
■ “Level 1: Preconventional Morality (typical of children up to the age of nine, Called
preconventional because young children do not really understand conventions or rules
of a society.)” (Snowman & McCown, 2015, pg. 61)
 Moral/Character/Philosophical Development
Observation of a Child at Age 4

Development Milestones Met:

■ Child knew that throwing the blocks around the classroom was wrong and told another
student not to do so
■ Child was confused and questioned whether a dragon in the book he was flipping
through was real or not
Development Milestones Not Met:
■ After seeing children run around the classroom, even after being told earlier that day
running is not allowed, child started running around with other students and told
caregiver it was okay because the other children were running also
 Moral/Character/Philosophical
Development Recommendations
■ Notice and reinforce child’s self-control, e.g., the ability to wait, to share belongings
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Help the child be responsible and discover the consequences of his/her behavior.
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Provide clear limits; enforce them consistently, but not harshly
(University of Washington, 1993)
■ Be aware of your feelings and try to understand his/her perspective
(University of Washington, 1993)
 References

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

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/facts.html
Child Development Institute (2015). The ages and stages of child development. 
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ages-stages/ - .WR3Id_QrLrc
Medline (2017). Developmental milestones record – 4 years.
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002015.htm
Snowman, J. &  McCown, R. (2015). Psychology applied to teaching, 14th ed. Stamford,
      CT:  Cengage Learning.
University of Washington. (1993). Child development: Using the child development
      guide.         
http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/cdevguid/cdg06.htm