RunningHead:MYERS,CASESTUDYOFSCOTT

CaseStudyofScott
KathleenMyers
CollegeofSouthernNevada

MYERS,CASESTUDYOFSCOTT

ScottisahappyandactivethreeyearoldwhoIobservedinhishomeoverthecourseof
severalweeks.Scotthasbeendiagnosedashavingminorspeechdelaysbecauseofissueswith
hisear,whenhewasababy.ScottattendsspeechtherapyatthelocalElementarySchooltwicea
week.Scottisnumberfiveoutofsixchildren.OverthecourseofseveralweeksIwatchedScott
grow,thriveandenjoylife.Iwitnessedfirsthandhisspeechimprove,aswellashimbecoming
toilettrained.Next,Iwillbreakdownhisdevelopmentintocategoriessuchas:Physical,
Intellectual,Social,Emotional,andMoral.
Physical
Atypicalthreeyearoldcanwalkbackandforwardwithease.Theycanruneasilyand
climbtoo.Theycanpedalatricycleandwalkupanddownthestairswithonefootoneachstep.
Athreeyearoldcanjumpinplaceandstandononefootwithaid.Theycanwalkontheirtiptoes
andkickaballforward.Athreeyearoldcanalsomanipulatesmallobjectsintheirhandssuch
as:turningpagesonebyone,holdacrayon,anddrawacircle(Woolfolk,2014).
Scottsphysicaldevelopmentisrightwhereitshouldbe.Scottisaveryactivelittleboy
wholovestorunaroundandplay.Helovesplayinggameswithhisoldersiblingslikecatchor
tag.Hecanthrowandkickaballquitewellbutdoesntalwayscatchit.Scotthassuperiorfine
motorskillsforhisage.Helovesplayingwithblocksandputtingpuzzlestogether.Hecanbuild
largetowerseasilyoutofsmallblocks.Hecanalsocolorinbetweenthelineswhileholdingthe
crayontherightway.AccordingtoPiaget(1954)Therearefourfactorsthatinteractto
influencechanges:biologicalmaturation,activity,socialexperiencesandequilibration.As

MYERS,CASESTUDYOFSCOTT

Scottmaturesandisinvolvedinvariousactivitieshisgrossmotorskillswillbecomemore
developedontheirown.
Intellectual
Atypicalthreeyearoldcanfollowthreepartcommandsandcanrespondtosimple
directions.Theycannamesomecolorsandmayknowafewnumbers.Theycanidentifyseveral
objectsinpicturebooksandalsorecallpartofastory.Threeyearoldsknowthedifference
betweensameanddifferent.Theycanalsostackringsonapegbysize.Athreeyearoldcan
identifythemselvesinthemirrorbysayingbabyortheirownname.Threeyearoldscanalso
imitateadultactionslikehousekeepingplayandtheycanrelatewhattheyaredoingtoothers
(Woolfolk,2014).
Scottsintellectualdevelopmentisalittleadvanced,sinceScottisnumber5outof6
childrenheisafastlearner.Heknowsallthecolors,theentirealphabetandcancountto20.He
cannamealmostanybodypartyoucanpointtooandhelovespointingoutobjectsinstories.He
knowswhathisnameisandhowoldheisifasked.Healsoknowsallofhissiblingsnamesand
agesaswell.Sincehehassomanysiblingsheisverygoodatimitatingwhattheysayordo.He
canalsofollowcommandssuchas:putthedishinthesink,thetrashinthetrash,thenbringme
yourshoes.Heisabighelperandlovestoassistwithchoresandcleanup.Whenhelpingwith
thelaundryheknowshowtosortclothesfromthewhites,darks,colorsandsocks.Piaget(1954)
explainshowpeoplelearnjustbybeingaroundotherpeopleandhecallsthis:Social
transmission.SinceScotthasfivesiblingsthatheinteractswithonadailybasisheisconstantly
absorbinginformationlikeasponge.

MYERS,CASESTUDYOFSCOTT

Social
Threeyearoldswatchotherchildrenandbrieflyjoininplayingwiththem.Theydefend
theirpossessionsandknowthedifferencebetweenwhatistheirsandwhatissomeoneelses.
Theybegintoplayhouseanduseobjectssymbolicallyinplay.Theyparticipateingroup
activitieslikesinging,clappinganddancing.Athreeyearoldcanalsoshowconcernforacrying
friendandtheycancopyadultsandfriends(Woolfolk,2014).
Scottssocialdevelopmentisalsorightontrack.Scottlovesplayingwithotherkidsand
isverysweettoo.Helovestoshareandhelovestohelp.Ofcoursehehasafewselecttoysthat
arehisfavorite.Hedoesnotliketosharethesetoys,especially,buthewillifaskednicely.He
playsgameswithhissiblingsliketag,hidenseek,duckduckgooseandmusicalchairs.Healso
lovestolistentostoriesatstorytimeatthelibrary.Wheneveranyofhissiblingsarehurtor
cryingheisverysympatheticandconcerned.AccordingtoErikErickson(1963),Scottisinthe
thirdstageofpsychosocialdevelopment:theinitiativeversusguiltstage.Thisiswhenachild
needstolearntobalancebeingactiveandonthemoveandunderstandinghownottobe
impulsive.
Emotional
Atypicalthreeyearoldcanshowaffectionwithoutbeingprompted.Theyalsoshowa
widerangeofemotions.Theycanalsonegotiatesolutionstoconflictsandaremoreindependent.
Theyaremoreinventivewiththeirfantasyplay.Theyalsocanbeseparatedeasilyfrommom
anddadnow.Howeverathreeyearoldmaygetupsetwithmajorchangesintheirroutine
(Woolfolk,2014).

MYERS,CASESTUDYOFSCOTT

Scottsemotionaldevelopmentisalsorightwhereitshouldbe.Scottshowsawiderange
ofemotionseveryday.Heishappytoplaywithhissiblingsbuttheyalsofightandargueabout
sharingorplaying.Heisverycreativeaboutplaytimewithhissiblings.Theyplaygamesallthe
timejustusingtheirimagination.Heisonastrictroutinewhenitcomestobedtime,bathtime,
mealtimeetc.Whenhisroutinegetsinterruptedhecanbecomecrankyeventhoughhedoesnt
realizewhy.Heisverygoodatbeingseparatedfrommomanddadandusuallyjustsaysbye
byeandwaveswhentheyleave.Theperspectivetakingabilityofthetheoryofmindwill
continuetodevelopinScottashegrowsandmatures(Kohlberg1963).Thisabilitywillassist
himinresolvingconflictsonhisownaswellasenhancehismasteryofplayingandinteracting
withotherchildren.
Moral
AccordingtoKohlberg,atypicalthreeyearoldbeginstodevelopatheoryofmind
whichstatestheyunderstandthatotherpeoplehavetheirownminds,thoughts,feelings,beliefs,
desiresandperceptions.Athreeyearoldalsohasasenseofintentionandunderstandstheirown
intentions.Hemayormaynothaveanunderstandingofothersintentions.(Woolfolk,2014).
Scottsmoraldevelopmentisalsoprogressingexactlyhowitshouldbe.Scottisvery
awareofthefactthatotherpeoplehavetheirownthoughtsandfeelingsespeciallywhenhesays
thingslikeThebabyissad.Healsounderstandsotherpeoplehaveasenseofhumorwhenthey
arejokingorteasinghim.Heunderstandshisownintentionswhenheasksforadrinkor
somethingtoeat.Heisstartingtounderstandthatotherpeoplehavetheirownintentionsaswell.
Athreeyearoldalsohasasenseofintentionandunderstandstheirownintentions.Hemayor
maynothaveanunderstandingofothersintentions.

MYERS,CASESTUDYOFSCOTT

Scottwillcontinuetogrowandthriveinallstagesofhisdevelopment.Asofrightnow
Scottistoilettrained.Scottisalsolearningnewwordseveryday,whichishavinganincredible
impactonhisspeech.AtthisratebythetimeScottisinkindergartenhewillspeakperfectly.
Alsowiththesupport,love,encouragement,andguidancebyallmembersofhislargefamily,
Scottwillmorethanlikelygrowintoaperfectlywelladjustedboy.

References
Woolfolk,A(2014)
Educational

Psychology.
UpperSaddleRiver,NJ:PearsonEducationInc.