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Running head: INDIVIDUAL STUDENT DIFFERENCE PROFILE

Individual Difference Student Profile

Beaver, Dawn

Instructor: Tracey Meyerhoeffer

EDUC 205: Development/Individual Differences

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Individual Difference Student Profile

Every child is special and unique, but some childrens skills go beyond being special and

cross over to outstanding. That is how I would explain the student I will be profiling in my

essay. Lucy is a gifted and talented student, whose skills and achievements are truly out of the

ordinary. In my essay, I will go into further detail about this extraordinary young ladys

background, physical development, cognitive development and social-emotional development

and then in closing, I will summarize what I have learned and discuss my major findings.

General Information

Lucy is ten years and six months old and was born on October 12, 2002. She is the oldest

child in her family that consists of her father, mother, two sisters and one brother. Lucys father

is a local police officer and her mother is a stay-at-home mom. Lucy and her family are

Caucasian and speak English. They are very strong in their religious beliefs which they said has

helped them set family value as a high priority.

Lucy is in the fourth grade and attends a public school. She enjoys school very much, but

enjoys being home even more. She loves playing and helping with her baby sister, playing on

the computer and iPod, spending time with her family and friends, but most of all, she loves

reading.

Physical Development

The first thing I noticed about Lucy is her striking blonde hair and blue eyes. Lucys

physical development is just slightly above average. She is a little tall for her age and her build

is a bit bigger than the other girls her age, but she doesnt stand out as abnormal. She is very

coordinated and likes to be active. Her large muscle development is very good. For the last

three years she has played soccer and basketball through the local parks and recreation youth
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program and has been very successful. When looking at the very skilled writing and drawing

Lucy completed this year, it is definitely apparent she has very good small muscle development.

Furthermore, watching her play with her family and friends allows one to observe that she is in

really good physical health.

Eating is an important time for Lucys family. They make every effort to have every

meal at home together around the dining room table. Lucys parents are very knowledgeable

about healthy eating habits, and try to incorporate that into their familys diet. Though Lucy

does enjoy eating healthy, she says she loves desserts every once in a while too.

Cognitive Development

Lucy is currently enrolled in the fourth grade at a local elementary school. She was

accepted into the gifted and talented program, but her parents chose to leave her in the regular

classroom. She is at Stage four in Ericksons theory of psychology development. She has a

strong desire to be successful at school and sports. This strong desire drives her to be a very

good student. She has a 100% average in her reading, spelling and math and is so advanced that

the teacher has her helping other students because she has completed work over a grade above

her level. Her Accelerated Reader (AR) goal is set at 150 for the end of the year, but has already

passed it.

When talking with Lucys teacher and observing her myself, it is very apparent she is

very attentive in class and follows direction very well. Being on task and having good time

management and organization skills are two of the comments about Lucy that her teacher made.

When I asked Lucys parents about her advanced learning ability, they talked about how

her advanced cognitive development started very early. Using Piagets theory, it began in her

sensorimotor stage. She met all her infant milestones early. At a very early age, she established
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a very extensive schema network. Then, she used assimilation and accommodation in building

knowledge she gained through books, flashcards and experiences. This network played an

important part in her very early reading and writing skills. Lucy was already reading chapter

books at age four and was writing in a very neat and organized manner too. She used to practice

these skills on her own and was very self-motivated.

Socio-emotional Development

Lucy interacts well with peers and adults, and is well liked by those around her. She is

very quiet and listens to everyone around her. Through the soft words and the attention she gives

everyone, it is apparent that she is very caring. This moral development follows Gilligans

ethics of caring because she is concerned about the needs of others.

Though Lucy has many friends and strong moral behavior, she demonstrates a lower

self-esteem than what would be expected. Though she is confident in her work, she is shy about

her own social abilities in large groups. She is very quiet and not very excited about bringing

herself to the attention of the entire class. Self-esteem is a value that is important in the program

designed through the Lickona Model. Lucy does however display more confidence and

willingness to voice her opinion when she in working in smaller group. Despite the slightly low

self-esteem in a large group, as a whole, she does exhibit strong character traits that fits all four-

components of the Lickona model of moral reasoning: self-esteem, cooperative learning, moral

reflecting and participatory decision making.

Summary of Major Findings

After reviewing the level of development for Lucy, it is apparent she is above a typical

level in her development. Her general information gives indications that she is not typical

because she has high religious beliefs and family ties. Additionally, her physical development is
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slightly advanced concerning her strong small and large muscle development as well as her

striking physical features. Cognitively, her development is very advanced with an outstanding

record of academic achievement. She has a very strong desire to learn and develop in this are

and is very self-motivated. Lastly, socio-emotionally, she is very good at listening to others and

making friends. Furthermore, she works better in small groups, but is always willing to lend a

hand to help in any group.

Though Lucy is above the average student in most areas, there were some weaknesses I

did observe. She is very quiet and shy and doesnt have a strong self-concept. Though she is

confident in her academic ability, she isnt confident socially in some situations. When in a

smaller group, her confidence seems much higher.

After reviewing my findings, I suggest address Industry versus Inferiority issues in the

classroom. Lucy has little to no challenge in her academic tasks and I know she would benefit

from more challenges being added. Using Vygotskys Theory of Development, Lucys

instructor needs to find her zone of proximal development so she can reach her next level of

learning. Also, incorporating more positive reinforcement into teaching Lucy would be

beneficial. Complimenting and rewarding her for her outstanding work, especially when

participating in a large group, would not only assist in strengthening her social confidence but

would also reinforce her desire to continue challenging herself.

This student profile assignment has given me a better appreciation for the special and

unique individuals for who a teacher is responsible. As I work to become a teacher, the

information I have learned about development and individual differences will assist me in

designing instructional strategies that will meet students learning styles. In all, Lucy is an

exceptional individual who is highly motivated. Through learning about her different levels of
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development, I was able to work through her unique situation to find my own personal strategy I

would use in my classroom to help her reach her potential.

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References

Garuilo, Parsons, Hinson, Sardo-Brown. (2010). Educational psychology: College of Southern

Idaho. Mason: Cengage Learning..