CASE STUDY OF CHILD

AGE 8
Denise Way
EDU 220
Physical Behaviors

Needs 11 hours sleep

Increase in overall body strength and hand dexterity
More risk taking, minor accidents
Increases immune system
Appetite is decreasing
Growth rate slows

Has established which hand is dominant

Improves writing skills
Dresses self completely
Ties shoes
Child Development Institute (2015),
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed
under CC BY-SA
Typical Physical Development by Snowman

 Drives self until exhausted

 May frequently pout
 Now has well-established hand-eye coordination and is likely to be more interested in drawing
and writing
 May have minor accidents
 Is less interested in sex play and experimentation; can be very excited about new baby in family
 Has fewer illnesses but may have colds of long duration; appetite is decreasing
 May develop nervous habits or assume awkward positions, e.g., sitting upside down on the
couch, constant foot tapping

University of Washington. (1993).

My 8 Year Old’s Physical Behaviors/Characteristics

The 8 year-old boy I observed is in 3rd grade and fits the typical
pattern of physical development. He, however, is taller then most
male classmates, but equal to the females heights. He still has
problems tying his own shoes and has not mastered combing his
hair. Overall, he seems to be developing normal physical
characteristics for his age.

This Photo by Unknown Author is

licensed under CC BY-SA
Physical Development Recommendations

 Be aware of child's physical limits

 Be patient with emotional ups and downs
 Be prepared for bumps and cuts with first aid kit well stocked
 Be patient with annoying habits, and do not draw attention to awkwardness

University of Washington. (1993).

This Photo by Unknown Author is
licensed under CC BY-SA
Emotional Behaviors

 Begins to show independence from adults

 Starts to think about the future
 Starts to think about the big picture
 More invested in friendships and teamwork
 Wants to be accepted and make friends

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017)

Typical Emotional Development by Snowman

 May complain a lot ("Nobody likes me," "I'm going to run away," etc.)
 May not respond promptly or hear directions; may forget; is easily distracted
 May withdraw or not interact with others, in an attempt to build a sense of self

PBS Parents (2017).

My 8 Year Olds Emotional Behaviors/Characteristics

My 8 year-old is developing in line with Snowman’s ideals. He is constantly

complaining that he is not liked. He is being stubborn about following directions in
class, partly because he is distracted and not paying attention. He is withdrawn in
large social settings but is constantly attempting to be friendly with others in
smaller social settings.
Emotional Development Recommendations

 Provide reasonable sympathy to instances of low-self esteem

 Remind and check for task completion as necessary
 Provide support and reassurance as child develops self

PBS Parents. (2017).

Cognitive/Intellectual Behaviors

 Likes to learn new things

 Questions the reason for everything
 Uses logic to solve complex problems
 Attention span can depend on interest in subject
 Starting hobbies and gaining skills
 Needs to be challenged in classwork or will lose interest

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under

CC BY-SA

University of Washington. (1993).

Typical Cognitive/Intellectual Development

Piaget
 The concrete operational stage is the third stage of Piaget's theory which occurs
between the ages of 7 and 11 years
 “The nature of the concrete operational stage can be illustrated by the child’s
mastery of different kinds of conservation” (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2013, p.
27).
Vygotsky
 “Vygotsky believed that the important things a culture passes on to its members
are…psychological tools. These are the cognitive devices and procedures with
which we communicate and explore” (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2013, p. 33).
 This important tool is taught primarily in the middle ages
My 8 Year Olds Cognitive Behaviors/Characteristics

My 8 year-old is not at the typical intellectual ability for his age group. He has
difficulty learning new concepts. He does question everything but does not often
listen to the answers. He can use logic to solve problems but would prefer someone
else to solve it for him. He is very interested in hobbies, but lacks the attention span
to gain the skills needed.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed

under CC BY-SA
Cognitive/Intellectual Development Recommendations

 Encourage the questions by providing stimulating conversations or stories

 Create opportunities for decision making and self development
 Have opportunities for new hobbies
 Teach about real things, introduce biographies
 Challenge the child with tasks that are in line with their abilities
 Give adequate time for task completion

University of Washington. (1993).

Psychosocial/Social Behaviors

 Can be cooperative
 Will ask permission and will follow instructions
 Prefers friends their own age; usually own sex
 Begins to form sex-role identity (what it means to be male or female)
 Respects property of others

 Expresses anger with words

 Questions adults
 Dislikes being told what to do
 Craves independence
 Understands right and wrong
 Understands guilt
 Offers excuses when misbehaving

Child Development Institute (2015)

Typical Psychosocial/Social Development by Erikson

 This stage is called Industry vs. Inferiority in ages 6-11

 “If a child at this stage is encouraged to make and do things well, helped to
persevere, allowed to finish tasks, and praised for trying, industry results. If the
children’s efforts are unsuccessful or if children are criticized too often and too
harshly, feelings of inferiority result” (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., (2013, p. 19).
 This stage is important because it sets the child up for the rest of their life, either
to strive to succeed or give in to failure.
My 8 Year Olds Psychosocial Behaviors/Characteristics

My 8 year-old is always asking questions. He wants to know why things are the way
they are. He once asked why he had to ask to go to the bathroom at school when
he doesn’t have to ask at home. He is trying to figure out why the world works the
way it does. He plays with mostly boys on the playground and thinks girls are weird.
When he gets in trouble for something he makes an excuse and tries to deflect
blame off of himself.
Psychosocial/Social Development Recommendations

 Encourage child to try things that are hard

 Help to accomplish new tasks
 Give abundant time to finish tasks
 Even if child fails, praise the attempt

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

University of Washington. (1993).

Moral/Character Behaviors

The child may began to feel guilt and shame.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013)

Typical Moral/Character Development by Kohlberg

 At age 8 a child is in the Preconventional Morality stage.

 A child will do the right thing because s/he would want the right thing done to
them
 “Stage 2: Instrumental relativist orientation. ‘You shouldn’t steal something from
a store, and the store owner shouldn’t steal things that belong to you’”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., (2013, p. 42).
 “Stage 3: Good boy-nice girl orientation. ‘Your parents will be proud of you if you
are honest.’” (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., (2013, p. 42).
My 8 Year Olds Moral Behaviors/Characteristics

My child knows right from wrong. He, however, does not always do what is right.
He chooses to follow rules if by doing so it will benefit him. If the teacher says that
if there is no talking in the halls today the class will have extra free time, he makes
sure he doesn’t talk. If nothing is promised he will break the rule without another
thought.
Moral/Character Development Recommendations

 Give the child reasonable expectations, teach them to have reasonable

expectations of themselves
 Show the child how to forgive oneself
 When reprimanding, show child that they are not bad just because they have
done something that is bad

University of Washington. (1993).

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND
References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Child development. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/facts.html
Child Development Institute (2015). The ages and stages of child development. Retrieved from
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ages-stages/#.WR3Id_QrLrc
PBS Parents. (2017). Child development tracker Ages 2- 8. Retrieved
from http://www.pbs.org/parents/child-development/
Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013). ED PSYCH. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
University of Washington. (1993). Child development: Using the child development guide.
Retrieved from
http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/chidev/cd06.htm