Case

Study Project

Katie Zielinski
ETE 443
Fall 2014

Table of Contents:

Record of Observations

General & Background Information
Assessment Data by Developmental Domain:
-Language Arts
-Fine Arts
-Science
-Social Science
-Social/Emotional Development
-Mathematics
-Physical Development & Health

Checklists & Interviews

-Work Sampling Checklist
-Developmental Checklist-4 to 5 years
-Parent Interview
-Teacher Interview

Peabody Assessment & Results
Instructional Recommendations, Education Goals
& Communication Plan

Documentation Panel (see separate document)

Record of observations at UPC Discovery Early Learning Center:

1.) September 19th 9:00-11:00

2.) September 26th 9:00-11:00

3.) October 10th 9:00-10:45

4.) October 20th: 9:00-10:45

5.) October 29th: 8:30-10:30

6.) November 14th: 9:00-10:45

7.) November 17th 9:00-10:45

8.) November 24th 9:00-10:45

9.) December 5th 9:00-10:45

General Information:


Childs Name: Eli

Birthdate: 4/30/10 (4 years old)

Gender: male

Educational Placement:

-Multiage preschool classroom of children ages three, four, and five at UPC (United
Presbyterian Church) Discovery Early Learning Center

-Full day program from 8:30am-3: 30pm
-Often attends pre-care in the mornings from 7:30am-8: 30am

Language spoken at home: English

Ethnicity/Race: Caucasian





Background Information:

Eli was born on April 30, 2010; he is currently four years and seven months old. He
had a healthy, normal delivery and has had no medical concerns. He has reached all
developmental milestones so far and hasnt required any intervention services. At his home,
he lives with his mom, dad, and two older brothers aged eight and six. He enjoys reading
and playing sports with his brothers. Elis parents would describe him as being outgoing,
kind-hearted, patient, and a good friend to others. UPC has been his first educational
experience, since he attended last year as a three year old and was in Mrs. Scrantons class.

Language Arts Domain:

Eli has demonstrated interest and progress in both reading and writing. He is
currently at the stage of writing in which he produces letter-like shapes. He does not use
sound-letter correlation when writing. He often writes his name and his age. In addition, he
expresses his ideas through his drawings in his journal. Regarding reading, he seems
engaged when being read to as well as when reading on his own. He exhibits pretend
reading behaviors when reading, and seems to especially enjoy repeated readings of
familiar books.


Writing--Photos, Work Samples & Anecdotal Notes:

I have observed Eli writing his name
several different times, in which he
appears to write it backwards. However,
his writing is developmentally appropriate
for his age.

This picture of Elis work shows his writing of the number four.
While at another center, I had a conversation with Eli about how old he
was. He told me he was four, and then traced a 4 in the carpet. He then
went over to the writing center to write more 4s. After drawing a few he
said, This is how you make a 4. Another student who was at the writing
center at the same time said, Thats not a 4, this is how to make a 4, and
wrote the conventional version of a number 4. Eli responded by saying,
no this is a 4, and continued to write his version on this sheet of paper.
His depiction of a number 4 reveals his current stage of writing
development.

Football players for the bears



Waterslide

Caterpillar

Reading Anecdotal Notes:

During Different visits I've observed Eli:

Using the very hungry caterpillar puppet and felt food to retell the story with a few other
students at the reading center. He helped retell the part when the caterpillar ate all of the
junk food. Then later during shared reading, he seemed very engaged when Mrs. Coyle
reread The Very Hungry Caterpillar big book.

He read an informational book to me about how caterpillars transform into butterflies:


-While pretend reading he said, "It eats and grows and grows"

-When looking at one of the pictures, he described the caterpillar as having "spiky
things pointed to the sky"

-During reading he said "chapter nine"


I read the Gingerbread Man story to him and realized he mustve read it or heard it read
before since he would say, run run as fast as you can, you cant catch me Im the
gingerbread man, along with me each time I read that part. He also described parts that
were going to happen next as I read.

Fine Arts Domain:

Eli enthusiastically participates when singing songs as a whole group. He seems to
enjoy singing songs, especially familiar ones including Lord I Lift Your Name on High,
Stand on the Rock, and My God is So Big. He does the motions to songs and knows the
lyrics of many songs well. He is also able to use a variety of materials independently when
doing art projects.


Anecdotal Notes & Photos:

-When using different colored sand and glue to make a design on a piece of paper, he
seemed very comfortable using these materials


-When singing, My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, he especially emphasizes the
muscle motion that goes along with these words


-While sketching an object, Eli had good concentration when looking back and forth
between the object and his paper, to add detail to his sketch:

Eli painting a Christmas tree at the easel:

Science Domain:


Eli exhibits curiosity in exploring different materials. He enjoys playing with
whatever is in the sensory table (sand, beans, cornmeal) and is willing to get his hands
messy when playing with gak, play dough, shaving cream, and other materials. He also took
on the roles of being a researcher and observer when learning about caterpillars during the
caterpillar project.

Anecdotal Notes & Photos:

-Exploring cornmeal at the sensory table:

Observations related to the caterpillar project:

-He was observing with another student at the caterpillar habitat, to see where the
caterpillars were and how much of the leaves they had eaten. Then, they wanted to use the
computer to look up other pictures of caterpillars.

Eli and another student observing a

caterpillar eating milkweed

Eli using a resource

book to sketch a
chrysalis

At first when Eli was drawing a

caterpillar on the butterfly box,
he was only using a black
colored pencil. Then, once Mrs.
Coyle reminded him of the
different colors of a caterpillar,
he went to get yellow and green
colored pencils to add these
colors to his drawing.

Social Science Domain:

Eli is aware of the rules and routines in the classroom and understands the
importance of following them. He is good at transitioning from one activity to the next, for
example when it is time to clean up at centers. He understands what it means to be a
member of the classroom community and displays characteristics of being a leader. For
example, he willingly and confidently participates in different roles in the classroom, such as
when he has an assigned job for the day. In addition, he shares his thoughts confidently with
the class during whole group time and when interacting with others. He is continuing to
form an understanding of the different roles that people have within a community and the
similarities and differences between people.


Anecdotal Notes:

-Eli pointed to his picture on the board and showed me that he had the inspector job that
day. After centers were cleaned up, he put on glasses and used a flashlight to walk around
the room and identify if there were any problemsif anything wasnt picked up.


-When Eli had a talking turn one morning, he confidently showed the class his play Ninja
Turtle cell phone. He shared with enthusiasm and appeared to be very comfortable talking
in front of his classmates.

-While playing in the dramatic play area, Eli pretended that he was driving himself and his
brothers to basketball practicethe way he talked made me think that this is a familiar
routine from home that he has learned and understands well.

Social/Emotional Domain: Elis Fall Self-Portrait



Social/Emotional Domain:

Eli has developed positive relationships with his teachers and peers. Eli demonstrates
the strength of being able to play with a variety of children in the classroom. He is
continuing to learn how to manage interpersonal conflict in a constructive way. As a learner,
he displays curiosity, attention and engagement in activities, and is able to make his own
choices. He demonstrates the ability to ask an adult for help when needed. He is also aware
of the classroom rules and is able to follow them without many reminders from his teacher.
Additionally, Eli is developing an awareness of himself and is able to describe himself, which
can be seen through the drawing of his self-portrait.

Anecdotal Notes & Photos:

-Eli often enjoys playing cars with several other boys however also interacts well when
playing on-on-one at other centers, especially at the sensory table and with manipulatives.


-He is still learning how to wait his turn/share; I have sometimes observed him taking
materials that another student is using at a center rather than asking first.


-Interacting with students one-on-one, while playing with magna tiles:

-Collaborating with Mrs. Coyle and other students to create the butterfly box:

Eli and the other

students listening and
watching as Mrs. Coyle
creates a doorwhich
the students suggested
for the butterfly box

Eli worked alongside others

while sketching pictures of
caterpillars and helping to
tape the windows of the
box.

Mathematics Domain:

Eli is able to count up to 20 with one-to-one correspondence. He is still developing an
understanding of quantity, as he will sometimes say that a larger amount is a smaller
amount numerically (when playing with marbles) . He can also sort objects according to the
attribute of color and create simple repeating patterns. He can recognize some numbers and
shapes, and is continuing to develop in this area.


Photos:

Creating a repeating pattern with bugs:

Creating a repeating pattern with
beans at the sensory table:

Physical Development & Health Domain:

Eli engages in play using both gross and fine motor skills. He is very active when
playing outside; he climbs around on the playground with ease, enjoys riding the tricycle,
and kicks balls around with the other boys. He also participates and coordinates his
movements well when the class sings songs involving motion. During center time, he often
chooses to play with activities that involve fine motor skills, such as playing with play
dough, working with the geoboards, stringing beads, and playing with marbles. He has
become familiar with a variety of different writing and drawing tools, and is continuing to
gain control and develop his fine motor abilities when using them.


Fine-Motor Skills Photos:

Working on a geoboard:

Cutting play dough into small pieces:

Work Sampling Checklist (Page 1):

Work Sampling Checklist (Page 2):

Developmental Checklist (4-5 years of age):

Parent Interview:

Teacher Interview:


When talking with Mrs. Coyle, I asked her to share her thoughts regarding Elis
strengths and areas to work on in class. She mentioned that he has the ability to interact
with all different kinds of kids in the classroom, and that hes willing to play with whoever is
around. I realized that this observation of hers matched up with his moms description of
him as being outgoing and a good friend to others. I also believe that this is a strength of
Elis, based on my observations of how he interacts with a variety of students at centers,
during my visits. In addition, she feels that he is very comfortable in the classroom, focuses
his attention and follows directions well, and puts forth good effort toward what hes
working on. When asking her about learning domains that he is continuing to develop in,
she mentioned comments related to the social/emotional and language arts domains. She
feels that he sometimes needs to take more initiative and be pushed out of his comfort zone.
She added her thought that this behavior might occur because he is the youngest of three
boys at home, and is comfortable receiving more help. Regarding his drawings and writing,
she informed me that he was able to write his name last spring and that she continues to
help him make letter sounds when he writes.

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Page 1):

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Page 2):

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Page 3):

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Page 4):

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Page 5):

Results of Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test:

I administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary test to Eli on November 24th. Prior to
administering the test, I calculated his chronological age, which was 4 years, 7 months old. Once we
started testing, we began with the first item in set 2 (which is the designated start for age 4). Eli had zero
errors when completing this set, which established the basal set. I continued testing him until he made
nine errors in set 7, which established the ceiling set after which point we stopped testing. When
calculating his raw score, he received a 64, which converted to the standardized score of 105. Knowing
this standard score allowed me to then figure out that he is in the 63rd percentile ranking (meaning that he
scored equal to or greater than 63% of his same-age peers), a normal curve equivalent of 57, and stanine
of 6. When plotting his standard score on the graph, I was able to visually see that he falls slightly to the
right of the mean, with a high average score. When determining his age equivalent score, it is 4 years,
11 months. After considering all of this information, I can determine that Elis level of his vocabulary
acquisition is on target, or slightly above for his age when compared to his other same age peers.
During the test, Eli seemed very focused and interested in the task of selecting the correct picture,
until around set four when he started to become less motivated. At this point we took a break and did
some jumping jacks and high fives, which helped him to refocus for the next few sets. Although he made
it to the 7th set, he was becoming quite restless by the 6th set as he began to struggle to identify more
vocabulary words than he had in the previous sets. I was impressed by his patience and concentration for
the most part, especially because he kept wanting to identify the other three pictures besides the one I
asked about for each item (even though I kept reminding him that we needed to move on to the next one),
which probably made the length of the testing time longer than it wouldve taken otherwise.

Instructional Recommendations and Educational Goals:

Based on the observational notes and photos Ive gathered, interviews with Elis teacher and
parent, Peabody Assessment, and the checklists Ive completed, Ive been able to form an overall
understanding of Elis areas of strengths as well as areas in which he should continue to work at. I
feel that Eli is great at working with and alongside his classmates, is a curious learner, attentive
when focusing on a task, has a well-developed vocabulary, and is especially proficient and talented
in the gross-motor domain. In regards to goals he should work toward which would be beneficial to
his learning and development, he should continue to practice writing his letters, be provided with
models of conventional writing and the alphabet, and participate in activities to develop his fine-
motor skills. In relation to language arts, he should also have continued exposure to the sounds of
letters in order to learn beginning sound-letter correlation. In regards to math, he should be given
opportunities to continue developing concepts of quantity (it may be effective to begin by
comparing small quantities of objects). In addition, Eli should continue be provided with
opportunities in which he can take initiative and problem-solve more independently, and work
towards solving conflict constructively when interacting with others. I believe that through a
combination of explicit teacher modeling and childrens literature, these social/emotional skills
could be further addressed, discussed, and learned. Through providing experience to continue to
develop both his strengths and areas to work on, Eli will be well prepared once he transitions from
preschool to kindergarten in the fall of 2015.

Communication Plan:


These recommendations could be shared with Elis parents and teacher. By sharing this
documentation and my thoughts and observations, both his parents and teacher may gain a more in
depth understanding of Elis progress and performance in the different developmental domains.
Through sharing this with his teacher, it may help her to identify those areas in which to provide
him with more instruction or practice as well as to consider strategies and learning techniques that
could help assist with his understanding and development.