Child Case Study

CHD 265
Prof.Lanius
4/1/16

Child Profile
Prenatal Development
Boy: 3.5 years old
The pregnancy was not planned; mom and dad were in shock for a while. The pregnancy was
pretty rough and Mom experienced sickness throughout 9 months. Mom had gestational diabetes
and is doing well now.
Birth Process
Baby was born full term through vaginal birth. Labor was short, most part was spent at home
with the babys older sibling. Delivery was quick and smooth. Mom went to the hospital at
7:30am and baby D was born at 1 pm. Baby weighed 6.8lbs, at Fair Oaks Hospital. In spite of
Mom having a pre-condition (the baby pooped inside her before delivery), everything was
normal and went well.
Developmental Milestones
Mom nursed for 2 years, D was completely on moms milk. Mom had to struggle weaning baby
D. D sucks his index finger which calms and soothes him. Baby D became lactose intolerant
after being weaned from Moms milk, but is now getting used to and settling down after trying
different kinds of dairy products /brands. D didnt crawl much, straight went to standing and

walking between 9-15months old. He was a late talker and said a few words till 2 years of age.
Ds first tooth came out at 12months old. D has been a picky eater and needs to be fed by Mom.
Mom says, He is getting better as he is growing up. D is very active and loves being outdoors.
D loves and enjoys soccer, basketball and cricket, unlike his older brother who was more of a
nerd at 3 years old, in Moms words. D is also fond of books and likes to be read to. His favorite
cartoon character is Curious George. Ds teacher was unavailable to meet up and was moving out
of town, hence preoccupied.

Targeted Areas of Development & Observation Tools

The three developmental domains that I targeted with D were:
Cognitive, Language & Physical
For the cognitive developmental domain, the observation tool I used was the work sample.
For the physical domain the observation tool I used was a checklist.
For the language developmental domain the observation tool I used was an anecdotal record
Observation #1: Work Sample/Cognitive Domain
Analysis
After observing D, I created a math activity geared towards his interests and skills. The activity
involved several interlinked math concepts like sorting, matching and one to one
correspondence/number sense. The observation tool I used was a work sample, which connected
to the cognitive developmental domain. I did a couple of activities with D involving magnetic

shapes, colored bears and colored beads. I took a bag of activities and goodies in Ds words.
He was all excited and anxious to see what was in the bag. I would ask for a shape and he knew
exactly which one to put on the whiteboard and would name the color of the shape as well. D
demonstrated and made the connection with the math concept. The second activity D was thrilled
to do was sorting the colored bears, then scooping and putting them in matching colored cups. D
made the connection and did this activity with ease and dexterity. Lastly we did one to one
correspondence with colored beads and the number of bears. D did have some hurdles with this
activity, but kept trying. I assisted and guided him in counting and told him that that he had to
put his finger on the bears as he said the number/counted. Ds fine motor skills were also in play
during scooping the bears and picking the beads. I came to the conclusion that he is developing
cognitively and needs practice in the number sense area.

Conversation:
Me: Do you know the colors?
D: Yes I do!
Me: Can you show me blue, yellow, green, red ... and he did.
D: My favorite color is green and a turtle is green too!
Me: Thats correct. Which shape is green here?
D: The Square, it has four sides.
Me: Excellent!
D: And the sun is round like the pink round here.
Me: You do know your shapes D.
Good job!
Lesson Plan 1

Type of lesson: Math concepts /age 3.5 yrs

Targeted domain & Observation tool: Cognitive domain & Work Sample
Theme /Idea: Colors & Shape Identification
Standards Connection: VA Mathematics Foundation Block 1-Number &number sense,
VA Mathematics Foundation Block 4-Geometry /matching &sorting
Lesson Objectives: After doing this lesson D will be able to sort, match and recognize shapes &
colors. As well as be able to do one to one correspondence/number sense.
Procedure: Sorting the bears according to the color and counting them, Putting matching colored
beads with same color shape, scooping the bears in their respective colored cups and
identifying/putting magnetic shapes on the board.
Materials/Resources: Colored bears, cups, beads, magnetic board & shapes
Differentiated Instruction: I believe in todays diverse society /world it is of utmost importance to
have school activities / work available in multiple languages in order to cater to a variety of
children from different ethnicities. If I had to do this activity a child with a special need/
adaptation, I would do it in a small group setting by giving more individual attention and
assistance.

Observation#2: Checklist/Physical Domain

Child: D
Age: 3.5 years
Observer: Aliya Abbas

Fine Motor
Rolls /Molds Playdoh
Builds with blocks
Identifies body parts
Scoops with spoon
Cuts with a scissor
Gross Motor
Jumps &Hops
Catches ball
Throws ball
Pushes/Pulls Objects
Rides tricycle

Emerging

Not Yet

Not Observed

X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

Analysis
After the observation I came up an activity to do with D which targeted the physical domain. D
demonstrated that he had strong large motor skills and enjoyed hopping and jumping during the
activity. Mom said that he loved throwing and catching a ball, as well as, riding his tricycle,
which is red and white in color. D had good eye and hand coordination and was using his fine
motor skills with dexterity. D enjoyed singing the songs and doing the actions along. He wanted
to do the song, Head, shoulders, knees & toes several times! D knew all his body parts, as we

sang the songs and identified the parts. Even though I was focusing on a particular domain, I
observed the interconnection between other developmental areas and how they impacted each
other simultaneously. From the activity I could tell that D had a strong interest and inclination
towards music and instruments. He showed me his Dads new drum set too .I came to the
conclusion that D was a healthy three year old and was developing age appropriately in the
physical domain.

Lesson Plan 2
Type of lesson: Demonstrating Physical development by using gross motor & fine motor
skills/age 3.5yrs
Target Domain & Observation Tool: Physical Domain & Checklist
Theme/Idea: My Body & Self
Standards Connection: VA Health & Physical Foundation Block1- manipulative skills &
locomotor skills
Lesson Objectives: After this lesson D will be learn and be able to identify the different body
parts and their functions.
Procedure: We sang two songs with finger play and actions, which were Head, Shoulders, Knees
& Toes and Open Shut Them, Open Shut Them, Give a Little Clap.
Material: Adequate room and space in order to be able to do the actions and song lyrics.

Differentiated Instruction: If I had a child with special needs/accommodation for example if he/
she was bilingual and English was not his/her first language, for this particular activity I would
use picture cards showing parts of the body in multiple languages to aid in his/he comprehension.
If a child had a physical challenge, I would have the class do the activity sitting on chairs and
make it an inclusive activity.

Observation #3: Anecdotal Record/Language Domain

Analysis
Ds Mom informed me that D enjoyed books and liked to be read to. After doing the observation,
I chose to do a reading and language activity with D and his brother (who got distracted in the
middle and left). I read the book, What Mommies Do Best, by Laura Numeroff. I introduced
the book and talked about the front, back and title of the book, as well as the author and
illustrator. I asked them what they thought the book was about. Ds answer was,Animals! I
asked him,What made you think that? He pointed to the cover of the book which had two
porcupines and he was correct. I explained that it was also about different things that Moms do
with their little ones. We talked about the different things D and his brother do with their Mom
and why they loved her so much? Ds answers were; She buys me toys and helps me ride my
tricycle! D asked several questions, which showed me that he listened attentively with interest.
He could differentiate with ease between the words and pictures. We also had some toy animals,
which D enjoyed lining up and playing with. D was also able to name a few of the baby animals
like, kitten, puppy and piglet. I came to the conclusion, that D is an intelligent 3 year old boy,
developing age appropriated in the language domain which the activity was directed towards.

Lesson Plan 3
Type of Lesson: Listening, Literacy and Language Skills/ Age 3.5yrs
Target Domain & Observation Tool: Language Domain &Anecdotal Record
Theme/Idea: Animals & Names of Baby Animals
Standards Connection: VA Literacy Foundation Block 1- oral language (listening attentively,
identifying objects in the book), VA Literacy Foundation Block 5- print and book awareness
Lesson Objectives: The child will be able to identify the different parts of a book and learn about
different baby animals, increasing vocabulary.
Procedure: Introduced book, the different parts of the book (front cover, back cover, title, author,
and illustrator). Interactive activity of asking and answering questions related to the book.
Played with and named toy animals. D also made the sounds of some animals.
Materials: The book, What Mommies Do Best and toys animals.
Differentiated Instruction: If I had a child with special needs/accommodation for example if he/
she was bilingual and English was not his/her first language, for this particular activity I would
have the book available in multiple languages, as well as picture cards in multiple languages to
aid in his/her comprehension.

Conclusion/Summary
Honestly speaking, I was very nervous and overwhelmed in the beginning, when we were
told about the project. I really didnt know where and how to start. The more we discussed it in
class and got questions answered, I started believing that I will be able to do it bit by bit, to the
best of my ability. One of my main challenges was the raw material that was required for the
case study; a child in the specific age bracket (infant-8years). After a lot of thought and
brainstorming I found the perfect little boy. I must say the checklist that was provided helped me
a whole lot. It kept me on track and I could monitor my work, exactly where I was at and how
much more I had to accomplish. Keeping the six NAEYC standards in mind as I went through all
the different steps of the project helped me immensely as well.
I got to know D so much better and closer because of the time I spent with him and his
family. His family was extremely supportive, cooperative and very welcoming. They had no
issues with me going to their house whether it was for an interview, doing activities or
observations. Ds older brother who was 5 years old said to him, Ms. Aliya is coming to take
your interview!I thought that was hilarious! D looked forward to our meetings and would ask
me, Will you come again? He became pretty comfortable with me. D was very a friendly,
intelligent little boy and liked to engage in dialogue, which told me about his personality. The
activities that D enjoyed most were making shapes with playdoh, as well as the finger play/action
songs that we sang together (physical domain).
While doing the project I realized the importance and the necessity of real, intentional
observations. Children are unique and can be complex just the same and therefore difficult to
comprehend many a time. Observations facilitate in discovering a childs interests, help in

assessing his/her developmental level and learn about the childs personality and they did exactly
that for me as well. Some of Ds attributes that I discovered through the observations were his
social/emotional level, his interests, his temperament and skills/ability. The observation tools that
I used on D were the checklist, a work sample and the anecdotal record. The different
observational tools helped me reflect and focus on specific areas of development. For example, I
used the checklist for the physical domain, aided in areas of gross and fine motor skills such as
stretching, jumping scooping, and rolling/molding playdoh and pulling blocks apart.
Having knowledge about the different observational tools and there uses facilitated me in
selecting the type of observation technique to use corresponding with the developmental domain.
Based on the different observations that I did, I learned that D was developing age appropriately
in the three domains that I targeted; cognitive, physical and language, except for some minor
areas. For example the one to one correspondence, D is developing and emerging at, and with
practice he will get the concept very soon. D enjoyed all the activities and was a delight to work
with.
As far as my interaction with D, he looked forward to our meetings; this made me more
confident. D was a very well behaved little boy who used the magic words effortlessly and was
an excellent listener. Indeed his parents had done a remarkable job! I tried to meet his needs and
did activities that interested him. He did all the different activities with enthusiasm and focus.
The only hurdle or challenge I really had to experience was coordinating the meetings with Ds
family, whether for observations or doing activities. Just like everyone else, our calendars were
super booked! It was a pleasure and good experience interacting and spending time with D.

I truly believe that the early childhood years are very important and a crucial time in
ones life. It lays the foundation of the love for lifelong learning. Hence, it is our responsibility as
professional educators to provide a loving and nurturing learning environment to these little
learners. This in turn promotes healthy development in all areas; cognitive, social, emotional,
physical and language. I learned a lot form doing this project and am more prepared than before
to go out in the real world as an educator. The six NAEYC standards made more sense as I did
the project and the importance of each standard was highlighted even more. For example, I could
resonate completely with standard # 2; the importance and value of building a good relationship
with the family /community, because Ds parents were so cooperative and understanding, the
entire process of the case study became easier and an enjoyable one for me.