Case Study

Child: Ty Moyer Rebecca Van Cura

Introduction
My case study has come from the observation of one child throughout the semester. Ty is the preschooler I have observed throughout the semester. I am incorporating lab assignments, observations, notes, and the Piaget testing into this case study. My childs name is Ty Moyer. He is a 3 year old preschooler. He lives with his mother and father and two other siblings. Tys cousin also attends preschool, so Ty gets the opportunity to see and play with his cousin everyday.

Tys bright blue eyes and bleach blonde, curly hair stood out to me right away. His smile can light up the whole room. Ty enjoys playing in the block center, reading books, and playing with trucks.

Physical Development
Large Motor Skills

Typical of 3 year olds:

Runs smoothly, turns sharp corners & stops suddenly Climbs stairs by alternating feet Balances on one foot for a few seconds Throws ball overhand, frequently catches a ball with arms fully extended Jumps off one step Jumps in place Pedals a tricycle

Fine Motor Skills Typical of 3 year olds: Undresses self, helps to dress self Undoes buttons on side or front of clothing Washes hands Feeds self Recognizes and draws a circle, draws a crude cross Scribbles Pours liquid from pitcher with some spills Builds tower of 9 to 10 blocks

Physical Development
Large Motor Skills Fine Motor Skills

Ty is able to:
Run easily and smoothly Climbs stairs by alternating feet, climbs down stairs by alternating feet Throws ball overhand Catches ball with both arms extended Jumps off steps Jumps in place

Ty is able to:
Dress and undress himself, ex. Sweatshirt Feed himself Wash his hands Pours liquid, but makes a few spills Uses scissors Builds tall block structures one day Ty helped build a structure taller than Mr. B Scribble, color, and draw

Physical Development Analysis

In my opinion, Tys motor development is typical of his age level. He is 3 and will be turning 4 in March. I observed Ty doing similar things as the other children in his preschool class. Most of the children seemed to be around the same stage of motor development. Ty runs smoothly, can climb up and down steps, and walk, hop, and jump. Balance and skipping are still areas that need improvement, but that is typical of his age. I think that Ty should continue working on these skills. Play and interaction from classmates and teachers will help with physical development. Gym time and recess time also help develop more large motor skills. Ty can name and identify different parts of the body. He knows hygiene practices and is able to wash his hands. I think Ty is well developed in the physical development domain.

Cognitive Development
Typical cognitive skills for 3 4 year olds include:
Correctly naming some colors Understands concept of counting and know a few numbers Tries to solve problems from a single point of view Begins to have a clearer sense of time Follows 3-part commands Recalls a part of a story Understands the concepts of same and different Engages in fantasy play

Cognitive Development
When doing some of the labs, I observed lots of Tys cognitive skills. When completely Lab #3 I observed the following things:
Ty engaged in positive social interactions when playing with other children. When building, he talks to the other children to accomplish tasks, and carries on conversations. Ty knows what some of his colors are. When coloring, he is able to match the color of the marker lid to the color of the marker. He is able to identify colors when you ask him. In Lab # 10 when colors were presented to him, he was able to correctly match and name simple or basic colors. Ty knows what some letters are and knows how to spell his name. He can recognize the letters that make up his name as well.

Cognitive Development
Tys skills:
Can count in numerical order with help up to 10 Knows and identifies circles, squares, and triangles Calls all coins quarters Identifies different seasons Identifies different animals: cows, pigs, dogs, cats, etc. When doing the Piaget Lab, he understood the concept of same and different. When the play dough balls where the same shape, he easily recognized that. When they were different shapes, he knew that they were different.

Piaget Testing

Language Development
Ty is a very shy child. His personality is more passive and he likes to play and observe others more than talking. Ty will answer questions and speak up when he wants to. During my observation, I noticed that Ty was always friendly and polite to other classmates and teachers when speaking. He is curious, but cautious. During gym times, he wouldnt speak much and would always stay close to a teacher, but would always try out everything. Ty is very interested in certain activities. When he wants to read, he is very focused and pays attention to the teacher talking. He shares and plays nicely with other children and carries on conversations when playing.

Language Development
From what I have observed, Ty knows correct language for his age. He used the proper words and speaks in complete sentences. When answering some of Mrs. Martins questions, Ty would use complete questions.
Ex: Ty: Its a car! Mrs. Martin: What does a car do? Ty: It goes!

In my opinion, articulation is something Ty could work on. Sometimes during observation when I had to record what Ty was saying, I couldnt understand what he was saying. Sometimes he doesnt speak loud enough to be heard either, so his teachers and parents can work on these things will him to help develop his language skills. Mrs. Martin and I both noticed that Ty seemed to be coming out of his shell more and more everyday. I think as he gets more familiar with his classmates, gains more confidence, and encounters more social interactions, Ty will continue to develop his language skills.

Analysis of Cognitive Development

Overall, I think Ty is where he should be with his age and stage of cognitive development. There are a couple skills that he can work on to improve. His teachers and parents can work with him and work on speech techniques to improve annunciation and articulation. Ty is a shy child, but when he becomes comfortable he will speak. He laughs a lot and enjoys being read to. He memorizes parts of stories and is able to communicate with others.

Socio-Emotional Development
Observation and labs provided me with a lot of information of Tys socioemotional development. Ty shares well with other children. He is content with playing by himself, but also likes to play with other children. Ty likes to play in the block center with certain classmates. He is developing close relationships with other classmates and his teachers. When walking places like the gym, he likes to hold a teachers hand. He seems nervous to try new things and to be in new places, but is always curious of what is going on.

Socio-Emotional Development
When we studied the different types of play in Lab #5, I observed Ty participating in each type. He likes to watch and observe what other children are doing. He also likes to play by himself. There was one day, Ty was playing in the block center. Other students were also playing in the block center. The children played with the same materials, but separately and did not influence each others activities.

Socio-Emotional Development Analysis

Tys socio-emotional development is an area that could be developed more. Some kids are naturally shy and like to play alone, Ty is one of those children. Ty also enjoys working and playing with others though. He is not considered a loner, he just likes to do his own thing. I feel that Ty does get attached to people. He wants to feel safe and comfortable, so he wants to be around people he knows.

Moral Development
Personality Development

Tys personality definitely suits who he is. Even though Ty is shy, he is very bubbly. When I see him, hes usually happy and smiling. He laughs a lot and likes to interact with others. Overall, Ty always seems pretty content with what he is doing and what is going on.

Level of Morality I think Ty fits in to the level or morality in the preoperational stage. Children in the preoperational stage usually do what is right because thats what you do. They are afraid of getting in trouble and do not want to be punished. From observation, Ty knew what was right and wrong. Most of the time he would follow directions and rules to avoid getting in trouble.

Moral Development Analysis

Ty has a great personality. Even though he is shy he can be very expressive. Some days during observation, he would be giggly and laughing the majority of the time. When I would sit down to play with him, he would always give me a toy to play along with him. Ty generally knows the difference between right and wrong and he knows how his actions fit into those categories. There were some days when he wouldnt follow directions and just be ornery, but all children are like that sometimes. Overall Ty knew what was right, followed directions, and obeyed rules because he did not want to get in trouble.

Social Context of Development

Social Context of Development

The preschool classroom is set up so children can learn through play and by doing. Different center occupy the room which enable children to learn through play. This also allows them to choose what they want to play with. Mrs. Martin and the other teachers are always interacting with the children. They spend lots of time reading, drawing, playing, and discussing things they have learned. I think Tys development fits well with the curriculum. He is able to do his own thing and learn from what he choose to play with.

Conclusions
After completing my observations and getting the opportunity to observe Ty over the semester, I have learned that he is a typical 3 year old. There are aspects and characteristics that make Ty a unique person and that set him apart from other children his age. He is a happy, bubbly, playful little boy and I enjoyed spending time with him. I think that overall he is at the same level and stages of development that other children his age are at. There are some things that can be worked on so that Ty continues to grow and develop. Overall, I enjoyed observation and having the opportunity to be with the children.