- Age: 4 Years
- Grade: Pre-Kindergarten
Home Life
Jeremiah’s parents are married and middle class. His father is a marine who is currently deployed overseas. He has one sister who is two years old. The family is Christian (Baptist). Jeremiah and his sister are cared for by an aunt outside of his school hours. His Mom works long hours and finds it difficult to help Jeremiah with his work. Jeremiah’s aunt cares for several children so she expects him to take care of his own needs. They live in an urban setting in a relatively safe neighborhood where a lot of the children play out on the street.
Developmental Details
Jeremiah is a very athletic and active child. Jeremiah is a kind and thoughtful little boy though he can become somewhat aggressive when agitated. He does not mean to hurt anyone, but his level of physical activity can get out of control and his judgment becomes affected. Jeremiah has been looked at by a pediatrician and a neurologist due to his restlessness and his difficulty attending to tasks and directions. The doctors agree that there is a suspicion of ADD/ADHD but feel that it is too early for a diagnosis. They have encouraged his mom and teacher to provide him with structure, exercise, and a safe place to “blow off steam†when he begins to spin out of control.
School Life
Jeremiah is a bright little boy, but his schoolwork suffers from his inability to stay on task. He does not yet have an IEP, so it is suggested that prior to the transition to kindergarten Jeremiah meet with the Developmental Team within the school district to assess social emotional development and cognition, and plan on the development of supports in the classroom setting.
Ms. Rebecca enjoys working with the Wilson family. She is particularly fond of Jeremiah because of his vivid imagination and love of superheroes. Ms. Rebecca has observed Jeremiah getting agitated during a typical day, however only at times where he is required to sit in the same spot for too long. Ms. Rebecca believes in taking observational notes to determine when and under what circumstances Jeremiah gets upset and has off-task behaviors. Ms. Rebecca notes, “Jeremiah can sit at the carpet during circle time for 7-8 minutes without being redirected. He seems to be bored after 10 or more minutes. It is possible that he could find that standing or having a fidget toy in his hands would be a possible solution. During math time he is easily districted when we use typical counting beads or other small manipulatives. However, one day the assistant brought in small action figures for Jeremiah to count with and he stayed on task throughout the activity.†Ms. Rebecca shares the entire observation with the developmental team before the transition to kindergarten meeting to offer additional ways to support Jeremiah.
Behaviors & Domains
Gross & Fine Motor Skills
Jeremiah appears awkward and clumsy, dropping, spilling, or knocking things over. He Grasps his pencil awkwardly, resulting in poor handwriting. He chooses to avoid writing / drawing tasks. He demonstrates poor ability to color or write “within the lines”.
Communication (Language and Reading Development)
Jeremiah sometimes uses vague, imprecise language and has a limited vocabulary. Jeremiah often mispronounces simple words used during play and class time. During rhyming activities delivered in Storytime, he is challenged by finding words that rhyme. He is unable to sing a song or say a poem from memory. He does enjoy making up his own stories when he interacts with a limited number of his peers. He is able to say his first and last name. However, he has a poor retention of new vocabulary.
Social Emotional
Jeremiah seldom enjoys doing new things. He tends to find joy in playing with the same toys and being in the same dramatic play areas. He often cannot tell what is real and what is make believe. He has trouble knowing how to share/express feelings. While he plays in the same dramatic play areas, he is very creative with make believe play. His teacher feels she must be observant when Jeremiah is getting frustrated as he has difficulty with self-control when frustrated. This is a challenge and he sometimes struggles to cooperate with other children. In his infant toddler years, he liked to play in solitude. However, now he enjoys playing alongside some of his peers.
Attention
Jeremiah has difficulty sustaining attention in school or play activities. He is frequently forgetful in daily/routine activities. He struggles to learn new games or master puzzles due to the amount of attention it takes to complete those tasks.
Math
Jeremiah performs above average in mathematical computations. He enjoys activities where he can use math manipulatives, such as blocks, beads, and sorting items. He can put objects into similar categories. He is exceptional in the areas of making comparisons, estimation and following mathematical rules. It would be beneficial to find activities such as these when he transitions to kindergarten as a way to enhance his on-task behaviors and focus, in areas where he struggles to retain focus and attention.
Instructions
Learners completing a site-based learning experience will conduct one observation session to complete this assignment. Learners who choose one of the provided case studies will review the preschool development of the child selected in the subject selection assignment in Week 2. Over the course of the three observation sessions, all developmental domains must be addressed.
Include the following in your submission:
Observational and Anecdotal Notes
- Explain observations most relevant to your analysis, including teacher-student and peer-to-peer interactions.
Developmental Domain Analysis (Physical, Cognitive, Language, Aesthetic, Emotional, and Social)
- Evaluate two developmental domains by applying two child development theories that you feel are most applicable to your case study child at this stage of development.
- Keep in mind that all five domains must be addressed at some point during the three observations.
- Align your evaluation with the resources in the Developmental DomainsLinks to an external site. reading list.
- Assess the areas of need within the developmental domains analyzed.
Predominant Influences
- Analyze the influence of predominant factors of family, society, and culture that impact the child’s development.
In your work, be sure to also:
- Use scholarly research to support your ideas.
- Apply scholarly and professional communication skills consistent with expectations of the intended purpose.
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