Case Study 1. A. Child: The child that I chose to observe is Leah Kalhorn.

She was born on June 12, 2010. She just turned 2 and is the second child of two. She has a very strong personality and is very independent. She loves to do things by herself and will let you know when she is angry about something and when something makes her very happy. I selected Leah because I work closely with her on a daily basis. I also felt that this would be a great way to learn more about her. Another reason that I chose to observe Leah is because she is so independent. She does a very good job expressing herself and I wanted to see what all she can do and what things she could improve on. B. Family: Leah comes from a traditional family structure. She has a mom and a dad and one sister, who is four years old. Both of her parents are college educated. Her mother is a teacher at the local high school and her father is a foreman for a masonry company and does commercial mason (brick, block, stone) construction. There have been two recent changes in her life. Two months before Leah turned two her family sold their home and moved into a new one, her mother says that her adjustment was flawless and there were no problems. The other recent change in her life is beginning day care. Her family belongs to the upper middle class. There are no family problems or concerns and there have been no family crises or tragedies. C. Child Health: During her mothers 20 week ultra sound they found that one of Leahs kidneys was enlarged. She had hydronephrosis (swelling of the kidney due to back up of urine). She was monitored very closely through the remainder of the pregnancy with a monthly ultra sound. As a result of her hydronephrosis, her mother had unusually high levels of amniotic fluid and went into labor 3 weeks early when

her water broke. Leah was faced the wrong way for delivery (face up instead of face down). As a result, she got stuck in the birth canal. It was a long delivery and she came out rather unresponsive. She had a score of 2 on the Apgar Test that is done right after delivery, which is considered critically low. She was taken to the critical care nursery, where she stayed the remainder of the time they were in the hospital. She recovered normally. After birth she went to see a pediatric urologist to monitor her kidney. She has kidney reflux, which is when urine backs up from her bladder into her kidney. She has taken daily antibiotics to avoid urinary tract infections/kidney infections. Other than that, she has been a very healthy child. No known challenges with developmental milestones. D. Child Care History: Since birth Leah has been at home with two child care providers. She is watched by her grandmother in her home two days a week and was watched by a babysitter three days a week in her home. Her mother is home with her and her sister during the summers. This fall is the first time she has been enrolled in a child care center. She still is with her grandmother on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She goes to day care three days a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. She arrives around 6:30 in the morning and is picked up around 3:00 in the afternoon. The program she is currently enrolled in is based in an old elementary school. The teacher to child ratio is typically 3:8. The classroom never exceeds 12 children. The philosophy of Apollo Center is: In conjunction with the family, the Huron Valley Schools Childcare program commits itself to providing enriching experiences for each child in an atmosphere conducive to the childs maximum development of his or her potential. We strive to

meet each childs social, emotional, intellectual, physical, communicative and creative needs by providing a balanced variety of experiences. The program follows the fundamental premise that children are active learners who learn best from activities they plan and carry out themselves along with a predictable daily routine. The classroom that Leah attends consists of children ages 24 months to 36 months. According to her mother, sadly there is not really any parental involvement in her child care classroom due to work constraints. *ALL INFORMATION PIECES FOR PARTS B-D WERE OBTAINED FROM LEAHS MOTHER 2. Synopsis of Child 1.) Physical: Leah is of average size for a two year old girl. She is able to ride on a tricycle by using her legs to push off of the ground (observation 21). She is able to climb stairs and slide down a slide (observation 5). Even though Leah just recently turned two, she has hit many developmental milestones. She can run (observation 17), jump (observation 24), walk up and down stairs alone (observation 5), and put her shoes on by herself (observation 10). Leah is developing appropriately with her fine and gross motor skills. She is able to build with blocks (observation 1), paint with a paint brush (observation 11) and open containers (observation 20). She also partakes in personal care (observation 14, 6). Recommendations to support continued growth:

Provide space for Leah to explore and practice motor skills Provide her with equipment and materials for exploring and practicing motor and self-help skills

Provide time for her to explore and practice motor and self-help skills throughout the day

Provide materials and activities that require the use of fingers and hands

Provide similar objects in a range of sizes and shapes that she can handle

Model healthy behavior

Goals and Objectives Leah will be able to demonstrate strength, flexibility, and balance when using her large muscles Leah will be more able to carry out personal care routines on her own She will be capable of engaging in healthy practices

2.) Social-Emotional: Leah seems to be developing appropriately with her social and emotional development. She is able to feel empathy when her friends are sad (observation 3). She conveys her anger and happiness through her facial expressions as well as with her words (observation 4 and observation 22). She participates in the community of the classroom (observation 19). She is also capable of building relationships with her peers (observation 18).

Recommendations to support continued growth: Provide nonstereotyped materials, activities, and role models Acknowledge her efforts and accomplishments Encourage self-help skills consistent with her abilities and developmental levels Scaffold learning by introducing the next level of challenge when she is ready to move on Accept her full range of emotions as normal Comment on and discuss feelings throughout the day

Goals and Objectives Leah will obtain a more positive self identity She will also be more capable in identifying, labeling and regulating her emotions Leah will be able to build relationships with other children and adults more easily 3.) Cognitive: Leah explores objects with her hands, feet, mouth, eyes, ears and nose (observation 12). She is able to locate objects when she needs or wants them (observations 9, 20). She is capable of filling and emptying objects (observation 20). She is able to take things apart and put them back together (observation 1). She also experiences fast and slow (observation 17). Cause and effect is also something that Leah is able to observe and participate in (observation 1).

Recommendations to support continued growth: Provide more materials that allow for filling and emptying as well as taking apart and putting together Work on the setting specific times during the day for activities so that she is able to better anticipate events and notice the beginning and ending of time intervals Practice numbers in an authentic way, such as counting crayons as you put them away Goals and Objectives Leah will be capable of experiencing the number of things Leah will be able to see people and things from various perspectives She will be able to explore and notice how things are the same or different. Leah will be able to anticipate activities and notice when something is beginning or ending 4.) Language: Leah expresses herself using language (observation 3, 4, 7, 14, 15, 13). She reads and enjoys being read to and exploring print (observation 8). Recommendations to support continued growth: Model appropriate speech

Listen to her speak Use questions sparingly Read books and tell stories with both basic and unusual vocabulary words

Provide opportunities for her to experience new materials and ideas Encourage her to talk instead of using gestures Have real conversations with her Have fun with language Provide a print-rich environment Provide a variety of writing and drawing materials

Goals and Objectives: Leah will be able to understand language better She will be able to express herself using language Leah will be more capable in identifying distinct sounds in spoken language She will be able to identify letter names and sounds Leah will read more for pleasure and information

5.) Approach to Learning: Leah shows initiative (observations 14, 6). Leah is capable of self help (observations 7, 10). She engages herself in activities and focuses on them (observation 1, 9). She uses problem solving (observation 2, 15). Recommendations to support continued growth:

Establish a physical environment that is rich in options to explore materials, actions, ideas, and relationships

Show interest in the choices and decisions she makes Provide materials and activities that hold her interest Talk with her about what is and is not working Acknowledge when she tries new things Provide open-ended materials and experiences that appeal to all the senses

Goals and Objectives Leah will demonstrate more initiative as she explores her world She will be able to make plans and follow through with them throughout the day Leah will be able to solve problems that she encounters during play Leah will be able to reflect on her experiences

6.) Creative: Leah participates in art and is able to express herself through two dimensional and three dimensional art (observation 11, 23). She can express herself through movement (observation 24).

Recommendations to support continued growth: Provide open-ended art materials and experiences

Look for opportunities to listen to, identify, and create sounds with Leah

Talk with her about the arts Provide opportunities for her to represent their experiences through movement

Support her as she imitates what she sees and hears Expose her to the materials, tools, and techniques used by artists

Goals and Objectives Leah will be better able to express and represent what she observes, thinks, and imagines She will be able to express herself using movement Leah will become more capable of expressing herself through pretend play Leah will appreciate the creative arts