Shelby Sandstrom

Child Development Case Study

Introduction
This child development case study took place on March 15th, 2019. The child observed was an
8th grade female who is 14 years old. Most of the observations took place at a kitchen table in
the comfort of the child’s own home, and some took place in the student’s driveway. She was
given tasks and asked questions that allowed me to better understand and apply the
developmental theories known as cognitive, physical, and moral.
Part I: Cognitive
Task 1: To begin, I gave the student a conservation of liquid task. I began by having two shorter
glasses with the same amount of water in it, and one taller glass that was empty. I first asked
the student which glass had more water between the two shorter glasses. She concluded that
they were the same amount. Next, I poured one of the shorter glasses into the taller glass and
asked again, what glass had more water? The taller one or the shorter one? She looked at me
very confused and said, “we just said they have the same amount, no water was added so these
two are the same too.”
Next, the student was given a conservation of mass task. We made pickle ham and
cream cheese dip as a snack during this, so I decided to use two slices of ham to complete this
task. I first laid out two slices of ham from the packaging and asked which one had more ham,
she stated they were the same size. Next, I rolled up one of the slices of ham into a tube-like
shape. I asked her again, which slice has more ham? She laughed and said, “they still have an
equal amount of ham.”
After the conservation of mass task, the student was given a task involving area. Since
we made pickle, ham, and cream cheese dip, we had to have Wheat Thins to do the dipping.
They also came in handy for this task. I gave the student one wheat thin, and myself two. I
asked if that was fair, and if we received the same amount, she said no. I then reached over and
broke her Wheat Thin in half and asked if it was fair now. She responded “No, I technically have
two pieces, but they are not the same size as yours. I am still receiving a smaller amount.”
Task 2: To help me identify the student’s understanding about seriation, I gave her ten dominos
and asked her to arrange the dominos from the least to greatest (sum of the top and bottom
number). The student could identify the numbers rather quickly and didn’t have to count each
little dot represented on the domino, she used their colors as a reference as well. This task was
easy for this student due to her age, so I attempted to make it a bit more challenging. I paired
each domino up with another domino and told her to consider each domino a factor in a
multiplication problem. I then asked her to arrange the pairs from least to greatest based on their
product (sum of top and bottom were considered one factor). This took her a little bit longer
because she was not able to just use visualization. She started with the product of one pair and
made that her starting point. After that she would say the product of each pair out loud and
decide if that went in front of or behind the beginning pair. As an 8 th grade Geometry student,
multiplication was still easy for her and she was successful in both tasks.

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Task 3: We decided to continue with dominos to assess her understanding of transitivity. I added
three more dominos to the set. I then asked her to show me three ways she could sort the
Dominos into groups. Before she began sorting, she examined the Dominos and wrote on a
nearby piece of paper three ways she could sort them. She then quickly started looking over each
Domino for a second or two before putting them into two groups. She said one group’s sum was
even and the other was odd. She voiced that at the beginning she wasn’t sure how to go about
forming other categories. She resulted to establishing one side as the “top” number and sorting
them by equivalency. Originally, she wanted to sort them using colors, but quickly realized each
Domino could fit into two groups. Instead she created a group where each domino had the same
number (color) on each side.

Chart of Categorization/Classification Experience

List of materials introduced: 13 colored Dominos
Categorie Total equals an even Top numbers of the Same number (color) on each side,
s Formed number, Total domino are equivalent Different number (color) on each side
equals an odd Sort 2 Sort 3
by number
Student Sort 1
Sort #1

Sort #2

Sort#3

Task 4: Lastly, to determine where this student was in terms of

cognitive development, I asked her several questions. I first
began with a question to assess her understanding of inferred
reality. I asked her what her GPA was, and she said a 4.0. I
asked her if school came easy for her, and what her favorite
classes were. Her response was, “It comes easy because I am a
hard worker. I would say my favorite class is science.” This
student then told me she was going to be competing at State for her science fair project. She
said “My project tested how an artificial pancreas would function with different levels of blood
sugar. I used vinegar as insulin and baking soda with water for blood sugar.” I felt this
demonstrated abstract thinking already, so I asked her why we have seasons. Her immediate
response without pausing was “Because of the earths tilt and its revolution around the sun.”
Part II: Physical

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Task 1: This student is not engaged in any extra-curricular activities that would involve physical
activity, so testing her gross motor skills took a little convincing because it was out of her
comfort zone. I told her we would just do a small “warm-up” together up and down her
driveway. We did cherry pickers, jogged and then did some lunges. I noticed she was a little off
balance when we did the lunges, and as we ran her arms flailed in the air instead of staying by
her side. After, we passed a soccer ball back and forth in her driveway. She was able to stop the
pass and kick it back directly at me.
Task 2: School and the arts is what this student excels at. I asked her to cut
out a picture from a magazine and watched as she held the scissors and
maneuvered the page. She held the scissors in her right hand. She put her
thumb through one hole of the scissors, and her middle finger through the
other with her pointer finger on top. She moved very slowly and carefully
being attentive to the details. She mentioned earlier being in band and
offered to play her clarinet, as she held the instrument and played, she
looked very poised.
Task 3: While working with the student I noticed several things about her
physical appearance. I noticed her roots were darker, and then the rest blended into a darker
blonde shade, so she has colored her hair before. Her outfit matched completely (except for her
colorful socks), she had an Under-Armor sweatshirt on with Under-Armor sweatpants. She has
already grown in height because she was almost as tall as I am (I’m 5’7”). Her adult teeth have
grown in, but she has not had braces yet, so they are not straight. She did not have very much
acne at all, except for a few small pimples. She smelled like perfume and wore mascara on her
eyes. I asked her where she likes to shop, she said she likes Dicks Sporting Goods, American
Eagle, and Target.
Part III: Moral
Task 1: When assessing the student’s understanding of right versus wrong I asked her questions
relatable to her. I asked what her thoughts were on cheating, she said “Obviously, people think
it is easier to cheat, but in the long run it ends up being more work in my opinion. You get in
trouble; you now must redo the assignment or work harder in the class because the result of
cheating gave you a zero on that test or assignment. It’s wrong, but lazy people do it.” I then
mentioned how she is going to be driving with her permit next year and asked her thoughts on
speeding. She said “I understand a few miles per hour or if you’re passing someone, but overall,
it’s not worth it. You’re putting your life and other people’s lives in danger.”
Task 2: Aside from right and wrong, I wanted to know the student’s values and beliefs. I asked
her who she surrounds herself with at school, and she said “I surround myself with people that
get stuff done. If they’re a slacker I get anxiety for them, and they’re probably an unreliable
friend if they can’t get their own stuff done.” I then asked her what she likes to do at home, she
said she likes to read to broaden her horizon and learn more about the world. She mentioned
activities typical for most teenagers as well, such as taking naps, and watching Netflix. At
school, she said she considers band class to be fun. She enjoys the people and creating music.

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Part IV: Synthesis

The child I observed allowed me to better understand the developmental theories

cognitive, physical, and moral. As I stated in the introduction, this child was a 14-year-old

female, who is currently an 8th grader. In terms of her cognitive development, I would say that

this student would be placed in Piaget’s 4th stage, known as Formal Operations. I mentioned her

science fair project in this case study because I felt that it demonstrated her ability to think

scientifically and form a hypothesis which is one of the indicators of formal operations.

Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development was hard to determine with this student because she

did not need any assistance throughout the tasks so I was unable to determine the difference

between what she could and couldn’t do without help. When it comes to physical

development, I would say that this child would probably be in post-puberty due to her age, her

height, and her mostly clear skin. Through my physical development observations, I would also

say that this student would be in Erikson’s 5th stage of social development which is

Identity/Role and Confusion. Coloring her hair and wearing clothes that are name brand shows

society’s influence on her physical appearance. The case study ended by asking a few questions

to determine this student’s moral compass. As far as Kohlberg’s Theory, I feel that this student

would be in Conventional, Stage 4, which is Law and Order. This student seemed to care more

about following the rules, and liked people that followed the rules as well. She was very honest

and up front with her answers. She did not seem influenced by others to say what other people

would want to hear.

This case study allowed me to have a better understanding of the developmental

theories, but it also gave me insight into potential students I may be working with in the future

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and how they think. In my opinion, the student I observed seemed very mature for her age and

is the kind of student that would more than likely not give me any issues in the classroom. I

could identify this student’s funds of knowledge, and if we were placed into a classroom

setting, I would be able to adapt my teaching style to this student if she needed help. For

example, if we were working on math, bringing up sports into a math equation would make no

sense because the student wouldn’t be able to relate. However, if I turned it into a question

relating to band or science, it may be easier for this student to make a connection because

those are two elements that are part of her identity.

I think teachers that care to learn more about their students and the culture of their

classroom take part in tasks and activities like we did in this case study. I was also able to

identify that this student is more than likely an independent learner. She was not reliant on me

for help, and she was able to think and act on her own which made it difficult in determining

her ZPD. If she was a dependent learner, she would have been reliant on me to carry out most

of the tasks she was given. However, it’s important for me to realize not all my students are

going to be independent learners, nor are they going to use the same learning strategies when

attempting coursework. The value of this case study is the understanding you receive about the

student, and its ability to allow you to be a more culturally responsive teacher in your

classroom. Although you more than likely would not be able to have the time to work one on

one with every student, especially in a high school setting.

I personally would attempt to synopsis my students as learners because it would be the

easiest way to get to know my students and understand the culture of my classroom. I know a

lot of previous teachers of mine, as well as professors, that would either do “About Me”

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presentations or papers at the beginning of the year. I think the question on some of those

forms that states, “Is there anything else you would like me to know?” really gives students the

chance to voice their concerns. The “About Me” assignments also give teachers a general idea

about the funds of knowledge that they could build off in their classrooms. Getting to know my

students also allows me to be a warm demander in the classroom, which is important in the

development of learning partnerships that can be critical for the success of some students.