Amanda Kaczynski

12/2/13

Child Study 2-C.C. 6.4 years of age

Children in the primary grades, ages six to eight, gain increasing mastery in every area of

development and academic skills. There are six different areas of development in which children

between the ages of six and eight advance in. The developmental domains include: physical and

health, cognitive, language, social, emotional, and creative. Children between the ages of six and

eight also increase their developmental skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. These

developmental domains and skills are demonstrated by children in the primary grades each day

as they continue to grow and learn. It is important that goals are made for children based on their

abilities and skills in each developmental domain and academic skill area so that they can

improve on them and become the best they can be as they go forward in their education.

Child’s Background:

C.C. was born on July 2, 2007. He was adopted about twenty days after his birth to two

loving parents in Keene, New Hampshire. C.C. was born from a drug addicted mother causing

him to have scar tissue in his brain. He is an only child and lives in a home with his parents in

Keene. Both of C.C.’s parents have full time jobs and have a lower middle-class socioeconomic

status. C.C. attends regular doctor’s appointments at both occupational and physical therapy to

strengthen his body. He is a happy child and comes to school each day sharing exciting news

about his family, weekend, or other experiences. He is creative and often uses his imagination to

play games and tell stories. He enjoys school, learning, and playing with friends.

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Last year C.C. was put on an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) to help him be

successful academically, socially, and physically. However, at the end of last year C.C. was

taken off of his IEP and started off first grade without any additional intervention. My

cooperating teacher, special education staff, and C.C.’s parents have recently started attending

meetings to help get C.C. back on an IEP. My cooperating teacher has told me that so far the

meetings are going well and C.C. will be put back on an IEP as soon as possible. In the new IEP,

C.C. will have both academic and social goals to help him achieve success in first grade. C.C.

will also be given a shared tutor with one of the other students in the classroom to give them both

the education they deserve.

Physical Development:

In order for children to advance and succeed in learning across all other domains, they

need sufficient nutrition, exercise, shelter, and sleep to concentrate, learn, and interact well with

others (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009). In the primary grades, children are able to refine their

motor skills and become more proficient physically. Physical development and growth is

relatively steady although much slower than it is in the child’s first five years of life. Children

become more aware of their body positions and movements and have noticeable physical gains

in their height and muscle mass (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009). Between the ages of six and

eight children refine gross motor skills such as running and jumping, have greater coordination

of their bodies in balancing tasks and learn to sequence a series of movement skills. Children

also refine their fine motor skills by using more controlled movement and precision to draw,

write and cut using scissors (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009).

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C.C. comes to school each day well rested and eats a nutritious snack provided by the

school’s food services. For snack, C.C. typically has an oatmeal cookie and a piece of fruit.

During the past few months C.C. has been able to fight off illness with the exception of having

strep throat for a few days in October (see notes page 2). He was able to recover quickly with the

help of medicine and rest home from school. Before snack and lunch C.C. always washes his

hands without a reminder from an adult. After using the bathroom, sometimes C.C. does need a

reminder to wash his hands. In cold weather, C.C. typically comes to school in a hat, gloves, and

winter jacket to stay warm during recess.

During Physical Education and recess, C.C. exhibits gross motor skills such as running,

skipping, throwing, jumping, and kicking. During one class, C.C. could not “gallop” properly

which is the motion of sliding one foot in front of the other (see notes page 1). C.C. has also not

established his dominant hand in throwing a ball overhand (see notes page 1). During recess,

C.C. often plays chasing games with other children and runs around the field and playground. He

also goes on the swings and slide using gross motor skills to climb and pump his legs.

C.C. is unable to perform increased abilities in skills involving fine motor physical

development. He needs assistance from an adult to cut paper using scissors and cannot cut

directly on the lines (see notes page 1). C.C. is still learning how to hold his pencil the correct

way and cannot write many letters in the alphabet (see notes page 1). Currently, he is working on

perfecting the writing of the letters, m, f, and b. During hand writing time (12:15-1:00 PM), C.C.

goes upstairs with two other students to practice writing in a smaller setting and receive extra

support from teachers to write uppercase and lowercase letters. He is working on controlling

motions to make letters and hold the pencil properly. From the beginning of the year to now,

C.C. is beginning to make progress in handwriting.

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One goal for C.C. is to increase his gross motor skills to be able to run, gallop, and throw

at the developmentally appropriate level for a six year old. C.C. is working on this goal by

attending physical therapy to strengthen his muscles. When C.C. is put back on to his IEP, he

will have the opportunity to receive physical therapy in school for a short time period a few

times a week. By attending physical therapy both outside of school and inside school, C.C. will

have more opportunities to achieve this goal.

Another goal for C.C. is to increase his fine motor skills in hand writing by holding the

pencil the correct way. C.C. currently gets extra support from various teachers to practice hand

writing and master the skill of writing each letter and number correctly. As C.C. continues to

receive support and guidance in hand writing, he will eventually be able to write each letter

(uppercase and lower case) easily and correctly. C.C. can also practice writing letters in the

alphabet and numbers 0-9 at home each night to gain more practice. By taking just a few minutes

to write numbers and the alphabet on his own, C.C. will gain the confidence and skill of hand

writing by himself within a few months.

Cognitive Development:

Children in the primary grades, specifically age’s five to seven, make great strides in their

cognitive development and abilities. Children in this age range increase their ability to think

logically and more dimensionally to solve a wider range of problems (Copple and Bredekamp,

2009). Children enjoy reading, spelling, games, experiments, collecting/sorting, and learning

about weight and value. Children also begin to differentiate the line between fantasy and reality.

Because of the significant changes in brain structure, children around age’s five to seven are

given more responsibilities and higher expectations from adults. “These changes affect not only

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their academic and intellectual functioning but also social cognition, moral reasoning, and

language abilities (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009, p. 272). Children age’s five to seven, range

from a wide variety of cognitive developmental levels.

C.C. enjoys learning new concepts in mathematics and social studies/science as well as

learning how to read and write. C.C. is able to count money accurately and understand that each

coin has a specific value (see sample pages 12, 14). He is still in the process of learning how to

think logically and accept greater responsibility from adults. On October 7th, C.C. needed a

reminder from another student to check his desk and get his folder to bring home. C.C. thought

that a teacher would check and tell all of the students to remember to take home their folders (see

notes page 1-2). He also has not yet determined a clear distinction between right and wrong. He

may need redirection from a teacher or other adult to steer him to do what is “right”.

Currently in the classroom, C.C. is having difficulty with moral reasoning when

interacting with his peers I.M. and D.C. These three students are unable to successfully play and

engage with one another because I.M. and D.C. both want to play and be with C.C. C.C. enjoys

playing with D.C. and often only wants to play with D.C. during free choice and recess (see

notes pages 2 and 3). D.C. does not necessarily set a good example for C.C. by growling at

teachers, not listening to instructions from teachers, and discouraging C.C. from playing with

other students. When talking to D.C.’s tutor, Ms. S., she observed that C.C. seems to lose track

of his “moral compass” to please D.C. C.C. has started to occasionally growl at teachers and

make similar facial expressions as D.C. does which is not typical behavior for C.C. He also

imitates I.M.’s behavior who is a student with an intellectual disability and cannot always behave

appropriately in the classroom. When a teacher addresses C.C. and tells him that his behavior is

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unacceptable he immediately says “sorry” and will refocus his behavior and thoughts to do the

right thing.

One goal for C.C. is to play with other children besides D.C. and I.M. throughout the day

to lessen his desire to imitate both students’ behaviors. It is important for C.C. to work with other

peers and interact with others to see examples of children behaving appropriately for first grade.

During free choice, C.C. can be directed to new activities with different children such as block

building, story reading, and building with Lego’s. Teachers can also continue to remind C.C.

which behaviors are acceptable in school and which are not to encourage him to make the right

choices. C.C. can certainly continuing his friendship with both I.M. and D.C., however by

spending a little less time with both students, C.C. will be able to develop his moral reasoning

and development more effectively.

Language Development:

Although much of children’s language development is developed during the preschool

and kindergarten years, the transition from listening, speaking, and emerging reading skills to

“real” reading and written self-expression is made in the primary grades (Copple and

Bredekamp, 2009). Children age’s six to eight are able to expand their receptive and expressive

vocabulary through reading and writing. Children can use their vocabulary knowledge to decode

one-syllable words and recognize irregularly spelled but common words. Children in the primary

grades are able to use their imaginations and knowledge to write their own journal entries and

stories using mostly invented spelling based on phonics. However, children ages six to eight

conscious of getting spelling right and are able to use conventional punctuation and

capitalization (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009). Despite the range of abilities in language and

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literacy development children enter the primary grades with, all children can make definite

progress and learn to enjoy reading and writing.

C.C. enjoys reading and is able to read most one syllable words by himself. When

reading a sentence, C.C. points to each word and does his best to sound it out with guidance from

a teacher. When given a book to look at individually, C.C. will take a picture walk and generally

not pay much attention to the words. C.C. has a very rich vocabulary and can comprehend stories

easily because of his interest in reading. At home, C.C. is given an environment with rich

language and vocabulary which helps C.C. to discuss his ideas and knowledge of stories without

the help of an adult. On November 20, the class listened to a story on tape and was told to write

about one thing that happened in the story. C.C. was able to comprehend the story and determine

which aspect of the story he would draw and write about (see notes page 3). However, C.C. has

difficulty with the act of writing his thoughts and ideas which takes away from his excitement of

writing. C.C. also has poor phonemic awareness and cannot always sound out the individual

sound of a letter. Mrs. A has told me when assessing C.C. he could not form the sound for the

letter “m” among other letter sounds. This puts C.C. at a disadvantage for fluency in reading

because of his ability to make some sounds and not others. During writing activities, C.C. cannot

write a letter based on its sound, a teacher must tell him exactly which letter to make (see notes

page 1).

One goal for C.C. is to increase his phonological awareness and be able to make each

sound for the letters in the alphabet. C.C. must first master this concept before being able to

understand clusters which is what students in the class are focusing on now. C.C. is usually

pulled out of the room during reading time and is able to work with a specialist in a small group

to practice phonemes in both written and spoken language. Teachers work with C.C. to say

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onsets and rimes and help him to make individual sounds. This will help C.C. with his ability to

read fluently and decode phonetically regular one-syllable words, and recognize common

irregularly spelled words such as “come”. C.C. can also get extra practice by reading

appropriately leveled books at home each night. By reading out loud with mom and dad, C.C.

can gain more skills in literacy and fluency over time.

Social and Emotional Development:

Children in the primary grades establish a more complex understanding of how their

behavior affects others and the importance of relationships particularly with peers. Because

children spend much of their time in school, it is important that teachers help children develop

the abilities to work collaboratively and express respect, empathy, and caring for other people

(Copple and Bredekamp, 2009). Children age’s five to eight are very interested in their peers’

opinions and interests and can remain engaged in conversations and rich social interactions.

Children in the primary grades also become increasingly aware of others’ emotions and

managing their own.

C.C. is able to work collaboratively with other children in the class by sharing, taking

turns, and engaging in conversations with peers throughout the day. C.C. also has a positive and

open relationship with all of the teachers in the room and can express his thoughts and ideas

clearly. C.C. is more comfortable talking to a teacher about conflict then he is dealing with

conflict directly with peers. During free choice and recess, C.C. often approaches a teacher or

other adult about various conflicts with peers that do not want to play with him or are playing a

game that he does not want to play (see notes pages 1 and 2). C.C. also has difficulty reading

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other children’s emotions and can sometimes interpret children’s laughter at him rather than with

him (see notes page 2).

C.C. is overall a happy child and has a positive self-concept and self-esteem. During

writing activities, C.C. does not become frustrated when he is still writing while other children

are finished, instead he continues working and does the best he can until he is finished himself.

During whole group time and specials such as music and P.E., C.C. and D.C. enjoy sitting next

to one another and talking amongst themselves and touching or hugging each other. It is not

uncommon for a teacher to separate the two children and make sure that they are sitting apart in

order for both students to pay attention and learn effectively.

One goal for C.C. to improve his social and emotional development is to practice

working out conflict with his peers without the help of a teacher. I would like for C.C. to tell his

classmates and friends his feelings rather than tell a teacher first. To help implement this goal, I

will remind C.C. to tell his friends how he feels and to stop if he doesn’t like the way they are

treating them. I, or another teacher, will tell C.C. that it is his job to work out issues with

classmates and that he can solve the problem by himself (unless it is unsafe). C.C. is currently

working towards this goal and is able to tell his friends and classmates how he feels after

receiving guidance from a teacher.

I also want to help C.C. understand that if a friend is not treating him nicely, he can play

with another friend. Every day C.C. automatically plays and interacts with D.C. unless D.C. is

absent. A goal for C.C. is to engage in conversation and play with children aside from D.C.

during the school day especially when D.C. is engaging in negative behavior. One way to

implement this goal is to have C.C. chose a new friend to play with outside at recess and during

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free choice. This will help C.C. to understand that being a friend to someone does not mean that

you have to be with them all day. By playing with other children along with playing with D.C.,

C.C. will begin to understand that it is okay to have more than one friend.

Creative Development:

Despite the rigid schedule that many primary grades teachers must follow, it is important

that children ages five through eight can use their creativity in activities involving music,

movement, and art. The arts are integrated into all areas of the curriculum when students use

their creativity and imagination to create stories, pictures, and art work that are often displayed in

the classroom (Copple and Bredekamp, 2009). Children in the primary grades attend weekly

specials such as: music, art, and technology where they can demonstrate their creative/aesthetic

development. Art materials such as scissors, markers, crayons, paper, and glue are also usually

readily available in the classroom for students to use throughout the day.

C.C. demonstrates creative/aesthetic development by using his imagination to play games

and create materials to play with. On October 23, C.C. and D.C. created maps by making

scribbles and lines on a piece of a paper and rolling it up. The two boys used their maps to look

for treasure in the classroom during free choice (see notes page 2). At recess, C.C. also uses his

imagination to play games using sticks and nature (see notes page 3). C.C. uses his creativity

during writing time to draw pictures that he can write a sentence about afterward (see samples

pages 15, 17, 22). Although he is told to make all drawings realistic, he is still able to add a little

of his own creativity in designing the picture. During music class, C.C. participates in singing

various songs and dancing in organized movements.

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One goal to help increase C.C.’s creative development is to have him spend more time

coloring with markers and crayons. Not only will this help with his fine motor development, but

he will also be able to use his creativity and imagination to create his own drawings. To help

C.C. achieve this goal, during free choice a teacher can direct him to the markers and paper to

have him draw freely. However, because free choice is a time for students to choose what

activity they want to participate in, it may be difficult for the teacher to follow through with this

strategy.

Academic Skills-Reading and Writing:

Based on C.C.’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing scores he is clearly

below the district grade level mean RIT of 160. C.C. scored a 139 when this standardized test

was given on September 13 (see assessments page 1 and 2). This test is taken on the computer

and is used to give teachers the detailed information they need to meet their students’ needs. On

the breakdown of each section in the reading MAP test, C.C. scored the lowest on “Foundational

Skills” with a score of 131 (see assessments page 2). During every day phonics lessons using the

Houghton Mifflin text and worksheets, C.C. has been successful in writing the beginning sounds

for pictures such as “table”, “cat”, “sun”, “mop”, “rake”, etc. (see samples pages 2, 3, 5) with the

help of a teacher. C.C. is successful in completing phonics worksheets when guided through each

direction and phonemic sound; however he has difficulty when completing work on his own. In

order for C.C. to be able to complete phonics work by himself, he has spent a lot of time working

on individual letters in his Explode the Code book (see samples pages 7, 8, 9, 10, 18, 19).

To help C.C. achieve success in reading, he currently goes out of the classroom to receive

extra help and support from reading and title 1 specialists. C.C. is able to receive more individual

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attention to eventually become skilled in the areas of phonics and word recognition. At home

C.C. also has availability to books that developmentally appropriate and interesting to him, some

of his favorites include Curious George and Thomas the Tank Engine series. By practicing

reading and being read to at home, C.C. is given greater opportunities to come closer to reaching

the target district level mean RIT and achieving success in reading in first grade.

The Common Core State Writing Standards for Grade 1 students state that students must

be able to: “Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts

about the topic, and provide some sense of closure; With guidance and support from adults,

focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen

writing as needed; With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences

or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.” (Common Core State

Standards, 2013). C.C. is able to successfully meet these standards by writing journal entries

with the help of a teacher. C.C. is usually not in the classroom during writing time, so he

composes his journal entries with one other student and a specialist. C.C. needs a lot of support

and one on one attention to be able to write one complete, proper sentence. He has not yet

mastered the concept of using an uppercase letter only at the start of a sentence, but is able to

write a sentence with meaning (see samples page 15, 22). C.C. also does not use invented

spelling because of his lack of understanding of phonemes. A teacher typically spells out the

words for C.C., but he is the one who thinks of the sentences and writes each letter.

Academic Skills-Mathematics

The Common Core State Mathematics Standards for Grade 1 students state that the

curriculum must focus on four key areas: (1) developing understanding of addition and

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subtraction within 20, (2) developing and understanding number relationships and place value

(including grouping in tens and ones), (3) developing and understanding linear measurement and

measuring lengths as iterating length units, (4) and reasoning about attributes of, and composing

and decomposing geometric shapes (Common Core State Standards, 2012). The MAP testing

also assesses children on these four areas. On September 13, C.C. scored a 137 which is very far

below the district grade level mean RIT of 163 points (see assessments page 1). However, on the

written assessment taken on October 14, C.C. successfully completed the assessment with the

exception of subtracting “8+1” instead of adding the two numbers together (see assessments

page 5). C.C. is able to successfully group in tens and ones (see sample page 12) and count by

twos up to twenty (see samples page 13, 20 and assessments page 5). He can also tell time with

the help of a teacher (see samples pages 11, 21) and understands the concept of linear

measurement (see samples page 26). C.C. enjoys learning mathematics and particularly enjoys

counting money (see samples page 12, 14 and assessments page 4).

To help get C.C. on the target academic level for grade 1 students in mathematics, he

recently has been spending more time out the room to work in a very small group (about three

students) with a mathematics specialist and title 1 teacher. C.C. is given more attention and time

to go over concepts such as addition, subtraction, place value, and measurement at a slower and

more developmentally appropriate pace. With such a strong interest in learning new concepts in

math, C.C. is open to learning and should with time be able to increase his MAP testing score to

be closer to the district level mean RIT.

Each of the six developmental domains for children in the primary grades is important

and crucial to a child’s growth. Throughout the primary grades, children will progress at

different rates in each area of development and continue to grow and learn as they advance

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through schooling. Although these are the developmental levels that children ages six to eight

should be at, it is important to remember that all children are different and will achieve academic

success at different time periods and in different ways. It is crucial for teachers to set attainable,

appropriate goals for each individual child to help them on their journey to academic and

developmental success.

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References

Bredekamp, S. & Copple, C. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood

programs (3rd ed.). Washington DC: NAEYC.

Common Core Standards for English Language Arts. (2012).

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. (2012).

http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Content/1/

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