CASE STUDY OF A

CHILD: AGE 7
Mikayla Castillo
Edu 220: Principles of Education Psychology – 1003 – 1004
 Abstract: Overview of a 7-Year-Old Child
Development (Observation)
Physical Emotional Cognitive/Intellectual
• Very interested in • Eager to please the teacher • Better understand logic-
kinesthetic activities • Sensitive to others’ feelings based tasks
• Full of energy • Sensitive to criticism • Questions become more
• Pouts frequently • Difficulty adjusting to complex
• Good control of body failure • Concrete operational
thinking

Psychosocial/Social Moral/ Character

• Focus more on friendships • Copy adult behavior
• Moodiness is common and • Complain more
normal frequently
• Like to have more • Develop senses of
independence right and wrong
 Physical Development: Typical Behaviors

• Minor accidents may occur (University of Washington, 1993)

• Has fewer illnesses (University of Washington, 1993)

• Better coordination (University of Washington, 1993)

• Gets tired easily & needs more rest (Ellsworth, 1998)

• Advancement from small muscle control (Ellsworth, 1998)

 Physical Development: Typical Developmental
Level According To Snowman

• Very active and use habits to release their energy

• “Children still need rest periods; they become fatigued easily as a result of physical
and mental exertion.” (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, pg. 84)

• Children have trouble seeing or focusing on smaller objects or print

• Bones are not done growing yet and can’t deal with things that have or require great
pressure

• Children are more extreme in their physical activities and have better control of their
bodies (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)
 Physical Development: 7-year-old
Characteristics (Observation)

Meets developmental milestones:

• She is fairly active for most of the day and usually needs rest after a certain
amount of time.
• When she is involved in activities, she has good and well-balanced coordination.
• I noticed a regular nervous habit of her biting her nails. She usually does this
when she is sitting in her seat and is not working on anything.
• She has experienced some minor accidents from a few extreme physical
activities.
• She is of normal height for a seven-year-old girl in her grade level and wears
glasses.
 Physical Development: Recommendations

• Parents should help the child develop a sense of responsibility by having them help
with household tasks (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
• Parents should give clear rules to the child and stick to them (Center for Disease and
Control and Prevention, 2017)
• Children should receive some praise and encouragement for doing tasks from their
parents (Child Development Institute, 2015)
• Parents should be aware of the child’s physical limits; assist in changing activities for
the child to avoid exhaustion (University of Washington, 1993)
• Be patient with certain habits and don’t draw attention to awkwardness (University of
Washington, 1993)
 Emotional: Typical Behaviors

• Expresses anger more verbally than physically (Child Development Institute, 2015)

• Prefers friends own age and sex (Child Development Institute, 2015)

• “Bad days” are followed by losing track, not hearing instruction, forgotten work
(Ellsworth, 1998)

• Can complain a lot/frequently (University of Washington, 1993)

• May not interact with others; want to build a sense of self (University of Washington,
1993)
 Emotional: Typical Behaviors According To
Snowman

• “Children are eager to please the teacher” (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015,
pg. 86)

• More understanding of others’ feelings

• Have trouble with failure and adjusting to it

• Devastated when they receive criticism from teachers

• “Young children need frequent praise and recognition.” (Snowman, J. &

McCown, R., 2015, pg. 86)
 Emotional: 7-year-old Behavior Characteristics
(Observation)

Meets developmental milestones:

• When she gets angry or upset, she verbally expresses how she is feeling.

• Most of the children that she chooses to play with are girls of the same age.

• She does not follow instructions and loses track of the work when she is having a
“bad day”.

• She pays close attention to what her teacher expects. She wants to make sure her
assignments are done well to impress her teacher.
 Emotional: Development Recommendations

• Use discipline to guide and protect your child instead of punishment (Center
for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)
• Help the child set their own achievable goals (Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, 2017)
• Talk to the child about respect for herself and others (Child Development
Institute, 2015)
• Parents may provide reasonable sympathy when the child is complaining a lot
(University of Washington, 1993)
• Parents can provide personal support or reassurance when the child is not
wanting to interact with others (University of Washington, 1993)
 Cognitive/Intellectual: Typical Behaviors

• Asks more complex questions (Child Development Institute, 2015)

• Desires detailed answers (Child Development Institute, 2015)

• May want to do work for a sense of personal responsibility or value (Ellsworth, 1998)

• Child’s concrete operational thinking emerges; can better understand the continuity
of numbers or in time objects (Ellsworth, 1998)

• Likes to be challenged, work hard, and take time to complete a task (University of
Washington, 1993)
 Cognitive/Intellectual: Typical Developmental
Level According To Piaget And Vygotsky

Piaget – Concrete Operational Stage Vygotsky

• Schemes are developing that allow • Social interaction is the primary cause
a greater understanding of logic- of cognitive development (Snowman, J.
based tasks (Snowman, J. & & McCown, R., 2015)
McCown, R., 2015) • “Children gain significantly from the
• Operational thinking is limited to knowledge and conceptual tools
present objects or that children handed down to them by others who
have experienced directly are more intellectually advanced”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015) (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015, pg.
52)
 Cognitive/Intellectual: 7-year-old
Characteristics (Observation)
Meets developmental milestones:
• She always asks “why” questions when others tell her about something or to do
something.
• She wants answers to her questions to be answered fully and in more detail.
• When she thinks tasks are to easy for her, she asks for more challenging tasks for
herself.
• When she is given a “job” to do, she wants to do it well and values the responsibility
she is given.
• She is very interested in learning about science-based topics and lessons, such as
planets, space, and animals.
 Cognitive/Intellectual: Development
Recommendations
• Use better communication skills to help the child better describe their experiences
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
• Get the child to continually use observation and first-hand investigation (Child
Development Institute, 2015)
• Encourage the pursuit of hobbies and interests of the child (University of Washington,
1993)
• Give opportunities for decision making or selecting what she would do in certain
situations (University of Washington, 1993)
• Give the child challenges that may be appropriate for their level of ability (University
of Washington, 1993)
 Psychosocial/Social: Typical Behaviors

• Tend to pay more attention to teamwork and friendships (Center for Disease Control
and Prevention)

• Complaints about others and unfairness are normal (Ellsworth, 1998)

• Melancholy and moodiness are common in this age (Ellsworth, 19980

• Likes more responsibility and independence (University of Washington, 1993)

• Will withdraw from and avoid adults (University of Washington, 1993)

 Psychosocial/Social: Typical Developmental
Level According to Erikson
Industry Versus Inferiority
• “Behavior is dominated by intellectual curiosity and performance” (Snowman, J &
McCown, R., 2015, pg. 29)
• “He now learns to win recognition by producing things…He develops a sense of
industry.” (Snowman, J & McCown, R., 2015, pg. 29)
• Industry will have results when a child is allowed to finish tasks, praised, and helped
to persevere (Snowman, J & McCown, R., 2015)
• Feelings of inferiority come from efforts being unsuccessful or if they are treated as
bothersome (Snowman, J & McCown, R., 2015)
 Psychosocial/Social: 7-Year-Old Characteristics
(Observation)
Meets developmental milestones:
• She sometimes complains about how it is unfair that some children get or have
other items and she does not.
• Moodiness does occur with her sometimes. She will be fine and something will
occur that makes her upset or mad, her mood changes, and it stays that way for a
while.
Does not meet developmental milestones:
• She does not avoid or withdraw from adults. She approaches and speaks to them
like she would someone her age.
 Psychosocial/Social: Development
Recommendations

• Encourage the child to join or participate in school or community groups (Center for
Disease Control and Prevention)
• Have the child look at the perspective of others in situations (PBS, 2019)
• Encourage the child to talk about how they’re feeling and sharing their thoughts (PBS,
2019)
• Parents should show understanding and concern for the child when necessary
(University of Washington, 1993)
• Parents should encourage appropriate social interaction for the child (University of
Washington)
 Moral/Character/Philosophical: Typical
Behaviors

• An internal sense of right and wrong is developing (Ellsworth, 1998)

• Feel peer aggression; will tattle for self validity (Ellsworth, 1998)

• Children imitate adult behavior (PBS, 2019)

• May complain a lot (University of Washington, 1993)

• Can easily forget or get distracted; may not respond quickly or hear directions
(University of Washington, 1993)
 Moral/Character/Philosophical: Development
According to Kohlberg
• “Moral reasoning proceeds through a fixed sequence of stages.” (Snowman, J. & McCown,
R., 2015, pg. 60)
• Moral issues are not completely understood and are narrow, concrete, and self-centered
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)
Level 1: Preconventional Morality
• Convention and society rules are not understood properly.
Stage 1: Punishment-obedience orientation
• Staying out of trouble will help avoid punishment; those with authority/power should be
obeyed
Stage 2: Instrumental relativist orientation
• There should be benefits for following the rules
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2015)
 Moral/Character/Philosophical: 7-Year-Old
Characteristics (Observation)

Meets developmental milestones:

• She will say a phrase or make an action and says that she saw someone (an
adult) do it.
• When she thinks another child is doing something wrong, she tattles on
them just because she wants to or feels like she needs to.
• Another child was punished for behavior and she believed she should
receive something for not being “bad.”
• She has a delay in responding to others sometimes because she gets
distracted by other things.
 Moral/Character/Philosophical: Development
Recommendations

• Remind the child that it is important to tell the truth to increase the chance of
them being honest (PBS, 2019)

• Provide encouragement to help instill better confidence (PBS, 2019)

• Use process praise to help the child develop perseverance (PBS, 2019)

• Provide the child with reasonable sympathy (University of Washington, 1993)

• Give personal support and reassurance to the child (University of Washington)

 References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Child development. Retrieved from
[Link]

Child Development Institute (2015). The ages and stages of child development. Retrieved from
[Link]

Ellsworth, J. (1998). Online lesson: PEPSI as a screening tool. Retrieved from

[Link]

PBS (2019) Learn & grow by age. Retrieved from [Link]

Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2015). Psychology Applied to Teaching, 14th ed. Stamford, CT: Cengage
Learning.

University of Washington. (1993). Child development: Using the child development guide. Retrieved from
[Link]