Identifying Information and Physical Description
For purposes of this paper, the child’s name will be protected and replaced with the
pseudonym Johnny. Johnny is a five year old, caucasian boy. He has curly brunette hair, green
eyes, a small, round face, and rosy cheeks. His family identifies as upper middle class and are
devout Christians. Johnny attends the child’s care room at my church where I established a
friendly relationship with he and his mother. Johnny is also an only child.
I observed the child during the month of October on consecutive Sundays at our shared
church’s child room. The room consists of children of early childhood, allowing me to compare
his behavior to those around him. As noted above, I am friendly with Johnny’s mother who gave
me permission to observe her child for a number of weeks as well as provid any information
needed to complete this paper and to make a thorough assessment of his behavior.
Household Information
Housing
Johnny’s primary caretakers include his mother and father, both of whom share equal
responsibility when it comes to the care of their son. Presently, it is only the three living in the
home. The home itself is a large, two story, modern victorian home in the heart of a well-to-do
neighborhood in South Jersey.
Health
Johnny is a very healthy and active little boy. His mother informed me that he has no past
medical history other than a peanut allergy which required a trip to the hospital at three years of
age. Johnny has no history of physical or mental challenges or injuries otherwise.
Social Systems
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According to Ashford et al., 2018, a social support system can be described as
“continuing social aggregates that provide individuals with opportunities for feedback about
themselves and for validations of their expectations about others, which may offset deficiencies
in these communications in larger community contexts.” In Johnny’s case, this includes his
nuclear family, his neighborhood, and his church, all of which work to promote his wellbeing.
As for the neighborhood Johnny currently lives, it is a fairly wealthy neighborhood. It’s a
very small, close knit town where everybody knows everybody. The population of the
neighborhood is approximately 1,080 people and just one school for students in grades k-8. From
there, students move to the high school a town over. Important to note, the neighborhood is not
very diverse, consisting mainly of middle class, caucasian families. This one area may work
against Johnny’s wellbeing, a negative social system if you will, because he is not being
introduced to a wide variety of people of other cultures with varying backgrounds.
Current Developmental Information
To briefly explain, as it will be thoroughly analyzed later in the paper, Johnny’s physical,
social, emotional, and intellectual development appears to be on track for a child of his age. He is
learning through play as I observed, has very imaginative thoughts, and possesses the ability to
express himself through speech. Johnny’s mother informed me that his pediatrician and teacher
says that he is a perfectly healthy young boy and falls into what is said to be normally developed
for a child of five years.
Biophysical Dimension
As the textbook explains, physical development refers to the growth of the entire human
body as well as the ability to perform motor skills. Within early childhood, the human body
grows and average of 2 ½ inches a year and gains an average of 5-7 pounds annually. As I
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observed, Johnny was on the taller side for his age, in comparison to the other children present
and was also on the skinnier side. Because of this rapid growth both in weight and height, it is
imperative that children receive proper nutrition during this time.
At this stage of early childhood, there are major physical milestones that parents or
caretakers should watch for to ensure their child is “ontrack” physically. Major physical
milestones include “running, hopping, throwing and kicking balls, climbing, and swinging with
ease” (“4- to 5-Year-Olds: Developmental Milestones”). This in turn relates to the refinement of
the child’s gross and fine motor skills. During this stage of early childhood, gross motor skills
are enhanced allowing the child to thrive on activity. Activity at this age is wildly important as
Ashford et al., 2018, explains “exercise they crave will maximize their developmental strengths
during this period.” As for fine motor skills, fine motor coordination is rapidly progressing much
like gross motor skills. Children at this preschool age often find themselves frustrated however,
when it comes to certain tasks because they have the ability to cognitively conjure up a goal
though struggle to produce or achieve the intended result due to limitations of their fine motor
skills.
Moreover, I can attest and say that I noticed all of these milestones in Johnny during my
two observation periods. Johnny was highly active during this period with running around,
jumping, building, and drawing, cutting paper, etc. He was highly engaged and had, for the most
part, control over his actions and had the ability to partake in these activities with ease. I
observed the normal limitation in fine motor skills when it came time for Johnny to tie a knot
through a hole on his arts and crafts project. It was apparent he had not yet mastered the skill
needed to perform such a task, and there was a small amount of frustration on his part until an
adult aided in the job.
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To reflect, Johnny’s physical strengths include his shining health and enhanced fine and
gross motor skills. Johnny, unlike many other children his age, is not considered to be
overweight and partakes in a healthy and active lifestyle. Johnny’s diet I would include as both a
strength and possibly a risk/hazard however. While he eats clean foods and has a balanced diet, it
is also true Johnny is allergic to nuts. Of course this is something his parents have much more
knowledge on than myself, it still strikes me as perhaps a risk if this were to be improperly
managed.
Psychological Dimension
Psychological development for school age children include cognitive development and
information processing. At the age of five, children begin to understand the concept of time, be it
past and future. This allows them to logically think about and understand cause and effect. They
begin to understand that there is consequences for certain behaviors. For example, Johnny was
old enough and had the logic to understand that by sitting still during the lesson and following
directions, he would be rewarded with a treat. The younger students failed to realize this and
threw tantrums and fooled around during the lesson and did not receive a treat, due to being not
as cognitively developed. As for information processing, the textbook explains, “ a child’s ability
for sustained focus attention plays a role in cognitive development, compliance, ability to delay
gratification, emotion-regulation skills, and social adjustment (Gaertner, Spinrad, & Eisenberg,
2008)” (Ashford et al., 2008). To elaborate, this explains why school age children are able to stay
focused on tasks such as reading a book, watching a tv show, or playing a game. Again, this
pertains to Johnny in that he was able to sit for a prolonged period of time and focus on the task
at hand at that moment. An important theory to mention when highlighting the cognitive
development and information processing of this age group is Piaget’s Preoperational Stage.
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Piaget labeled school age children (to him this being ages 2 to 7) the “preoperational stage” of
cognitive development. This preoperational stage separates the younger from older children
because they are incapable of performing certain mental tasks.
As for communication and play, Johnny was a very talkative little boy who seemingly
loved speaking and interacting to his playmates. As learned in the textbook for receptive skills, it
was evident Johnny understood that by waiting patiently and speaking politely, his requests
would be met. He was very responsive to the teachers instructions and understood longer
commands such as “write your name, cut it out, and then color it.” It was clear from that he was
able to process word order as is expected in a four to five year old. As for expressive language,
Johnny was interested in sharing his own stories about himself, his experiences, or those close to
him and was able to respond to questions ultimately keeping the conversation going as I learned
through a brief period of interaction. With his peers who were younger than him, he spoke in
what was shorter sentences compared to the teacher as if to make it simpler for them to
understand. When it comes to play, Johnny exhibited associative play and cooperative play. He
actively played with the other children and partook in organized activities that included social
interactions. For example, Johnny built a racetrack with another little boy and they talked about
what piece belonged where. They interacted by handing pieces back and forth and taking turns
racing the car. There came a point where the children were collected to participate in a group
game of Simon Says which allowed for social interactions.
In reference to psychological strengths, Johnny never, according to his parents,
experienced delayed communication processing skills. His parents felt it important to incorporate
bigger words to expand his vocabulary at a young age. Johnny, unlike many other children, never
experienced any trauma nor expresses fear or grief which could prove detrimental in a child’s
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psychological development. He also does not display aggressive behaviors. Another
psychological strength would be Johnny’s secure attachment type. He expressed minimal stress
when his parents left, thought quickly recovered knowing his parents would return. Upon review
and reflection of my notes, I would venture to say Johnny has no psychological risks or hazards.
Social Dimension
To reiterate what was already touched upon in the psychological dimension, Johnny was
very open and willing to play with the other children. I observed him building a racetrack with
another boy and racing cars on the shared track. Other interactions I observed include the sharing
of crayons, handing out papers to the other kids, and using building blocks alongside a group of
four other boys. In each of these interactions, Johnny appeared to be a leader of sorts. He was
always first to speak or act when it came to playing with the toys and when his attention turned
to a new activity, the others follow or at the very least watched as he made his exit. When it
came to speaking with the teacher in the classroom, Johnny was always very polite and calm. He
listened when the teacher spoke and asked for help when help was needed. An example of this
was when he needed help tying a knot through a hole on his arts and crafts project.
Also as explained above, Johnny’s attachment type was able to be visibly observed.
When his parents said goodbye and made their exit, Johnny’s face showed a minimal amount of
anxiety though he quickly became absorbed in the toys and the children around him. Upon
speaking with his mother afterward, she agreed and said her son had always had a secure
attachment type, initial anxiety though reassured knowing his parents would come back.
To add, social strengths of Johnny include his supportive and nurturing family, his
family’s socioeconomic status, his neighborhood, and his friends in the classroom to name a few.
Johnny is well off in the sense that he has a number of support systems and does not live under
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or even remotely near the poverty line like many children his age. Important to note, child abuse
and neglect are major problems in the US, and once again an issue that does not affect Johnny
like it does others at his age. Much like the psychological dimension, Johnny faces no social
risks or hazards.
Hypotheses
Biophysical
If Johnny’s nutrition regarding his his nut allergy is adequately managed, then the risk of
serious harm coming to boy from accidentally ingesting nuts significantly decreases as it is no
longer a possible concern to his health.
Psychological
If Johnny retains his current level of psychological strengths and keeps his unwavering
support system, he will only progress towards positive development into adulthood.
Social
If Johnny is introduced to a wider variety of ethnicities and cultures beings his current
social establishments consist of caucasian, christian people, than he might develop a greater
respect and appreciation of those with different backgrounds.
Summary and Conclusion
In conclusion, I observed a five year old boy on two separate occasions. For each 30minute period, I observed young Johnny unobtrusively, never once having any interaction with
the boy except for a short period of time so as to comprehend his communication abilities and
personality. Throughout the observation period, notes were kept to allow me to reflect back onto
Johnny’s behaviors and interactions during the course of the two 30-minute periods. In all, I
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found that Johnny’s biophysical, psychological, and social dimensions are all extremely well
supported which will in turn lead to positive development all the way through adulthood.
To reflect, this case study assignment was very eye opening. As I am not yet a parent
myself, I never thought about childhood development or milestone markers that indicate a child
is “ontrack” per se in their development. I now realize how important it is to continuously
monitor your child to ensure they are developing normally and know when to be concerned and
consult with a professional. I have to admit, breaking down Johnny’s case in comparison to other
children was fairly easy, I am glad to report. It really made me realize how disparities in income
and other areas affect the development of a child and how that really isn’t fair to children less
fortunate or that don’t have the same benefits as Johnny. I feel privileged to have partaken in
such an eye-opening assignment and will definitely take what I learned and apply it to my own
life in the future and be conscious of the idea that children with different backgrounds may
develop differently if not provided support and stability.
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References
4- to 5-Year-Olds: Developmental Milestones. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/4-to-5-year-old-milestones#1
Ashford, J. B., LeCroy, C. W., & Williams, L. R. (2018). Human behavior in the social
environment: A multidimensional perspective. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
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