Eleanor Ellison

ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur

Case Study
Carls Development Case Study
Introduction:
Why a Case Study:
Researching how children develop is essential in understanding how children best learn.
As a future educator, it is imperative that I understand how to observe my students, and how to
analyze the data I collect to assess where my students are developmentally and how I can then
best teach them. Using a case study as a way to observe child development is a huge asset rather
than constructing interviews with children/childrens parents. Actually observing children in
their day to day activities, noting unbiasedly these observations keeps the data in its raw form
and with minimal influence from a researchers interference. Being able to organize the data into
categories keeps the data and interpretations clear and able to be read, analyzed, and possibly
performed by other researchers and professionals. Case Studys also offers in depths look at an
entire child, and how all the aspects of development interact and affect the child as a whole.
Why Carl:
Before entering the classroom, I had thought about the child I was going to pick to do my
case study on. I wanted to challenge myself, to choose a student different from myself. As
young learner, I was very outgoing and confident. I wanted to seek out a child from a different
background from my own. I pictured my student to be somewhat timid, but not so much that I
couldnt get to talk. I also assumed my case study would be from a more impoverished
background, which would be a common theme in the classroom as the elementary school I was
working at has over 90% of students on free or reduced lunches. I would be interested in
choosing an ESL student to see how they improve, and what barriers they face. I would like to
work with a boy, as I have had my own experience as a young girl. I chose Carl because he

Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
seemed to be pretty opposite from myself. On the first day Carl came right up to me to ask for
help. He seemed to be alright with talking with me but not as confident with his work. He
seemed eager to talk with me about his work and I knew he would be great to work with during
this time, as he seemed willing to converse so I would be able to gain pertinent information from
him for the purposes of the case study.
Methods:
The elementary school I was to be working in has over 90% of its students qualify for
free or reduced lunches and breakfasts. The area is of very low income, if any, and high
inconsistency for the children of parents who are constantly moving, or the students are being
constantly moved between caregivers and interactions with social services. While Carls family
seems to not be one of these hostile environments for early childhood development, he is in
constant interaction with it through his peers. As the assessor, I was in his classroom 13 days
from 7:30am-2:45pm during my spring semester. It was typically on a weekly basis, although a
plethora of snow days left gaps here and there, and there was one week where I was able to go to
the school every day from Monday-Thursday. Carl was in a Kindergarten class, with eleven
boys and eight girls. Their school day for the students starts at 8:00 am and they are released at
2:30 pm. Throughout the day I would collect videos, photos, audio recordings, and document in
a notebook while observing the classroom. I would also interact with the students, and act as an
aide to my cooperating teacher whenever she needed, or I myself would occasionally lead the
classroom to perform various lessons in accordance to my other class assignments. For specific
data items, I would take Carl aside to gain data on him specifically, but would typically always
collect the same data on a few other students so he would not think I was singling him out.
Data and Interpretations:

Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
Intro: child and family system:
Carl was 6 years old and 2 months at the start of the case study. Carl was of a healthy
weight and height for his age, the second tallest in his class. Although the first two times I
visited the class Carl was a bit shy, he quickly broke out of his shell and is full of exciting energy
and always wants to talk and share a laugh. Carl is the youngest with six older brothers and two
older sisters. His mom and dad are married and live together, although given the small amount
Carl mentions his dad unless he is talking about how excited he is that his dad is switching his
shifts to make it to a baseball game, it is inferred that he is working a lot and not home often.
Carl once talked about how he was going with his mom to visit his older sister (he said she was
20) at her house, which leads to the implication that their large family is still close and the family
seems to maintain healthy relationships. Carl has never complained about being hungry and
almost always has a packed lunch from home, and wears nice clothes, which leads me to believe
his parents are alright financially, at least enough to keep their children taken care of.
Physical and motor development:
1. Has Carl developed the fine motor skills to control small objects like pencils?
Observations:
Carls grip for coloring utensils such as crayons is a fist grip. However, when griping a
pencil to write, Carl uses a fingertip grip that is considered to be the correct way to hold a
pencil while handwriting. Carls handwriting does not use proper strokes for letters but writing
is legible. When counting m&ms, Carl is able to pick up individual m&ms.
Interpretations:
Carl's finger dexterity when picking up individual m&ms with ease shows great
integration of the brain transmitting vision to the hands to perform fine motor skills (Mcdevitt

Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
& Ormrod 2010 p. 147). Carls ability to hold a pencil correctly when writing shows potential
to transfer the skill to drawing utensils eventually. Mcdevitt and Ormrod also suggest that
Carl's poor handwriting may be as simple as those skills are mastered better by girls, and will
improve with further instruction.
2. Does Carl have the gross motor skills to control fast activity such as frog jumping?
Observations:
Carl runs quickly moving arms with his stride. Carl has also been documented running
with hands in coat pockets without swinging arms. Carl leap frog jumps, and falls once with a
quick recovery back to jumping.
Interpretations:
Carls running is a sign of progression to the middle childhood stage of gross motor,
however because he does not rely on his arms moving with stride as seen in the video with his
hands in his pockets, Carl has not quite moved past the previous stage of running. Carl's
clumsiness while leapfrogging is normal, a sign of his accelerated growth and extreme amounts
of physical energy. He falls because the accelerated growth has not left him with much time to
become familiar with his body and special awareness. His gross motor skills will become
more refined through the middle childhood stage (2010, p 167).
3. Does Carl have the hand-eye coordination as well as developed motor skills to
accurately throw and catch a ball?
Observations:
In PE class, Carl throws and catches a ball to himself, and then to a peer. Carl throws the
ball up in the air and catches is without dropping. Carl passes the ball to you peer directly to
her chest and she catches the ball. When she tosses the ball back to Carl he catches the ball.

Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
Interpretations:
The hands and the eyes work separately in the brain but using both is a necessity in day to
day life and activities, so it is important to develop strong hand eye coordination. According to
an article in Healthy Living, By six years of age, a child's eyes should be starting to be able to
track objects, though more complicated skills such as kicking or catching a ball may still need
some practice (Dedalus). Carls tracking abilities are starting to grow and his ability to throw
and catch the ball with precision is very well developed for his age.
Emotional and social development:
1. Is Carl accepted by his peers?
Observations:
Carl's interactions with peers are observed at his table and during times of play. At his
table, Carl interacts with his peers frequently and is sometimes distracted from his work
because of conversation and at times is the last to finish
his work at his table. During recess Carl has been
observed playing alone, although he typically plays with
other students of both genders. He typically plays in
associative or cooperative play styles. He has spent time
building with Legos and building blocks demonstrating
constructive play and alongside others while sharing the
toys. Carl also has set up stories with toy cars and trucks,
and was even observed playing kitchen with a female peer.
Interpretations:

Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
Carls engagement in associative play is typical of his
age, and a transition period from parallel play into
cooperative play. Carls occasional cooperative play
helps to build Carls social skills and group
cooperation. It is now being viewed that self-selected
solitary play involves more maturity than cooperative
play and is alright for Carl to engage in (Sluss p. 1819). Although Carl exhibits some qualities of a
popular child such as knowing "how to initiate and
sustain conversation...and adjust [his] behaviors to changing circumstances", (Mcdevitt &
Ormrod p. 555) he does not quite fit into that category for he does talk "excessively about
[him]self" (555). While Carl does get along well with his peers, I have not observed a strong
friendship relationship formed in the classroom. Carls interactions lead placing Carl into the
Average Child category for his "average interpersonal skills" (557).
2. Does Carl model good school values?
Observations:
Carl rarely asks for assistance on tasks and typically completes his tasks correctly and
efficiently without having to be constantly reminded to stay on task. Carl has never spoken or
acted out towards staff or students.
Interpretations:
Our text book states on page 573 the school values:
"Showing respect for authority figures
Controlling impulses

Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
Following instructions
Completing assigned tasks in a timely manner
Working independently
Helping and cooperating with classmates
Striving for academic excellence".
Carl flourishes in all of the above mentioned areas. He has never been disrespectful and is
great at paying attention; he is always counted on to be able to retell directions or events of a
read aloud, and is very attune in calendar time to give the correct answer. Every so often he
gets caught up in a conversation at his table and has trouble multitasking, but as long as you
remind him to stay on task he will quickly get back to work without complaint.
3. Is there evidence of a secure attachment formed
during infancy?
Observations:
In art class, the students were making clay hearts,
Carl made his for his mother. For Valentines Day, I gave
out two Hershey kisses to every student, and Carl saved
one of his for his mother as well. Carl smiles when
talking to adults around him and shares personal stories
with instructors and peers willingly.
Interpretations:
These actions of affection Carl shows for his mom are signs of "depth of...feelings for
[his] mother." (Mcdevitt & Ormrod 409) Carl suggests through smiling and actively seeking
out my attention that he is comfortable with other trusted adults which is normal for the early

Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
childhood stage. These observations lead to the conclusion that Carl developed a secure
attachment in infancy and has maintained a healthy relationship with his caregiver. It is very
important to develop a secure attachment to a primary caregiver to support positive brain
development and healthy social, cognitive, and emotional development throughout the
lifespan (Colmer p. 17).
Cognitive development:
1. Does Carl show preoperational or concrete operational thinking based on conservation
experiment?
Observations:
The assessor first set up ten equal sized blocks in two rows of five equally spaced. Carl
was prompted to identify if one row had more than the other, or if they were equal. Carl
identified the two to be equal. The assessor then spread out the blocks in the second row and
asked the same question, and Carl pointed to the spaced out row to have more. Carl was then
presented with two jars of equal size and the same amount of water. When asked if one had
more or they were equal, he identified them to have an equal volume. When one jar was
poured into a larger jar making the height of the water shorter, and prompted with the same
question, Carl identified the jar that had not been poured or poured into (with a greater height
of water) to have more liquid.
Interpretations:
Carl did not identify conservation, the realization that if nothing is added or taken away,
amount stays the same regardless of any alterations in shape or arrangement (Mcdevitt &
Ormrod 201), and therefore still preoperational stage of cognitive development. However,
outside of the conservation experiment, Carl has been observed to display a surface level

Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
understanding of class inclusion and distinction between perspectives. This concludes that
Carl should be entering Concrete Operational stage soon, which is normal to appear around age
6 or 7.
2. Does Carl model an early or middle childs information processing characteristics?
Observations:
Carl is easily distracted by his tablemates doing work, but also very compliant and
redirects his attention to his work when reminded. During journal time, Carl is able to write
and draw pictures to represent his journal entries. In all assessments Carl has taken while I was
in the classroom, Carl received a 100% on his tests in magnets, coins, living things, and social
studies.
Interpretations:
Carl displays characteristics of early childhood in his distractibility and short attention
span as observed through his lack of ability to remain attentive to his work. However, Carl
shows a symbolic nature of thought and knowledge through his journal entries paired with
drawings, revealing middle childhood traits. Carls knowledge of academic subject matter also
shows middle childhood characteristics. Carl seems to be in transition from early to middle
childhood for his information processing characteristics model both levels, but leaning towards
middle childhood. (Mcdevitt & Ormrod 246)
3. Does Carl model an early or middle childs intelligence?
Observations:
Carls test scores are consistent and perfect through all subjects: magnets, coins, living
things, and social studies. The tests involve naming, circling, and matching. When I gave Carl

Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
a short number sequence of 3, 6, 4, 1, 5, Carl was able to recite the numbers back without
error.
Interpretations:
Carls testing shows signs of middle childhood based on his high consistency of
performance, but the level at which he is being tested is an early childhood level, and thus the
data leaves him in between early and middle childhood level of intelligence. His ability to
remember a short sequence of numbers is a trait of middle childhood, thus I believe Carl to be
in between early and middle childhood intelligence level (Mcdevitt & Ormrod 294). This is an
expected stage for his age. Carls high performance is in line with the majority of his
classmates.
Language development:
1. What story retelling ability does Carl demonstrate?
Observations:
After the initial read aloud and first model retelling of Three Billy Goats Gruff, Carl
requested the instructor to read through the story one more time while he practiced with the
paper cut outs the modeling as the instructor read. When Carl retold the story he skipped over
the setting, characters, and story problem. Carl then retold the three episodes in detail; he had
the goats go one by one starting with the littlest goat and had them interact with the troll, all
leading up to the big goat responding to the trolls threats with an OK. Carl then describes
the resolution of the story by modeling Big Billy ramming into the troll and has the troll fly off
the bridge, then has Big Billy cross over bridge. Carl does not retell the reactions of the
characters. Carl scored a three on the sequence of major events/episodes and a three on the

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Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
resolution, and zeroes for the setting and characters, story problem, and reaction of
characters/ending.
Interpretations:
A total score from 0-4 suggests little story language, a 5-8 represents an early stage of
storytelling, 9-12 is a developing retelling, and a 13-15 reveals a strong story retelling ability.
Carl scored a three on the sequence of major events/episodes and a three on the resolution, and
zeroes for the setting and characters, story problem, and reaction of characters/ending. His
total score was a six revealing an early stage of storytelling.
2. Does Carl have concept of word?
Observations:
For the words in isolation PALs task, the students can possibly go through a pre primer,
primer, first, and second list. Carl was show words one at a time and asked to identify them
quickly. There were a possible 20 points from the first list, and Carl scored an eleven. That
score resulted in going on to read Sam.
For Leveled Reading C, Carl read the story Sam. The assessor introduces the story and
flips through the scenes to suggest what may happen in the story. Carl needed the words so,
get, cup, Sam, and goes given to him. He misread he as the, goes as green
and down as do. There was a possible for thirty points to be scored and Carl received a
twenty-two out of thirty.
Interpretations:
Carls assessment classifies him as a beginner reader. His instructional diet should be
40% of time spent on reading fluency, 20% on word study with a goal of identifying
alliteration, rhyme, and short vowels, 20% of time on comprehension with a coal of predicting,

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Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
cross checking, vocabulary, and concepts, and 20% on writing with a goal to write using
sounds. Some activities that would be developmentally appropriate for fluency would be
repeated reading of familiar text. For word study would be word bank sight words, sorting by
rhymes, and sorting by vowels. For comprehension would be concept sorts, predicting text,
retelling, and listening to stories. For writing would be dictated sentences, writing for sounds,
picture captions, and journaling.
3. Does Carl display early or middle childhood language skills?
Observations:
Carl uses temporal and comparative words. For example when talking about some of his
siblings: My big brother is bigger than my sister eveneven shes older than him! and
Yesterday I had...we went to my uncles for dinner after we played soccer.
Interpretations:
Based on Carls understanding of temporal words and comparatives, His developmental
trend for language skills shows he has exited early childhood and is now starting his middle
childhood portion of his life (Mcdevitt & Ormrod 308). This is expected at his age and above
average vocabulary compared to his classmates.
Conclusion:
Though all of the observations across the spectrum of development categories, Carl are
constantly modeling a transition from early into middle childhood. This is a typical age to
switch into middle childhood and Carl does not have any major areas of developmental
concern. Carl should expect to continue developing at a natural rate as long as there are no
exceptional circumstances (be it a physical accident or emotional trauma).
Implications:

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Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
If given the time, I would be really interested to explore Carls cognition more,
specifically his concept of conservation. I wonder if I first fully explained the law of
conservation and demonstrated how it worked first, if then prompted with the experiment again
he would still not understand or if he had the ability to conserve conservation and had simply
never been exposed to it before. If he simply is not ready to understand the concept, I would be
interested in reevaluating all his developmental traits once he does gain the concept and if the
results shift fully into middle childhood and how they all relate to each other. I would also be
very interested in his home life, and observing his routine while at home, his social demeanor,
and note any environmental factors that contribute to his development.
If Carl were a child in my classroom, I would want to focus attention on some of Carls
weaker areas as noted in the Assessment of Development table attached. Carls handwriting
could use more attention, so I would really enjoy using shaving cream or paint in a bag activity
to work on strokes with the class and how to form the letters. To help facilitate with concepts
such as conservation, I would organize an activity to be performed in small groups were the
students explore hands on with conservation of size, weight, and volume. Carls social and
emotional development is average, and I would continue to monitor his progress to make sure he
is continuing to progress appropriately. If he were to fall behind I would help to grow his social
skills by partnering him up with well sociable peers to interact with. To build Carls phonetic
awareness and increase his ability to identify the different phonemes of a word himself, I would
introduce Elkonins box into his independent literacy time. I believe the kinesthetic action of
identifying the different phonemes would help tremendously with his independent spelling.
This case study has helped me to grow as a researcher and an educator. I have learned to
hone in on to developmental details and how to analyze and interpret the data I can easily collect

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Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
during the school days. I have also learned how to then take the results and use them in creating
helpful lesson plans to best facilitate my students developmental growth. I also know that I
gained so much insightful information on one student simply by being present once a week for a
few months, and I know that as a teacher, where I will be interacting with all my students every
day year long, I will be able to catalog my students developmental stages and progress, and know
how to best teach my entire class based on their needs and their potential.

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Eleanor Ellison
ELED 308-Dr. Smita Mathur
Case Study
References:
Colmer, K., Rutherford, L., & Pam, M. (2011). Attachment theory and primary caregiving.
Australasian Journal Of Early Childhood, 36(4), 16-20.
Dedalus, J. (n.d.). The development of hand eye coordination. HealthyLiving: AZ Central.
Retrieved from http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/development-hand-eye-coordination12682.html
Mcdevitt, T. M. & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Child development and education. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Merrill
Sluss, D. (2005). Supporting play: birth through age eight / Dorothy Justus Sluss. Clifton Park,
NY: Thomson Delmar Learning.

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