Child Study/Portfolio

ECD 1414

Diana Deisinger 11/13/2012

Background
D was born February 5, 2008. He is a Caucasian male with blonde hair and blue eyes and is of average height for a typical four year old. D comes from an upper middle-class family that is composed of his mother, father, and younger brother P. His father is a lawyer who is a professor of law at the University of Michigan. His mother is finishing her residency in psychiatry at the University of Michigan. Ds health is normal; he was not born prematurely and has shown no signs of developmental delays. Developmental milestones were all met within the normal range. His childcare history is composed of being with a nanny and at Gretchens House. While living in New York D was with his mom and a nanny up until 18 months while his mom finished up medical school. After moving to Michigan D was enrolled at Gretchens House where he started off in the younger toddler room and then transitioned to the older toddler room and then preschool and now to the Young 5s room.

Areas of Development
Physical D is able to jump up and down. He is also able to hide, crawl, and run. D is able to use hands to build train tracks as well as pick items up off the ground. Furthermore D is able to balance while pushing a swing. Evidence of how this is seen 1. 9-24-12 During recall time Danielle has the children sit on the rug in the block area. She explains that today they are going to play jump up and down. Each child was called on for their turn. When it was Ds turn she says D jump up and down. D gets up and jumps up and down. He stops jumping and then is asked what did you do at work time? D replies I played marble maze and Legos. Danielle what else did you do today? I played in house! 2. 9-24-12 During outside time while on the playground D is lying on the ground under a bench. I go over to him and ask what are you doing? Im hiding! D moves a little further under the bench. Why are you hiding? Because I want them to find me, theyre too big. Im hiding under the bench. D then crawls from under the bench and runs off to another section of the playground. 3. 9-25-12 During work time in the block are D, J, and M are building train tracks. D stated Im going to build a big train. As he proceeds to build a train track he pulls piece from the basket, a train sign, I found a train sign. When D was asked where is your train taking you? he replied its taking me nowhere. I then ask where is the train going then? D says to Chicago. Chicago trains go to Chicago. He then continues building and moving his train around the track. 4. 10-1-12 During outside time D and V are laying on the ground under a picnic t able picking up fuse beads. D says to V here you can have my beads. They both continue on picking up more fuse beads. As they work on picking up fuse beads D says I wonder why we found so many beads. V replies back because people dropped

them. As D picks up beads he finds a piece of string and says maybe we can make a kite. I reply to him maybe you could make a kite. He then says to me a kite is something you fly in the wind. KDI and Plans to support Physical Development, Health, and Well-Being a) Moving in nonlocomotor ways b) Moving in locomotor ways c) Moving with objects Plans to support development a) b) c) d) e) f) During large group have the children play hopscotch Provide jump ropes for use during outside play During large group play hide n seek with the children Provide materials in the art area to make kites Provide actual kites that the children could fly during outside time During large group set up small obstacle course where children have to walk on tip toes, across balance blocks, and hop from carpet squares and not touch ground beneath

Social-Emotional D is able to communicate with his peers and teachers. He is able to express his feelings. D is able to interact with his peers and teachers. Evidence of how this is seen 1. 9-25-12 D and M are in the block area during drop off just before book/journal/snack time. They are building with Legos when D states the middle of the day, the middle of the day! I ask him whats going on in the middle of the day? D stops what he is building to look at me to say my dads picking me in the middle of the day to go camping. I then ask him where are you going camping? Ds response was somewhere in Michigan. 2. 9-25-12 In the snack area D and J are eating snack during book/journal/snack time. J states I made a raisin sandwich. D then states I made a raisin sandwich too! Both of them then continue on eating their raisin sandwiches. 3. 10-1-12 During free choice after lunch and before going outside D was in the block area building with Legos. I asked him what are you building? D tells me a airplane. Can I take a picture of your airplane? Yes! As I go to take a picture of his airplane he shouts, WAIT! Im not done. Hold on Ill tell you when Im done. I then tell D Ill wait! He then goes on building his airplane while I wait. Once finished he says to me ok, Im done. KDI and Plans to support

Social and Emotional Development a) Expressing feelings in words b) Building relationships with children and adults c) Creating and experiencing collaborative play Plans to support development a) During small group give the children paper, markers, crayons so they can draw a camping experience they may have had or what they may find while camping b) During small group the children can find items that they are able to compare as well as contrast c) During large group the children can sing a song about feelings d) In small group the children can be provided with things that they can put together and take apart Cognitive D is able to put things together and take them apart. He is able to count to the number 20. D also is able to understand differences as well as similarities. Evidence of how this is seen 1. See anecdotal note #3 under physical development 2. 10-8-12 During large group Betsy asked the children does anybody know how to count to 20? D replied me! They then as a group counted to 20. Betsy then asked what about counting by 5s? D stated I know how to count by 5. The class then went on to count by 5s to the number 20. 3. 10-15-12 In the middle of work time the center had a fire drill. As the fire alarm went off D stopped playing with his activity and covered his ears. Line up at the back door the teachers directed the children. With one teacher in front of the line and one teacher at the back of the line they walked outside. They were lead to a designated on the playground that was far enough away from the building. 4. 10-15-12 After lunch during choice play D was in the block area playing with Legos. He stated to me, you know what? I respond back to him with what? While putting more Legos onto what he is building he says wolves eat pigs! I go on to ask him if wolves eat pigs, do people eat pigs? D replied to me no! Do you know why wolves eat pigs? I respond back why? Because pigs are delicious. My mom told me that. Your mommy must be really smart! He tells me thats because her brain is bigger than my brain, my brain is bigger than Ps. KDI and Plans to support Arts and Sciences a) Mathematics: Number: Counting objects b) Science and Technology: Time: Starting and stopping an action on signal

c) Science and Technology: Time: Anticipating, remembering, and describing sequences of events d) Social Studies: Participating in group routines e) Science and Technology: Classification: Exploring and describing similarities, differences, and the attributes of things Plans to support development a) During large group have the children count how many objects there are, Ex. Doors, windows, chairs b) In house area have fireman costumes c) In toy area have fire trucks d) In book area have books about fire fighters and fire safety e) During small group practice stop, drop, and roll f) As a class take a field trip to the local fire station g) During large group time hold up two objects and have the children say what are the same about them and what is different Language D is able to verbally communicate with peers and teachers. He is able to use pictures in book to read a story. D is able to write letters of the alphabet. He can recognize letters on site and the sound that they make. Evidence of how this is seen 1. 10-1-12 During snack/book/journal D comes in and goes directly to the book area where he grabs a couple of books. He takes the books over to the chair where he begins to look at his selected books. While D is looking at his books J comes over to read with him. D asks J want to see something funny? He then points to a page in the book causing both boys to laugh. 2. 10-1-12 During work time D calls to me from the book area, Diana can you read this to me? He holds the book for me to see. I go over to the book area where D and I sit down to read Pirates Past Noon. Not long after starting to read the book A joins us in the book area wanting me to read a different book to her. I ask D can we take a pause in our story to read this one to A? He replies sure! I then proceed to read to both of them. When the story is finished A leaves the book area and D hands me back the previous book him and I were reading. A couple pages into the story D states there are mean pirates and nice pirates. I reply back with but at Gretchens House we only have nice pirates. 3. 10-15-12 During work time in the block area V and D are building with the smaller wood blocks. I ask what are you building? V replies a church and these are the roads as she holds up a thin wooden block. D says my church is going to have stain glass windows so when the sun shines you will see lots of colors. You know what? I made a stain glass windows with wax paper before.

KDI and Plans to support Language, Literacy, and Communication a) b) c) d) Reading in various ways: reading storybooks, signs and symbols, and ones own writing Talking with others about personally meaningful experiences Having fun with language: listening to stories and poems, making up stories and rhymes Writing in various ways: drawing, scribbling, and using letter like forms, invented spelling, and conventional forms

Plans to support development a) During large group have the children dance to music and when the music stops freeze in funny poses b) During large group sing a song about sharing c) Sing songs where letter sounds were changed d) During small group have the children move about the room to see what things they can find and see if light can shine through it Approach to Learning D is able to make his own plans and follow through with those plans. He is capa ble of what is needed to accomplish those plans. Evidence of how this is seen 1. 10-1-12 During planning time D had chosen to work in the woodwork area for work time. When I came over to see what he was working on he stated Im done! He then walked away and went to the book area. 2. 10-15-12 V and D are cleaning the blocks and while cleaning they are singing whats gonna work, team work! Whats gonna work, team work! After all the blocks were cleaned up D turns to V and states V Im going to play in the house area. KDI and Plans to support Approaches to Learning a) Making and expressing choices, plans, and decisions b) Solving problems encountered in play Plans to support development a) Make a game out of planning time, maybe use binoculars to have them look through the binoculars and look at the area they plan on working in b) Ask questions about who they plan working with during work time and what they plan to do

Creative D is able to use his imagination. He is able to pretend that he is something else, as well as pretend that objects are other things than what they actually are. Evidence of how this is seen 1. At work time D and K were in the house area dressing up and putting hats on their heads. D approaches me to ask can you help me? He hands me the hat he wants on. Do I put it on like this? I ask as I put the hat on backwards. He replies back to me No, not like that! I turn the hat around and place it back on his head the correct way and ask how about like this? Yes, Im a dragon! K then says to me Im a pirate! I respond to him I see you are a pirate. D then looks to K and says Im a dragon! K replies back to him by saying Im a pirate! KDI and Plans to support Arts and Sciences a) The Arts: Dramatic Art: Pretending and role playing Plans to support development a) Provide more costumes to the house area b) Place books about pirates and dragons in the book area c) During small group have the children go on a treasure hunt

Additional Anecdotal Notes 10-1-12 During outside time D and V pointed out the trees that were changing colors. D stated follow me. V then stated lets play hike, hike! We then proceeded to walk around the playground. D turns to me and says Diana pretend youre lost and then Ill come find you. I ask him where am I lost? He points and says in those trees. I go to the trees pointed out by D as he goes in his own direction. He comes back of to me, I found you. Oh thank goodness you found me. I was lost and so afraid. I responded. V tells me dont be afraid, we found you. For the rest of outside time D and almost all the other kids played HidenSeek. 10-1-12 At rest time D asked me to read to him. We finished reading Pirates Past Noon, the book D and I had started reading during work time. When we were finished reading that book D asked me to read Andrews Loose Tooth and Dog in Fog. 10-8-12 D was in the house area putting clothes on a baby during work time. I asked have you ever helped mommy or daddy dress P? He responded back by saying no, but I can dress myself. 10-8-12 During work time D and K are in the writing area writing when I come up to the two of them and ask what are you writing? D tells me I dont know, silly things. He then goes back to writing, but then stops to look at me as he says I am writing nonsense and he is writing nonsense. D then puts the end of the pencil in his mouth as he says this is wha t my daddy does. 10-15-12 During outside time D stated M Im gonna play with you! C then came up to D and M and stated Im going to play with M. D then stated to C Im going to play with M too! All three boys then run off to go play. 10-22-12 D and K are in the block area pretending to bake with materials from the house area. D stated this is the grill its very hot.

My overall time at Gretchens House has been very informative for me and has helped to guide me in the direction I want to take once I have completed my degree. I want to thank the parents of D for allowing me to get to know their wonderful son and to use my time with him to further my educational knowledge. I want to thank Laura the director of Gretchens Hous e for allowing me to come in to the center at such short notice to do my observations. I also want to thank Danielle, Betsy, and Karen for being wonderful teachers of the HighScope curriculum and answering all my questions. I want to give an extra thanks to Danielle for helping to provide me with the background information I had needed to complete my case study.