Excerpts from Theoretical Assessment Task - Developmental Report

Student B: Hazel
Physical Development - Hazel is 5 years and 8 months old and is Caucasian with dark
brown hair and brown eyes. She is slim and of an average height. In association with this
physical appearance, her level of physical development is suitable for somebody of her age.
The exhibited leg weakness and occasional inaccurate ball skills are reflective of her youth,
in comparison to many of her peers, and will likely improve gradually as she develops. Her
slight physical limitations, as related to her comparatively young age, confirm Gesells
observation that development is an orderly, timed, and sequential process that occurs with
such regularity that it is predictable and transpires in a genetically programmed way
(Garoni, 2012, slide 5).
Social Development - The primary influence upon Hazels social and emotional
development at this stage of her life is her mothers pregnancy, especially as she has
previously been an only-child. As suggested by her teacher, it is contributing to her
enjoyment of attention, her desire to control social situations, and the egocentric nature of
many of her actions. Such a profound influence highlights the importance of
Bronfenbrenners Ecological Systems Theory, as her family microsystem is impacting heavily
upon her school microsystem. As such, a mesosystem, defined as connections and
relationships among the persons microsystems exists (Hoffnung et al., 2010, p. 50).
Because her sibling has not yet been born, the eventual result of the pregnancy and how it
will affect Hazel is not yet known. However, it is apparent that it is currently contributing to her
attempts to avoid what Erikson would define as feelings of inferiority and a sense of
inadequacy (Hoffnung et al., 2010, p. 303).
Cognitive Development - Hazels performance of a collection of cognitive tasks
demonstrated her well-developed ability to understand classification and seriation, her
developing capacity to reverse a particular series, and an inability to comprehend the
conservation of properties across different appearances of the same object. She enjoys
passive activities that focus on socialising and imagination. These results display that she is
currently situated between the Preoperational Stage and the Concrete Operational Stage of
Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development, possessing elements of both. One prominent
characteristic of the Preoperational Stage she continues to exhibit is that of egocentrism; the
tendency to see the world and the experiences of others from their own viewpoint (Woolfolk
& Margetts, 2010, p. 42). Hazels drawing confirms this transitional phase, as it is quite basic
in some elements, such as the tree, and more detailed in others, such as a butterfly with
wings and antennae.