INTASC+2A+writeup

** Analysis of Child Development ** Prior to choosing a student from Mary Peterson’s second grade class I was questioning the goals of this assignment and evaluating which student would provide the most interesting “case” to study. Mrs. Peterson’s class is made up of eleven girls and fourteen boys. Two male students are pulled out for Specials Education services. Another one of Mrs. Peterson’s students is part of the Academic Life Skills program offered at Waverly Elementary School; he is present in the classroom for short periods of time during the language arts block and works with an aid. After further observation and multiple discussions with my mentor we decided on a male student who I will call Cody [|[1]]. Cody is a below grade level reader based on Howard County approved benchmarking. He is on grade level in mathematics and performs well in social students and science. Cody is a happy student who has many friends in the classroom. At the beginning of the school year, Mrs. Peterson started to use a behavior management chart with Cody to hold him accountable for his behavior in and outside of her classroom. Cody chooses a reward to work for such as, stickers, a pencil, Waverly Paw Prints, or five minutes of dance time before recess. His favorite is dance time; Mrs. Peterson picks a song, Cody chooses a friend and they have five minutes to dance. Every ten minutes there is a timer that goes off and depending on how hard he is working, and if he is on task determines if Cody earns a star. He is very motivated to do his best to earn stars and is equally disappointed if he loses a star based on less than desired behavior. Based on an interview with Mary Peterson (homeroom teacher) Cody’s impulsive behavior is atypical for his age and grade. Piaget’s preoperational stage which spans from two years to seven years of age also confirms that he has not developed at the same rate at his peers. Piaget says that a preoperational staged child is “now better able to think about things and events that aren't immediately present” (Piaget, 1990). Throughout the school year and continued use of the star chart, Cody has been able to make the link between his behavior and the stars he receives on his behavior chart. While Cody’s behavior development may be atypical for his age group, according to Mary Peterson, in an interview on December 2, 2009 she stated many other academic areas where Cody has developed on par with his peers and according to educational theorists. Socially, Cody has many age appropriate skills such as his ability to relate to peers, feel compassion, and conversation skills. Cody is very kind and works well with others. Recently, while the class was sitting on the rug preparing for a lesson, Cody stood up and moved away from a friend and stated, “I can’t sit near you, I get distracted, I’m still your friend but I don’t do my best when we sit near each other.” This was very mature, but it was evident that the other student was hurt because Cody moved away from him. Cody was polite and clarified that they were still friends and he wanted it to stay that way. Cody also performs typically in mathematics; he was placed in an on grade level math class. His world knowledge and ability to comprehend abstract science concepts such as, little gravity on the moon, is also on par with his peers. Piaget states that by the concrete stage which takes place from age seven to early adolescence children are able to “develop an ability to think abstractly and to make rational judgments about concrete or observable phenomena, which in the past he needed to manipulate physically to understand.” Cody’s understanding of the moon, its phases and gravity all display his age appropriate development. In terms of language arts, Cody is progressing. At the beginning of second grade Cody was performing below grade level in reading and writing. While he does read below the determined benchmark his progress is typical with his peers. He is progressing in his ability to decode, his fluency and his comprehension skills; however, he has not yet met all the requirements that would place him on grade level. To help Cody reach his full potential he is part of a program called the Triple Play. Cody is included in an in class reading group, he spends thirty minutes with Waverly Elementary reading specialist as well as another thirty minutes with the Para-educator working on spelling and sound blending. These interventions have increased Cody’s confidence when reading. I noticed his excitement for reading in reading group on December 2, 2009. After calling his reading group to the reading table his first comment was “When do we get to read a chapter book?” Much to his surprise my answer was “Today! We are going to read a chapter book today!” Cody and his group members were so excited. In an interview with him later that day I asked “What would you tell your best friend you leaned today?” He replied “I would tell him that we learned how to sound out words, and we got to read a chapter book.” Hearing Cody’s excitement and confidence when reading shows me that he continues to progress and reading is interesting to him; it’s not just a hard boring subject in school. Recommendations I would make for Cody and his future education would be to keep reading fun and engaging. After talking to Cody’s mother, he has lots of responsibilities on their family run farm; finding books that Cody can relate to may increase his motivation to read. According to Tiedt and Tiedt, understanding a family’s structure and priorities can help students succeed. Cody’s family is very supportive and they want to see him become a better reading. Knowing there is support at home to the teacher’s benefit; book bags can be sent home to build on skills highlighted during class. Using this strategy will help Cody see the united support from his teachers and his family. Cody’s handwriting also has room for improvement. Using a pencil grip and setting high expectations will help Cody pay more attention and take his time when writing. Continuing to use the behavior chart will keep Cody on the right track and perhaps by the end of the year reduce the dependency on a behavior plan. After analyzing this student and his cognitive as well as social and emotional development I have learned a great deal about understanding the learners in the classroom. Different students require different attention and instruction. Combining the knowledge of theorists and the practical application in the classroom create a formula for success. I am confident that with the recommendations and current interventions in place for Cody he will continue to succeed in and out of school.

 Work Cited

Interview with Mary Peterson, December 2, 2009.

//Piaget’s Cognitive Stages. // (1990). Retrieved December 4, 2009. From Patient Teaching, Loose Leaf Library Springhouse Corporation, http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/piaget.htm

Tiedt, Iris M. Tiedt, Pamela L. (2005). Multicultural Teaching. New York, New York. Pearson Education Inc.

 Return to Rationale

[|[1]] The student’s name has been changed to provide the utmost protection.