CASE STUDY OF A

CHILD
AGE 9
D E I A N A R A TO R R E S
EDU 220 1001-1002
 PHYSICAL BEHAVIORS
Girls Boys

• At age 9, pubic, leg, and • At age 9, the scrotum

arm hair begin to grow and testicles may grow
• Menarche can
occur as early as • They play rough
age 9 and are active
• They have body
• Breast buds may control
appear

University of
Washington. (1993)
Medline (2017)
 TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
LEVEL BY SNOWMAN
Bone/Muscle Development Obesity Motor Skill
• Males/Females are stronger and • 9-year-olds have more • Boys perform better in kicking,
leaner. control over eating throwing, running, and jumping
habits
• Bone and muscle development > • Girls perform better in balance,
fatty tissue growth. • Low physical activity flexibility, and rhythmic
with overeating can movements.
• Average weight gain is 5 to 7 cause obesity.
pounds. • Motor skill is partly influenced
• Children obesity by gender-role stereotyping
• Average height growth is 2 to 3 increased from 6.5%
inches. between 1976 and 1980
to 17.5% in 2004.
• 9-year-old boys are typically heavier
and taller than girls. Snowman, J. &
McCown, R. (2013)
 MY 9 YEAR OLD`S PHYSICAL
BEHAVIORS/CHARACTERISTICS
The 9-year-old girl I
observed is very petite. She has
not developed the typical hair
growth for her age yet. She is
very lean, flexible and takes ballet.
Although she is petite, she still
likes to play rough at times.
Overall, her physical
development is behind than the
typical 9-year-old.
 PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Parents should not tease their adolescent children or use any negative words (“sick”, “wrong,”
and “immoral”) against their new behaviors
– This could embarrass or make them feel self-conscious
• Adolescents will need privacy to understand their physical changes
– For example, have their own room or a private place
• Parents should start teaching their kids about bodily changes
– For example, like menstruation

University of Washington.
(1993) Medline (2017)
 EMOTIONAL BEHAVIORS
Nine to Ten Year Olds Seven to Eight Year Olds
• 9-year-olds become • Easily distracted, forgetful
o independent
• Withdraw from others
o Dependable
• Complains about things like no
one liking them, etc.
• Behavior problems could be caused by lack
of peer acceptance

University of
Washington. (1993)
 TYPICAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
LEVEL BY SNOWMAN
Self-Image Delinquent Behavior Occurrence
• More generalized • School failure can cause delinquent behavior

• Thinks of oneself as socially adept • Social rejection can cause delinquent behavior

• Compares themselves with others • Disruptive family relationships can cause this
type of behavior
• Controlled emotions

• Influenced by family and peers

Snowman, J. &
McCown, R. (2013)
 MY 9 YEAR OLD`S EMOTIONAL
BEHAVIORS/CHARACTERISTICS
The 9-year-old I observed displayed emotional
behaviors/characteristics that relate more to the
typical behaviors of a seven to eight year old. She
is forgetful when asked to do things and is easily
distracted. She usually likes to do her own thing
when around others and becomes independent at
times. One thing that contrasts with the research
is being socially adept. While planning a play-date
with a friend, she asked for advice on what to do
with her. She was clueless on knowing “what kids
do” when they hang-out with each other.
 EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
Nine to Ten Year Olds Seven to Eight Year Olds
• Give your child the opportunity to • Provide sympathy and support
for the child
be independent and praise their
• If the child forgets or is
positive behaviors/actions distracted easily, remind them
• Parents should be accepting of their and check in on them.
children, even when they do not
agree on some behaviors

University of Washington. (1993)

 COGNITIVE/INTELLECTUAL
BEHAVIORS
• Collects things

• Likes reading, writing , and using books and references

• Have specific interests, are curious, eager to learn

facts, and can think in complexity

• Their individuality is shown

University of
Washington. (1993)
 COGNITIVE/INTELLECTUAL
DEVELOPMENT
Piaget
• “Concrete operational stage: the child is capable
of mentally reversing actions but generalizes
only from concrete experiences”(Snowman &
McCown, 2013, p. 27)
• Capability of learning advanced concepts
• Capability of decentration
Vygotsky
• “Vygotsky believed that children
gain significantly from the knowledge
and conceptual tools handed down
to them by those who are more
intellectually advanced...”(Snowman
& McCown, 2013, p. 34)
• How children think is the result of
cultural influences
• Proper instruction guides cognitive
development
Snowman, J. &
McCown, R. (2013)
 MY 9 YEAR OLD`S
COGNITIVE/INTELLECTUAL
BEHAVIORS/CHARACTERISTICS
The 9-year-old girl that I observed exceeds her grade
level in math and reading. Although she is successful in
those areas, she is still critical of herself. She says she can,
“always do better”. She likes to complete chores in a list
form, which has to be very detailed and won`t venture off
from the list. She loves to collect books and little language
dictionaries. She also likes to collect small stuffed animals
and trinkets.
 COGNITIVE/INTELLECTUAL
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Revolve learning activities around their interests
• Be aware of their individuality
• Let them know they are loved and encourage them to speak up about any concerns
• Give them a chance to be responsible
– Make them in charge of planning things
– Teach them about spending and saving

Child Development University of

Institute (2015) Washington. (1993)
 PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL BEHAVIORS
• The two genders will differ in characteristics,
personalities, and likes/dislikes

• Like to be in groups but usually in same sex groups

o Display more interests towards group outings,
friends, and play time

• Will become more independent, especially males

University of
Washington. (1993)
 TYPICAL PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT LEVEL BY ERIKSON
• “The interaction between sequentially determined development and the environment
in which the genetic sequence emerges underlies Erikson`s view of how the parts of
child`s personality develop as she or he grows.” (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p. 18)

• Industry Vs. Inferiority Stage (Six to Eleven Years old)

o Encouragement and praise will give industry results: motivation and
productiveness
o Being unsuccessful and harsh criticism gives inferiority results; the feeling of
failure

Snowman, J. & McCown, R.

(2013)
 MY 9 YEAR OLD`S PSYCHOSOCIAL
BEHAVIORS/CHARACTERISTICS
The 9-year-old I observed is very self-
conscious and cares about what her friends
think. She got upset when her sister and her
sister`s friend didn`t want her to play with them.
She also gets very upset when others don`t
agree with her when she suggests things for
them to do. When meeting new people she is
very shy at first but opens up when you get to
know her. With her family and friends, she is the
silly one in the group.
 PSYCHOSOCIAL/SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
• “Encourage friendships” (University of
Washington, 1993)
• Acceptance of gender separation
o Be supportive over them wanting to
be accepted from their peers
• Interpretation of words can be different
o Be aware of what is said to this age
group
o Things may come off as hurtful or
embarrass them

University of Child Development

Washington. (1993) Institute (2015)
 MORAL /CHARACTER BEHAVIORS
• Accepts their mistakes and failures
o Takes responsibility for them

• Recognizes fairness
o Competitive
o Argues when things are and are not fair

• Right vs. Wrong

o Wants to do the right thing but sometimes rebels

University of
Washington. (1993)
 TYPICAL MORAL/CHARACTER
DEVELOPMENT LEVEL BY KOHLBERG
• There are 6 stages to Kohlberg`s moral reasoning
o Stages 1 and 2 are “preconventional morality” and apply to children through age 8
o Stages 3 and 4 are “conventional morality” and apply to children beginning at age 10

• Stage 1: This is the punishment-obedience stage. The risk of negative consequences is a

sufficient deterrent.
• Stage 2: This is the instrumental relativist stage. Rules are obeyed in order to reap favorable
interpersonal rewards.

• Stage 3: This is the good boy-nice girl stage. They believe the actions that impress others are
the “right” ones.
• Stage 4: This is the law-and-order stage. Rules must be followed in order to keep
everything together.
Snowman, J. &
McCown, R. (2013)
 MY 12 YEAR OLD`S MORAL
BEHAVIORS/CHARACTERISTICS
One phrase I heard over the time
observing this 9-year-old girl was, “That`s
not fair!” When she gets told do
something but her sibling doesn`t, she
marks it as not being fair. Also, when she
does something wrong, she lets her sister
take the blame and doesn’t accept her
wrong doings. Her moral development
would fall into the first two stages of
Kohlberg`s moral reasoning because her
morality falls behind that expected of a
typical 9-year-old.
 MORAL/CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Provide fairness
• “Express your love and support for the child who falls short of
meeting your personal standards of right and wrong.” (University
of Washington, 1993)
• Give them competition opportunities
– Explain and help them understand that sometimes we lose

University of
Washington. (1993)
 REFERENCES
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Child Development.
Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/facts.html
Child Development Institute (2015). The Ages and Stages of Child
Development. Retrieved from
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ages-stages/#.WR3Id_QrLrc
Medline (2017). Adolescent Development. Retrieved from
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002003.htm
Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013). ED PSYCH. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth,
Cengage Learning.
University of Washington. (1993). Child Development: Using the Child
Development Guide. Retrieved from
http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/trai
ning/chidev/cd06.htm