Description
Create and analyze a fictitious case study of a child aged 2–5 with developmental challenges and prepare an evidence-based intervention plan.
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Introduction
Note: The assessments in this course follow the successive stages of lifespan development, so you are strongly encouraged to complete them in sequence.
Early childhood begins at the end of toddlerhood, at approximately age two, and continues until middle childhood begins with formal school entry at age five or six. During this period, there are greater changes in cognitive development than any other period of life. At the same time, family relationships provide individuals with their earliest social experiences. Attachment patterns developed during early childhood influence an individual’s ability to successfully develop and maintain peer and adult relationships throughout the lifespan.
Two major theories describe cognitive development in early childhood: Piaget’s constructivist theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory.
Jean Piaget was one of the first theorists interested in cognitive development. Piaget proposed that cognitive development follows a predetermined sequence of four stages. Interestingly, Piaget conducted a substantial amount of his research observing his own three children. In their studies, Piaget and his wife transcribed detailed records of their children’s behavior (Lefmann & Combs-Orme, 2013).
Lev Vygotsky (1962) emphasized the role of culture or society in the transmission of knowledge and offers a sociocultural perspective of lifespan development, integrating social environment and culture. He is well known for the introduction of the concepts of scaffolding, the zone of proximal development, and the private speech transformation to inner speech.
Attachment is an important aspect of human emotional development during early childhood and throughout the lifespan. The family provides individuals with their earliest social experiences. According to Erik Erikson (1950), the key developmental issue in infancy is developing trust. The development of trust is directly related to the quality of attachment patterns. Much of the attachment theory is based on the strange situation, which is a measurement technique developed by Mary Ainsworth and her colleagues (Bretherton, 2013). There are four types of attachment patterns:
Secure attachment.
Avoidant attachment.
Ambivalent attachment.
Disorganized-disoriented attachment.
Other topics related to attachment include stranger anxiety and separation anxiety, intergenerational attachment patterns, the long-term effects of attachment, and the introduction of the concepts of mutual regulation and social referencing.
At this point, the direct application of attachment theory to the world of work may seem remote to you. However, attachment can affect an individual’s ability to successfully develop and maintain peer and adult relations.
REFERENCES
Bretherton, I. (2013). Revisiting Mary Ainsworth’s conceptualization and assessments of maternal sensitivity-insensitivity. Attachment & Human Development, 15(5/6), 460–484.
Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society (2nd ed.). Norton.
Lefmann, T., & Combs-Orme, T. (2013). Early brain development for social work practice: Integrating neuroscience with Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 23(5), 640–647.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and language. MIT Press.
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Part 1: Create the Case: Early Childhood
Create a simulated case study, relevant to your area of specialization, of a preschool child, 2–5 years of age, who presents developmental challenges related to factors described by Piaget’s or Vygotsky’s developmental milestones and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory.
Your case study should be 1–2 pages in length and it should describe:
The child’s strengths and challenges.
The medical, family, and social context.
The developmental challenges that were evident in the behavior of the child.
Individual and cultural factors that theory and/or research indicate could impact the child’s development.
Any other factors you deem appropriate based on your understanding of the theory and related research.
To develop this case, you should:
Explore theory and research related to early childhood development in the cognitive domain.
Use either Piaget or Vygotsky to describe those age- or stage-related milestones expected at the age of your selected child.
Develop your case by creating a challenge for the child in the cognitive domain in early childhood. Describe what the child struggles with not meeting the expected theoretical milestones in the cognitive domain.
Explore, through theory and research, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of the various systems that can influence development. Describe the typical influences in those systems that would likely be most evident for a child in the preschool years.
Develop your case study further by creating an environmental context for the child in specific systems in Bronfenbrenner’s theory. Include any specific issues that you want to explore through research, such as influences of a specific culture or ethnicity, specific socioeconomic status, family structure, attachment issues, and neighborhood context.
Maintain a resource list of the materials you consulted to build your case.
Follow APA guidelines for style and formatting, as well as for citing your resources. Include a reference list of the scholarly resources you use.
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Part 2: Case Intervention Analysis: Early Childhood
Research
Complete the following:
Research evidence-based interventions that have been effective in meeting the challenges of the child you described in your case study, from the perspective of your own professional specialization (as far as possible).
Explain how the deficits in the cognitive and other developmental domains affect development in early childhood.
Explain how the environmental contexts impact development and functioning.
State the recommended interventions that align with your specialization.
Include evidence for those outcomes from the professional literature.
Explore briefly the literature on cognitive development over time, considering that early influences can impact development across the lifespan.
Explain, from the perspective of your specialization, how the early cognitive challenges could be manifested across the lifespan.
Explain how (or whether) this might help in understanding and determining an approach to working with an individual who had early cognitive challenges.
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Structure of the Report
Use the APA Paper Template [DOCX] (ATTACHED) and the following format to structure your report:
Title page.
A descriptive title of 5–15 words that concisely communicates the purpose of your report and includes the name of the fictional subject. Be sure to follow Capella’s suggested format for title pages on course papers.
Introduction.
An overview of the paper contents, including a brief summary (approximately half a page) of the background information regarding the case study. (The complete 1–2 page case you developed will be included as an appendix.)
Body of the report.
The presenting challenges and primary issues.
An analysis of how lifespan development theory and research may account for the presenting cognitive challenges. Highlight why the child is developing as described.
A description of your selected child with attention to age-expected outcomes in cognitive development, as well as specific challenges the child has in not meeting those milestones.
A description of the factors in the child’s environment linked to Bronfenbrenner’s theory that have an impact on their overall development.
An assessment of the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on development for the current age and context described in the case study.
Evidence-based interventions that have been effective in meeting the described challenges of your selected child, from the perspective of your own professional specialization.
An explanation of how the deficits in the cognitive domain or environmental contexts impact functioning in other domains, such as social or emotional development (considering that in developing your case, the theoretical emphasis was on the cognitive domain).
Recommended interventions that align with your specialization. Include evidence for those outcomes from the professional literature.
Projections, based on research and/or theory, of possible long-term impacts that the current challenges may produce across the individual’s lifespan.
Conclusion.
A summary of what was introduced in the body of the paper with respect to the case study context, challenges, and interventions.
Reference page.
A minimum of five scholarly sources from current peer-reviewed journals, formatted in APA style.
Appendix.
The simulated case study you created in Part 1.
Example Assessment: You may use the Assessment 2 Example [DOCX] (ATTACHED) to give you an idea of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like.
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Additional Requirements
Your paper should meet the following requirements:
Written communication: Write coherently to support central ideas, using appropriate APA format, and with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.
Length of paper: 5–7 typed, double-spaced pages, not including the title page, references page, or case study appendix.
References: At least five scholarly resources (peer-reviewed journals).
APA format: Follow APA guidelines for style and formatting, as well as for citing your resources in the body of your paper and listed alphabetically on the references page.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 points.
Note: In graduate-level and professional writing, you should minimize the use of direct quotes. Lengthy quotes do not count toward assessment minimums. It is your interpretation of the material and its application to practice that is assessed..
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Competencies Measured Please, address all competencies
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:
Competency 1: Analyze how lifespan development theories and related research explain aspects of human growth and behavior at different ages.
Analyze evidence related to Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory.
Analyze evidence related to cognitive theory.
Competency 2: Assess the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on development across the lifespan.
Assess the potential impact of individual and cultural differences on early childhood development.
Competency 3: Identify evidence-based interventions to address specific developmental issues.
Suggest appropriate intervention processes based on lifespan development theory and evidence from the literature.
Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of the psychological professions.
Convey purpose, in an appropriate tone and style, incorporating supporting evidence and adhering to organizational, professional, and scholarly writing standards.
Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.
Unformatted Attachment Preview
Running head: APA STYLE PAPER TEMPLATE
1
[Instructional text in this template is contained in square brackets ([…]). After reading the
instructional text, please delete it, and use the document as a template for your own paper.
To keep the correct format, edit the running head, cover page, headings, and reference list
with your own information, and add your own body text. Save this template in a file for
future use and information.
The running head is an abbreviated title of the paper. The running head is located at the top of the
pages of a manuscript or published article to identify the article for readers. The running head
should be a maximum of 50 characters, counting letters, punctuation, and spaces between words.
The words “Running head” are on the cover page but not on the rest of the document. The running
head title is all capital letters. Page 1 begins on the cover page. The entire document should be
double-spaced, have 1-inch margins on all sides, and use 12-point Times New Roman font.]
Full Title of Paper
Learner’s Full Name
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Capella University
Course ID: Course Title
Faculty Name
Month, Year
APA STYLE PAPER TEMPLATE
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Abstract
[An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of a paper. This section is
optional, so check assignment requirements. The abstract allows readers to quickly review the
key elements of a paper without having to read the entire document. This can be helpful for
readers who are searching for specific information and may be reviewing many documents. The
abstract may be one of the most important paragraphs in a paper because readers often decide if
they will read the document based on information in the abstract. An abstract may not be
required in some academic papers; however, it can still be an effective method of gaining the
reader’s attention. For example, an abstract will not be required for Capella’s first course,
PSYC3002. The following sentences serve as an example of what could be composed as an
abstract for this paper: The basic elements of APA style will be reviewed, including formatting
of an APA style paper, in-text citations, and a reference list. Additional information will address
the components of an introduction, how to write effective paragraphs using the MEAL plan, and
elements of a summary and conclusion section of a paper.]
APA STYLE PAPER TEMPLATE
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Full Title of Paper
[In APA style, the heading “Introduction” is not used; instead, the introduction appears
under the paper’s full title. An effective introduction often provides an obvious statement of
purpose to help the reader know what to expect while helping the writer to focus and stay on
task. For example, this paper will address several components necessary to effectively write an
academic paper including (a) how to write an introduction, (b) how to write effective paragraphs
using the MEAL plan, and (c) how to properly use APA style.
An introduction may consist of four main components including (a) the position
statement, thesis, or hypothesis, which describes the author’s main position; (b) the purpose,
which outlines the objective of the paper; (c) the background, which is general information that
is needed to understand the content of the paper; and (d) the approach, which is the process or
methodology the author uses to achieve the purpose of the paper. Authors may choose to briefly
reference sources that will be identified later on in the paper as in this example (American
Psychological Association, 2010a; American Psychological Association, 2010b; Walker, 2008).]
Level One Section Heading is Centered, Bold, Uppercase and Lowercase
[Using section headings can be an effective method of organizing an academic paper. The
section headings should not be confused with the running head, which is a different concept
described on the cover page of this document. Section headings are not required according to
APA style; however, they can significantly improve the quality of a paper. This is accomplished
because section headings help both the reader and the author.]
APA STYLE PAPER TEMPLATE
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Level Two Section Heading is Flush Left, Bold, Uppercase and Lowercase
[The heading style recommended by APA consists of five levels (American
Psychological Association, 2010a, p. 62). This document contains two levels to demonstrate how
headings are structured according to APA style. Immediately before the previous paragraph, a
Level 1 heading was used. That section heading describes how a Level 1 heading should be
written, which is centered, bold, and using uppercase and lowercase letters. For another example,
see the section heading “Writing an Effective Introduction” on page 3 of this document. The
heading is centered, bold, and uses uppercase and lowercase letters (compared to all uppercase in
the running head at the top of each page). If used properly, section headings can significantly
contribute to the quality of a paper by helping the reader who wants to understand the
information in the document, and the author who desires to effectively describe the information
in the document.]
Section Headings Help the Reader
[Section headings serve multiple purposes including (a) helping readers understand what
is being addressed in each section, (b) breaking up text to help readers maintain an interest in the
paper, and (c) helping readers choose what they want to read. For example, if the reader of this
document wants to learn more about writing an effective introduction, the previous section
heading clearly states that is where information can be found. When subtopics are needed to
explain concepts in greater detail, different levels of headings are used according to APA style.]
Section Headings Help the Author
[Section headings do not only help the reader, but they also help the author organize the
document during the writing process. Section headings can be used to arrange topics in a logical
order, and they can help an author manage the length of the paper. In addition to an effective
APA STYLE PAPER TEMPLATE
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introduction and the use of section headings, each paragraph of an academic paper can be written
in a manner that helps the reader stay engaged. Capella University promotes the use of the
MEAL plan to serve this purpose.]
The MEAL Plan
[The MEAL plan is a model used by Capella University to help learners effectively
compose academic discussions and papers. Each component of the MEAL plan is critical to
writing an effective paragraph. The acronym MEAL is based on four components of a paragraph
(M = Main point, E = Evidence or Example, A = Analysis, and L = Link). The following section
includes a detailed description and examples of each component of the MEAL plan.
When writing the content sections of an academic paper (as opposed to the introduction
or conclusion sections), the MEAL plan can be an effective model for designing each paragraph.
A paragraph begins with a description of the main point, which is represented by the letter “M”
of the MEAL plan. For example, the first sentence of this paragraph clearly states the main point
is a discussion of the MEAL plan. Once the main point has been made, evidence and examples
can be provided.
The second component of a paragraph contains evidence or examples, which is
represented by the letter “E” in the MEAL plan. An example of this component of the MEAL
plan is actually (and ironically) this sentence, which provides an example of an example.
Evidence can be in the form of expert opinions from research. For example, evidence shows that
plagiarism can occur even when it is not intended if sources are not properly cited (Marsh,
Landau, & Hicks, 1997; Walker, 2008). The previous sentence provides evidence supporting
why evidence is used in a paragraph.
APA STYLE PAPER TEMPLATE
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Analysis, which is represented by the letter “A” of the MEAL plan, should be based on
the author’s interpretation of the evidence. An effective analysis might include a discussion of the
strengths and weaknesses of the arguments, as well as the author’s interpretations of the evidence
and examples. If a quote is used, the author will likely provide an analysis of the quote and the
specific point it makes for the author’s position. Without an analysis, the reader might not
understand why the author discussed the information that the reader just read. For example, the
previous sentence was an analysis by the author of why an analysis is performed when writing
paragraphs in academic papers.
Even with the first three elements of the MEAL plan, it would not be complete without
the final component. The letter “L” of the MEAL plan refers to information that “links” the
current and the subsequent paragraphs. The link helps the reader understand what will be
discussed in the next paragraph. It summarizes the author’s reasoning and shows how the
paragraph fits together and leads (that is, links) into the next section of the paper. For example,
this sentence might explain that once the MEAL plan has been effectively used when writing the
body of an academic paper, the final section is the summary and conclusion section.]
Conclusion
[A summary and conclusion section, which can also be the discussion section of an APA
style paper, is the final opportunity for the author to make a lasting impression on the reader. The
author can begin by restating opinions or positions and summarizing the most important points
that have been presented in the paper. For example, this paper was written to demonstrate to
readers how to effectively use APA style when writing academic papers. Various components of
an APA style paper that were discussed or displayed in the form of examples include a running
APA STYLE PAPER TEMPLATE
head, title page, introduction section, levels of section headings and their use, in-text citations,
the MEAL plan, a conclusion, and the reference list.]
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APA STYLE PAPER TEMPLATE
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References
American Psychological Association. (2010a). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.).
American Psychological Association. (2010b). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of
conduct. http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
Marsh, R. L., Landau, J. D., & Hicks, J. L. (1997). Contributions of inadequate source
monitoring to unconscious plagiarism during idea generation. Journal of Experimental
Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 23(4), 886–897. doi: 10.1037/02787393.23.4.886
Walker, A. L. (2008). Preventing unintentional plagiarism: A method for strengthening
paraphrasing skills. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 35(4), 387–395.
http://search.proquest.com/docview/213904438?accountid=27965
[Always begin a reference list on a new page. Use a hanging indent after the first line of each
reference. The reference list is in alphabetical order by first author’s last name. A reference list
only contains sources that are cited in the body of the paper, and all sources cited in the body of
the paper must be contained in the reference list.
The reference list above contains an example of how to cite a source when two documents are
written in the same year by the same author. The year is also displayed using this method for the
corresponding in-text citations as in the next sentence. The author of the first citation (American
Psychological Association, 2010a) is also the publisher, therefore, the word “Author” is used in
place of the publisher’s name.
When a digital object identifier (DOI) is available for a journal article, it should be placed at the
end of the citation. If a DOI is not available, a uniform resource locator (URL) should be used.
The Marsh, Landau, and Hicks (1997) reference is an example of how to cite a source using a
DOI. The Walker (2008) reference is an example of how to cite a source using a URL.]
Running head: INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
Interventions to Address Developmental Challenges in Rachel’s Case Study
Learner’s Name
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Capella University
PSY-FPX6015: Lifespan Development
Faculty Name
October, 2018
Copyright ©2018 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are prohibited.
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INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
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Interventions to Address Developmental Challenges in Rachel’s Case Study
Rachel is a 5-year-old Vietnamese-American girl who has just begun kindergarten. Her
teacher observes that she appears aloof during class when questions are being asked. The teacher
attempts to address this by directing a question at her in class, to which she responds by crying.
She appears most at ease while playing with her toys alone during playtime. She refuses to share
her toys and play with other children, which has caused difficulties for the teacher.
Rachel’s mother spends time with her almost daily, playing with her and her toys. The
narratives they create during play revolve around the activities the two engage in during the day
and the shows Rachel enjoys watching on TV. Her parents have been attempting to informally
teach her English for the past year to prepare her for kindergarten. Her father recalls an instance
when they pointed to an object (a book) and asked her to name it. After correctly identifying the
object, she began to talk about a dog. Her mother believes this may have been because of a book
she used to have that featured a dog. Her father believes she has a poor attention span.
Rachel seems to be facing difficulties in the areas of cognitive and social development.
Within Bronfenbrenner’s theory of development, Rachel’s development is being influenced by
several systems or environments working together; concurrently, within Vygotsky’s
understanding of development, she is progressing from the premastery stage to the external
regulation stage wherein she is just developing the capacity to understand her world through
representations. This paper will use Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of development and
Vygotsky’s cognitive theory of development to explore the influences of Rachel’s upbringing,
her family’s social interactions, and the methods used by the teacher to integrate her into the
classroom setting. Additionally, interventions will be suggested to help resolve Rachel’s issues.
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INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
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Present Challenges and Primary Issues
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of development posits that development occurs
through reciprocal interactions between the developing human and the persons, objects, and
symbols in his or her immediate environment (Bronfenbrenner, 1977). These interactions are
categorized within the systems in which they interact, namely microsystems, mesosystems,
exosystems, and macrosystems. Microsystems are the set of the most immediate interactions
between an individual and the people, objects, and symbols in his or her environment
(Bronfenbrenner, 1977). In Rachel’s case, her interactions at kindergarten and at home are part
of two different microsystems. Mesosystems are composed of interactions between
microsystems (Bronfenbrenner, 1977). For example, the interactions that take place between
Rachel’s kindergarten and home environments comprise one mesosystem. An exosystem is
composed of the mesosystem that the individual is a part of and the larger social structures, such
as locale or mass media, that would influence the individual’s life (Bronfenbrenner, 1977). For
example, an increase in Rachel’s father’s salary will affect her quality of life. Macrosystems
refer to the overarching patterns that emerge from all interactions between different
microsystems, mesosystems, and exosystems. This includes the culture, belief and knowledge
systems, and lifestyles with which an individual engages (Bronfenbrenner, 1977). In Rachel’s
case, this will be the multicultural environment in which she is growing up, between her
Vietnamese-American community and the larger culture within the town or state in which she
resides. Rachel’s development is dependent on all these different systems. In particular, her
cognitive development appears to be influenced by her social circumstances.
A theory that considers the influence of an individual’s social circumstances on his or her
cognitive development is Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development. Vygotsky identified
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INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
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cognitive development as the mastery of external objects or representations such as alphabets,
numerals, or words to accomplish a cognitive operation that is not naturally possible by the
human mind (Gredler, 2009). His theory of cognitive development is divided into stages based
on the learning and use of these external objects or representations toward complete mastery
without any external assistance (Gredler, 2009). In Rachel’s case, she has just begun
kindergarten and is learning to recognize and use the alphabet and numerals and other signs, such
as shapes and colors, or other culturally significant objects, such as houses and chairs. According
to Vygotsky’s theory, she is in the premastery stage wherein she is capable of organizing objects
(or representations) in her mind into groups but often establishes uncertain and haphazard
relations between the objects in these groups (Gredler, 2009). This is observable in Rachel’s
tendency to be distracted by related, yet haphazard connections such as the connection between a
book and a dog made simply because she once saw a book that had a picture of a dog in it.
However, within the next few years, Rachel should be more capable of creating logical
connections between various objects. She is in a period of transition between premastery and
external regulation. During the external regulation stage, children learn to use external cues to
organize their knowledge (Gredler, 2009). For example, Rachel may eventually be able to
understand the connection of dog and book in her mind under the category of books she has seen
or read. If she doesn’t grow past the premastery stage, cognitive development will not take place.
An integral part of the development of external regulation is ego-centric speech, which
refers to the verbal expressions made by a child during play (Gredler, 2009). The development of
ego-centric speech revolves around three stages—a “chaotic hodge podge” (which includes
emotional appeals and speaking to the object of the problem), comments about the action the
child is engaging in, and verbal planning. During the verbal planning phase, the child speaks
Copyright ©2018 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are prohibited.
INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
5
aloud the different actions necessary to resolve an issue. Ego-centric speech is most easily
observable in the child’s play (Gredler, 2009). Rachel’s teacher has observed that she talks to
herself as she plays. This could indicate that Rachel’s interest and engagement in play is also a
sign of her ongoing development.
Play during childhood has been understood by psychologists to be important to adult
mental health (Nilsson & Ferholt, 2014). Vygotsky proposed that play is an integral part of
childhood development during which a child learns how to regulate and follow the rules he or
she has internally decided upon. During play, a child learns to behave within the rules he or she
has set down for the character being played. This contributes to the development of the child’s
capacity for self-regulation (Bodrova, Germeroth, & Leong, 2013). Rachel is learning to regulate
her wishes according to the rules she lays down during play. If this development of selfregulation is disrupted, she could struggle with developing intentional or goal-directed behavior
(Hofmann, Schmeichel, & Baddeley, 2012).
Further, play is dependent on imagination. For Vygotsky, the development of imagination
is not just the development of creative capacities for the sake of artistic production. Imagination
facilitates representation, or the process of creating mental objects (Nilsson & Ferholt, 2014).
Rachel’s play is partly responsible for the development of her capacity to process her
experiences. Her teacher seems to incorrectly assume that the amount of time she spends with
her toys is detrimental to her development. Attempting to discipline Rachel for this behavior
would be more detrimental than helpful. However, there are factors unique to the case that can
have an impact on Rachel’s development.
One site of conflict is between the microsystems of her home and kindergarten. Rachel’s
family communicates primarily in Vietnamese. Although her parents have attempted to teach her
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INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
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English, this effort is more recent, and she is still only just learning to speak the language. There
is evidently a language barrier in her interactions in the kindergarten. It is possible she is unable
to fully understand what is being spoken in class by her teacher. Any attempt by her peers to
communicate with her might be lost on her. Although this has made it difficult for her to engage
in play with her peers, the importance of play in her development should not be ignored.
Individual and Cultural Differences
Rachel is experiencing difficulties in the microsystem of kindergarten because of the
differences arising from the macrosystem she has been raised in. Her social development is
further complicated by the attachment behaviors she has learned by modeling her parents’ social
behavior. The culture that Rachel has been exposed to is primarily her own—VietnameseAmerican. Individuals from collectivist cultures such as the Vietnamese are likely to determine
their self-concept in relation to those around them (Pham, 2018; Afshan, Askari, & Manickam,
2015). As a result of the culture to which she belongs, Rachel tends toward being more
interdependent than her peers from other communities. However, this is not apparent in her aloof
behavior when at kindergarten. Her interdependency might be focused toward members of her
own community. Her family communicates primarily in Vietnamese, and kindergarten is
probably her first experience of prolonged exposure to individuals of varying identities.
Consequently, she requires help in working past the language barrier and overcoming her limited
exposure to people from other communities.
Vietnamese-American parents may face difficulties in communicating with their
children’s teachers because of the language barrier and cultural differences (Le, 2017). A study
on the difficulties that Vietnamese-American parents face in the context of the American school
system found that second-generation parents expect more from their children’s schools (Le,
Copyright ©2018 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are prohibited.
INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
7
2017). Rachel’s parents most likely expect the school to assist in mitigating the difficulties their
child is experiencing. They are probably uncertain of the extent to which they are responsible for
their child’s learning. In response to these concerns, several schools have hired faculty that speak
Vietnamese and/or assist in the conversation between teachers and parents (Le, 2017).
Interventions
Two interventions can be suggested to help mitigate the issues Rachel is facing. Firstly,
Rachel’s parents can use shared book reading as an intervention to enhance her English language
development. Shared book reading involves an adult reading along with a child and using
interactive techniques such as dialogic reading and asking the child to retell the story. Studies
have shown that shared book reading is an effective method of promoting early literacy
development among English language learners (ELLs) like Rachel. Studies have also suggested
that this intervention is particularly successful when specific components such as “rich”
descriptions of words, frequent book reading, and dialogic reading are employed (Fitton,
McIlraith, & Wood, 2018).
Secondly, Rachel’s parents and her teacher can encourage her to extend her play to her
peers. Vygotsky focuses primarily on play that involves make-believe acting that children are
fond of engaging in (Bodrova, Germeroth, & Leong, 2013). Studies have shown that including
dramatic play time in the classroom can improve children’s English literacy and language skills.
Further, participation of adults during such play time in roles such as that of co-player, mediator,
and interpreter is also known to contribute to the children’s language, social, emotional, and
cognitive development (Banerjee, Alsalman, & Alqafari, 2016). By involving Rachel in makebelieve play with a few of her peers with narratives similar to the TV shows she enjoys, she can
grow more comfortable with interacting with her peers. This provides the opportunity for her to
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INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
8
engage in an activity she enjoys while also interacting with her peers. Make-believe play can also
be used to develop and teach new concepts by associating the play with various concepts taught
in the classroom (Bodrova, Germeroth, & Leong, 2013; Nilsson & Ferholt, 2014).
Conclusion
The case study is of a 5-year-old girl named Rachel who is experiencing difficulties in
her interactions at school. Her father believes she may have a short attention span because of the
illogical connections she seems to make. However, these illogical connections are a sign of her
developing her skills of representing and consequently organizing her representations. The cause
for her difficulties at school, however, may be traced to the difference in the language she speaks
at home (Vietnamese) and the language spoken in the classroom (English). To mitigate this
issue, Rachel could be signed up for additional English language classes to help improve her
language skills. Her teacher could also be offered training to accommodate the needs of children
like her who are not able to communicate effectively in English. Additionally, her interest in toys
and play has been developed through play with her parents. Her fondness of play can be used to
integrate her into the social sphere of kindergarten. Her teacher can create a make-believe setting
that allows her to interact with her peers and be at ease with them.
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INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
9
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Le, K. P. (2017). Encountering the American school system through the eyes of first- and
second-generation Vietnamese immigrant parents (Doctoral dissertation).
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INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
11
Appendix
Rachel is a 5-year-old girl who has just begun kindergarten. During classes, she remains
silent when her teacher asks a question. Her teacher noticed this and tried to involve Rachel in
the classroom more by calling her name and asking her a question. Rachel responded to the
question by crying. Her teacher has not directly asked her a question since then. She suspects that
Rachel is nervous about being around her peers in class.
Rachel is the first child of second-generation Vietnamese-American parents. Her parents
were born and raised in the United States, and they primarily speak Vietnamese at home. Her
parents have been attempting to informally teach her English for the past year to prepare her for
kindergarten. They live in a neighborhood that is primarily Vietnamese-American. Rachel’s
family members do not participate as often as their peers in events and festivals celebrated by
their community. This has led to Rachel’s family members having limited social interactions.
The family members share a close bond with each other. Her mother and father have both
engaged in play with Rachel since she was a toddler. In particular, her mother plays with Rachel
and her toys almost every day. The narratives that are created during play revolve around the
daily activities of Rachel and her mother. Rachel watches TV shows in English and attempts to
speak the language by herself. Sometimes, the narratives in these shows find their way into play
with her toys.
In kindergarten, during playtime, she refuses to play with her peers. Instead, she plays by
herself with toys. Her teacher has observed that she is quite talkative while playing with her toys.
Her teacher appreciates the fact that different children might have different capacities and desires
in social interaction. She finds it difficult, however, to handle Rachel as she refuses to let the
other children play with the toys. Further, she is concerned that Rachel is spending too much
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INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
12
time with her toys. To address both issues, on one occasion, the teacher scolded Rachel for
playing with her toys so often. Rachel cried excessively in response to this and refused to go to
kindergarten the next day. Her parents are unsure of how to help her. They worry that she might
be struggling with a development issue. Additionally, Rachel’s father is concerned that she has a
poor attention span as he has found her sometimes making illogical connections between objects.
He recalls an incident when they were trying to help her recall the word “book” by pointing at a
book. She responded by correctly identifying the object as a book but eventually began to talk
about a dog. Rachel’s mother dismissed her husband’s concern by stating that Rachel was
probably talking about a book she used to have that featured a dog in it. Rachel’s parents are
very concerned about their child and are searching for ways to improve her behavior.
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