Case Study of a

Child Age 3
Veronica Fox EDU 220 Principles of
Education Psychology
Brief Summary of Observation of Child
Age 3
● Physical: Loves to run and play, has strong physical movements.

● Emotional: Very sensitive.

● Cognitive- Very smart, learns quickly.

● Social- extremely social, very good at sharing.

● Moral- Very gentle.

Physical
Typical Physical Behaviors

● Building skills in running, jumping, throwing and kicking.

(U.S National Library of Medicine, 2013)
● Beginning to try and dress themselves.
(U.S National Library of Medicine 2013)
● Can speak at least 3 worded sentences.
(U.S National Library of Medicine 2013)
● Beginning to potty train.
(U.S National Library of Medicine 2013)
Developmental Level According to
Snowmen
Physical Characteristics:Preschool and Kindergarten stage
● Shown through running, jumping, and physical activities.

● Develops more through free play.

● Focus more on gross motor skill development.

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R. 2015 Pg. 77)
 Characteristics of a 3 Year Old Child.
(Observation) Meets Milestones
● He is able to use the bathroom on his own and can feel when he needs to go, he does

not need to be reminded.

● He can put on his pants himself but needs help to put on his shirt and shoes from an

adult.

● He is able to play on the “big boy” park by himself. For example, he can climb up the

rounded ladder bars by himself.

● Can speak more than 3 worded sentences but needs help with pronunciation.
Physical Development Recommendations

● Take child to park and allow them to play freely but assist when needed.
(University of Washington, 1993)

● Let the child pick out their clothes and allow them to dress themselves.
(University of Washington. 1993)

● Ask open ended-questions to help build speech.

(PBS, 2019)
● Stay calm and be patient and don’t give up.
(PBS,2019)
Emotional
Typical Emotional Behaviors

● Becoming more independent but dependent on parent approval.

(Child Development Institute, 2015)
● Sensitive about other people's idea of them.
(University of Washington. 1993)
● Fear of strangers.
(University of Washington. 1993)

● Stronger attachment to opposite-sex parent.

(Child Development Institute, 2015)
● Jealous toward same sex-parent.
(Child Development Institute, 2015)
Developmental Level According to
Snowmen
Emotional Characteristics:Preschool and Kindergarten stage
● Children express themselves freely.

● Outbursts are common.

● They are able to learn why they were upset.

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R. 2015 Pg. 80)
 Characteristics of a 3-Year-Old Child
(Observation)
Does not meet milestones
● Very sensitive to parents raising their voice, even if it isn't directed at him, he

begins to cry and ask for reassurance.

● It took at least 2 hours for the child to calm down after the mother left.

● Loves his mother very much, has extreme separation anxiety. For example, if the

mother is not around it takes a very long time for him to calm down.
Emotional Behavior Recommendations

● Encourage the child to do more activities without your help.

(University of Washington. 1993).
● Show love for your child and don't show frustration towards them.
(University of Washington. 1993).

● Start small with introductions to friends and family members.

(PBS, 2019)
● Don't take it personally and don’t feed into the behavior or rub it into your

partner.
(University of Washington. 1993).
Cognitive/Intellectual
Typical Cognitive/Intellectual Behaviors
● Learns through their senses.
(University of Washington. 1993)

● Using imagination often when playing.

(University of Washington. 1993)
● Very curious.
(University of Washington. 1993)

● Vocabulary develops more quickly.

(Ellsworth, J. 1998).

● Working is seen as exciting.

(Ellsworth, J. 1998).
Developmental level According to Piaget
and Vygotsky
● (Vygotsky Attention stage) Develop through sensory and motor.

● (Vygotsky Attention stage) Imitate the behaviors of others.

● (Piaget's Preoperational stage) Develops through pretend play.

● (Piaget's Preoperational stage) Develops through communication with adults

and playmates.
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R. 2015 Pg.55)
 Characteristics of a 3-Year-Old Child
(Observation)
Meets milestones
● The child loves to play in shaving cream using toys, spoons and his hands.

● Uses items around the house for pretend play even when it is not its intended use,

for example pots and pans as drums.

● Loves to help his mom around the house, for example he will wipe down tables

with wet wipes. He also has no issues when asked to clean up after play time.
Cognitive/Intellectual Recommendations
● Have sensory activities available such as a sand and water table with toys and

or animals.
(PBS, 2019)
● Allow child to dress up and use objects when playing even if it isn't the

intended use.
(University of Washington. 1993).

● Read to your child at least once a day to help build vocabulary.

(PBS, 2019)
● Allow your child to help when cleaning.
(University of Washington. 1993).
Psychosocial/Social
Typical Psychosocial/Social Behaviors

● Notice differences between men and women.

(University of Washington. 1993)

● Shows more interest in group play.

(Ellsworth, J. 1998)

● Boy play becomes more aggressive than with girls.

(Ellsworth, J. 1998)
● Likes to share.
(Child Development Institute, 2015).
Developmental Level According to Erikson

● (Generativity vs. Stagnation stage) Develops through independence.

● (Trust VS Mistrust stage) Willing and ability of one's behavior. (you allow your

child to do things and supervise)

● (Autonomy vs. Shame stage) Shaming a child for attempting can lead to
self-doubt.
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R. 2015 Pg.33)
 Characteristics of a 3-Year-Old Child
(Observation)
Meets Milestones
● He does not show any signs or signals of understanding the differences in gender

roles. For example, he will help mom with laundry and watch her cook.

● Immediately asks other children to play when they arrive and shares any toys he has

with them and politely waits his turn.

Does not meet milestone
● Does not enjoy rough play, if the child doesn’t stop when he asks he starts to cry and

finds an adult.
Psychosocial/Social Recommendations
● Model good behaviors for your child to imitate.
(University of Washington, 1993)
● Make sure there are plenty of toys for all children to play.

● Supervise rough play and intervene when it gets out of hand.

(University of Washington, 1993)
● Encourage the child to share for example, tell him he has 2 minutes to play

with a toy (set timer) and when the timer goes off ask for him to share and

do the same for the other child.

(Childcare course, 2016)
Moral/Character/Philosophical
Typical Moral/Character/Philosophical
Behaviors
● Has more control of emotions/aggression.
(University of Washington. 1993)
● He begins to see/understand the difference between right and wrong.
(University of Washington. 1993)
● They don't hurt others on purpose or with intent.
(Ellsworth, J. 1998).
Developmental Level According to
Kohlberg
Obedience and Punishment Orientation stage
● Learned through consequences of actions. (punishment)

● Reward system (good behavior deserves good praise)

● Satisfies one's needs.

(Snowman, J. & McCown, R. 2015 Pg.61)
 Characteristics of a 3-Year-Old Child
(Observation) Meets milestones
● He does not show any signs of anger or aggression but does get his feelings hurt very

easily. For example, if a friend of his is in trouble he will cry.

● Shows full understanding of right and wrong. For example, if a child asks him to do

something that he knows he shouldn’t do he will not do it and might tell and adult.

● He is extremely gentle and will go help a child who seems to be scared or hurt to

make them feel better. For example, a friend of his was crying while being changed,

and he went to sit text to her and kissed her forehead and started to sing to her
Moral/Character Recommendations

● Praise your child when you see them use self-control.

(PBS, 2019)
● Be clear on your rules and don’t be inconsistent about them.
(University of Washington. 1993).
● Give a simple and clear example of why you don't hurt someone when it

does happen ask them how they would feel if it was done to them.
(Childcare Course, 2016)
References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Early Childhood (3-4). Retrieved

from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/facts.html

Child Development Institute (2015). The ages and stages of Toddler Development. Retrieved

from https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ages-stages/#.WR3Id_QrLrc

Ellsworth, J. (1998). Development the Third Step. Retrieved from

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jde7/ese504/class/pepsi/lesson2-1-1.html

PBS (2019) All Topics for 3-Year-Olds. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/parents/learn-grow/age-3

Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2015). Psychology applied to teaching, 14th ed. Stamford,

CT: Cengage Learning.

University of Washington. (1993). Child development guide. Three to Four Years. Retrieved from

http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/chidev/cd06.htm