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PEPSI: Case Study with Recommendations for Growth For Jake

Miranda Springer
EDU 220: Principles of Education Psychology
June 30, 2013

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PEPSI Case Study with Recommendations for Growth
Childs First Name _________Jake________________
_____11_______

Childs Age

Physical Development
Physical
Height
Weight
Build

Gender
Appearance

Typical Development

(Childs Name) Actual

Observed Development

About 52
About 100 lbs
Growing muscle tone and
increase in weight gain (Oswalt,
2013).
They become leaner, taller, and
stronger, so they are better able
to master sports and games
(Woolfolk, 2014, p 80).
Male
Association with groups and
taking efforts in their
appearance in order to be
attractive to their peers
(Ellsworth, 1999).

47
85 lbs
Slim, has not started muscle toning
or shows any interest in doing so.

Agility
Posture

It is also with this age group

that we begin to see a lot of
time spent watching TV, and in
many instances, the child will be
lying on their stomach; another
habit that can cause postural
issues. Children in this age
group are frequently seen
playing video games and, with
both
handheld games and console
games with a controller, the
child will be sitting in a head
down position or with their
shoulders hunched which is

Male
Jake does not seem to care about
what his peers might think or say
about his appearance. His clothing
is usually torn at the knee caps,
and his t-shirts are very large. He
generally wears the same jeans
throughout the week and will
alternate between two shirts as the
week continues.
Due to Jakes lack of coordination,
his agility is not very good.
Slumped Jake walks hunched
over. No effort is put into standing
up straight.

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equally troublesome to a
developing spine (Grantland,
2008).
Coordinatio
n
Gross
Muscle

Small
Muscle

In contrast to girls, the motor

skills of adolescent boys
continue to improve, particularly
gross motor skills. Adolescent
boys rapidly gain physical
speed, jumping strength,
throwing strength, and
endurance throughout the entire
period of adolescence, even into
their early 20's (Oswalt, 2013).
In contrast to girls, the motor
skills of adolescent boys
continue to improve, particularly
gross motor skills. Adolescent
boys rapidly gain physical
speed, jumping strength,
throwing strength, and
endurance throughout the entire
period of adolescence, even into
their early 20's (Oswalt, 2013).

Not a great deal of coordination.

This is evident when using his
gross and small muscle groups.
Poor Jake seems to be late in his
physical development of large
muscle groups. His ability to jump
rope and run are not as developed
as his peers.

Poor While substituting in his

class, I had to write the words he
dictated to me. He would then
trace them and they would be
barely legible. If left alone, it takes
some deciphering to understand
what he has written.

Emotional Development
Typical Development
Rules, boundaries, and limitations serve
to create a sense of safety and comfort.
Youth feel more comfortable and relaxed
when they know what is expected of
them (Oswalt, 2013)
Social support enables youth to practice
handling stressful and challenging
circumstances while simultaneously
knowing that if they should need help
someone is nearby and willing to assist
them (Oswalt, 2013).
Erikson stage of Industry versus
Inferiority is described as a child being

(Jake) Actual Observed

Development
Jake does not do well with change. If the
day is not as structured as the day
before, he has a mental block of what is
expected of him in the classroom
environment.
When Jake is faced with a stressful
situation, he will lie on the floor and start
crying. Communication with him is very
difficult unless the situation is changed
to how he prefers it.
Being in a special needs class, Jake is
faced with this every day and will have

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able to deal with the demands of
learning new skills or risk the sense of
incompetence (Woolfolk, 2014, p 100).
Students attachment to teachers and
schools are being discovered as positive
forces in a childs life (Woolfolk, 2014, p
90).
The ability to understand the impact of
their emotions on their thoughts and
behavior, and the ability to delay or
inhibit impulsive reactions to powerful,
intense emotions (Oswalt, 2013).

difficulty mastering this stage in his life.

He is trying to improve but his abilities
are limited.
This is true for Jake. He looks up to his
teacher so advice and reassurance.
During the extended period I was there,
Jake started to feel the same toward my
role in the classroom.
Jake lacks this ability because of his
disabilities. Measures are already in
place to improve is overall ability to
become more emotional self-efficacy.
According to his teacher, Jake his greatly
improved over the last year with this.
However, he does have relapses every
once in a while.

Philosophical/Moral Development
Typical Development
Children will tend to live in accordance
with these rules but primarily for selfish
reasons, as a way of avoiding
punishment and obtaining praise for
themselves (Oswalt, 2013).
Preconverntional Level of Kohlbergs
Moral Development Stage one:
Obedience Orientation; and Stage two:
Rewards/Exchange Orientation
(Woolfolk, 2014, p 113).
There may be a tension brewing
between a desire to appear "good" and
"white" while wishing to be perceived
by peers as acceptable and not a
"goody"(Ellsworth, 1999).
Kohlberg calls stage 1 thinking
"preconventional" because children do
not yet speak as members of society.
Instead, they see morality as something
external to themselves, as that which
the big people say they must do
(Crain, 1985).

(Jake) Actual Observed Development

When I asked Jake a question about
which child did the most wrong action in
two different scenarios, he identified that
the child that caused more damage
accidently was more wrong than the child
who cause less damage intentionally.

Again, Jake does not seem to be

concerned about the thoughts of a
majority of his peers, only that of very
close friends. I have identified about
three of them.
As I asked Jake questions on what he
would do in social situations, he gave me
a lot of answers like I would go get an
adult, or a teacher.

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Social Development
Typical Development
New communication technologies
enable youth to create and to maintain
social bonds in completely different
ways (Oswalt, 2013).
As children mature and become
adolescents they begin to differentiate
friends from acquaintances (Oswalt,
2013).
Peer pressure is used as a manipulative
tool. (AACAP, 2012).

Referent sources and relationships flip:

**Toward adults: rude, disobedient,
resists limits, and famous refrains: "You
let him do it" "Everybody else does" "All
my friends are" **Toward Peers: wants a
best friend, strong need approval, wants
to be seen as "in the know" cool words
and profanity converse about sex,
agrees to shoplift on a dare (Ellsworth,
1999).
Cliques in school affect a students
grades and their ability to socialize with
peers later in life (Woolfolk, 2014, p
93).

(Jake) Actual Observed Development

Although he has his own Facebook, I do
not think he uses it like others his age do.
I did not see any indication that he uses it
on a regular basis.
Jake seems to express that there is a
difference between his friends and his
school peers. Those he does not socialize
with are his peers, but he does not see
them as friends.
Jake does not seems to care about the
opinions of others. If Jake does not want
to do something, he would not give into
peer pressure for acceptance.
Jake used profanity frequently a year ago
according to his teacher. This does not
seem to be the case anymore, however
he will rarely at school.

Since the previous year, Jakes growth

toward making relationships has
improved dramatically according to his
teacher and mother. He is venturing out
of his comfort zone in order to better
associate with his peers in a positive
manner.

Intellectual Development
Typical Development
Piaget described multiple operations
that children begin to master in middle
childhood, including conservation,
decentration, reversibility, hierarchical
classification, seriation, and spatial
reasoning. Piaget also believed that

(Jake) Actual Observed

Development
Like with his moral reasoning, Jake has a
very black and white thought process of
what is right and what is wrong.

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children in middle childhood master
hierarchical classification; the ability to
simultaneously sort things into general
and more specific groups, using different
types of comparisons (Oswalt, 2013).
Children's cognitive abilities - their
ability to perform mental operations, to
pay attention, to remember and to
communicate about what they have
learned (Oswalt, 2013).
Students who enjoy learning and school
will become quite accomplished at the
educational skills and will exult in their
abilities (Ellsworth, 1999).
Sentence length of 5-6 words; average
6 year old vocabulary of about 10,000
words; defined objects by their use;
knows spatial relations and opposites;
knows address; understands same and
different; uses all types of sentences
(Woolfolk, 2014, p 187).
Young children begin to elaborate their
vocabulary by adding endings to their
words (Woolfolk, 2014, p 188).

This is especially difficult for Jake

because of his disabilities.

Jake does not seem to enjoy school or

work that is done in class or at home.
Very little effort is giving to achieve
higher academic levels.
Since working with Jake in the
classroom, I know that he is unable to
write and think at the same time. In
addition, Jake has difficult developing
more complex sentences due to his lack
in vocabulary.
Jake is able to articulate words with
different ending and can identify them.
However, he reads them with great
difficulty.

(Jake) Strengths and Growth Needs

Area
Physical

Emotional

Philosophic
al
Social

Jakes Actual Strengths

Although short, Jake is very
comfortable with his height and
build.
Jake contains his temper on a
regular basis even if something
does not go as he had planned
or anticipated.
Jake is aware of consequences
that accompany actions and
decisions that he makes.
Jake has a strong sense of what
he likes and would not give into
peer pressure.

Jakes Growth Needs

Compared to his peers, Jake should
work on his small muscle group
improvement and his posture.
Even with occasional outbursts,
Jake needs to develop a healthy
outlet when a negative emotion
overwhelms him.
Jake has difficulty differentiating
between intent and motive, verses
an accident and mistakes.
Jake needs to be able to rely on his
own ability to handle social
situations that he is not initially
prepared for. Being flexible with
change will help.

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Intellectual

Jakes academic grades are

improving based on the areas
mentioned and monitored with
his IEP.

However, overall improvement in

all academic areas in necessary.

Growth Objectives for (Jake)

Physical Development Objectives
1. Jake could start being more athletic in order to develop his muscles to that
comparable to his age group.
2. Jake will continue to work on his handwriting and other fine motor skills by
attending summer school.
Growth Objective Rationale:
As a young male, it is vital to play and be active in order to increase their
gross muscles. Oswalt states that boys rapidly gain physical speed, jumping
strength, throwing strength, and endurance throughout the entire period of
adolescence (2013). Jakes peers are at the point where their bodies are already
becoming heavier, with broader shoulders and tapered waists. In order to become
what is typical for his age group, active athleticism in necessary. Although disabled,
Jake needs to work on his small muscles so that he might be able to better
communicate with others.
Emotional Development Objectives
1. Jake will continue with his IEP goals of becoming more flexible when change does
arise within his everyday life in school and in public situations.
2. Jake will need to continue working on focusing his negative emotions to a more
positive activity.
Growth Objective Rationale:
Since learning to swim takes place in the water, Jake will have to learn to
control emotional outburst from occurring in a multitude of varied social situations.
By turning his negative emotions into positive actions, there will be very few limits
to Jake overall social and emotional achievements.
Philosophical/Moral Development Objectives
1. Jake should further his understanding for why there are consequences for his
actions and or decisions.

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2. Jakes parents should converse with him about the difference between what
intent verses accident is so that he can make better independent judgments in the
future.
Growth Objective Rationale:
Since children are not quite members of society yet, they see morality as
something external to themselves, as that which the big people say they must do
(Crain, 1985). Once Jakes parents explain to him the other stages, and he gets
older, Jake will have a more solid moral compass.
Social Development Objectives
1. In order to avoid peer pressure, Jake should understand that his medication is not
to be abused or given to others through peer pressure as a precaution because as
Jake gets older, he will probably be on stronger medication(s).
2. In order to be better prepared for social changes, Jake should immerse himself in
a variety of situations.
Growth Objective Rationale:
According to Woolfolk, although drug abuse is not always associated with
emotional or behavioral problems and people without these challenges may abuse
drugs, many adolescents with emotional problems also abuse drugs (2014, p 163).
If Jake does not feel in control of his emotions during a social interaction, he may fall
victim to peer pressure which could lead to other problems such as substance abuse
being that he would have access to addictive prescription medications.
Intellectual Development Objectives
1. The goals set in Jakes IEP are being achieved, and every review should be to
improve his academics with realistic goals.
2. Jake should continue with the Extended School Year program so that he might
have a better chance reaching the typical intellectual level of his peers.
Growth Objective Rationale:
Woofolk states that it is mandatory for a team that includes parents,
specialized teachers, administrative personnel, school psychologists, general
education teachers, and sometimes the student to attend IEP meetings (2013, p
147). It is during these meeting that goals will be evaluated and reviewed so that
the child has a better chance of progressing and learning as mandated by IDEA and
FAPE (Wollfolk, 2013, p 147). Since knowing Jake while substituting in his class and
being able to see his academic, behavioral, emotional, and social progress, this is
the best route for him to increase his cognitive abilities.

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References
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). (2011). Facts for
families: Peer Pressure. Retrieved from
http://www.aacap.org/galleries/FactsForFamilies/104_peer_pressure.pdf
Crain, W. (1985). CHAPTER SEVEN KOHLBERG'S STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT.
Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. Retrieved from
<faculty.plts.edu/gpence/html/kohlberg.htm.>
Ellsworth, J. (1999). PEPSI observations. Retrieved from
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jde7/ese504/class/pepsi/PEPSIObserv/index.html
Grantland, A. (2008). The Wellness Family Newsletter.

Retrieved from

http://www.drgrantland.com/pdf/posture%20matters.pdf
Oswalt, A. (2013). An introduction to adolescent development. Sevencounties.org.
Retrieved from http://www.sevencounties.org/poc/view_doc.php?
type=doc&id=41149&cn=1310