1. Describe any physical or behavioral signs of incipient puberty.
Peyton has definitely started in on the mood swings and doesn’t want to be around me very much. In the summer after her 7th grade year she would get bored and then I would make suggestions; which of course she would turn down right away. However, as the weeks went on she would use my suggestions, but act like it was her idea to begin with. She definitely has those attitudes of being a smart-alec and talking back sometimes. I’m trying to handle this as best as I can, but I know that when she’s in her not-so-good moods I just let her spend time in her room and give her her space. I know that when I was her age I did the same thing and it was best for my parents just to leave me alone until I got over my bad mood.
2. How would you characterize your child at this point in terms of the under-controlled, over-controlled or resilient categories? Have there been any changes since the preschool period and why might they have occurred?
So far I would say that Peyton is still pretty resilient. Even though Peyton had a huge accident 2 years ago, and she has been doing very well with that. She’s made a huge effort to do everything that she needs to to get back on track and be back where she needs to be with school and everything. The definition of resilience is “the ability to adapt effectively in the face of threats to development.” I believe that’s exactly what Peyton had to do with her development. However, Peyton has always had this determination since she was in preschool and I knew that she would be able to overcome this threat to her development. Peyton use to be really bad with anything that had to do with music, now she’s in the average bracket in that area.
3. Using the 7th grade report card and your own observations, summarize your child’s academic skills at this point. What specific activities might promote some of these skills?
Peyton’s report card says that her reading, spelling, and writing skills are still very strong. She got an A in English, Spanish, Social Studies, and Art. She got a B in Math and in Science. The thing that probably has helped her get an A in English is that she absolutely loves to read and write; I think those are her strongest skills so that would definitely reflect her getting great grades in that area. To be honest though, I’m a little surprised that she didn’t do better in science. I put her in science camps and everything; maybe she’s just burnt out on that subject. Peyton is doing very well in school and I’m proud of her.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
10 years - 10 years 11 months
1. Describe your child’s academic skills between ages 6 and 10 and assess how well these skills are developing. The 5th grade report card will be useful for this but you should also incorporate your own observations. What are you doing to help your child?
Since the age of 6 Peyton has been very interested in reading and writing and does very well in that area. Ever since she was little I made sure that I talked to Peyton about everything even when she was a baby; I wanted her to have a good vocabulary and be able to be sociable. I think because of that she is sociable and does very well with reading and talking to people. When she started school she learned and gained more interests in science, because of this interest I enrolled her in some science camps and I think that has been very beneficial to her. Peyton has always been good with math but she never excelled in it, but the report said that she’s at the appropriate grade level. Actually in my surprise Peyton is at grade level for music, I remember when she was in kindergarten she had no musical abilities at all, but I wanted to work with her on that so I enrolled her in some things that got her up to scale on this particular subject.
2. How well is your child adapting to social situations in the home and outside the home? Does your child have any behavior or emotional problems at this point? Why do you think these problems are occurring and what are you doing about them?
I think that Peyton has two different behaviors when it comes to school and home. At home she cooperates really well and only needs a little discipline when it comes to cleaning up or if she just doesn’t want to do something. In her report card it said that she gets upset in stressful situations but it only lasts a short while. I don’t necessarily see that behavior in her around the house. The only emotional behavior that I’m seeing is the stress thing, I have a feeling that that behavior could be because my partner and I have had some problems and have been arguing a lot more, so that could have an effect on how she’s behaving. That’s the only thing that I can think of that could cause that behavior.
3. Has your parenting changed since the preschool period and if so, why do you think it has changed and what effect might this have on your child? Refer to your textbook or lecture notes for evidence on typical changes in parenting that occur in middle childhood.
To be honest, I think I have stayed very consistent with how I parent. I try and stay that way to make sure she knows that she’s in a stable and sturdy environment. The only thing that I can think that I changed is that I’m a little tougher on her now than I was when she was in preschool. I believe that if you stay consistent then you’re kids won’t test you as much because they already know what you are going to do if they do a certain thing.
Since the age of 6 Peyton has been very interested in reading and writing and does very well in that area. Ever since she was little I made sure that I talked to Peyton about everything even when she was a baby; I wanted her to have a good vocabulary and be able to be sociable. I think because of that she is sociable and does very well with reading and talking to people. When she started school she learned and gained more interests in science, because of this interest I enrolled her in some science camps and I think that has been very beneficial to her. Peyton has always been good with math but she never excelled in it, but the report said that she’s at the appropriate grade level. Actually in my surprise Peyton is at grade level for music, I remember when she was in kindergarten she had no musical abilities at all, but I wanted to work with her on that so I enrolled her in some things that got her up to scale on this particular subject.
2. How well is your child adapting to social situations in the home and outside the home? Does your child have any behavior or emotional problems at this point? Why do you think these problems are occurring and what are you doing about them?
I think that Peyton has two different behaviors when it comes to school and home. At home she cooperates really well and only needs a little discipline when it comes to cleaning up or if she just doesn’t want to do something. In her report card it said that she gets upset in stressful situations but it only lasts a short while. I don’t necessarily see that behavior in her around the house. The only emotional behavior that I’m seeing is the stress thing, I have a feeling that that behavior could be because my partner and I have had some problems and have been arguing a lot more, so that could have an effect on how she’s behaving. That’s the only thing that I can think of that could cause that behavior.
3. Has your parenting changed since the preschool period and if so, why do you think it has changed and what effect might this have on your child? Refer to your textbook or lecture notes for evidence on typical changes in parenting that occur in middle childhood.
To be honest, I think I have stayed very consistent with how I parent. I try and stay that way to make sure she knows that she’s in a stable and sturdy environment. The only thing that I can think that I changed is that I’m a little tougher on her now than I was when she was in preschool. I believe that if you stay consistent then you’re kids won’t test you as much because they already know what you are going to do if they do a certain thing.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
8 years - 8 years 11 months
1. How smart is your child, and in what areas? Think back to the blurb on multiple intelligences that appeared at age 6. Find specific evidence regarding your child’s verbal, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence from your observations of your own child as well as the psychologist’s report at age 8 years, 11 months.
Actually, I’m really surprised in what I read about Peyton’s report back from the psychologist. According to the psychologist, Peyton scored either average or above average on all the different areas. I think she scored above average on vocabulary, comprehension, and similarities. A lot of the math subjects she scored average on; the copying of designs and spatial rotation was above average and the best news of all Peyton doesn’t have any of the typical signs that she has ADD or ADHD. Peyton is really smart when it comes to science and reading. She absolutely loves to read (I have no idea where she got that, because to be honest I hate reading). She can’t get enough of science, that’s why I signed her up for science camp so she can have more fun with it. She seems to grasp concepts really when it comes to math, and she even seems to enjoy it at times. When Peyton was younger she wasn’t very good with instruments or music or anything like; however, she is taking an interest in learning how to play something, we picked the violin. Peyton has very good communication skills and loves talking to people. Because she likes to read so much I think it has really helped her learn vocabulary and it has even helped with her communication. I don’t mean to brag about my kid, but she seems to be doing very well for her age.
2. Describe some examples of your child’s behavior of thinking that you think are due to typical American gender role socialization and explain why you think so. Several examples can be found at ages 6 and 8. How closely does your attitude toward gender roles correspond to typical American attitudes, and if there is a discrepancy, to what do you attribute this (e.g., cultural background, attitudes of your own parents, etc.)?
Right now Peyton is very into playing sports at school with the other boys and when she comes home she likes to build things. At this age, I don’t think this is a bad thing; actually for me personally, I didn’t want Peyton to be a girly girl because I think it’s good for girls and boys to experience some things that the opposite sex does. I was more of a tomboy growing up, and I love playing sports and hanging out with my dad and older brother. I think my attitude towards this is pretty laid back and so it reflects that if Peyton wants to do something like play catch or play sports, more power to her. I think this will only make her stronger in the end. American attitudes toward this can be kind of 50/50 because some people are worried that if the girl is too masculine then they are going to turn out to be a lesbian or if boys are too feminine then they are going to be gay; I think there are certain limits that you have to draw a line at, like for boys they probably shouldn’t be dressing up in girls clothing, it’s not meant for them and I think it’s only confusing them, for girls it’s the same thing, they shouldn’t wear boys clothing for the same reason. I think this way of thinking all depends on the parents and where you ultimately grew up around. My parents had no choice about me being a tomboy, I was very stubborn and I hated everything that stood for being a girl, luckily I grew out of this and now I’m content with being a girl and I have even found some perks to being a girl.
3. How might your child’s development have been different if she was raised by people with a different socioeconomic, ethnic or cultural background? Base your answer on specific evidence of SES/cultural differences from the textbook and class lectures.
I think that there would be a ton of differences. Her memory might be better if she was living in a non-Western culture. According to Berk Australian and Guatemalan kids have a better memory than Americans do. They have to use more of their memory skills than we do because we use strategies and so they don’t learn other techniques like spatial location and arrangement of objects. Americans are so spoiled sometimes, that we don’t realize how easy we have it and sometimes take it for granite. I think that Peyton could have better memory skills if she lived in a different culture. I’m not going to complain or anything because Peyton is either average or above average on all the important skills that she’s learning.
Actually, I’m really surprised in what I read about Peyton’s report back from the psychologist. According to the psychologist, Peyton scored either average or above average on all the different areas. I think she scored above average on vocabulary, comprehension, and similarities. A lot of the math subjects she scored average on; the copying of designs and spatial rotation was above average and the best news of all Peyton doesn’t have any of the typical signs that she has ADD or ADHD. Peyton is really smart when it comes to science and reading. She absolutely loves to read (I have no idea where she got that, because to be honest I hate reading). She can’t get enough of science, that’s why I signed her up for science camp so she can have more fun with it. She seems to grasp concepts really when it comes to math, and she even seems to enjoy it at times. When Peyton was younger she wasn’t very good with instruments or music or anything like; however, she is taking an interest in learning how to play something, we picked the violin. Peyton has very good communication skills and loves talking to people. Because she likes to read so much I think it has really helped her learn vocabulary and it has even helped with her communication. I don’t mean to brag about my kid, but she seems to be doing very well for her age.
2. Describe some examples of your child’s behavior of thinking that you think are due to typical American gender role socialization and explain why you think so. Several examples can be found at ages 6 and 8. How closely does your attitude toward gender roles correspond to typical American attitudes, and if there is a discrepancy, to what do you attribute this (e.g., cultural background, attitudes of your own parents, etc.)?
Right now Peyton is very into playing sports at school with the other boys and when she comes home she likes to build things. At this age, I don’t think this is a bad thing; actually for me personally, I didn’t want Peyton to be a girly girl because I think it’s good for girls and boys to experience some things that the opposite sex does. I was more of a tomboy growing up, and I love playing sports and hanging out with my dad and older brother. I think my attitude towards this is pretty laid back and so it reflects that if Peyton wants to do something like play catch or play sports, more power to her. I think this will only make her stronger in the end. American attitudes toward this can be kind of 50/50 because some people are worried that if the girl is too masculine then they are going to turn out to be a lesbian or if boys are too feminine then they are going to be gay; I think there are certain limits that you have to draw a line at, like for boys they probably shouldn’t be dressing up in girls clothing, it’s not meant for them and I think it’s only confusing them, for girls it’s the same thing, they shouldn’t wear boys clothing for the same reason. I think this way of thinking all depends on the parents and where you ultimately grew up around. My parents had no choice about me being a tomboy, I was very stubborn and I hated everything that stood for being a girl, luckily I grew out of this and now I’m content with being a girl and I have even found some perks to being a girl.
3. How might your child’s development have been different if she was raised by people with a different socioeconomic, ethnic or cultural background? Base your answer on specific evidence of SES/cultural differences from the textbook and class lectures.
I think that there would be a ton of differences. Her memory might be better if she was living in a non-Western culture. According to Berk Australian and Guatemalan kids have a better memory than Americans do. They have to use more of their memory skills than we do because we use strategies and so they don’t learn other techniques like spatial location and arrangement of objects. Americans are so spoiled sometimes, that we don’t realize how easy we have it and sometimes take it for granite. I think that Peyton could have better memory skills if she lived in a different culture. I’m not going to complain or anything because Peyton is either average or above average on all the important skills that she’s learning.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
6 years - 6 years 11 months
1. How well is your child adapting to social situations in the home and outside the home? Does your child have any behavior or emotional problems at this point? Why do you think these problems are occurring and what are you doing about them?
Peyton is one of the most popular kids in her class, so I would have to say that she’s doing really well in the social aspect of things. Inside the home, she’s very sociable and loves to read and interact with both of us including her little sister. She has a little bit of emotional problems when it comes to getting frustrated. She gets mad for a little bit and then gets over it pretty quickly. She did have some troubles cheating in board games that we would play, but I didn’t tolerate that for very long. I think she has these problems because she sometimes feels neglected because we have to pay a little bit more attention to her little sister, so I think she wants our attention, plus she tends to mimic me; I can react like that sometimes. I make sure that I take care of what’s she’s doing and make sure she knows that it’s not ok to do that.
2. Do you notice any improvements in cognitive and language skills since age 4? Give specific examples. Does your child have any special needs with regard to cognitive or language development at this point and what do you plan to do?
Her cognitive and language skills are above average I would have to say. She can hold conversations with adults very well and uses big words that you wouldn’t expect her to know what they mean. The only special need I think she needs is that she needs higher reading level books. She loves to read and learn about new things; however, she doesn’t like to do a lot of musical things.
3. Which aspects of your child’s behavior and personality reflect continuities from earlier behavior (e.g., at ages 3-4 years) and which seem to be novel for this age level?
The only thing that I notice that has stayed consistent since she was younger was she has always had some type of a temper and she hasn’t gotten over that. For the most part, she’s always been musically challenged and has never been interested in it. The same thing goes for playing sports; she’s never shown any real interest in sports or playing catch, that hasn’t really changed. So far it seems like she has changed all of her other things, she use to be really clingy now she’s independent and on her own. She use to be behind in talking and reading, she has way over passed that and has become above average in those areas. I’m really surprised on how much she has come since just 3 years or 4 years old.
Peyton is one of the most popular kids in her class, so I would have to say that she’s doing really well in the social aspect of things. Inside the home, she’s very sociable and loves to read and interact with both of us including her little sister. She has a little bit of emotional problems when it comes to getting frustrated. She gets mad for a little bit and then gets over it pretty quickly. She did have some troubles cheating in board games that we would play, but I didn’t tolerate that for very long. I think she has these problems because she sometimes feels neglected because we have to pay a little bit more attention to her little sister, so I think she wants our attention, plus she tends to mimic me; I can react like that sometimes. I make sure that I take care of what’s she’s doing and make sure she knows that it’s not ok to do that.
2. Do you notice any improvements in cognitive and language skills since age 4? Give specific examples. Does your child have any special needs with regard to cognitive or language development at this point and what do you plan to do?
Her cognitive and language skills are above average I would have to say. She can hold conversations with adults very well and uses big words that you wouldn’t expect her to know what they mean. The only special need I think she needs is that she needs higher reading level books. She loves to read and learn about new things; however, she doesn’t like to do a lot of musical things.
3. Which aspects of your child’s behavior and personality reflect continuities from earlier behavior (e.g., at ages 3-4 years) and which seem to be novel for this age level?
The only thing that I notice that has stayed consistent since she was younger was she has always had some type of a temper and she hasn’t gotten over that. For the most part, she’s always been musically challenged and has never been interested in it. The same thing goes for playing sports; she’s never shown any real interest in sports or playing catch, that hasn’t really changed. So far it seems like she has changed all of her other things, she use to be really clingy now she’s independent and on her own. She use to be behind in talking and reading, she has way over passed that and has become above average in those areas. I’m really surprised on how much she has come since just 3 years or 4 years old.
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