In trying to find a client for my Growth and Development paper, I found myself at P. B Day Care Center; the day care I went to as a child. .
PBDCC is a public day care for children ages 3-5. While most children who attend do speak English as their primary language, some children speak Spanish only. .
The staff is bilingual, and teach both English as well as Spanish. There are approximately 50-75 students total. I decided to go upstairs "where the bigger kids are". .
I observed all the children for a while before zeroing in on a little boy named J.T. J.T. was the youngest of the "bigger kids". He had just turned 4 the day before .
classes started. One teacher suggested that he may be interesting to observe since he was new to "upstairs" and was still trying to adjust. J.T. lives at home with his .
mother (a banker), his father (a fireman), and his older brother (9yrs. old). .
Theoretically, according to Erikson, J.T. is in the "Initiative vs. Guilt" stage. He will develop initiative if he is made to feel positive about an activity. At this same .
time his conscience is also developing; he is learning 'right' from 'wrong' and will feel "guilt" if his inner voice tells him that he is bad. Children at this age feel a great .
sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in their activities. Physically, 4-year olds have an average weight of 36 3/4 lbs and an average height of 40 1/2 inches. .
Their body types are slender and sturdy. They learn by example, yet are very independent. Their motor skills are more developed and they can use scissors .
efficiently and can catch a ball reliably. During play,these children like to imitate adult behaviors make believe is a reality at this time. These children tend to identify .
more with the parent of the opposite sex, and like to tell tales of thier family to others. (Wong, Ch.13). .
J.T.seems to fit the theoretical description above fairly well. He is 35 lbs and 39 inches tall (there was a scale in the nurses office).
