Child Psychology Case Study: Analyzing Hamad's Development Stages

This case study examines the development of Hamad, a 5-year-old boy, focusing on his cognitive, social, and emotional growth. The report highlights Hamad's strengths in art and creativity while acknowledging challenges in cognitive development and social interaction. The study analyzes his development milestones, comparing them to Piaget's preoperational stage, and discusses the implications of his environment and family dynamics. It provides insights into how teachers and parents can support his development through tailored activities and interventions. The case study includes a detailed analysis of Hamad's physical, cognitive, and affective growth, and concludes with recommendations for fostering his overall well-being and academic success.

Running Head: CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
CASE STUDY REPORT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Section 1
The reason for choosing this case study is because the child has normal tendencies like
the other children in his class, but he has social development issues as evident from his
interactions. I selected Hamad for this case study because he was in my class when I was a class
teacher of 4th grade. He is a 5 year old boy with a lanky built and timid appearance, he looks
nervous and scared during any social interaction. He is 16 kg and 110 centimeters, which is
normal for a child of his age.
The outstanding characteristics seen in Hamad is that he has excellent skills in art and
creativity such as drawing, painting and sketching. Even with his poor social interaction skills,
he lets other people talk and listens attentively. Hamad is a well-mannered child and is well
taught about his values and customs. He comes from a south-east Asian family and is natively
from India. His family is nuclear and they are liberal in their lifestyle. Hamad is the only child so
he gets the most attention but due to the lack of companionship he is not able to express himself.
He had a normal development during his prenatal, infancy, and toddler stages just like any other
children. He has been through all the milestones a child of his age can and he learned to walk in
the 14th month.
Physical and motor growth and development
Hamad had a stable physical growth during his developmental stages because it is seen
that he is physically active during his physical education classes. He likes to skate and use
trampoline when he is not at school. His motor skills are commendable according to his age
because he can hold his pencil properly, which made his sketching and drawing improve
(Adolph & Robinson, 2015). He tends to draw pictures of his family members and pets, defining

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his good motor skills. He has good ethics and manners as he is always obedient and lets others
speak.
Cognitive Growth and Development
Hamad had a slow cognitive development as compared to other children in his class. He
takes his time to understand simple mathematics calculations, he struggles with his speech and is
not following the class as he is lost. His teachers have to explain a lesson several times to make
him understand and sometimes he forgets what he learnt in the previous class (Fink & Rockers,
2014).
Effective Growth and Development
Hamad had an effective growth and development, he also reached many milestones a
child of his age does. He is active in school but his cognitive development skills are slow as seen
from his behavior in class as well as his social interactions. He has a lanky physique, which
suggests that his dietary intake might not be sufficient or his appetite is low. Overall his
development has been consistent but he lacks in his cognitive development (De Onis, 2017)
Summary and Interpretation
To summarize Hamad’s growth and development, it can be said that he reached the
development milestones that is appropriate for a 5 years old but he lacks in his cognitive
development as seen in his social interactions and academic skills. However, he also has some
outstanding skills in the field of art and craft such as drawing, painting and sketching. This
suggests that he only lacks in social and academic skills.

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Section 2
According to a 5 year old, Hamad is advanced in certain areas such as the creativity field
because he is good in drawing, sketching and painting. Many children enter the field of creativity
before the age of 6 and Hamad is familiar with these skills. He is excellent in sketching, which
is one of the skills that makes him advanced in terms of development when compared to other
kids of his age. He shows the slowest development in his cognitive skills because he has
concentration issues due to which his academic performance is not up to the mark. Hamad is in
the preoperational stage as per Piaget’s theory because he is 5 years old and the milestones he
has reached is normal between 2 to 7 years (Ghazi & Ullah, 2015). During preoperational stage,
children usually do not understand how to improve concrete logic, poor in manipulating
information, and cannot understand another person’s point of view, which is termed as
egocentrism. This proves the reason why he shows slow development in his cognitive approach,
as he is in his preoperational stage. The most typical development he has is his physical
development because even if he looks lanky he has strength and stamina due to which he is
active in his physical education classes. Physical development is prominent in that age and it is
seen in the case of Hamad as well. He likes to skate and use trampoline and it is a common habit
found in children of his age, also his classmates have been active in such activities (Guedeney et
al., 2014).
If I was assigned as a teacher to look after Hamad and his developmental skills then I
would make sure to understand the stage he is in and involve him in experiences that can
enhance his cognitive development. Her needs to be included in activities that can develop his
logical skills and well as his reasoning skills. I will indulge him in board games such as snakes
and ladders, jigsaw puzzles, construction games and basic mathematic sums in between. I will

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show him shows on humor and cartoons with positive outcomes so that he is able to understand
the importance of good values. Asking him riddles and frequently asked questions that will alert
his mind and improve his cognitive skills. He has a weak concentration so he needs to be given
exercises that can improve his attention and memory span, which will enhance his academic
performance (Siegler, Lamourelle & Canyon, 2014). Indulging him in reading activities and
making him interact with fellow classmates can also improve his social skills, which he lacks
(Hawkins & Weis, 2017). Some physical activities can also improve his cognitive development
such as the ‘spotto’, in which he will be told to search for objects of a particular colour. This will
sharpen his mind in identifying objects and substances. Most importantly, he needs guidance and
support from his peers so that he can be motivated for his development. Every children needs
emotional validation from his parents and peers so that they grow positively in an outgrowing
environment (Wobber et al., 2014).
Hamad is blending well in his school and with his family members. Even Hamad’s
school programs have been helpful for him in terms of curricular activities, it has increased his
growth and development. His school frequently conducts drawing competitions, elocutions,
plays and concerts that enhances his creativity skills as well as social development. Such
activities make him interact with more people and give him an idea about the competitive world
(Holfelder & Schott, 2014). He frequently takes part in such activities and he has won several
drawing competitions. Sometimes his school also conducts therapy sessions for children and this
is a progressive thought. Children in this age are in the foundation period of their life, so they
need the desired environment to grow and develop. Schools taking initiatives is seen as a good
sign for the children and especially for children like Hamad, who are shy and hesitating (Howard
& Melhuish, 2017). On the other hand, his family has been supportive about his progress in

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school but because he is the only child he feels lonely and secluded. He needs companions so
that he can express his issues and conflicts regarding his hesitation in interacting with people. He
is close to his mother and she is the only person he talks to but sometimes he needs someone of
his age in his home to play or do any other activities. This shows that his school and family has
been a positive side to his development but still few points are lacking that could be the reason
for his slow social and cognitive development.
Conclusion
Children go through several milestones when they are growing up and it is a normal
phenomenon in the children of 4-5 years. It is seen in Hamad as well because he is going through
his physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. Children of this age should have
creativity, self-control and independence because this is a part of the normal growth process.
According to Piaget’s theory a child is going through the preoperational stage when they are 2-7
years of age and during this period major changes take place (McLeod, 2018). The mental
development during stage is known as egocentrism, which suggests that during this period a
child has the ability to understand feelings, thoughts, perspectives and mental states. As Hamad
lacked in social and cognitive approaches, this shows that he needs help and guidance to improve
his growth and development. This can be possible with the help of concerning peers, family
members and teachers in educational institutes. Some children need special care that can improve
their abilities to learn and enhance their skills. This suggests that Hamad needs more attention
and importance according to the qualities he is lacking such as poor academic performance,
social hesitation and logical reasoning.

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References
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and developmental science, 1-45.
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