A CASE STUDY OF A

CHILD AGE 13
Mareli Castaneda
EDU 220
 Physical Development
Girls
■ Breasts develop
■ Pubic hair, armpit and leg hair
grow
■ Menstrual cycle begins
■ Growth spurt peaks
Medline (2017)
Boys
■ Testicles and scrotum grow
■ Pubic hair, armpit, leg, chest
and facial hair start to grow
■ Nocturnal emissions begin
■ Voice changes
■ Growth spurt peaks
Typical Physical Characteristics by
Snowman
Growth Spurt
■ Very quickly and uneven
■ Normal growth is 2-4
inches per year
■ Normal weight gain is 8-
10 pounds per year
■ Girls mature more rapidly
than boys
Snowman, J. & McCown
R. (2013)
Puberty
■ Ages 11-13 girls develop pubic and
underarm hair and breasts enlarge
■ Ages 11-13 boys testes and
scrotum begin to grow and pubic
hair appears.
■ For girls puberty starts between
ages 7-13
■ For boys puberty starts between
ages 9-13
■ Girls and boys are concerned and
curious about sex
 My 13 Year Old’s Physical Behaviors/
Characteristics
■ The 13-year-old boy I observed is in eighth grade
and fits the normal example of physical
development. He is somewhat taller than most of
the boys and girls in his classes. Furthermore, there
are a few things that have not struck him yet like his
voice has not changed. Generally speaking, he is by
all accounts developing ordinary physical qualities
for a boy his age.
Physical Development Recommendations
■ Adolescents often times need their privacy when they are going
through physical changes and adults should be able to
understand and give them their privacy/ personal space (Medline,
2017).
■ Parents need to remember that it is natural/normal for their
adolescent to be interested in body changes and sexual topics. So
it is important for parents to be open and willing to answer any
questions their adolescent may have about the physical changes
they are going through (Medline, 2017).
■ Adolescents tend to be self-conscious about their bodies physical
changes and the way they look is important to them. So
adolescents should not be criticized nor compared to others.
(Medline, 2017).
■ Adolescents should be allowed to have their own time by hanging
out with friends and peers in order to form their own identity. This
means it is normal for adolescents to separate from their parents
(Medline, 2017).
Emotional Behaviors
Typical Characteristics
■ Often gets mad or angry
■ Moody
■ Often worries
■ Feels overwhelmed/cries
■ Feels afraid
■ Dislikes following directions and routines

University of Washington. (1993)

 Typical Emotional Development by
Snowman
■ Adolescents typically feel confusion, anxiety,
depression, and extreme mood swings along with low
levels of self-confidence due to an increase in
hormone production and rapid physical changes.
■ Egocentric and or self-conscious and deeply concerned
with the type of clothing to wear, who to be seen with
in public, and how they greet and talk to peers and
others.
■ Assume adults do not understand their thoughts and
feelings.

Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013)

My 13 Year Olds Emotional
Behaviors/Characteristics
■ The 13-year-old boy I observed suits the emotional characteristics for
his age group. Often times he tends to talk back to teachers and gets
mad when told to follow directions. He tries to be the class clown
because he thinks its funny and he makes everyone laugh, giving him
the impression that he is popular. He also worries about his
appearance because he often says he needs new shoes and ”fresh
clothes” to match his “swag” in other words style. In addition, he is
self centered and nobody can tell him nothing because he is always
right. At times he gets moody and will tell a classmate to “shut-up”
because they are annoying.
 Emotional Development Recommendations

■ Acknowledge and be supportive of your adolescent’s

feelings
■ Encourage your adolescent to try new things
■ Give your adolescent an opportunity and do not
make a scene about their emotions or moodiness,
understand that exaggeration is expected for this
particular age group.
■ Be flexible with your adolescent and allow them to
set their own rules and decisions.

University of Washington. (1993)

Cognitive/Intellectual Behaviors
Typical Cognitive Characteristics
■ Prospers in disagreements and dialogues
■ Increased capacity of memorizing things and of using logic
■ Develops an interest in reading
■ Needs to feel vital in the world and believe in entity

University of Washington. (1993)

Typical Cognitive/Intellectual Development
Piaget
■ Cognitive development in
adolescents is called “formal
operation because students at
this stage can generalize from a
particular instance to a general
form” (Snowman, J. & McCown, R.,
2013, p. 27).
■ Capacity to deal with abstractions
and form theories
■ Capacity to solve problems
consistently
■ Capacity to engage in intellectual
guidance
Vygotsky
■ “Cognitive development is often
referred to as a sociocultural
theory because it maintains that
how we think is a function of both
social and cultural forces”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R.,
2013, p. 32).
■ How they think depends on
interactions with people and the
tools that the culture provides to
help form their own view of the
world.
■ They have intellectual capacities
like perception, attention, and
memory.
 My 13 Year Olds Cognitive
Behaviors/Characteristics
■ The 13-year-old boy I observed is a bright student.
He is able to conclude theories, make distinctions,
perceive humor and correlations, and has the
capacity to engage in intellectual guidance. In
addition, he is involved in after school activities and
has a big interest in helping his community by
volunteering at Three-Square food bank and giving
to those in need.
Cognitive/Intellectual Development
Recommendations
■ Open parent-adolescent communication and encouraging them to
participate in positive extracurricular and community activities.
■ Do not let discussions become disputes, and don’t shut down their
opinions.
■ Encourage inquiry of reflection and achievement

Child Development Institute (2015)

 Psychosocial/Social Behaviors
■ Depart from parents who are habitually called “old-fashioned”
■ Boys for the most part oppose any show of affection.
■ They frequently feel that parents are too contrary.
■ Require less family accompaniment and interaction.
■ This age group has considerable interest in fun activities like joining a
sports team and clubs.

University of Washington. (1993)

Typical Psychosocial Development by
Erikson
■ “The adolescent mind is essentially a mind or moratorium, a
psychosocial stage between childhood and adulthood, and between
morality learned by the child, and the ethnics to be developed by the
adult” (Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2013, p. 19-20).
■ It is imperative for this age group to build up a feeling of dependability
in several parts of their lives to avoid role confusion.
■ Adolescents gain the roles and skills that will assist them in adult
society.
My 13 Year Olds Psychosocial
Behaviors/Characteristics
■ The 13-year-old I observed tends to withdraw from his parents
because they are “old-fashioned” to him. He usually tends to do
everything on his own because he refuses to ask his parents to help
him. He thinks he knows everything and does not need any advice
from his parents. He enjoys drawing cars and is always determined
when it comes to challenges. In addition, he goes to dance classes at
a dance studio and practices regularly.
 Psychosocial/Social Development
Recommendations
■ Try not to take it personal if your adolescent withdraws from you. Keep
in mind that you are still important and significant, however not the
same way that you were
■ Be considerate of boundaries but continue to demonstrate warmth
and love
■ Appoint clear and firm, yet adaptable points of confinement
■ Permit your adolescent more open doors for free social activities

University of Washington. (1993)

 Moral Character Behaviors
■ Recognizes what is correct and what is wrong, tries to quantify their
choices and settle on decisions on their own
■ Typically worries about fair treatment of others
■ Often times the adolescent is honestly thoughtful and not probable to
lie.

University of Washington. (1993)

Typical Moral/ Character Development
by Kohlberg
■ “Kohlberg believed that (1) moral reasoning proceeds through fixed stages
and (2) moral development can be accelerated through instruction”
(Snowman, J. & McCown, R., 2013, p. 41).
■ “Adolescents have reached the mid-level moral reasoning called Convention
level. At this level morality is determined by social norms” (Snowman, J. &
McCown, R., 2013, p. 41-42).
■ Stage 3: Morality or interpersonal cooperation. Adolescents at this stage wish
to be viewed as a decent individual and judged in a favorable light, their
ethical choices will be founded on regardless of whether their choices would
win endorsement of those individuals whose opinions matter to them.
■ Stage 4: Social-order-maintaining-orientation. At this stage adolescents
comprehend that laws are expected to serve everybody's best advantage, and
trust that social orders work best when everybody entirely clings to the law.
My 13 Year Olds Moral
Behaviors/Characteristics
■ The 13-year-old I observed likes to impress and fit in with other peers.
He tends to always seek approval of his friends because he wants to
be popular. Often times he makes poor choices just to be accepted by
others. In addition, he seems to be a follower rather than a leader
because he thinks by doing what everyone else is doing will make him
cool too.
Moral /Character Development
Recommendations
■ Encourage adolescents basic leadership
■ Show regard for adolescent as a rising adult
■ Instruct the adolescent that terrible things happen in the event that
you settle on poor decisions.
■ Help the adolescent to perceive and comprehend group ethics without
judgement

University of Washington. (1993)

References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Child development. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/facts.html
Child Development Institute (2015). The ages and stages of child development.
Retrieved from
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/agesstages/#.WR3Id_QrLrc
Medline (2017). Adolescent Development. Retrieved from
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002003.htm
Snowman, J. & McCown, R. (2013). ED PSYCH. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
University of Washington. (1993). Child development: Using the child development guide.
Retrieved from
http://depts.washington.edu/allcwe2/fosterparents/training/chidev/cd06.htm