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Reflection Paper On Child Development

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On October 21, 2017, I was able to observe Claire Marcus for my Life-Span Development class. This observation allowed me observe the physical and cognitive changes children experience. It was performed at the Marcus household in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This observation was consented by Claire’s mother. Claire Marcus is a seven year-old, female. She enjoys playing sports, having play dates with her friends, and excelling in school. At age seven, children are going through large stages of development physically, cognitively, socially, and spiritually. By observing Claire Marcus, I was able to get a better understanding of these stages of development, and I was able to see her interact with those around her. It gave me the opportunity to see the different stages of development that I have read about in Santrock’s book, Essentials of Life-Span Development. As stated by Santrock, children at this age are continually growing. In this stage of life, children grow an average of two to three inches each year (Santrock 2014, pg. 191). In the last year Claire grew several inches, and is no longer the shortest girl in her class. She had to get all new clothes and shoes because she quickly out grew her old ones. During this growth spurt, Claire also began gaining muscle, and losing her “baby fat.” Her mother explained that after Claire’s growth spurt she is now the similar size to her friends and classmates. She is the average height and weight for her age, however, before her

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