Erickson Piaget or Kohlberg Theories
Three tasks that all narrow to one child of one stated age. The theory has to produce the explanations, the cooperation strategies and the expected findings, not just appear in a paragraph.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 22, 2026
Pick one age and one theory, then make them do the work
The instruction narrows twice and the paper improves each time you follow it. First, the school-aged range spans five to twelve, and a five-year-old and a twelve-year-old are not the same patient: modesty and privacy matter enormously at eleven and barely at five, a five-year-old needs the parent present while an eleven-year-old may need time without them, and the vocabulary that works at one age is patronising at the other. Choose one age, say it, and let everything downstream reflect it. Second, choose one theorist rather than surveying all three, and choose the one that will actually generate your assessment strategies. Surveying all three in a thousand-word paper leaves no room to apply any of them, and application is what the third task is asking for. Read the third task first and pick the theorist that answers it most directly, because the paper is graded on the application rather than on the summary.
That choice matters more than it looks. Erikson's industry versus inferiority stage suggests letting the child do things during the assessment, giving them a job and praising competence, because the developmental task is mastery and a child who feels incompetent will withdraw. Piaget's concrete operational stage suggests explanations that are concrete and demonstrable: let the child hold the stethoscope, listen to their own chest, and see the equipment before it touches them, because abstract reassurance does not land yet. Kohlberg's conventional level suggests appeals to rules and fairness, which works for cooperation but less well for explanation. Whichever you pick, run it through all three deliverables the third task names, and keep the expected findings clinical rather than developmental: normal vital sign ranges for that age, growth and body mass index percentile, vision and hearing screening, dentition, and the beginnings of pubertal change at the upper end of the range.
Likely learning objectives
- Narrow from a developmental range to one specific age.
- Modify assessment technique to a stated developmental stage.
- Choose a theorist for what the theory generates rather than for familiarity.
- Distinguish expected clinical findings from developmental description.
Assignment instructions
Read the full question
Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.
Assignment Erickson Piaget or Kohlberg Theories Erickson Piaget or Kohlberg Theories Erickson Piaget or Kohlberg Theories The needs of the pediatric patient differ depending on age, as do the stages of development and the expected assessment findings for each stage. In a 1000-word paper, examine the needs of a school-aged child between the ages of 5 and 12 years old and discuss the following: 1. Compare the physical assessments among school-aged children. Describe how you would modify assessment techniques to match the age and developmental stage of the child. 2. Choose a child between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. Identify the age of the child and describe the typical developmental stages of children that age. 3. Applying developmental theory based on Erickson, Piaget, or Kohlberg, explain how you would developmentally assess the child. Include how you would offer explanations during the assessment, strategies you would use to gain cooperation, and potential findings from the assessment. Prepare assignment in APA Style Guide, NO plagiarism, 5 References in APA format.
Turn the brief into deliverables
- 01A comparison of physical assessment across the school-aged range.
- 02Assessment modifications tied to age and developmental stage.
- 03One chosen child with a stated age and typical developmental stages.
- 04One named theorist applied throughout.
- 05Explanations, cooperation strategies and potential findings from that theory.
- 06Five references in APA format.
Assessment modifications, the child, then the theory applied
Assessment across the range
Compare what changes between a five-year-old and a twelve-year-old.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A change such as modesty or parental presence, not just size.
The child you chose
State the age and describe the typical developmental stages for it.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A developmental description specific to that age rather than the range.
The theory you are applying
Name the theorist and the relevant stage, and say why it suits this age.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A stage matched to the chosen age rather than to the range.
Explanations and cooperation
Derive how you would explain and how you would gain cooperation from the theory.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A strategy traceable to the theory rather than to general practice.
Potential findings
Give expected clinical findings for that age including screening and growth.
What the assessor is likely looking for
An age-specific normal range or screening expectation.
Where paediatric assessment and developmental theory sit
Recommended databases
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- NCBI Bookshelf
- PubMed Central
- GCU Library
Search sequence
- 1.Choose the child's age before reading anything, so the search is narrow.
- 2.Find age-specific vital sign ranges and screening recommendations.
- 3.Read the relevant stage of your chosen theory in a primary source.
- 4.Look for paediatric assessment guidance on gaining cooperation.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
Bright Futures
American Academy of Pediatrics · 2025
Age-specific preventive care and screening expectations for the findings section.
Ages & Stages
HealthyChildren.org, American Academy of Pediatrics · 2025
Developmental expectations by age, for the stage description.
Biological and social determinants of early childhood development assessed with ASQ-3
Frontiers in Pediatrics · 2026
Developmental assessment evidence, for what typical development is measured against.
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION AND THE NURSE-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
Nursing: Mental Health and Community Concepts, NCBI Bookshelf · 2022
The nurse-client relationship, for explanation and cooperation technique.
AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality · 2024
Health literacy practice, for pitching explanations at the right level.
Before you submit this paper
Common mistakes
- Writing about the whole five-to-twelve range without choosing an age.
- Summarising all three theorists instead of applying one.
- Naming the theory and then giving generic child-friendly strategies.
- Confusing developmental findings with clinical assessment findings.
- Ignoring modesty and privacy, which change sharply across this range.
Submission checklist
- Is one specific age stated and used throughout?
- Is one theorist chosen and applied to all three deliverables?
- Do the cooperation strategies follow from that theory?
- Are the expected findings clinical and age-specific?
- Have you addressed privacy and parental presence?
Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read Brinevia's academic-integrity policy.
Written by
Maren Caldwell
MSN, RN, CNE
Medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and NCLEX preparation
Maren is a registered nurse with over 15 years of clinical and educational experience in medical-surgical nursing. She writes on NCLEX preparation, patient care fundamentals, pharmacology and evidence-based practice.
Reviewed by
Dr. Tessa Redmond
DNP, RN, CNE
Evidence-based practice and clinical education
Tessa is a doctorally-prepared nurse educator. She reviews Brinevia content for clinical accuracy and alignment with current evidence-based guidelines.