Childhood Development and Learning

This course is designed to foster understanding of the dynamic continuum of development and learning in children from birth through PreAdolescence. Topics include cognitive and linguistic factors affecting development and learning, nurturing diversity and equality, addressing multiple intelligences and diverse learning styles, integrating of play and language, and literacy across the curriculum. Knowledge of early childhood development and how it is related to the learning of children is the foundation upon which all effective teaching and learning decisions are built. Without this knowledge, a teacher cannot design an appropriate program or meet the learning needs of each student. Students will learn to be able to apply their knowledge about early child development and learning to adapt the learning environment to meet the needs of children with atypical development in the affected developmental domain(s). Students will also obtain the research skills to find and analyze research articles to explain children’s development and show their deeper understanding of early child development and learning.