Developmental Theories & Applications with Children

1 Course Unit

The purpose of this course is to provide students with an opportunity to consider mandates, models, and methods related to enhancing the learning and development of preschool and early elementary school children. This course emphasizes the application of developmental psychology and multicultural perspectives to the design of effective classroom-based strategies. Students will consider a "whole-child" approach to understanding children's classroom behavior in context. Major assignments will involve gathering and synthesizing information about children in routine classroom situations. This information will be used to better understand children's needs and strengths and how they are manifested in transaction with classroom contexts. Students will focus on one or more students to conduct a comprehensive child study of the child in context. This contact must include opportunities to observe children in a natural setting and interact with them on a regular basis through out the semester. The placement needs to be approved by the professor. If students do not have a regular classroom contact, one will be arranged. Spring 1 Course Unit