Foundations of Child Development (EA 1010)
Length of Course: 60 hours
Course Description:
Students will explore human growth and development and the many different factors that may positively or negatively affect development. The key risk and protective factors that may strongly influence children’s future health and well-being will be investigated. Students will learn how biological and environmental and factors (e.g., heredity, sex, nutrition, hormones, socioeconomic status, geography, education, health, parenting style, neighborhood, social status, pre-natal exposure to drugs and alcohol, and trauma), influence child development.
Students will learn to identify developmental milestones, describe appropriate interaction techniques and environments for typical and atypical development, and explore a variety of strategies to assist students in achieving their potential.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Identify the various environmental and biological factors that influence cognitive, social and emotional, speech and language, fine motor, and gross motor development
- Understand the social, emotional, and academic needs of students who were exposed prenatally to environmental toxins
- Understand the right to and importance of play for child growth and development
- Demonstrate knowledge of the term neurodiversity, as a paradigm shift, in how we consider the complexity of students and brain development
- Recognize the philosophical and theoretical perspectives that have influenced the understanding of child and adolescent development
- Identify issues related to human development, highlighting social, physical, emotional, cognitive and creative characteristics of learning, growth, and maturation
- Understand the basics of brain function and its relationship to learning, social-emotional and biological development
- Demonstrate knowledge of ‘self-regulation’ and the development of a “YES” brain in support of diverse learners.
