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Child Development I

Course Description

Students taking Child Development I will learn about children, their development stages, and how they learn. Students will go off campus to a preschool or elementary school classroom every block day and spend the period with young children. During this time, students will be expected to interact with children, assist them in class work, and conduct a read aloud. College credit is available for this course through Missouri State University.

Grade Level(s): 10th-12th grades

Related Standards (State &/or National): National Standards for Family Consumer Sciences Education

Priority Standards include:

  • Demonstrate problem-solving and decision making skills when working with children, youth and adults (4.5.2)
  • Demonstrate interpersonal skills that promote positive and productive relationships with learners (4.5.3)
  • Demonstrate professional and ethical behavior with peers in a variety of settings (7.3.2)
  • Apply critical thinking and ethical standards when making judgments and taking action (13.6.3)
  • Demonstrate teamwork skills in school, community and workplace settings and with diverse populations (1.2.4)
  • Apply safe and healthy practices that comply with local, state, and federal regulations to assure learners' safety (4.4.2)
  • Implement strategies to teach health, safety, and sanitation habits (4.4.3)
  • Demonstrate security and emergency procedures (4.4.7)
  • Implement strategies for constructive and supportive interactions between children, youth and adults and their families and communities (4.5.4)
  • Demonstrate ethical behavior in family, workplace, and community settings (13.6.4)

Essential Questions

  • How can observation and assessment be applied to meet the developmental needs of children?
  • Which skills and techniques are necessary to form positive, constructive, and professional relationships in the educational setting? 
  • How do children learn? 
  • How do teachers meet the needs of their students? 
  • How is the learning, behavior, and growth of a child related to the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development of the child? 
  • To what extent does age affect learning and behavior?
  • What are the qualities of an effective read-aloud? 
  • Which instructional techniques are most effective and appropriate when reading aloud to students of varying ages?

Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas

As a result of their coursework and experiences in the Child Development I semester course, students will be able to:

  • Address the specific developmental needs of children based on assessment of their abilities
  • Demonstrate professional, ethical behavior with students and teachers in the educational setting
  • Analyze physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development
  • Plan, create, and implement lessons that address a student's language, learning style, early experience, and cultural values
  • Apply observation techniques to adjust their instruction in a live setting
  • Establish and maintain positive, productive relationships with students and teachers in the educational setting
  • Develop and apply problem-solving and critical-thinking skills when working with diverse populations in the educational setting.

Course-Level Scope & Sequence (Units &/or Skills)

Unit 1: What is Child Development?

  • Students will understand that most elementary children follow similar patterns of growth and development.
  • Students will identify trends in growth and development of elementary-aged children.
  • Students will look, listen and learn about the various developmental stages of children, pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade.
  • Students will be able to explain the relationship between each of the developmental areas (physical, intellectual, emotional, social/moral).

Unit 2: Structures & Routines

  • Students will analyze the instructional needs of children, pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade.
  • Students will analyze classroom management techniques for different grade levels.

Unit 3: Learning Styles

  • Students will analyze learning styles and determine their individual learning style.
  • Students will analyze learning styles of children, pre-kindergarten through 2nd grade.
  • Students will understand how development in one domain impacts development in another domain.

Unit 4: Read Aloud & Minilesson

  • Students will plan a mini-lesson to apply selected theories to classroom situations. 
  • Students will understand the role of learning theory and the instructional process and use instructional strategies and appropriate technologies to facilitate student learning.

Course Resources & Materials:  TBD

Date Last Revised/Approved: 2022