ECH/205 - Early Childhood Growth and Development

Course Description

This course examines the theories, concepts, and trends related to early childhood growth and development from prenatal development through the early school years. It examines the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language development of children from birth through age 8/grade 3. The course focuses on defining the various stages as they impact instructional practices and decisions in the context of the early learning environment.

This undergraduate course is 5 weeks.

PLEASE NOTE:
Attendance and participation are mandatory in all university courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

This course is not available for students residing Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming and individuals who live outside the United States are not eligible to enroll in this course.

Course Objectives

Week 1

• Define the characteristics of early childhood growth and development.
• Identify some early childhood theorists’ contributions to the field.
• Analyze common theories of early childhood development.

Week 2

• Describe the stages of prenatal development.
• Summarize the expected cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of a newborn.
• Identify environmental factors that may affect prenatal development.
• Discuss genetic disorders and threats to development in newborns.
• Define the role of a caregiver in the life of a newborn.

Week 3

• Describe the physical characteristics of infants and toddlers.
• Compare and contrast the similarities between infants and toddlers.
• Summarize the expected physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development of infants and toddlers.
• Define the role of an early childhood educator for infants and toddlers.

Week 4

• Summarize the expected physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development of preschoolers.
• Investigate and explain the environmental factors that may affect preschool or kindergarten growth and development.
• Define developmentally appropriate practice.
• Apply the understanding of growth and development to classroom practices and environments.

Week 5

• Summarize physical, social, emotional, and moral development in the primary elementary years.
• Describe the effect of poverty, health problems, and violence on child development in the primary elementary years.
• Define supportive learning environments in the primary grades.

Disclaimers

The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses.

Although our continuing education for teacher’s courses are accepted by some state agencies in the United States toward teacher certifications and endorsements, this may not be the case in all states or foreign jurisdictions. If you plan to use courses for certification or endorsement, please check with your own state agency and your school district for applicability. Continuing education for teachers’ courses is not eligible to apply to degree programs at University of Phoenix. These courses are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.

While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. More information about eligibility requirements, policies, and procedures can be found in the catalog or please check with a University Enrollment Representative.