CHILD 310: Early and Middle Development
Description
This course will explore in depth the relationships between theory, core developmental concepts, and practice in the field of child development from preschool through middle childhood. Learning and application of various theoretical perspectives to explain and interpret children's development will be explored. Coursework includes reading, summarizing, and analyzing current research and developmental topics of interest. Students will master and apply research based norms in the physical, cognitive, emotional/social, and spiritual domains of human growth and development. Emphasis will be on the application of current research.
Outcomes
- Apply the physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual domains of human growth and development as frameworks for assessment.
- Analyze selected theories, research findings, and practices that promote favorable development outcomes.
- Summarize the ten core concepts of development and their respective key terms.
- Apply theories, current research, core concepts, and key terms to explain and interpret children’s development.
- Identify practices and strategies that foster optimum early/middle development.
- Implement practices that foster optimum development in your interactions with children ages 2–11.
Learning Model Architecture
As in all BYU-Idaho courses, this course will utilize the Learning Model. Students will prepare by reading all course and study materials in a timely manner and as directed. Teaching one another will occur as students participate in collaborative activities and discussion boards. And students will engage in pondering and proving what they learned by completing comprehensive assignments.
All students and instructors are called upon to do their best to fully understand and implement the principles and processes of the BYU-Idaho learning model, as outlined below:
Principles
- Exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as a principle of power.
- Understand that true teaching is done by and with the Holy Ghost.
- Lay hold upon the word of God—as found in the holy scriptures and in the words of the prophets—in all disciplines.
- Act for themselves and accept responsibility for learning and teaching.
- Love, serve, and teach one another.
Processes
- Prepare carefully and thoroughly for each class experience.
- Seek opportunities to teach one another, both in and out of the classroom.
- Take time to ponder and prove teachings presented in the text and class discussions.
Prerequisites
CHILD 210 or ED 200.
Required Materials
- Laura E. Berk, Adena B. Meyers. Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 8th ed., Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2016.
- William Crain. Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications, 6th ed., Boston: Prentice Hall, 2011.
- Alfie Kohn. Punished by Rewards : The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and
Other Bribes, Boston, Mass: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1999.
- This link will open up the free electronic version of the text available through BYU-I's library.
- NOTE: If you have trouble with this link, go to the McKay Library website and search for the book.
- All other materials are accessible for free via I-Learn.
Compare prices for your textbooks through the University Store Price Comparison site. This will show you all of the options from the University Store plus several online options to help you find the best price.
Grading Policies
All student work will be carefully assessed, and the final grade will accurately reflect the quality of each student’s work throughout the semester, without inflation.
Each student has a responsibility to do his or her very best work and to approach the instructor objectively with supporting evidence if they feel grading has been unfair. Students also have the responsibility to recognize that an “A” represents outstanding performance in all aspects of the course.
Grading Scale
The grading scale for this course will be as follows:
| Letter Grade | Percentage Range |
|---|---|
| A | 94–100% |
| A- | 90–93.99% |
| B+ | 87–89.99% |
| B | 84–86.99% |
| B- | 80–83.99% |
| C+ | 77–79.99% |
| C | 74–76.99% |
| C- | 70–73.99% |
| D+ | 67–69.99% |
| D | 64–66.99% |
| D- | 60–63.99% |
| F | 0–59.99% |
Grade Components
| Accountability | 20% |
| Reading Quizzes | 20% |
| Papers | 30% |
| Intervention Discussion | 5% |
| Exams | 25% |
Late Work Policy
Students should complete their work on time, and late work generally will not be accepted. However, the instructor has discretion to accept late work or extend due dates in the case of extenuating circumstances.
Student Responsibilities
Preparation
Each student has a responsibility to carefully read assigned readings, note down questions to raise in discussion forums, and note down insights to share. In other words, each student has a responsibility to have a specific plan of class participation. Each student also has a responsibility to complete assignments by the assigned due date.
Participation
Each student has the responsibility to ask questions, share insights, appropriately challenge ideas and assertions, and strive to keep the discussion focused and relevant. In his talk, “To Understand and Live Truth,” Elder Scott has taught that the simple act of speaking out, or participating, in a class authorizes the Holy Ghost to teach us. Being an active participant in class discussions may come more easily for some than for others. Recognizing this, we are all responsible to be sensitive to and considerate of the feelings and experiences of others and to be willing to provide loving correction if false ideas are presented as we share together in class.
Group Work
Each student has a responsibility to love, serve, and teach members of their group by being prepared to share ideas, provide feedback, help with writing, reach out to a group member who is not as active, etc.
Learning Assignments
Each student has a responsibility to thoughtfully complete learning activities and writing assignments and to submit them on time. Proper grammar, usage, sentence structure, clarity, etc. is an expectation, as written assignments will be assessed on the quality of the writing as well as on content. If you need assistance with your writing, or need to request a tutor, go to the Academic Support Center for more information.
Open Door
Each student is encouraged to contact his/her instructor (via email, phone, or the classroom forums) to discuss questions, concerns, ideas, career plans, etc.
Academic Honesty, Integrity, & Support
Just as we are in a learning/teaching relationship with each other in this class, we are also in a learning/teaching relationship with all other members of the BYU-Idaho “family” as students, staff, and teachers. We have promised:
- To live the Honor Code.
- To avoid and prevent sexual harassment.
- To support students with disabilities.
- To support student learning.
Refer to the University Policies page and the Academic Support Center page for more detailed information.
Support
The BYU-Idaho Online Support Center can help with any issues that may arise for you as an online student. Contact the OCS with your technical questions.
Department Policy Regarding Intellectual Property and Course Materials
All of the materials in this course are covered by fair use and copyright law and are proprietary (intellectual property). Students are not permitted to sell, post, trade, share, distribute, or send any information contained in this course (including outlines, handouts, syllabi, exams, quizzes, PowerPoint presentations, lectures, audio and video recordings, or images of the same, etc. including your own work for this course) to any parties outside of this course (i.e., Course Hero, Quizlet, Google Docs, etc.) by any means (e.g., posting, uploading, attachments, etc.) without the express written permission from the creator of these works and the Department Chair. Any of these actions violate the Academic Honesty policies of Brigham Young University-Idaho (please see Academic Honesty) and will be dealt with as such. The materials in this course are also intellectual property and taking any materials from the course and posting them outside of this course in any manner will be construed as theft and distribution of intellectual property. If you engage in any of these actions, or use any of these materials without authorization, the instructor has the right to impose an appropriate academic sanction (e.g., give you a failing grade for the assignment and/or fail you from the course). Additionally, the respective Course Lead, Program Lead, and/or Department Chair also reserve the right to impose appropriate academic sanctions regardless of any imposed by the instructor.