Socio-Emotion & Motor Develop

Catalog description

This course focuses on the domain of social and emotional development in early childhood, and it explores the complex ways in which this domain of development changes over time from birth to allow the growing child to react and interact with others around them. An interactional model will serve as the primary theoretical framework that underlies all discussions and assignments in order to allow students to understand the concept that each major area of development in early childhood are interdependent on one another and directly contribute to the adaptability and resilience of the whole child. Students will become familiar with current theories on how the young child develops socially and emotionally from birth and how mastery of development in these areas provides lays the foundation for cognitive, linguistic, and motoric growth in the early years. Special topics include early childhood mental health, parent-child attachment, floor time and early exploration (play), family systems dynamics, resiliency, adversity/risk, policy reform, and promotion/prevention/intervention.