On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Explain children’s development from conception to 12 years of age across all domains;
2. Analyse the major theories and contemporary research relating to children’s development and apply theoretical understandings of child development in their learning;
3. Discuss evolving methods used to develop theory about child development – from traditional case study approaches to contemporary brain research;
4. Demonstrate understanding of the diversity in families, cultures, environments and communities and consider the implications for children’s development, health, care and education;
5. Critique developmentally and culturally appropriate practices and principles and their implications for care and education that is responsive to needs of children and their families;
6. Apply knowledge of observational and assessment techniques to the study of children’s development;
7. Document and interpret observations using related theory and research and suggest implications for planning for children’s developments.

1. An overview of theories of children’s development
2. Child development: history, methods and sociocultural perspectives of child development
3. Biological foundations of child development, prenatal development, and birth
4. Child development: physical and motor development; cognitive development; language development; socio-emotional development; moral and spiritual development; creative and academic development.
5. Diversity in families, cultures and communities and importance of working with children, families and communities professionally and ethically.
6. Methods of observation, documentation and analysis of child development.
7. Developmentally and culturally appropriate practices for children in the early years and their application to education contexts.
8. Academic literacy, including analytical and reflective writing and the organisation of a child portfolio.