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ED2590:03

Early Childhood Development Studies

Townsville, Cairns

HECS Band 1

Please check prerequisites in Master Schedule.
26 hours lectures, 8 hours tutorials, 25 hours professional experience. Semester 1.

Core subject for BEd (ECE) students. Others can elect to enrol.

Staff:

Assoc. Professor N Alloway (Townsville campus);

Dr R Sorin (Cairns campus).

This subject focuses on early childhood development and pedagogy. It emphasises the development of the "whole child" in terms of physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development of children from birth to eight years of age. It explores issues of early childhood education, including play, the Preschool Curriculum Guidelines and the Foundation Learning Area curriculum organisers. Techniques for observing, recording and assessing development are examined. A field experience component of the program attempts to forge a link between theory and practice in early childhood settings.

Learning Objectives:

critically evaluate discourses of early childhood education as they promote and challenge notions of developmentally appropriate practice;

critically evaluate theories of child development and issues related to physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development of children from birth to eight years of age;.

observe developmental characteristics in young children and interpret observations in light of critical reading of child development theories and developmentally appropriate practice;

critically analyse the educational value of a range of activities judged to be appropriate for young children.

Assessment by in-class test(s) (30-40%); cumulative field experience file (50%); participation (10-20%); successful completion of 25 hours professional experience in a preschool setting.