Students will explore the inherited, environmental, and cultural factors which influence the developing child. The physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth of children from birth through middle childhood will be explored

Explore young children’s characteristics and needs, including the multiple influences that effect development and learning. Develop the skills to create healthy, respectful, supportive, challenging and culturally relevant learning environments with a focus on the importance of building family and community relationships, knowing and understanding diverse family and community characteristics, supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships; involving families and communities in their children’s development and learning

This course will help students understand the atypical child, including those with cognitive, intellectual, emotional, and physical disabilities, children who come from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds and children who are gifted/talented

Study of the American family from a sociological perspective, emphasizing the family as an influence in socialization and development; theories for analyzing the family, alternative family forms, cross-cultural and historical comparisons