Module EDUS1581: DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING IN THE VERY EARLY YEARS

Department: Education [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

EDUS1581: DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING IN THE VERY EARLY YEARS

Tied To

• X101: Primary Education

Pre-requisites

Corequisites

Excluded Combinations

Aims

• To introduce some fundamental ideas associated with the all-round development of children in the pre-school years.
• To acquire a knowledge of the normal social, emotional, physical and intellectual development of young children from birth to age five.
• To consider how to apply this understanding in the context of young children's thinking and learning in preparation for formal schooling.

Content

• The module will explore approaches to the study of children's development and learning in the very early years (birth to compulsory school age in England).
• A range of discrete themes will run through as blocks:
• Block 1: Children and Childhood
• Block 2: Physical Development
• Block 3: Social Development
• Block 4: Learning in Early Childhood
• Block 5: Pre-school Provision
• Block 6: Preparing for Primary School
• Block 7: Practical Placement.

Learning Outcomes

• knowledge and understanding of key ideas related to young children's all-round development
• knowledge and understanding of factors that influence this development
• knowledge of how aspects of educational theory relate to the learning of pre-school age children
• knowledge of how educational theory can be applied to working with children in the very early years.

• an ability to analyse and interpret relevant contexts in relation to young children's all-round development
• reflect critically upon how these developmental processes affect young children's pre-school experiences in a variety of contexts
• show a developing knowledge and understanding that can be applied to planning for teaching in the early years.

• communicate ideas, principles and theories effectively in written form
• use Information and Communications Technology in a variety of ways
• manage time and work to deadlines
• construct and sustain a reasoned argument
• evaluate and make use of information from a variety of primary and secondary sources.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The course will be delivered through weekly block lectures.
• There will also be fortnightly seminar sessions where students will present their critical reflections on appropriate readings and research and experiences in relevant pre-school contexts.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment

Formative assignment (1500 words in total).