Module EDUS1581: DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING IN THE VERY EARLY YEARS

Department: Education (ITE)

EDUS1581: DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING IN THE VERY EARLY YEARS

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

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).

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 be fortnightly seminars in which interactive tasks and activities support the lecture topics.
• Interactive activities include seminar tasks in which students engage in discussion and debate. The fieldwork consists of experience in an early years setting in which the student engages in observational work to inform their knowledge and understanding of provision. The assessment of the module includes a portfolio exploring one particular aspect of early years development based upon the in-put from the module added to the student’s own research into the topic.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Discussion and presentation within seminar groups.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University