The Developing Child: Toddler and Preschool Years (HDCD 6320)

Spring, 2007; Monday & Wednesday, 2:30-3:45; GR 4.208

Dr. Shayla C. Holub

Professor Contact Information:

Shayla Holub, Ph D. E-mail: sholub@utdallas.edu
Office: Green Hall, 4.822 Phone: 972-883-4473
Office Hours: Monday 4:00-5:00 and by appointment

Course Pre-requisites: The Developing Child: Infancy (HDCD 5311)

Course Description: Parents, teachers, early intervention specialists, doctors, psychologists, and many others are
interested in how toddlers and preschoolers act, think, and grow. There are two primary reasons for this interest.
First, better understanding young children’s behavior, thoughts, and abilities aids individuals who work with
children of all ages. Second, early childhood is fascinating because it is a time of rapid growth and change in
behavior, thought and abilities. This course will explore the ways that children change (and how they stay the same)
in their physical, motor, cognitive and psychosocial development. We will examine the development of 24-60
month old children across several domains, the mechanisms of developmental change, individual differences in
development, and the practical applications of child development research.

Course Goals: The primary goals of this course include: 1) knowledge of the milestones of early childhood
development, 2) comprehension of and ability to apply major developmental theories, 3) understanding the
methodologies used in early childhood research, 4) development of tools to critically evaluate published research in
early child development.
Additional course goals include promoting independent and critical thinking, developing students’ abilities to
communicate more effectively, and giving students greater appreciation for the science of childhood development.

Primary Competencies: This course will also cover information relevant to the following competencies specified
by the Texas Interagency Council as required for future recognition as an early intervention specialist (EIS).
PD1- The EIS knows basic principles of child development and recognizes typical developmental
milestones in children birth to 36 months of age.
PD9- The EIS knows the types and significance of interactions among infants and toddlers, and utilizes
both spontaneous and planned activities to promote positive peer interactions.
PROF 12- The EIS understands how adult expectations influence children’s development.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes:

1.1. Students will identify and describe key milestones of early childhood development across several domains,
including physical, cognitive, and social development.
1.2. Students will comprehend and have the ability to apply and describe major developmental theories and themes
in early childhood development.
1.3. Students will recognize and describe social influences on development.
6.1. Students will develop the ability to critically evaluate published research in early childhood development.

Required Textbooks and Materials:

J. P. Shonkoff & D. A. Phillips (Eds.). (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood
development. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.

Additional readings have been assigned for most class periods. These supplemental readings do not necessarily
provide comprehensive information about the lecture topic, but do provide additional perspectives and more in-
depth analysis of class subjects. Reading these chapters and articles will help you to be an active participant in
class discussions and promote mastery of class material. Information from these readings will also be included in
exams. These readings are available through the electronic library course reserves unless otherwise noted in class.
Developing Child: Toddler and Preschool Years Syllabus Page 1
 Date Topics Required Readings
1/8 Intro to Course. History of Developmental
Psychology. Concepts and Questions in Early
Child Development.
1/10 Discussion of Questions in Early Child From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapters 1 & 2 (p. 19- 56)
Development. Theories.
1/15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day- NO CLASS
1/17 Research Methods and Ethics. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 4 (p. 70-87)

Physical and Motor Development.
1/22 The Developing Brain; Perceptual Dev.
1/24 Special Topics in Physical Development:
Maintaining the Health and Well-being of
Young Children.
Trawick-Smith, J. (2006). Preschool physical and motor development.
In Early childhood development: A multicultural perspective.
(pp. 198-225). Columbus, Oh: Pearson.
From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 8 (p. 182-217)
From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Preface II: The Nature and Tasks
of Early Development (p. 89- 92) and Chapter 5 (p. 93-103
only- most of this will be review from Infancy)

Berk, L. E. (2005). Factors affecting growth and physical health. In

Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (5th
ed, pp. 293-303). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Birch, L. L., Zimmerman, S. I., & Hind, H. (1980). The influences of

social-affective context on the formation of children’s food
preferences. Child Development, 51, 856-861.
1/29 Language Development and Thought During From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 6 (p. 124-162)
Early Childhood.
Marcus, G. F. (1996). Why do children say “breaked”? Current
Directions in Psychological Science, 5, 81-85.

Madeline’s Understanding of Gender and Time by Brian Hall.

1/31 Cognitive Development and Piaget. Trawick-Smith, J. (2006). Cognitive development in the preschool
years. In Early childhood development: A multicultural
perspective. (pp. 226-236). Columbus, Oh: Pearson.

DeLoache, J. S. (1987). Rapid change in the symbolic functioning of

very young children. Science, 238, 1556-1557.
2/5 Post-Piagetian Research and Theory From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 5 (p. 115-123)

Flavell, J. H. (1982). On cognitive development. Child Development,

532, 1-10.

Pratt, M. W., Kerig, P., Cowan, P. A., & Cowan, C. P. (1988). Mothers
and fathers teaching 3-year-olds: Authoritative parenting and
adult scaffolding of young children’s learning. Developmental
Psychology, 24, 832-839.
2/7 Exam #1
2/12 Theory of Mind. Social Cognition. Flavell, J. H. (2000). Development of children’s knowledge about the
mental world. International Journal of Behavioral
Development, 24, 15-23.
2/14 Memory and Intelligence. Nelson, K. (1993). The psychological and social origins of
autobiographical memory. Psychological Science, 4, 60-67.

Intelligence testing readings- TBA.

2/19 Development of Early Academic Skills. Gleason, T. R., Sebanc, A. M., & Hartup, W. W. (2000). Imaginary
Giftedness, Creativity, and Imagination. companions of preschool children. Developmental
Psychology, 36, 419-428.

Mollie in Preschool by Vivian Gussin Paley

2/21 Theories of Psychosocial Development. Rothbart, M. K., Ahadi, S. A., & Evans, D. E. (2000). Temperament
Review of Temperament. and personality: Origins and outcomes. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 122-135.
Developing Child: Toddler and Preschool Years Syllabus Page 2
2/26 The Developing Self: Verscueren, K., Marcoen, A. & Buyck, P. (1998). Five year olds’
Self-Related Cognitions in Early Childhood. behaviorally presented self-esteem: Relations to self-
perceptions and stability across a three-year period. The
Journal of Genetic Psychology, 159, 273-279.

Harter, S. (1999). The normative development of self-representations

during childhood. In The construction of self: A
developmental perspective. (pp. 28- 58). New York: Guilford
Press.
2/28 Development and Regulation of Emotions. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 5 (p. 104- 115)
Emotional Understanding.
Kieras, J. E., Tobin, R., Graziano, W., & Rothbart, M. K. (2005). You
can’t always get what you want. Psychological Science, 16,
391-396.

Brown, J. R. & Dunn, J. (1996). Continuities in emotion

understanding from three to six years. Child Development,
67, 789-802.
3/5 Spring Break – NO CLASS
3/7 Spring Break – NO CLASS
3/12 Gender Development. Martin, C. L., & Little, J. K. (1990). The relation of gender
The Biases of Early Childhood. understanding to children’s sex-typed preferences and
gender stereotypes. Child Development, 61, 1427-1439.
3/14 Theories of Moral Development. Negative Aksan, N., & Kochanska, G. (2005). Conscience in childhood: Old
Behavior. questions, new answers. Developmental Psychology, 41,
506-516.

Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., & Ku, H. (1999). Relational and physical
forms of peer victimization in preschool. Developmental
Psychology, 35, 376-385.
3/19 Development of Prosocial and Related Rheingold, H. L. (1982). Little children’s participation in the work of
Positive Behaviors. adults, a nascent prosocial behavior. Child Development, 53,
114-125.
3/21 Exam #2
3/26 The Contexts of Early Childhood From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 3 (p. 57- 69) and Chapter
Development. 12 (p. 328- 336).
3/28 Class topic to be announced. TBA
4/2 Attachment and Family Systems Theory. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 9 (p. 225- 266)
4/4 Parenting. Discipline. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 9 (cont.)

Kazdin, A. E., & Benjet, C. (2003). Spanking children: Evidence and

issues. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12, 99-
103.
4/9 Other Familial Influences on Development. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 10 (p. 267-296)
4/11 Fathers, Siblings, and Changing Families. Rohner, R. (1998). Father love and child development: History and
current evidence. Current Directions in Psychological
Science, 7, 157-161.

Pike, A., Coldwell, J., & Dunn, J. (2005). Sibling relationships in

early/middle childhood: links with individual adjustment.
Journal of Family Psychology, 19, 523-532.
4/16 Childcare. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 11 (p. 297-327)

NICHD Early Child Care Research Network (2002). Child-care

structure, process, outcome: Direct and indirect effects on
child-care quality on young children’s development.
Psychological Science, 13, 199-206.
4/18 Play, Peers, and Friendship. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Chapter 7 (p. 163- 181)
4/23 A Different Way of Looking at Development.
4/30 Exam #3

Developing Child: Toddler and Preschool Years Syllabus Page 3

Grading Policy: I am most concerned that students in this course gain skills that will help them be productive in
their future roles as students, professionals, or parents. Nevertheless, quantitative assessment of student learning is
required. Below, you will find course requirements and how points will be distributed.

Class Participation, In-class Quizzes, & The Discussion Board (total 5%). Class attendance and active
participation in class discussions will aid in your mastery of course material. Readings should be completed
before class. In-class quizzes will be given in the event that readings aren’t being completed or active
participation in the class is waning. Students are also required to post questions and comments about the
readings on the class discussion board before midnight the day before the reading is to be discussed.

Assignments (total 10%), Several assignments will be distributed over the course of the semester, which
will be available on the Blackboard website and will be discussed in class.

Exams (each worth 25%; total 75%). Three exams are scheduled over the course of the semester. Each
exam will have an in-class and a take-home component. Exams will require you to display your knowledge
about information from lectures, the text, and supplemental readings.

Final Paper (10%). You will be asked to complete a 7-10 page report that will allow you to demonstrate
your mastery of course material. More details will be provided in the coming weeks.

Grading- Final grades will be calculated as follows: A = 90 points and above, B= 80-89 points, C= 70-79 points,
F= below 70 points.

Course & Instructor Policies:

Attendance: I cannot provide detailed notes for missed classes. If you miss a class, please get the notes from
another student.

Make-up Exams: Make-up exams will only be given under uncontrollable, special circumstances. Please contact
me as soon as possible about missing an exam (and only before an exam is given). Make-up exams are different
from the exam given on test days and are often more difficult than the regular exam. An unexcused missed exam
will earn a grade of 0.

Preparing for Class- Students are expected to come to class prepared. This means completing the assigned
readings before class, so that you can ask questions and be prepared for the day’s lecture, discussion or in-class
exercise. Remember, active participation in this course is part of your grade. Please bring the textbook and assigned
readings to class.

Quality of Assignments- All assignments turned in for this class must be proofread, typed and on-time!!! No
exceptions! All assignments will lose one letter grade per day that they are late. Grades will be lowered two letter
grades if they are not typed. Assignments will not be accepted through e-mail.

Blackboard and Turnitin.com- These are computer resources offered by the university that will be used in class.
If you do not know how to use or access these programs, please see the course instructor.

Respect for Others in the Class- It is expected that students listen to and respect each other’s insights during class.
During some class sessions, students will be asked to works in groups. It is expected that students will work in a
collegial manner. Any problems or difficulties should be brought to the course instructor for resolution.

Please turn off cell phones and pagers during class meetings, as they can be a distraction to your fellow classmates.
Please refrain from e-mailing, messaging or other forms of entertainment during class.

Developing Child: Toddler and Preschool Years Syllabus Page 4

Field Trip Policies, Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities
Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and University
policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding these rules and regulations
may be found at the website address http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional
information is available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-related
activity associated with this course.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the
orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student organization to
be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information
on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all
registered students each academic year.
The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and
established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Series 50000, Board of
Regents, The University of Texas System, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s
Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of
the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU
1.602, 972/883-6391).
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is
expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative
rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or
off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value
of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is
imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for
enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a
general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.
Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is
unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This
course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90%
effective.

Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and
the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email
correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from
students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree
of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The
Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail
forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses. These
dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the
student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw
any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if
you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

Developing Child: Toddler and Preschool Years Syllabus Page 5

 In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic
responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor,
supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be
resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s
School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student may submit
a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may
make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an
Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals
process will be distributed to all involved parties.
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where
staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the
semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within
eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to
remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed
automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to
those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are
Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m.
to 5:30 p.m.
The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:
The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)
Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to
eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom
prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an
assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student
who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in
accessible facilities. The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking,
or mobility assistance.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation.
Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student has a
disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after
class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel to and
observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20,
Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.
The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the absence,
preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment
within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A
student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A
student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or
assignment.
If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a religious
holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any
missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of
the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of
TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

Developing Child: Toddler and Preschool Years Syllabus Page 6