HDCD 6320: Toddler-Preschool Development

Spring 2005

Day: Tues, Thurs Instructor: Dr. Melanie Spence

Time: 3:30-4:45 pm Office Hours: Thurs 1-2 or by Appointment
Location: GR 4.301 Office: GR4.818, 883-2206, mspence@utdallas.edu

This core course in HDCD will examine development, data, and theories of toddler and preschool
development in multiple content domains (e.g., cognitive, social, motor). The course will focus on
development during the period extending from 18-36 months, but will also address major
developmental milestones that occur between the ages of 3 and 5 years. The goals of this course are:
To know sequences and major milestones of development in a variety of domains
To acquire knowledge of major developmental theories
To understand relationships across domains and to view the child as a “system”.

Additionally, this course will cover information relevant for the following competencies specified by the
state Texas Interagency Council and that are required for future recognition as an Early Intervention
Specialist.

Primary competencies:
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
models both spontaneous and planned activities to promote positive peer interactions.
PROF 12 – The EIS understands how adult expectations influence children’s development.

Text:
Berk, Laura E. (2002). Infants and Children: Prenatal through Middle Childhood (4th ed). Allyn &
Bacon, Needham Heights, MA.
The text includes an access code for the interactive website. You are strongly encouraged to work
through the exercises on the website as a study aide. The practice tests and “Flashcards” may be
helpful for your mastery of the material.
Additional required readings (listed below) will be available for purchase at Off-Campus
Books, 581 W. Campbell Rd., 972-907-8398. Additional readings may be added during the semester.

Course Requirements:

Reading & Class participation: Your class attendance and participation in class discussions are
critical for mastery of the material and successful performance in this course. The assigned readings
should be completed before each class. Classes will consist of lectures and discussions. The format
for this class will be more interactive in nature than Infancy (HDCD 5311). Participation in Class
Discussions/activities will contribute 3% to course grade.

Exams: 3 exams are scheduled; Each will contribute 25% to course grade for a total of 75%. Exams
will consist of short answer, multiple choice, and short essay questions. Make-up exams will only be
allowed for emergencies or conflicts that are discussed with the professor well before the scheduled
exam date. If you have an emergency or illness on the date of an exam, please phone or email me as
soon as possible and before the exam. Missed exams will earn grades of 0.

Observational Exercise 12% (due April 14) During the semester you will conduct a 1-hr
observation of 2 classrooms of children between the ages of 2 and 5 at the Callier Center Preschool.
Your observations will be written up in a 3-5 page report. Details concerning scheduling and
requirements of this assignment will be provided in a separate document.
Learning Exercises 10%: Several exercises will be assigned throughout the semester. These will be
posted on the Blackboard website. Assignments will consist of short reports or completion of
questions on material from readings or websites. Points will only be earned for these assignments if
they are handed in on or before the assignment deadline dates.

Other information:
Course withdrawals: Students are responsible for knowing policies and deadlines for
withdrawals. See http://www.utdallas.edu/student/catalog/undergrad04/policies-dropadd.html
Academic Honesty: Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty;
students are reminded that cheating and plagiarism, i.e., presenting someone else’s work/writing and
ideas as your work, are subject to discipline under university regulations. University Policies on
discipline and conduct, as well as examples of scholastic dishonesty area available at:
http://www.utdallas.edu/student/slife/dishonesty.html.

Schedule of Topics & Assignments:

January 11: Introduction & Assignments

Class Assignment: Go to http://www.zerotothree.org/ztt_professionals.html. Click on link for
“National Parents’ Poll” at bottom. Read :Press Release, Executive Summary, Questionnaire, Key
Findings, and Parents Speak” in preparation for class discussion on Jan 13.

January 13: Review of Infancy Period: Birth – 24 months

Discussion of Survey Assignment
--Berk: Chpt. 1; Ch 2; 85-92

January 18: Language Development

--Chapter 9, pp. 356-360
--Origins of Language in Infancy. In Lamb, Bornstein, & Teti (2002), Development in Infancy,
LEA, pp. 308-327.
--Hart, B. & Risley, T. (1992) American parenting of language-learning children: Persisting
differences in family-child interactions observed in natural home environments. Developmental
Psychology, 28, 1096-1105.

January 20: Language Development (cont.) & Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory

--Berk: ch. 9; pp. 336-340

January 25: Vygotsky (cont) & Pretend Play

--Goncu, A., Patt, M. & Kouba, E. (2002). Understanding young children’s pretend play in
context. Pp. 418-437. In P. K. Smith & C. H Hart (Eds.). Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social
development, Blackwell Publishers.

January 27: Learning Exercise 1 Due

Piagetian Theory & Preoperational Stage
--Berk: Chapter 9; pp. 323-335
Perceptual Development
--Berk: p. 318
February 1, 3: Information-Processing, Memory
--Berk: ch 9; pp. 341-346
--Fivush & Hamond. (1990). Autobiographical memory across the preschool years: Toward
reconceptualizing childhood amnesia. In R. Fivush & J. Hudson (Eds.)., Knowing and
remembering in young children, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 223-248.
--Goswami, U. (1998). The development of memory (pp. 161-185 ) In Cognition in Children.
Psychology Press.
--Nelson, K. (1993). The Psychological And Social Origins Of Autobiographical Memory.
Psychological Science, 4, 60-67.

February 8: Exam 1

February 10, 15: Symbolic Representation, Theory of Mind

--Berk, ch. 9, pp. 344-347
--Bjorklund, D. (1999). Children’s Thinking: Developmental Function and Individual
Differences. USA: Wadsworth, pp. 207-230.
--DeLoache, J. (1987). Rapid Change in the Symbolic Functioning of Very Young Children.
Science, 56-57.

February 17: Theory of Mind, Social Cognition

--Flavell, J.H. (1993). Young children’s understanding of thinking and consciousness. Current
Directions in Psychological Science, 2, 40-43.
--Lewis C. & Carpendale, J. (2002). Social Cognition. Pp. 375-393. In P. K. Smith & C. H Hart
(Eds.). Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social development, Blackwell Publishers.

February 22: Emotional & Social Development: Erickson's Theory & Self-concept
--Berk: Ch 10; pp. 365-370
--Anselmo, S. & Franz, W. (1995). One-to-Three –Year Olds: Psychosocial Development.
(Chpt. 9, pp. 302-341) in Early Childhood Development: Prenatal through Age Eight. (2 nd ed).
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

February 24: Emotional Development

--Denham, S., von Salisch, M. Olthof, T., Kochanoff, A., & Caverly, S. (2002). Emotional and
Social development in Childhood p. 307-328. In P. K. Smith & C. H Hart (Eds.). Blackwell Handbook
of Childhood Social development, Blackwell Publishers.

March 1: Social Understanding; Peer Relations

--Berk: Ch. 10: pp. 370-379
--Dorrell, A. (2000). All they do is play? Play in preschool. Early Childhood Education, 22,
Guilford, CN: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 75-77.

March 3: Morality & Aggression, Gender Typing

Learning Exercise 2 Due
--Berk: Ch. 10; pp. 380-390; --Berk: Ch. 10; pp. 390-396

March 7-12: Spring Break

March 15, 17: Child Rearing & Emotional Development; Social Policy Issues
--Berk: Ch. 10; 396-402: Ch. 2; pp. 73-84
--Rohner, R. (1998). Father Love and Child Development: History and Current Evidence.
Current Directions in Psychological Science, 7, 157-161.
--Kazdin, A. & Benjet, C. (2003). Spanking children: Evidence and issues. Psychological
Science, 12, pp. 99-103.
March 22: Exam 2

March 24: Physical Development in Early Childhood

--Berk: pp. 293-309 (chpt. 8)

March 29, 31: Intelligence & Early Intervention

--Berk: Ch 9; pp. 350-355; Ch. 6; pp. 232-238
--Jones, R. (1998). Starting early: The why and how of preschool education, 19-24.
--Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center (1999). Early learning, later success: The
abecedarian study. Early Childhood Education, 22, Guilford, CN: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 222-224.

April 5, 7: Motor Development; Self-Help Skills: guest lecture by Katherine Khan

--Berk: Chpt 8; pp. 310-317
:
April 12, 14: Early Literacy & Mathematical Development
--Berk: Ch. 9, pp. 346, 348-349.
--Butler, J., Liss, C., & Sterner, P. (1999). Starting on the write foot: Helping parents
understand how children learn to read and write. Early Childhood Education, 22, Guilford, CN:
McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 182-186.
--Emergent literacy in an early childhood classroom: Center learning to support the child with
special needs. Early Childhood Education, 22, Guilford, CN: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 126-133.

April 14: Observational Exercise Due

April 19: Pulling it All Together: Overview and Discussion

Class Evaluations

April 21: Exam 3

April 26: (Tues) 2 pm: Take home Final due