Weekly Learning Aims

  • Summarize the overall physical growth 
  • Describe the changes in brain maturation 
  • Describe the changes in sleep 
  • Summarize the changes in gross and motor skills 
  • Describe when a child is ready for toilet training 
  • Describe sexual development 
  • Identify nutritional concerns
  • Describe Piaget’s preoperational stage and the characteristics of preoperational thought 
  • Summarize the challenges to Piaget’s theory 
  • Describe Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development 
  • Describe Information processing research on attention and memory 
  • Describe the views of the neo-Piagetians 
  • Describe theory-theory and the development of theory of mind 
  • Describe the developmental changes in language 
  • Describe the various types of early childhood education 
  • Describe the characteristics of autism
  • Describe Erikson’s third stage of initiative vs. guilt
  • Describe the changes in self-concept and self-esteem
  • Describe children’s understanding of others
  • Describe emotional regulation and delayed gratification
  • Describe young children’s understanding of morality
  • Summarize the main theories of gender development
  • Explain the terms transgender, gender dysphoria, and intersex
  • Describe the major parenting styles and their consequences for children
  • Describe the role of siblings in children’s development 
  • Summarize the types of play in which children engage 
  • Describe the influence of the media on young children’s social development