Undergraduate Programs
Course Information
| back to course list |
| back to course description |
HDFS 305 Middle Childhood
3 hours (lecture-discussion)
Spring Semesters
Course Objectives
This course is designed to cover the normative changes that occur in the physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, and moral development of children who are approximately six to twelve years of age. These changes will be examined in the contexts of family, peers, school, community, and culture. Social issues such as violence, poverty, and emotional difficulties will be examined for their impact on children’s lives. At the end of this course, students should be able to describe the normative developmental changes that occur during middle childhood across developmental domains, and to understand how this information could be used in applied ways. As a result of this course, students should possess and be able to communicate their sophisticated understanding of the issues, challenges, and situations that are unique to middle childhood. Specific objectives include the following:
- To gain a comprehensive understanding of the developmental processes which occur for children during the period of middle childhood from ages 6-12 years.
- To develop an understanding of the effects of family, school, community, and culture on children’s development and gain a sense of empathy and appreciation for the challenges facing children during middle childhood.
- To gain knowledge of research findings and theoretical perspectives related to factors that influence children’s development during this time.
Topics
- Overview of middle childhood
- Theories and research methods
- Physical development
- Cognitive development and multiple intelligences
- Attention and memory
- Social and emotional development
- Moral development
- Family as a context of development
- Peers and friendships
- School and neighborhood
- Culture and community
- Achievement and academics
- Aggression, violence, bullying
- Poverty
- Transition to adolescence
Graded Activities
- Child observation paper
- Group presentation
- Book review
- Exams (2)