Week 1: The Concept of Childhood

Definition of Child Psychology
Early History and Childhood Psychology

Week 2: Early Biological factors in Child Psychology
Prenatal Development/Milestones - Children typically reach developmental ‘milestones’. These milestones reflect abilities, such as walking and talking, that are achieved by most children at similar ages. Among other things, we are interested in trying to explain how children reach these milestones and how individual, social and cultural factors may influence how we develop.

Week 3: Major Schools of Child Psychology

Cognitive (Piaget) - We discuss Piaget's theory of child psychology that defines how children become able to form mental representations of the world and the idea that cognitive development proceeds through a series of predefined biological steps that are stimulated through their own physical interaction with the world. This theory, because it partially focuses on biological maturation, predicts that all children across the world should go through these stages in the same order and around the same time, regardless of differences in the environment that they are growing up in.

Socio-Cognitive (Vygotsky) - We discuss Vygotsky's theory of child psychology that suggests that cognitive development occurs first through children’s immediate social interactions, and then moves to the individual level as they began to internalize their learning. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory asserts that learning is an essentially social process in which the support of parents, caregivers, peers and the wider society and culture plays a crucial role in the development of higher psychological functions.

Psychosocial (Erikson) - We discuss Erikson's theory of child psychology that suggests that personality develops in a predetermined order through eight stages of psychosocial development, from infancy to adulthood. During each stage, the person experiences a psychosocial crisis which could have a positive or negative outcome for personality development.

Week 4: Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

We will discuss the background and key concepts including the specified age range and the goals for each of the four stages of Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development. Intellectual development is the key focus of the four stages. 

Sensory Motor Period
Preoperational Period
Concrete Operations
Formal Operations

Week 5: Vygotsky's Theory of Sociocognitive Development

Learners will examine the background and key concepts that are included in Vygotsky's Theory of Sociocognitive Development including the following four areas:
Cultural mediation
Psychology of play
Internalization
Metacognition

Week 6: Erikson's Eight Stages of Development

Discussion regarding Erikson's theory that maintains that personality develops in a predetermined order through eight stages of psychosocial development, from infancy to adulthood. During each stage, the person experiences a psychosocial crisis which could have a positive or negative outcome for personality development.

We will discuss what crises of a psychosocial nature that involve psychological needs of the individual conflicting with the needs of society occur in each of the eight stages of development. 

1. 	Trust vs. Mistrust 	
2. 	Autonomy vs. Shame 
3. 	Initiative vs. Guilt 	
4. 	Industry vs. Inferiority 	
5. 	Identity vs. Role Confusion 	
6. 	Intimacy vs. Isolation 	
7. 	Generativity vs. Stagnation 	
8. 	Ego Integrity vs. Despair 	

Week 7: Development of Language

Communication is fundamental to children's development; children need to be able to understand and be understood. Communication is the foundation of relationships and is essential for learning, play and social interaction. Communicating with babies is the foundation of attachment.

We will discuss the two types of communication styles involved in the development of language and the role these play in developmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

Responsive communication
Verbal communication

Week 8: Nature vs. Nurture

In order to understand child development we will look at the biological influences that help shape child development, how experiences interact with genetics and some of the genetic disorders that can have an impact on child psychology and development. We will look at how twin studies are used in research to determine what factors are contributed due to genetics versus what factors are likely due to environmental influence. 

Genetics and child psychology
Environment and child psychology
Twin studies

Week 9: Family Dynamics and Child Psychology

Learners will discuss the patterns of relating, or interactions, between family members in family dynamics. This will cover the seven different types of family structures. Learners will discover how positive peer relationships make critical contributions to healthy social emotional development.Children and teenagers benefit from the social and emotional support that friends offer, but they can also experience occasional social stressors and peer conflicts. We will discuss Afred Adler's theory of birth order. We will examine how birth order influences sibling relationships. The effects of divorce on family dynamics will also be reviewed.

Family dynamics
Peer relationships
Sibling relationships and birth order - Adler
Effects of divorce

Week 10: Applied Child Psychology

Different ways in which the concepts from the field of child psychology can have real life applications will be discussed. Some of these areas of practical applications that will be examined will be in the area of cognitive development (judgment, memory, impulse control, problem solving, decision making, etc.), how to develop a healthy self-esteem and a positive self-concept, and what potential warning signs to look for in a child or adolescent experiencing physical, social or emotional difficulties. 

Encouraging cognitive development
Developing self-esteem
What are warning signs?

Week 11: Psychological Testing and Children

We will discuss when and why various tests and assessments are used.
We will talk about what types of tests are available in the present day and what they are used to assess as well as the history of changes in testing. 
Validity and reliability of current tests will be discussed. 
Pros and cons of testing and assessment will be discussed.

Week 12  Mental Health Diagnoses and Children

Pychological disorders from the DSM-V that can start in childhood and adolescence or are specific to childhood and adolescence will be discussed. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder are included on that list. This will include signs and symptoms and the difference in presentation of these disorders between children, adolescents and adults. 

DSM-V Psychological Disorders
Signs and Symptoms
Children/Adolescents Versus Adults

Students will be provided with handouts that I create and learners will have discussion questions to answer prior to each class. Links will be provided to internet resources. Class discussions will be didactic as I appreciate an interactive classroom. I use powerpoint presentations in my courses. Prior experience in psychology will not be necessary.