HDF 302 Fall 2014 1
HDF 302: Infant and Child Development in the Family
Fall 2014, TuTh 11 to 12:15, McIver 28
3 credits
Instructor:
Office:
Email:
Esther M. Leerkes, Ph.D.
134 Stone
emleerke@uncg.edu
Office hours: TuTh 10 AM to 11 AM
or by appointment
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Course catalog description: An in-depth examination of development from conception through
middle childhood with a special focus on the roles of family, peers, and school on individual
behavior and well-being.
Format: The class will consist of lectures, small and large group discussion, and small group
activities.
Required Readings You Must Purchase:
Feldman, S. (2012). Child Development, 6th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall
Publishers. (available at the university bookstore)
Required Readings available on Blackboard page (listed by order in syllabus, rather than
alphabetically)
Garcia Coll, C., Lamberty, G., Jenkins, R., McAdoo, H., Crnic, K., Wasik, B., & Garcia, H.
(1996). An integrative model for the study of developmental competencies in minority
children. Child Development, 67(5), 1891-1914.
Phillips, D. A., Fox, N. A., & Gunnar, M. R. (2011). Same place, different experiences: Bringing
individual differences to research in child care. Child Development Perspectives, 5(1),
44-49. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2010.00155.x
Gershoff, E. T. (2013). Spanking and child development: We know enough now to stop hitting
our children. Child Development Perspectives, 7(3), 133-137. doi:10.1111/cdep.12038
Marks, A. K., Ejesi, K., & Garcia Coll, C. (2014). Understanding the U.S. immigrant paradox in
childhood and adolescence. Child Development Perspectives, 8(2), 59-64.
doi:10.1111/cdep.12071
Objectives of the Course:
Students must:
1) demonstrate understanding of core developmental theories and research methods;
2) demonstrate understanding of the role of various family, peer, child care, school, community,
and cultural contexts on individual development;
3) interpret information about child development from literature reviews, a textbook, lectures,
videos, and group discussion;
4) analyze, synthesize and evaluate research articles and an individual child’s behavior based on
relevant research and theory; and
5) learn strategies to apply information from this class to future experiences such as parenting or
teaching via in class activities of an applied nature.
HDF 302 Fall 2014 2
Student Expectations:
Attendance: Attendance is mandatory. In order to learn the concepts and engage in class
activities, students must attend class regularly. Attendance will be tracked and graded through
the use of pop quizzes and in class activities as explained below. Attendance may also affect
your performance on exams and other assignments given much of the material that is covered in
lecture goes beyond what is included in assigned readings.
Behavior. You are expected to arrive to class on time, and leave at the scheduled time.
Turn cell phones off during class time. Appropriate lap top use (e.g.,taking notes, looking at
lecture slides or the course Blackboard page) is permitted in class; inappropriate lap top use (e.g.,
checking email, internet searching, completing work from other classes, playing games,
disrupting other students with computer use, etc) is not permitted. Avoid chit chat outside of
scheduled group discussion. Remain alert and attentive during class; actively participate in
activities and discussions. Please refer to UNCG’s policy on disruptive behavior in the
classroom at: http://sa.uncg.edu/handbook/wp-content/uploads/disruptive_policy.pdf
Reading Assignments: Reading assignments should be completed by the day they are
listed in the syllabus. Your ability to actively participate in class activities will depend on your
having completed the assigned readings. Unannounced quizzes will be based in part on content
from assigned readings.
Written Work. Students are expected to thoroughly check all written work for
grammatical and spelling errors. In addition, you are responsible for any lost/misplaced
assignments. Always have a back-up copy of written assignments on disk in the event that they
are misplaced and need to be reprinted. Maintain a copy of graded assignments until final grades
are posted in the event of clerical errors.
Academic Integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception and
is an educational objective of this institution. Violating academic integrity is considered a serious
offense by the university and is treated accordingly. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not
limited to, cheating on exams, fabricating information or citations, facilitating the academic
dishonesty of others, and submitting the work of another person as your own (plagiarism). For
additional information, go to http://sa.uncg.edu/handbook/academic-integrity-policy/.
Students must write the following statement on their child observation paper and
sign their names: I HAVE ABIDED BY THE UNCG ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
ON THIS ASSIGNMENT. Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade for exams,
the paper, the entire course, or suspension or expulsion from the university.
University Sanctioned Activities: Students who miss class due to participation in
university-sanctioned activities must identify themselves prior to missing class and make
arrangements to complete missed work. Missed work must be made up within 1 week or the
student will receive a zero on the assignment/activity/quiz. In addition, students must provide
me with a copy of their travel schedule well in advance.
Late Policy: The child observation papers are to be turned in on time. The only excuses
for late assignments are events that are out of the student’s control (e.g., major illness, death of
loved one). In this case, I must be notified as soon as possible so other arrangements can be
HDF 302 Fall 2014 3
made. In all other cases, there will be a 10% point-reduction per day for late work, and
work will not be accepted (i.e., it will be scored a zero) if it is more than 3 days late
(weekends count toward this number).
Exam Policy: There will be no make-ups for missed exams without a reasonable and
documented excuse (e.g., major illness, death of loved one). If such an emergency arises, you
must contact me the day of the exam or prior to the day of the exam. If the university is closed
due to inclement weather on an exam day, the exam will be given during the next scheduled
class day.
Evaluation and Grading: Grades will be based on 4 exams, in class activities/quizzes/
attendance, and a child observation paper. Each is explained below.
Exams: Exams will consist of multiple choice questions. Exams are not cumulative.
Exams will draw from content covered in the text, additional readings, and lectures. Each exam
is worth 100 points, and as a whole, exams account for 67% of your total grade.
In class quizzes/activities/attendance: Random pop quizzes will be given throughout the
semester. Students will earn a 0 if they are absent, 1 point if they are present, plus additional
points for each quiz item that is answered correctly. In addition, there will be a variety of in
class group activities throughout the semester which require turning in a completed piece of
work at the end of the activity. Students will earn a 0 if they are absent, 1 point if they are
present, and additional points based on the quality of their work. One missed quiz or in class
activity will be dropped, all others will count toward your final grade. Students who miss
quizzes administered at the beginning of class because they are late will not be allowed to
complete the quiz and will earn a score of 0. Quizzes/activities will be worth a combined total
of 100 points approximately 17% of your final grade (the equivalent of one exam).
Child Observation Paper(s): You will observe an infant or pre-school aged child on
videos I provide and write a brief (2 pages maximum) paper integrating what you observed with
course material. Detailed instructions will be posted on Blackboard and described in class
later in the semester. These papers must be typed, double-spaced, with 1 inch margins on all
sides. These papers will be graded based on content, your ability to effectively integrate your
observations with relevant course material, organization, grammar, and style and the extent to
which you follow the directions. Every student must complete a minimum of one of these
papers. If you complete only one, the grade on that paper will count as your observation paper
grade. If you like, you can complete 2 papers, and I will average the two scores together. This
option allows you the opportunity to learn from my feedback on the first and demonstrate
improvement on the second. This paper (or the average score on 2 papers) is worth 100 points,
approximately 17% of your final grade. Due Dates: If you opt to complete the paper focused
on toddlers, it is due October 16th. If you opt to complete the paper focused on
preschoolers, it is due November 18th.
HDF 302 Fall 2014 4
Grading: Final grades will be calculated as follows:
Assignment
Points
Exam 1……………………………………………………………………….100
Exam 2……………………………………………………………………….100
Exam 3……………………………………………………………………….100
Exam 4……………………………………………………………………….100
In class quizzes/activities/attendance…………………….…….…………....100
Child Observation Paper(s)………………………………………………….100
Total………………………………………………………………………….600
Course Grade:
Points Earned/Grade____________________________________________________
579-600
A+
519-536
B+
459-476
C+
399-416
D+
555-578
A
495-518
B
435-458
C
375-398
D
537-554
A477-494
B417-434
C357-374
D0-356
F
Dates to Remember:
September 9
October 2
October 16
October 30
November 18
November 25
Exam 1
Exam 2
Infant/Toddler Child Observation Paper Due*
Exam 3
Preschooler Child Observation Paper Due*
Exam 4
*As described above, you are only required to turn in one of these papers, but you may opt to
complete both if you like.
HDF 302 Fall 2014 5
Teachers Academy Conceptual Framework Mission Statement: The mission of professional
education at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is to ensure “Access to
Opportunities through Teaching, Learning and Caring.” This requires excellence in all our
programs through alignment to state and national standards; explicit connections between
research, theory and practice; candidates’ acquisition of the knowledge, skills and dispositions of
their disciplines; detailed evaluation of our candidates’ continual professional growth;
collaboration among stakeholders; ongoing self-study; and an overriding commitment to
fostering beliefs and actions that promote education for all. Toward these ends, our Unit and
programs focus on six areas: leadership, professional knowledge, professional practice,
educational environments, data-informed decision making, and professional growth to support
the learning of all children in the context of 21st century complexity and dynamic change.
Professional education programs at UNCG emphasize dispositions that drive application
of the knowledge base and we believe that we must model and monitor these dispositions as
conscientiously as we provide opportunities for building the knowledge base. Teachers should
show evidence of these dispositions in class:
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


reflective
ethical
inclusive
engaged in and committed to
professional practice
dedicated to life-long learning

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


self-efficacious
receptive to feedback
affirming of diversity
professionally responsible
collaborative
HDF 302 Fall 2014 6
Course Schedule
Date
Topic
Assignment
Aug 19
Introduction to course; What is Child
Chapter 1
Development?
Aug 21
Theories of Child Development
Chapter 2
Aug 26
Theories of Child Development
Chapter 2
Aug 28
Theories of Child Development/ Research Methods Chapter 2
Sep 2
Garcia Coll et al. (1996)
E Article
Heredity, Genes, Environment; Prenatal
Chapter 3
development
Sep 4
Birth; Postpartum adjustment, The Competent
Chapter 4
Infant (online lecture; no class meeting)
***Email any questions related to the exam to Dr.
Leerkes by 5 PM***
Sep 9
Exam 1
Sep 11
Infancy: Physical & Sensory Development
Chapter 5
Sep 16
Infancy: Cognitive & Language Development
Chapter 6
Sep 18
Infancy: Emotional Development
Chapter 7
Sep 23
Infancy: Attachment & Social Development
Chapter 7
Sep 25
Infancy: Individual Differences
Chapter 7
Sep 30
Infancy: Infant and Toddler Child Care
E Article
Phillips, Fox & Marshall (2011)
Oct 2
Exam 2
Oct 7
Preschool: Physical Development; child abuse &
Chapter 8
neglect
Preparing for child observation paper(s)
Oct 9
Preschool: Discipline strategies
Gershoff (2013)
Oct 14
No class: Fall break
Ereserve
HDF 302 Fall 2014 7
Oct 16
Preschool: Cognitive Development & Early
Chapter 9
Intervention
Child Observation Paper 1 Due (Toddler)
Oct 21
Preschool: Media Influences
Chapter 9
Oct 23
Preschool: Social relationships, play, & moral
Chapter 10 & p.
development
383-386
Preschool: Sense of Self; Gender Identity; Gender
Chapter 10
Oct 28
socialization
Oct 30
Exam 3
Nov 4
Middle Childhood: Obesity
Chapter 11
Nov 6
Middle Childhood: Cognitive Development
Chapter 12
Nov 11
Middle Childhood: School Contexts & Intelligence
Chapter 12
Nov 13
Middle Childhood: Self-esteem, Identity, Racial
Chapter 13; p.412
Socialization
Nov 18
Children in Diverse Family Contexts: Family
Chapter 13
Structure
Child Observation Paper 2 Due (Preschooler)
Nov 20
Children in Diverse Family Contexts: Immigrant
Chapter 13
families
Marks, Ejesi & Garcia Coll (2014)
Nov 25
Exam 4
Nov 27
No class: Thanksgiving break
E Article