Topical Outline Winter 2021
ECE 214 Observation and Child Development: Middle Childhood
ECE 214 KDD Thursday 11:40 to 2:20
Instructor: Martha McKay
Contact Information: martha.mckay@senecacollege.ca
Required Course Textbook: Santrock, J., Children (2019) McGraw Hill, New York, 14th edition.
Subject Description:
This subject focuses on principles, theories and sequences of Child Development pertaining to Middle Childhood. It examines
development from 6 to 12 years of age. It also emphasizes observation skills, use of observation tools and portfolios and understanding
of research.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this subject, the student will be able to:
1. Define and describe the general principles that govern normal human growth and development.
2. Describe the characteristics of middle childhood development with particular reference to motor, language, cognitive and
psychosocial development.
3. Compare and contrast key tenets of important theories in child development that pertain to children from 6 to 12 years.
4. Compile a profile on one child based on developmental theories and make inferences based on the child's abilities.
5. Demonstrate proficiency in recording behavior that includes a variety of techniques (anecdote, sociogram, sampling, media, ABC
Environmental ratings, ASSESSMENT)
6. Identify how the observed behavior fits within a developmental sequence.
7. Infer understanding of relevant developmental domains and theory as they pertain to the observed behaviours.
8. Research and analyze information on a developmental issue relevant to middle childhood development.
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Hello and Welcome
As we begin another term of on-line learning for ECE, please note that I will be available through email Monday to Friday each week to
answer any questions and address any concerns you may have about our course this term. For many of you this will be only your
second opportunity to experience on-line learning. I have taken this fact into consideration and while I expect that you all have become
quite good at many new skills and ways of working on line, I will attempt to make the course content and learning as streamlined as
possible in order to reduce anxiety over things that are still somewhat new to many of you.
Please do not hesitate to contact me through email, especially if you are an international student, or a student living outside of the
greater Toronto area and may have difficulty logging on to our LIVE sessions every other week. For the ease of all students I will use
the Blackboard Collaborate Ultra for our on-line, synchronous LIVE sessions. Any of the on-line lectures and content discussions will
be recorded and available to all students throughout the term. For the asynchronous weeks, when we do not have an on-line, LIVE
session, there will be designated readings, videos, on-line activities, Journals and/or Discussion Boards. Please make sure to access
the course information each week in order to keep up with the learning opportunities and work load.
I am committed to doing my best to make sure that this learning opportunity is as worry free as I can make it and am looking forward to
partnering with you in communication, addressing questions and finding answers, and participating in the on-line discussions and
activities that will be posted for you each week.
I look forward to getting to know you all in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Martha McKay,
Professor, Early Childhood Education, Seneca College.
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Live, synchronous classes will begin at 11:40am on the designated days and continue until 1:00pm
Week
TOPIC
READINGS
Exercise/Assignment
#1
Subject Introductions + Course
Blackboard Course Information Familiarize yourself with the on-line learning expectations
Jan. 14 Evaluations
and Course Documents Week
for this class.
1 and 2.
Review the materials on Seneca supports for students
LIVE
and on-line learning.
Review of Domains and
Santrock, J. Children (2019) p.
Principles of Development
5 – 16
Review Course Outline, this weekly topical, learning
outcomes, class expectations for workload, participation,
assignments and exams.
Each week readings, notes and links will be posted
in the Course Documents section of Blackboard.
Please make sure that you review these week by
week.
#2
Physical Development
Jan. 21
Physical Literacy
Physical Environments for
middle childhood.
#3
Middle Childhood Emotional
Jan. 28 Development
(Theorist: Erik Erikson)
LIVE
 Self-Concept
 Self Esteem
 Self-regulation
 Prosocial behavior
 Gender differences
 Family
Santrock, J. Children (2019).
Chapter 11
p. 316-336
https://activeforlife.com
https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jpah/11/
s1/article-pS26.xml
Blackboard – Course
Documents for week 2
Santrock, J. Children (2019)
Chapter 13
(p. 18-19)
p.381-387,
p. 392-399
Blackboard – Course
Documents for week 3.
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#4
Feb. 4
Social Development







#5
Feb.
11
LIVE
#6
Feb.
18
Peer Status
Peer Acceptance
Social Cognition
Bullying
Friends
Student learning
SES, Ethnicity
Santrock, J. Children (2019)
Chpt. 13
p. 400-406
p. 406 – 410.
Blackboard: Read documents
posted for week 4.
Using sociograms to make
inferences about children’s
social development; including
peer status and acceptance.
How to create program plans for
social development of school
aged children.
Notes and articles posted in Course Documents
Sociogram Assignment
The assignment will be posted
on Blackboard for you to work
on during this class.
Sociogram Assignment: to be completed on line through
Blackboard during this class.
Make sure to have with you:
Santrock, J. (2019). Children.
ELECT Document
 E.L.E.C.T. (Early Learning for Every Child Today)
#7
Feb.
25
Social Development (Theorist
Robert Selman)
 Group formation
 Friendships
Blackboard: Course
Documents for week 7.
- Robert Selman, 5 stages
of children’s friendships.
Martin, S. (2013) Take a look: Observation and
portfolio assessment in early childhood (note – page
references here are from the 6th edition).
p. 165, 171-174.
LIVE
Social/Cognitive Development –
Games with Rules
-
Games with Rules.
Sociograms and Portfolios.
Martin, S. (2013). Take a look. p. 315, 324-333
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#8
March
1-5
#9
Mar.
11
# 10
Mar.
18
LIVE
Study Week No Classes – catch up on readings and prepare for Midterm exam.
MIDTERM EXAM
Students must prepare to be
on-line during scheduled class
time for this midterm exam.
Reviewing Portfolio Case Study
-Making inferences, identifying
child’s abilities
-Developmentally appropriate
strategies
- Consider appropriate interview
questions for school aged
children.
#11
Mar.
25
Portfolio Assignment to be
completed on-line during class
time this week.
#12
Apr. 1
Cognitive Development: How
do school-agers develop
knowledge?
- Piaget- Concrete
operational thinking
LIVE
#13
Apr. 8
How do school age children
learn?
 Memory
 Learning
Theorists –
 Piaget
 Vygotsky
Information Processing
 Howard Gardner
 R. Sternberg
Santrock, J. (2019). Children.
Chapters 11 and 13 (Except
p.387-391 Moral development)
Blackboard Course Documents
for weeks 1 through 7
https://seneca.libguides.com/ap
a
Worth 20% of final grade.
40 to 50 multiple choice, True/False and short answer
questions.
Exam will be on Blackboard and available during class
time this week.
Reviewing Anecdotal Records and Inferences
Martin, S. (2013) pp 77-82
Developing Strategies and APA in-text citations and
Formatting.
Students must log on to
Balckboard during class time
this week to complete the
portfolio assignment.
Santrock, J. Chapter 12
Portfolio Assignment Due 30%
Video clip: Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
Santrock, J. Chapter 12
Blackboard: Course
Documents
Video Clip: Robert Sternberg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow05B4bjGWQ
5
#14
Apr. 15
LIVE
EXAM
WEEK
April
22,
2021
Moral Development
 Damon
 Piaget
 Kohlberg
FINAL EXAM
Students must be prepared to
be on-line for the final exam
during regularly schedule class
time for this course.
Santrock, J. p.387-391
Video Clip – Observing Children and Adolescent
Blackboard: Course
Documents
(Moral Development)
Santrock, J. (2019). Children.
Chapter 12 and from Chapter
13 p.387-391 Moral
development
Worth 20% of Final grade
40 multiple choice questions.
Final exam will be posted for students on Blackboard
during the specified class time for this course.
Blackboard Course Documents
for weeks 10 through 12
Last Revised: January 2021
Evaluation and Grade Breakdown
Sociogram Assignment On-line: students must log on during class time: WEEK 6, 30%
For this assignment the students will be provided with information about the social environment in one of three classrooms of 9 and 10year-old children in the form of a Sociogram. Each student, individually, will use this visual representation of the peer and friendship
dynamics in the classroom and answer the theory and development related questions presented. The visual representation of the peer
interactions – the Sociogram, will be randomly assigned to each student at the beginning of the scheduled class time– and the answers
to the questions are to be worked on during this class time and submitted by end of day. As noted in the weekly schedule, there will be
a LIVE class session in week 5 to learn about how and why sociograms are effective tools for educators in school age classrooms.
Portfolio Assignment Submitted through SafeAssign before end of day (11:59pm) WEEK 11, 30%
For this assignment, students will be provided with transcript information/anecdotal records about a school aged child. Each student
will be asked to create a developmental profile for that child by answering questions and providing an analysis of the information
provided. There is an expectation that the student will include references to the related theories as discussed in the course
textbook and other related materials posted on Blackboard over the several weeks leading up to the due date. A more detailed
outline of this assignment will be posted after the study week break.
Midterm Exam
On-line – students must log on to Blackboard to complete the exam during specified class time
WEEK 9, 20%
Final Exam
On-line – students must log on to Blackboard to complete the exam during specified class time
WEEK 15 – During EXAM WEEK, 20%
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The last day to submit a late assignment is the last day of classes for this subject. The last day to submit a late assignment
for this course is April 15th
Unless an extension has already been approved by the professor, assignments received after the final day of this course will receive 0
marks. The resulting mark in this subject/course will be an “F”.
If you hand in an assignment, too late for feedback or revision, and receive an “F” grade for that assignment, you forfeit the
right to resubmit that assignment.
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