SYLLABUS FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Professor: Malinda Jo Muzi
Email: When you e-mail be sure to fill in the subject line. All e-mails pertaining to the
course must come through the course and not to the instructor's college mailbox. Anything
not course related can be sent to mmuzi@ccp.edu
Textbook: The World of Children by Cook and Cook
Reader: Your Kids, Their Lives by Muzi (available at www.pinkrosespublishing.com or
Amazon. You can get this book free by sending $8.00 for postage and handling to Pink Roses
Publishing, Box 309, Merion, PA 19066. Be sure to include your name and address.
Counseling Services
Counseling services are available for academic, transfer and career guidance.Contact Noelia
Rivera-Matos (nriveramatos.ccp.edu). Be sure to let me know if you have a learning
disability, as verified by the college.
Help With Canvas
The online program we are using is called Canvas. You can access the Student Guide by
going to Help at the top of your screen. You may also call the Office of Distance Education if
you have a problem. Both Vaishali Sharma vsharma@ccp.edu 215-751-8415 or Peter
Margolis pmargolis@ccp.edu 215-751-8702 will assistance you although most of what you
need to know is covered in the guide.
Exams
There will be 4 multiple-choice exams, scheduled for 70 minutes each. You can go overtime
if you have to, without penalty, as long as the extension is reasonable. Exams count for 50%
of your grade.
Discussions
Each week there will be a Discussion question. There are no right or wrong answers but
rather a chance to think critically and have a discussion with classmates on a particular
topic related to the week's subject. You are to respond to at least 3 of your classmate's
postings. All discussions of a topic must be done the week it is presented. In other words,
between Monday and Sunday. Each discussion earns 1 point, which is added to the total of
your exam and assignments score.
Writing Assignments
There will be 4 major writing assignments. Be aware that sometimes assignments are not
graded and e-mail not responded to because they are not submitted in a way consistent
with how the course is designed. Therefore it is important that you read the section About
The Course, particularly the sections on e-mailing your instructor and the grading
system.ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY ATTACHMENT. Send your assignments
as described. Be sure to POST TO INSTRUCTOR. Assignments count for 50% of your grade.
Assignment Grading System:
A = Answers questions accurately but goes beyond reading assignment by finding additional
information on the Internet or in other reading material.
B = Answers questions fully and accurately.
C= Answers questions adequately but omits a few important points.
D = Does not answer question adequately but offers a few ideas.
F = The answer has little to do with the question.
For each day an assignment is late, there is a one grade penalty.
A MISSED EXAM WILL COUNT AS AN F UNLESS THERE IS A VERIFIED MEDICAL REASON.
FINAL GRADING
The Assignments count for 50% of your grade. There will be four writing assignments. The
Exams will account for the other 50%. There will be four exams. Forums are worth up to 15
extra points.
Grades are determined as follows: Add your scores from all exams and assignments. Then
add your total Forum points to the total of the Grade and Assignment score. Divide the final
number by 8 (4 assignments and 4 exams).
For example: Imagine Sally gets the following:
Assignments: 95, 80, 75, 85 = 335
Exams: 78, 86, 100, 94 = 358
Forums: 13 out of 15
Add: 335 + 358 + 13 = 706 / 8 = 88.5 = B
________________________________
Grade Breakdown
A+ = 100
A = 95
A- = 90
B + = 89
B = 85
B- 80
C+ = 79
C = 75
C- = 70
D + = 69
D = 65
D- = 60
F = 59 and below
Extra Credit Assignment:
A well-though out Extra Credit assignment, which will be posted toward the end of the
semester, is worth 4 points. This may not seem a lot but it can put you over the line to a
better grade if you are on the cusp of one grade to another. This had to be a serious
assignment, not a one paragraph report like I once got that read: "I saw the film. It was
very good." Do a good job and get your points.
This is not required.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Learning Objectives, Assignments, Forums, and Readings can be found within each week's
Modules. Here are the topics that will be covered weekly.
Week 1 Introduction to Child Development
The Major Themes of Child Development
The Theoriests
Erickson
Piaget
Bandura
Vygotsky
Pgs. 2-6
Pgs. 6-18
Lorenz
Bronfenbrenner
Practical Applications of Research
Ethics in Research With Children
Career Opportunities in Child Development
Pgs. 29-31
Pgs. 27-28
Pgs. 31-32
Week 2 Heredity and Environment
The Workings of Chromosomes, DNA and Genes
The Determination of Gender
Genetic Abnormalities
The Concept of Niche-Picking
Shared and Non-shared Environments
Heredity of Complex Characterists
Pgs. 38-47
Pg. 48
Pgs. 49-54
Pgs. 61-63
Pgs. 64-65
Pgs. 64-70
Week 3 Prenatal Development and Birth
Stages of Prenatal Development
Pgs. 75-80
The Tragedy of Teratogens
Pgs. 81-90
Critical Periods of Development
Pgs. 90-91
The Role of Fathers
Pgs. 91-92
The Birth Process
Pgs. 93-100
Restless Ghosts
Your Kids, Their Lives, Ch. 1 and 2,
Week 4 Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood
Infants At Risk
Newborn Sleep Patterns
Feeding and Nutrition
The Developing Infant Brain
The Infant Sensory System
Motor System Milestones
Pgs. 109-113
Pgs. 113-116
Pgs. 116-118
Pgs. Pgs. 118-121
Pgs. 123-126
Pgs. 126 - 133
Week 5 Cognitive Development in Infancy
Jean Piaget's Constructivist Theory
Learning Language
Socialization and Language
From Crying to Words
Pgs. 145-155
Pgs. 156- top of 158.
Pgs. 163- top of 164
Pgs. 165-167
Week 6 Social and Emotional Development in Infancy
Attachment
Ethological Theory
The Surrogate Mother Experiment
Mary Ainsworth's Research
The Role of Temperament
Invitation to a Dance
P. 174
Pgs. 174-175
Pgs. 175- 176
Pgs. 176-186
Pgs. 186-194
Your Kids, Their Lives, Ch. 4
Week 7 Physical Development in Early Childhood
Physical Growth and Nutrition
Gross and Fine Motor Development
Physical Activity and Exercise
Childhood Safety Issues
Child Maltreatment
Balancing Act
Pgs. 204-top of 208
Pgs. 212-214
Pgs. 214-216
Pgs. 218-218-219
Pgs. 220-225
Your Kids, Their Lives, Ch. 5
Week 8 Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
Piaget's Preoperational Thought
Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory
Zone of Proximal Development
Scaffolding and Collaborative Learning
Learning Grammar
Bilingual Learning
Early Childhood Education
Pgs. 230-233
Pgs. 235-237
Pgs. 237-238
Pgs. 239-239
Pgs. 247-248
Pgs. 249-251
Pgs. 252-257
Week 9 Social and Emotional Development in Early Childhood
The Development of the Self
Gender Identity
Moral Development
Parenting Styles
Discipline vs. Punishment
The Importance of Play
Pgs. 263-266
Pgs. 266-268
Pgs. 268-270
Pgs. 270-274
Pgs. 275-278, Chs. 11 and 12
Your Kids, Their Lives
Pgs. 279-286
Week 10 Physical Development in Middle Childhood
Growth in the School Age Years
The Problem of Obesity
The Importance of Physical Activity
Health and Safety Issues
Child Sexual Abuse
Special Needs Children
Pgs. 292-296
Pgs. 292-294
Pgs. 296-301
Pgs. 302-303
Pgs. 305-308
Pgs. 309-316
Week 11 Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
Concrete Operational Thought
Developing Math Skills
Developing Reading Skills
Develooping Writing Skills
Pgs. 322-323
Pgs. 348-350
Pgs. 350-353
Pgs. 353-355
Week 12 Social and Emotional Development in Middle Childhood
Lives
Fostering Positive Self-Esteem
Pgs. 361-363
Emotional Development and Friendships
Pgs. 362-367
Conduct Problems
Pgs. 367-369
Resilient Children
Pgs. 369-369
Children in Families
Pgs. 370-377, Ch. 7, Your Kids, Their
Peer Group Relationships
Teacher Expectations and Beliefs
Children and TV and the Internet
Pgs. 377-383
Pgs. 384-386
Pgs. 388-292
Week 13 Physical Development in Adolescence
The Changes of Puberty
Patterns of Sexual Activity
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Teenage Pregnancy
Forced Sexual Behavior
Eating Disorders
Substance Abuse
Other Health Issues
Pgs. 400-406
Pgs. 407-412
Pgs. 413-415
Pgs. 415-417
Pgs. 418-419
Pgs. 420-422
Pgs. 423-426
Pgs. 426-430
Week 14 Cognitive Development in Adolescence
Formal Operational Thought
Adolecent Decision Making
Choosing a Vocation
Transitioning from School to Work
Letting Go and Holding On
Pgs. 435-top of 438
Pgs. 459 - 460
Pgs. 461-462
Pgs. 463-465
Your Kids, Their Lives, Ch. 10
Week 15 Social and Emotional Developoment in Adolescence
The Development of Identity
Sexual Orientation and Identity
The Adolescent in the Family
Peer Group Relationships
Delinquent Behavior
Adolescents in School
The Cultural Context of Development
Pgs. 470-472
Pgs. 474-477
Pgs. 481-486
Pgs. 487-490
Pgs. 490-492
Pgs. 495-497
Pgs. 499-504