Welcome to Early Childhood Development, the second course in the series Child Development.
The early formative years are crucial to the development of literacy skills. The more young children can be exposed to language, the better they become at reading, speaking, listening, and writing. Most parents introduce language in a number of ways, including reading to their children at a very early age and they continue this practice for many years. Research shows that the breadth of vocabulary heard by a child during the first three years of life can dramatically affect language development and future academic success.
The attention to early childhood developmental issues is important to addressing the achievement gap. Studies indicate that at-risk children who do not receive a high quality early education are more likely to drop out of school or be placed in special education, and less likely to attend college.
The course requires 12 hours of study time to complete all assignments and the reflection questions as directed. There are three written assignments including the reflection questions at the end of the course.