Education and Training Science

Child Developmental Psychology Course's general goal is to analyse the changes taking place in a child from his/her birth to the age of 3. The course is divided into two conceptually interconnected parts. In the first part, will be first considered the traditional theories, and afterward the more recent theoretical contributes in developmental and educational psychology. In the second part, it will be analysed child's development in the age 0-3, especially in connection to motor, linguistic, cognitive, and social-relational developments. It will be discussed educator’s role in nursery schools. At the end of the course, the student will be able to understand the biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, linguistic, and social-cultural changes during the age 0-3. He/she will also acquire the basics of educator’s role in nursery schools and of the good procedures for child's integration into the school. The acquired skills will allow to better work with children in the zone of proximal development. More in detail, such a study will allow to better understand child's development in his/her first years and educator’s role in nursery schools. The acquired cross skills will be about the observation of children aged 0-3, that allows to empirically verify the psychological theories studied related to motor, linguistic, cognitive, and social-relational developments. By attending this course, the student will be better prepared to pursue a further education in an independent way and to analyse in depth the themes of developmental psychology he/she will have to study.