CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR S.C. TEACHER CADET COURSE | EXPERIENCING EDUCATION, TENTH EDITION
Theme I: Experiencing Learning
Unit 3: Growth and Development
Observations of Children from Birth through Age Five
*Mandatory activity
Objective: Students will be able to identify stages of development and play of children ages
birth through five when observing their behavior.
Essential Question: What are some traits and capabilities of children ages birth to 1, 1 to 2,
2 to 3, and 3 to 5?
Note: It is recommended that you also teach the next lesson titled “Observing Play” before
the Cadets observe in preschools.
Activities:
1. Prior to or in conjunction with the observation, the instructor may want to assign additional
readings in a basic child development text. The First Three Years of Life by Burton White,
is easy to find in bookstores and libraries.
2. Three Possibilities for Infant Observations:
a) Make arrangements to visit the newborn nursery at your local hospital. Request that
this visit be augmented with a discussion with a pediatrician or nurse specializing in
infant care. (Note: In some areas, this is not permitted. In other areas where such
visits are permitted, there are regulations.)
b) Arrange to have several mothers with infants come into the classroom with their
children
to discuss the different stages of development their babi