Foundations of Emotional Development -- Learning Contract
This study will explore the emotional development of the child. Its focus will be on the challenges faced by normal children in the course of maturation and the kinds of solutions characteristically generated to cope with the problems they confront. Topics include the place of fantasy, the importance of early wishes and fears in structuring the personality, typical danger situations of childhood, the perseverance of maladaptive behavior and the kinds of creative and problematic protections children typically develop. All annotated written work is to be given to the mentor by the last meeting and will be returned to the student.
B. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
- Read Handout on "Calamities of Childhood" and write a 2-3 page paper (no more!) on how one calamity of childhood affected your own psychological development. Describe how it influenced the development of both wishes and fears.
- Read Fraiberg. S. (1959). The Magic Years: Understanding and Handling the Problems of Early Childhood. New York: Simon and Schuster, A Fireside Book.
- Read Viorst, J. (1986) Necessary Losses.
- Read Ava Seigler, on Love and Sex --A family Affair (class handout)
- Read Bettelheim, B. (1977). The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Vintage Books, Random House, pp 3-156.
- Read Healy, J.M. (2004). Your child's growing mind: Brain development and learning from birth to adolescence. NY: Broadway Books. ISBN:0767916158.
- Write a short critique and commentary on each of the above books as assigned in the syllabus. Use APA style in writing these commentaries.
- Active participation articulating the issues raised in the study and how they affect development.
- Develop an oral presentation, utilizing the professional literature, on a topic of interest in emotional development. Include handouts to your fellow students that give them references with which they can explore your topic.
- Write a final reflection on the study itself: Possible areas to be addressed include "What have I learned? What was most important/exciting/distressing? What further questions has this study raised for me? What has it taught me about myself?"
C. METHOD AND CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
Evaluation will be based on the completion and quality of the learning activities, demonstrating grasp of the concepts and their importance in understanding the structure and dynamics of child development. Quality of the references and proper use of APA style will be considered in the evaluation.