In this course, you will bring your knowledge of child development and curriculum studies to understand the linkages between theories of development, children’s developmental trajectory in early years and pedagogy with reference to early years of a child’s education.

For this, you will need a fair understanding of human development theories, cognitive development theory, behaviourist perspectives on learning, psychosocial theories of learning, moral development and psychological processes such as memory, motivation and language development. 

We focus on the possibilities of creating holistic and synergistic development of children in early years from grades one to three, which have the most dramatic impact on learning. In this part of the course, you will understand the principles of planning the curriculum, build a critical understanding of existing approaches and models of early childhood education and their application to today’s Indian context. 

You will study Montessori, Developmental Interactionism, Direct Instruction, High Scope, Reggio Emilia and an ICDS curriculum, and use these approaches to evolve an eclectic approach for curriculum planning. 

We focus on the value of diversity and inclusive practices in the classroom. We focus on gender, disability, caste, class, and language to nurture diversity in the classroom and learn how to implement inclusive practices. 

Finally, you will learn how to assess young children through observation, developmental checklists, portfolios, anecdotal records, and documenting children’s work in addition to standardised tests. You will visit preschools and have guest lectures as part of this course.