Web delivery
PREREQUISITES:
MLIS and Dual MAS/MLIS: Completion of MLIS Core or permission of iSchool Graduate Advisor
MAS: completion of MAS core and permission of the iSchool Graduate Advisor
GOAL: This course will provide an introduction to current brain research and development of the child from birth to school age. It addresses the role of the family and library in developing early literacy (or pre-reading) skills.
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course students will:
- have an awareness of the development of children from birth to school age and further research information on child development
- be familiar with resources and current trends in early literacy or family literacy education in libraries and other community agencies
- understand the critical importance and role of the parent and care-givers in early learning
- be familiar with the variety of programs and services for children and adults that public libraries provide to augment early literacy
- be familiar with pre-reading skills and reading readiness theory
- be knowledgeable of a variety of appropriate resources for babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers and of reference materials for parents, care-givers and other adults in child-serving agencies
CONTENT:
- The child’s environment and adult interaction with the child in the first five years of life
- Current research on brain development and child development during the years from birth to five
- Current research on early learning opportunities and literacy in the years from birth to five
- The growth of the child’s pre-reading skills, social skills, emotional health and cognitive development
- Early literacy as a predictor of the child’s academic achievement, life success, and long term health and well being
- The library’s role in promoting family and early literacy initiatives
- The library’s role as a resource for families through promotion of information on early literacy, and provider of materials and programs for children from birth through the preschool years and parent education