Guides: Open Educational Resources: Child Development

Child Development & Early Childhood Education OER Texts

Arts Integration in Elementary Curriculum (2nd) / Zhou & Brown Topics: Arts Integration / Music / Visual Arts / Literary Arts / Performing Arts / Physical Education & Movement
Brown’s Useful Guide: Where Theory Becomes Applicable to Classroom Practice, 3rd Georgia Ed Contents: (Foundations of Education) History of American Education / Philosophy of Education / Law, Ethics, and Dispositions / (Learning Theory) General Development / Behavioral and Social Learning Theory / Cognitive Learning Theory / Information Processing Theory / (Effective Teaching Tools) Instructional Design / Academic Language / Teacher-Centered Instructional Model / Student-Centered Instructional Model / Classroom Management / Assessment in the Classroom / Differentiation
Child, Family, and Community / Laff & Ruiz Contents: Theories That Help Us Understand Families / How Children Learn and Understand Their World / What is Culture and Why is it Important? / How Does Gender Influence Children, Families and Communities? / What is a Family? / A Closer Look at Parenting / Building Trusting Collaborative Relationships with Families / Welcoming and Supporting Families / Creating Positive Goal-Oriented Relationships with Strengths-Based Attitudes and Relationship-Based Practices
Child Growth and Development / Paris, Ricardo, Raymond, & Johnson Contents: Introduction to Child Development / Conception, Heredity, and Prenatal Development / Birth and the Newborn / Infancy and Toddlerhood (Physical, Cognitive, Social and Emotional Development) / Early Childhood (Physical, Cognitive, Social and Emotional Development) / Middle Childhood (Physical, Cognitive, Social and Emotional Development) / Adolescence (Physical, Cognitive, Social and Emotional Development)
Children's Development: Prenatal Through Adolescent Development / Leon Introduction of Prenatal and Birth topics, Physical, Cognitive and Socio-Emotional Growth infancy through adolescent stages of development.
Complexities, Capacities, Communities: Changing Development Narratives in Early Childhood Education, Care and Development / Pence & Benner Contents: From Capacity Building to Capacity Promotion / A Critique of Dominant Discourses in International ECD / Promoting Capacity in ECD: Learning from Communities / Promoting Capacity in ECD: From Communities to Countries / The Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) / Exploring the Ripple Effects of the ECDVU / Country Case Report: Tanzania / Country Case Report: Malawi / Ways Forward
Early Childhood Physical Development: Gross Motor Skills / Paz-Durocher Addresses the complex process of physical growth in children between the ages of 3 and 5 years, including bodily movements and abilities. More specifically, gross motor skills - the large muscle movements exercised by young children during the early years of life.
The Early Years: Child Well-Being and the Role of Public Policy / Berlinski & Schady Contents: Raising Children: The Case for Government Intervention / A Report Card on Early Childhood Development / Family First / Daycare Services: It’s All about Quality / Early Schooling: Teachers Make the Difference / More Bang for the Buck: Investing in Early Childhood Development / Drawing Up an Institutional Architecture / The Task at Hand: Anything but Child’s Play
Educational Learning Theories / Zhou & Brown A remix of pre-existing open materials. Topics include Behaviorism, Cognitive Development, Social Cognitive Theory, Experiential Learning Theory, Human Motivation Theory, and Information Processing Theory.
The ELC - An Early Childhood Learning Community at Work / Bridge, Melita & Roiger Contents: Setting up the Early Learning Community (ELC) / Case Studies / Reflections
Foundations of Education Contents: Why Teach? / Teaching and Learning / Becoming a Teacher / Curriculum and Academic Standards / Educational Philosophies / Assessment / Classroom Management / History of American Education / Student Diversity and Social/Emotional Learning / The Governance & Finance of American Public Education / Ethics and Legal Issues in Education
Human Development Life Span / Overstreet Contents: Lifespan Psychology / Developmental Theories / Prenatal Development / Infancy / Early Childhood / Middle Childhood / Adolescence / Early Adulthood / Middle Adulthood / Late Adulthood / Death and Dying / Exam Solutions
Human Nutrition: 2020 Edition Contents: Basic Concepts in Nutrition / The Human Body / Water and Electrolytes / Carbohydrates / Lipids / Protein / Alcohol / Energy / Vitamins / Major Minerals / Trace Minerals / Nutrition Applications / Lifespan Nutrition From Pregnancy to the Toddler Years / Lifespan Nutrition During Childhood and Adolescence / Lifespan Nutrition in Adulthood / Performance Nutrition / Food Safety / Nutritional Issues
Infant and Toddler Education and Care / Eliason Contents: Welcome to Infant and Toddler Education and Care / Toddler Development / Developmental Influences: Culture, Nutrition, Health, Socio-Economic Status, Engaging Families / Professional Resources and Organizations / Creating Environments: Scheduling and Overall Design Considerations / Creating Environments to Enhance Social and Emotional Development; Physical Health and Well-Being; Language and Communication; and Cognitive Development.
Instructional Methods Strategies and Technologies to Meet the Needs of All Learners / Lombardi Key Practices / Surface & Deep Learning / Motivation / Direct Instruction / Problem Based & Project Based Learning / Cooperative Learning / Bloom’s Taxonomy / Questioning & Feedback / Scaffolding / Differentiated Instruction / Universal Design / Assessment (Teacher-made, Standardized, Assessment Using Technology) / Understanding by Design / Classroom Centered Practices in Math / Math Interventions & Strategies / Learning with Digital Tools / Selection of Ed. Tech.
Introduction to Curriculum for Early Childhood Development / Paris, Beeve, & Springer Foundations in Early Childhood Curriculum / Importance of Play & Intentional Teaching / Cycle of Curriculum Planning / Curriculum for a Play Centered Approach / Setting the Stage for Play Environments / Guiding Behavior & Managing the Classroom / Social & Emotional Development / Language & Literacy / Math / Science / Creative Arts / History & Social Science / Physical Development / Health & Safety / Curriculum / Documentation & Assessment
An Introduction to Nutrition / Zimmerman Contents: Nutrition and You / Achieving a Healthy Diet / Nutrition and the Human Body / Carbohydrates / Lipids / Proteins / Nutrients Important to Fluid and Electrolyte Balance / Nutrients Important as Antioxidants / Nutrients Important for Bone Health / Nutrients Important for Metabolism and Blood Function / Energy Balance and Body Weight / From Pregnancy to the Toddler Years / From Childhood to the Elderly Years / Food Politics and Perspectives / Achieving Optimal Health - Wellness and Nutrition
K-5 Math and Technology Resources / Scheffler, Andrews, & Sartin Collaborative student work comprising a directory of resources about K-5 mathematics and technology.
Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective Contents: Introduction to Lifespan Development / Heredity, Prenatal Development, and Birth / Infancy and Toddlerhood / Early Childhood / Middle and Late Childhood / Adolescence / Emerging and Early Adulthood / Middle Adulthood / Late Adulthood / Death and Dying
Music and the Child / Sarrazin Explores a holistic, artistic, integrated approach to understanding the developmental connections between music and children. Guides professionals to work through music, harnessing the processes that underlie music learning, and outlining developmentally appropriate methods to understand the role of music in children’s lives through play, games, creativity and movement.
Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood Education / Peterson & Elam Contents: Observation and Documentation - The Key to Intentional Teaching / Quality Counts / Using Observation Methods, Tools and Techniques to Gather Evidence / The Purpose, Process, and Practice of Monitoring, Screening, and Evaluating / How to Plan Effective and Meaningful Curriculum / Using Documentation and Assessment to Communicate with Families
Opening Eyes onto Inclusion and Diversity, Ch. 4: Opening Eyes onto Inclusion and Diversity in Early Childhood Education Explores the question, “What can educators do to create inclusive early childhood contexts that provide children and families with the opportunity to develop understandings of difference and diversity?”
Parenting and Family Diversity Issues / Lang Contents: Key Concepts / Parenting Theory / Family Theories / Parenting Styles / Child-Rearing Strategies / Child-rearing in a Variety of Contexts / Developmental Milestones
The Role of Equity and Diversity in Early Childhood Education / Esquivel, Elam, Paris, & Tafoya Diversity, Equity, Inclusion / Importance of Culture / Development of Identity / Teachers’ Professional Identity / Appropriate Classroom Environments / Anti-Bias Curriculum / Negotiating & Resolving Conflict / Race, Ethnicity, Language / Family Structures / Socioeconomic Status / Families of Special Needs Children / Gender / Religion / Development of Personal Bias / Influences of Stereotypes, Prejudice, Discrimination / History & Influence of Systemic Privilege & Oppression
The Role of Play in Children’s Health and Development / Navidi Contents: Play: Promoting Children’s Physical and Mental Health and Well Being / Coping with Illness and Getting Better Through Play / Restorative Powers of Play
Steps to Success: Crossing the Bridge Between Literacy Research and Practice / Munger Introduces instructional strategies linked to the most current research-supported practices in the field of literacy, including scientifically-based literacy research, early literacy development, literacy assessment, digital age influences on children’s literature, literacy development in underserved student groups, secondary literacy instructional strategies, literacy and modern language, and critical discourse analysis.
Wellbeing in Educational Contexts / Carter & Andersen Contents: Connecting and Activating Prior Knowledge / Theoretical Conceptualisations of Wellbeing / Policy, Frameworks and Legislation Informing a Focus on Wellbeing / Contemporary Perspectives on the Impactors and Enablers to Wellbeing / Pragmatic Applications of Embedding an Education Wide Focus on Wellbeing / In your context / Conclusion

Child Development & Early Childhood Education Online Resources

Attachment Through the Life Course (NOBA Project) / Fraley Provides a brief review of attachment theory—a theory designed to explain the significance of the close, emotional bonds that children develop with their caregivers and the implications of those bonds for understanding personality development.
A Child Becomes a Reader: Birth to Preschool / Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn Free, online textbook from the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. Part of the Partnership for Reading, a collaborative effort by the National Institute for Literacy, the U.S. Department of Education, and the NICHD to bring the findings of evidence-based reading research to those with an interest in helping all people learn to read well.
A Child Becomes a Reader: Kindergarten through Grade 3 / Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn Free, online textbook from the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. Part of the Partnership for Reading, a collaborative effort by the National Institute for Literacy, the U.S. Department of Education, and the NICHD to bring the findings of evidence-based reading research to those with an interest in helping all people learn to read well.
Cognitive Development in Childhood (NOBA Project) / Siegler Examines what cognitive development is, major theories about how it occurs, the roles of nature and nurture, whether it is continuous or discontinuous, and how research in the area is being used to improve education.
Feeding Infants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program Presents information on infant development, nutrition for infants, breastfeeding and formula feeding, safe food handling and food preparation, choking prevention, and some of the Infant Meal Pattern requirements to help caregivers meet the challenge of nurturing and feeding the infants under their care.
Free Reading Online open source reading resource for teaching early childhood literacy. Includes lesson plans and materials on topics like phonics, vocabulary, and spelling created by researchers, teachers. reading coaches, and other professionals.
Head Start The Office of Head Start (OHS) helps young children from low-income families prepare to succeed in school through local programs. Head Start and Early Head Start programs promote children's development through services that support early learning, health, and family well-being. 1-866-763-6481
Social and Personal Development in Childhood (NOBA Project) / Thompson Childhood social and personality development emerges through the interaction of social influences, biological maturation, and the child’s representations of the social world and the self. This interaction is illustrated in a discussion of the influence of significant relationships, the development of social understanding, the growth of personality, and the development of social and emotional competence in childhood.

California Department of Education Online Publications

California Early Childhood Educator Competencies
Government publication which “describes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that current and pre-service early childhood educators should have, and it presents information about education and professional development for individuals who are interested in early care and education or who already work in the profession.”
California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations
Government publication with a focus on brain development during the first three years. Contents: The Early Months / Social-Emotional Development / Language Development / Cognitive Development / Perceptual and Motor Development
California Preschool Learning Foundations [3 volumes] The California Preschool Learning Foundations outline key knowledge and skills that most children can achieve when provided with the kinds of interactions, instruction, and environments that research has shown to promote early learning and development.
California Preschool Curriculum Frameworks [3 volumes] Created as companion volumes to the California Preschool Learning Foundations, the California Preschool Curriculum Frameworks present strategies for early childhood educators that enrich learning and development opportunities for all of California’s preschool children.

Open Educational Resources: Child Development

Child Development OER

Child Development & Early Childhood Education OER Texts

Child Development & Early Childhood Education Online Resources

California Department of Education Online Publications