DO NOT DELETE THIS SECTION
Early Childhood Development
ECE102 | 3 Credits
In Early Childhood Development, you’ll investigate what childhood development is and explore the biological, cognitive, and socioemotional changes that occur throughout a child’s life. You’ll also learn how theories inform developmentally appropriate teaching and learning practices.
Professor:
About Early Childhood Development
What You’ll Learn
In this Early Childhood Development course, take a deep dive into what childhood development is and how the biological, cognitive, and socioemotional changes begin at conception and continue throughout their lives.
- Discuss the development of the brain and compare the cognitive developmental theory, and identify the key features of language and the typical growth of the child’s language.
- Describe socioemotional development and discuss how the social contexts of families, peers, and schools are linked with young children’s socioemotional development.
- Define learning, compare classical conditioning and operant conditioning, and apply behavior analysis to early childhood education.
- Characterize attention and summarize how it changes during development, and discuss memory in terms of encoding, storage, and retrieval.
- Explain the social constructivist approach and how teachers and peers can jointly contribute to young children’s learning through the structuring of small-group work.
- Explain how reading and writing develop and discuss some useful approaches to teaching reading and writing, and characterize how mathematical thinking develops and identify some issues related to teaching mathematics to young children.
- Identify important forms of teacher-centered instruction with the important forms of learner-centered instruction, and summarize how to effectively use technology to help children learn.
- Discuss the important processes in motivation to achieve, and explain how relationships and sociocultural contexts can support or undercut motivation.
StraighterLine Courses Include:
-
Self-paced workload
-
Digital Textbooks
-
Transcript Delivery
-
Grade Improvement Opportunities
-
Interactive Modules
-
Video Lessons
-
24/7 Tutoring & Support
-
Access on Desktop and Mobile
Transfer Credit in 3 Easy Steps
Pick Your Course & Enroll
Getting started is simple — no applications, waitlists, or deadlines. Just create an account, choose your course, and start learning right away.
Every course is self-paced and fully online, so you can fit learning into your life — not the other way around. With support resources included and no hidden fees, you're in control from day one.
Go at Your Own Pace
No rigid schedules, no stress. Just real online college courses you can start anytime, anywhere, and finish on your own terms.
StraighterLine courses offer interactive lessons and assignments that help you understand and retain the material, and come with everything you need to stay on track and succeed — including digital textbooks, tutoring, and real people to support you on your journey to your degree.
Transfer Your Credits, Save Thousands on Tuition
Complete your course with a 70% or higher to make your credits eligible for transfer. Then head to your Student Dashboard, select “Request Transcript,” and tell us where to send it — we’ll take it from there at no additional cost.
Not sure whether your school accepts StraighterLine courses? Our Enrollment Specialists can find out for you!
Does My School Accept This Course?
We’ll find out for you. Students have successfully transferred StraighterLine course credits to 3,000+ schools. Our Enrollment Specialists will contact your college directly to confirm your credits will transfer, so you don’t have to.
WANT US TO CHECK?Course Details
Through Early Childhood Development, you’ll come to understand the different learning theories and theorists, and how those theories inform developmentally appropriate teaching and learning practices.
ACE-Recommended
ACE Code:
OOSL-0117
Flexible Schedule
25-day Average Course Completion
Transferred 162,000 Times
$165,200,000 Saved on Tuition
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites to take Early Childhood Development.
Course Text
The required eTextbook for this course is included with your course purchase at no additional cost.
- Santrock, J. W. (2021). Educational psychology (7th edition). McGraw-Hill.
Course Checkpoints
Child Development
- What is Child Development?
- Cognitive Development
- Language Development
- Social and Emotional Development—Contemporary Theories
- Social Contexts of Development
- Socio-Emotional Development
- Behavioral and Cognitive Approaches—What is Learning?
- Behavioral Approaches
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Social Cognitive Approaches
Cognition – Part 1
- Social Constructivist Approaches
- Contributions to Learning
- Structuring Small Groups
Cognition – Part 2
- Information Processing—Information Processing Approach
- Attention
- Memory
- Metacognition
- Learning Cognition in the Content Areas—English Language Arts (ELA)
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
Teaching and Learning
- Planning Instruction and Technology—Teacher-Centered Planning
- Student-Centered Planning
- Using Technology Effectively
- What is Motivation?
- Exploring Motivation Achievement Processes
- Sociocultural Contexts
Assignments & Grading
Your score provides a percentage score and letter grade for each course. A passing percentage is 70% or higher.
Assignments for this course include:
- 6 Graded Exams
- 1 Graded Midterm
- 1 Graded Final
This course has an open-book Final Exam.
What You’ll Need
- A reliable computer or laptop
- Stable internet connection
- Web browser
- Basic computer skills
- Any required course materials
Your Academic Team
Your Faculty Team
We’re not just a platform — we’re a team of professional educators committed to your success. Our courses are built by academic professionals who are leaders in higher education, and your assignments are graded by real people who provide meaningful feedback so you can keep progressing.
Support Team
At StraighterLine, there are real people working behind the scenes to guide you through every course, quiz, and “I’m stuck” moment.
- Enrollment Services
- On-Demand Tutors
- Academic Advisors
- Tech Support
Course Professor
Tutoring & Career Resources
Your StraighterLine membership comes with the tools and guidance you need to thrive academically and take confident steps toward your career.
24/7 live, on-demand tutoring, access via chat or video
Exam and certification prep tools
Faculty Connect portal
24/7 live, on-demand tutoring, access via chat or video
Real, human feedback to help you ace your assignments
Exam and certification prep tools
Real, human feedback to help you ace your assignments
Professional development assistance
Resume-building resources
Professional development assistance
Faculty Connect portal
Resume-building resources
Students who enrolled also took:
Teaching Students with Exceptionalities
1st attempt pass rate: 98%
Avg Days to Complete: 30
3 credits
TRY FOR FREE
Start Your Free Preview
Explore course content, your Student Dashboard, and all the features StraighterLine offers to support your success. No credit card, no commitment — see how easy it is to use StraighterLine.
Get Started FreeStudent Reviews
4.6
My Shortcut to My Degree & Career!
StraighterLine had a big impact on reducing the cost and length of time it took me to get my degree. Plus, I was able to get a full-time job in the industry I wanted to work in.
Kara, StraighterLine Student
Excellent Service
My experience was so easy and no stress at all. Whenever I needed something, support was always available to assist.
Khadiji, StraighterLine Student
Transferred in 3 Classes from StraighterLine to an Accredited University
It's legit. As a student, you just need to double-check to make sure classes are transferable beforehand into the university/college you want to attend. This service saved me a semester of tuition (a couple hundred bucks spent vs. a few thousand so... that's a pretty good deal). I also believe the material in the courses is relevant and up-to-date… if you're able to transfer the credits you earn from Straighterline into your school of choice, do it!
Loki, StraighterLine Student
Getting Started is Simple
The StraighterLine Advantage
Full flexibility, no timelines or deadlines ever.
Your own support team to get you to the finish line.
Unlimited course access so you can take as many courses as you need.
Transfer guaranteed to one of our 180+ partner schools, and accepted by 3,000+ schools nationwide.
How to Enroll in Early Childhood Development
Select your course and click “Enroll Today”.
Create your account and finalize course purchase.
Start earning affordable college credits!
You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers
Why is StraighterLine so affordable?
StraighterLine offers a completely online learning experience, free from the high costs of traditional colleges and universities. By cutting out the institutional overhead, we pass the savings onto you (instead of extra costs) — providing top-quality courses at a price that fits with your budget
What is included in the price?
StraighterLine membership gives you access to over 75 self-paced online courses at a fraction of the price you’d pay through your school — meaning you’ll save up to 90% per course. But that’s not all — membership also comes with valuable extras at no extra cost, including academic advising, 24/7 on-demand tutoring, and free transcript delivery to your school
What is ACE, and why does it matter for transfer credits?
StraighterLine courses are recommended for college credit by the American Council on Education (ACE), a respected organization that helps colleges evaluate nontraditional learning for credit. If your school accepts ACE Credit recommendations, there’s a strong chance they’ll accept StraighterLine courses. Always check with your school’s registrar to confirm how transfer credits apply to your degree.
How do I transfer StraighterLine credit?
Transferring your StraighterLine credits is easy:
- Check with your school: If you’re enrolled at one of our 180+ partner colleges, your credits are guaranteed to transfer based on which of our courses your school has agreed to directly accept credit for. Plus, StraighterLine credits have also been accepted by over 3,000 colleges and universities, but it’s always a good idea to confirm your school’s transfer policies before enrolling in a course.
- Request your transcript: Once you complete a course with a 70% or higher, log into your StraighterLine account to request an official transcript. We’ll send it directly to your school at no extra cost.
- Apply your credit: Your school will review your transcript and apply eligibility credits toward your degree, helping you move forward on your academic journey.
Helpful Resources
SUPPORT
Need Help Enrolling?
Our Enrollment Specialists are here to help you get started.
BLOG ARTICLE
How Do StraighterLine Online Courses Work?
Find out what your online learning experience with StraighterLine will be like.
BLOG ARTICLE
Where Can You Transfer StraighterLine Credit?
An easy-to-understand guide on how to transfer StraighterLine credits.
BLOG ARTICLE
How StraighterLine Reduces Tuition Costs
See how StraighterLine has helped students save thousands on tuition.
A Strong Start in Your Education Career
A strong foundation in child development is essential for success as an early childhood educator. Whether you’re preparing to work in preschool or with older students, Early Childhood Development will help you gain the knowledge and tools you need to best support the growth and learning of your students.
Why it matters:
- Education is one of the most impactful and stable career fields, with teachers in demand nationwide.
- Educators earn a higher wage when compared to the national average.
How this course sets you up for success:
Elementary School Teacher, Middle School Teacher, High School Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Instructional Coordinator, and School Counselor
How this course sets you up for success:
Understanding early childhood development will give you tools to nurture children’s growth during their most critical years of learning.
Course included in Semester & Annual Plans
SCRIPT HERE DO NOT DELETE