Family, Consumer, and Human Development
Death & Burial Practices from Around the World at the Museum of Anthropology
From cremations to burials at sea, each culture has its…
Swaner EcoCenter: Saturday Climbing Wall
Climbing Wall Hours: Saturdays from 1-3 p.m. The Swaner…
Swaner EcoCenter: Beaver - Nuisance or Restoration Partner?
Beaver – Nuisance or Restoration Partner?…
Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory
The Child Development Laboratory is theoretically and practically devoted to the development of social competency skills in the children it serves. Reflecting the developmental emphasis of the Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development, the Child Development Laboratory provides a variety of programs designed for children from birth through 12 years of age. Regardless of the child's age, social competency goals are inherent in every program. While the methods for attaining the goals may vary with age, these underlying goals provide a thread of continuity for the Laboratory as a whole.
Faculty members conduct cutting edge basic and applied research to better understand individual development and family relationships across the life span. Of particular interest is the interplay of these processes with economic and consumer forces, societal norms, and public policies. Graduate and undergraduate students participate fully in the research enterprise. Faculty and students engage with individuals, families, as well as social agencies and organizations to enhance the quality of life through Extension and other outreach programs.
Basic to the social competency framework is the notion that children learn most effectively through active exploration and participation in their environment. Moreover, each child has specific interests, curiosities, talents, and a self-esteem which must be nurtured and enhanced.
Each program is built upon a foundation of providing children with a wide variety of developmentally appropriate divergent activities, a stimulating multi-sensory environment, opportunities for discovery and making choices, interpersonal interactions, and independence-promoting situations. It is recognized that there is no single standard towards which all children work. Instead, children progress according to their individual abilities in developing, for example, independence, creative thinking, problem-solving strategies, curiosity, self-help skills, and interpersonal skills.