This online course introduces students to major theoretical frameworks in the field of child development, including constructivist (Piaget) socio-cultural (Vygotsky), psycho-analytic (Freud), social learning (Bandura), and the explanatory power and weakness of each approach. Students are provided with opportunities to learn the fundamentals of children’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development, from the prenatal period through adolescence. Students learn about challenging life experiences that influence child development, such as birth trauma, disabilities, and acute or chronic illness. Students learn to apply different theories of cognitive development to practice with children of differing ages, experiences, needs, and abilities, specifically in ways that relate to the field of child life.