A college course on early and middle childhood is being offered at the Perryville Extension Center.

The course is Human Development and Family Studies: Early and Middle Childhood.

It will investigate emotional, cognitive, social and physical development of the child before puberty. It will also explore the role of the adult in the child's development. Different approaches to discipline and their outcomes will be discussed.

Nancy Dougherty, who holds a doctorate in early childhood education, will teach the course. She has 20 years of teaching experience with students in the early and middle childhood age group.

The class is worth three semester hours of credit. It will meet on Jan. 30, Feb. 13 and 27, March 13 and 27 and April 17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., including lunch and other breaks.

The course fee is $244.20 plus textbook cost. Participants may pay be check made payable to the University of Missouri and VISA and MasterCard will also be accepted. An installment payment plan is also available.

Students are encouraged to check with employers because some prospective students have found their employers will pay for part or all of the fees. Those participant with degrees can earn graduate credit by a special enrollment process and extra class assignments.

For application forms or more information, please contact Mary Gosche, Perry County Extension, 547-4505, or call Extension teaching at 1-800-545-2604.

University Extension programming is open to all. The university reserves the right to set a maximum enrollment and to cancel any course that does not attain sufficient enrollment by the first class meeting.