in association with learning work book to contribute to the … · · 2012-05-25achievement of...

Version 1- 01/04/10

In Association With

Learning work book to contribute to the

achievement of the underpinning

knowledge for unit: CYP 3.1

Understand child and young

person development

Credit value 4

All rights reserved, no parts of this publication may be

reproduced, copied, stored or transmitted without the prior

permission of

The Learning Company Ltd

© The Learning Company Ltd

C / D i n C C L D L 3 L i c e n s e d u n t i l F e b 1 2 U n i t C Y P 3 . 1

Learner’s Name:

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INTRODUCTION

This workbook provides the learning you need to help you to achieve a

unit towards your qualification. Your qualification on the Qualification

and Credit Framework (QCF) is made up of units, each with their own

credit value; some units might be worth 3 credits, some might have 6

credits, and so on. Each credit represents 10 hours of learning and so

gives you an idea of how long the unit will take to achieve.

Qualification rules state how many credits you need to achieve and at

what levels, but your assessor or tutor will help you with this.

Awarding Organisation rules state that you need to gather evidence

from a range of sources. This means that, in addition to completing

this workbook, you should also find other ways to gather evidence for

your tutor/assessor such as observed activity; again, your assessor will

help you to plan this.

To pass your qualification, you need to achieve all of the learning outcomes and/or performance criteria

for each unit. Your qualification may contain

essential units and optional units. You’ll need to

complete a certain amount of units with the correct

credit value to achieve your qualification. Your

tutor/assessor can talk to you more about this if you’re worried and

they’ll let you know how you’re doing as you progress.

This workbook has been provided to your learning provider under

licence by The Learning Company Ltd; your training provider is

responsible for assessing this qualification. Both your provider and

your Awarding Organisation are then responsible for validating it.

THE STUDY PROGRAMME

This unit is designed for individuals who are working in or wish to

pursue a career in their chosen sector. It will provide a valuable,

detailed and informative insight into that sector and is an interesting

and enjoyable way to learn.

Your study programme will increase your knowledge, understanding

and abilities in your industry and help you to become more confident, by underpinning any practical experience you may have with sound

theoretical knowledge.



WHERE TO STUDY The best way to complete this workbook is

on your computer. That way you can type in

your responses to each activity and go back

and change it if you want to. Remember,

you can study at home, work, your local

library or wherever you have access to the

internet. You can also print out this

workbook and read through it in paper form

if you prefer. If you choose to do this, you’ll have to type up your

answers onto the version saved on your computer before you send it to

your tutor/assessor (or handwrite them and post the pages).

WHEN TO STUDY

It’s best to study when you know you have time to yourself. Your

tutor/assessor will help you to set some realistic targets for you to

finish each unit, so you don’t have to worry about rushing anything.

Your tutor/assessor will also let you know when they’ll next be visiting

or assessing you. It’s really important that you stick to the deadlines

you’ve agreed so that you can achieve your qualification on time.

HOW TO STUDY

Your tutor/assessor will agree with you the

order for the workbooks to be completed; this

should match up with the other assessments

you are having. Your tutor/assessor will

discuss each workbook with you before you

start working on it, they will explain the book’s content and how they will assess your

workbook once you have completed it.

Your Assessor will also advise you of the sort of evidence they will be

expecting from you and how this will map to the knowledge and understanding of your chosen qualification. You may also have a

mentor appointed to you. This will normally be a line manager who

can support you in your tutor/assessor’s absence; they will also

confirm and sign off your evidence.



You should be happy that you have enough information, advice and

guidance from your tutor/assessor before beginning a workbook. If you are experienced within your job and familiar with the qualification

process, your tutor/assessor may agree that you can attempt

workbooks without the detailed information, advice and guidance.

THE UNITS

We’ll start by introducing the unit and clearly explaining the learning

outcomes you’ll have achieved by the end of the unit.

There is a learner details page at the front of each

workbook. Please ensure you fill all of the details in

as this will help when your workbooks go through

the verification process and ensure that they are

returned to you safely. If you do not have all of the information, e.g. your learner number, ask your

tutor/assessor.

To begin with, just read through the workbook. You’ll come across

different activities for you to try. These activities won’t count towards your qualification but they’ll help you to check your learning.

You’ll also see small sections of text called “did you know?” These are

short, interesting facts to keep you interested and to help you enjoy

the workbook and your learning.

At the end of this workbook you’ll find a section called ‘assessments’. This section is for you to fill in so that you can prove you’ve got the

knowledge and evidence for your chosen qualification. They’re

designed to assess your learning, knowledge and understanding of the

unit and will prove that you can complete all of the learning outcomes.

Each Unit should take you about 3 to 4 hours to complete,

although some will take longer than others. The important

thing is that you understand, learn and work at your own pace.

YOU WILL RECEIVE HELP AND SUPPORT

If you find that you need a bit of help and guidance with your learning,

then please get in touch with your tutor/assessor.

If you know anyone else doing the same programme as you, then you might find it very useful to talk to them too.



Certification

When you complete your workbook, your tutor/assessor

will check your work. They will then sign off each unit

before you move on to the next one.

When you’ve completed all of the required workbooks and

associated evidence for each unit, your assessor will

submit your work to the Internal Verifier for validation. If

it is validated, your training provider will then apply for your certificate.

Your centre will send your certificate to you when they receive it from

your awarding organisation. Your tutor/assessor will be able to tell you

how long this might take.



Unit CYP 3.1: Understand child and young person development

About this unit

This unit provides knowledge and understanding of how children and young people from birth to 19 years develop, including underpinning

theoretical perspectives. It also includes actions taken when differences

in development are identified and the potential effects of transitions on children and young peoples development.

Learning outcomes

There are five learning outcomes to this unit. The learner will be able

to:

1. Understand the expected pattern of development for children and

young people from birth- 19 yrs

2. Understand the factors that influence children and young people’s

development and how these affect practice

3. Understand how to monitor children and young people’s

development and interventions that should take place if this is not

following the expected pattern

4. Understand the importance of early intervention to support the

speech, language and communication needs of children and young

people

5. Understand the potential effects of transitions on children and young people’s development.

Areas of children’s physical and skill development

In the first year of life, a baby’s body and brain grows rapidly. Healthy, well fed babies increase by 200% in height. After six months those

children from economically advantaged homes grow faster due to

better nutrition and lack of infection. After their first birthday the

growth rate slows down. At the age of three we can tell fairly

accurately what height the child will be as an adult. ‘Gross motor skills’

is a term that refers to large actions that help the

infant to get around such as crawling, walking, etc.

When we talk of ‘fine motor skills’ we refer to smaller

and finer movements like grasping. Each child will

have their own pattern of development with these skills. Whilst we

have broad milestones of physical development, these are just an

outline of how the majority of children develop. Some mothers are concerned when their children are not performing the tasks that others

have managed.

As childcare and education workers, it is our job to reassure them and

to stop their concerns having an impact on their children.



Sometimes anxious mothers will have a child coached or put high expectations and unrealistic goals on their children. Reassurance and a

calm attitude help, as mothers look to us for guidance. This may be

their first child and we have had experience of many. In physical

development we can see the influence of both. There have been studies of children in orphanages, where the children were left alone

and unstimulated in their cots for long periods of time. They were late

in meeting their physical milestones. Conversely, in some cultures,

children are encouraged to ‘walk up’ to their mothers and are held out

to walk at a very early age. These children develop quicker. So we can

see that a child’s environment will have an impact on its development,

as will the expectations of the adults that are caring for the child.

As a child grows, it has increasing mobility and physical control. As a

result the child will need plenty of opportunities to practise and develop

their increasing range of skills such as crawling, walking, jumping,

climbing, running, balancing and dancing. We need to provide an

environment where they can practise all these new skills, bearing in mind that many of our children may come from homes where there is

little space on freedom and no outdoor learning environment.

The psychologist Erik Erikson linked the idea of a toddler’s new found capabilities, such as bladder and

bowl control and walking and running ability, to their

having a sense of autonomy. For the first time they

are aware of being a separate individual with ideas

and wishes of their own. This leads to some of the tantrums and upsets

we see at this time. These can be minimised if the toddler has a degree

of choice and is allowed to assert himself in small ways, for example,

how long he wants to spend on any given activity, and what he

chooses to do next.

As a child grows, so do his physical abilities. He learns to balance, hop,

throw, kick, and skip. He learns to hit a ball and catch it. As these skills

develop, so does his muscular and skeletal framework.

Sufficient exercise is essential for normal, healthy physical

development. With increased exercise and activity comes stamina,

enabling the child to enjoy even more exercise and activity. We are also setting up patterns of enjoyment and life choices by exposing

children to a whole array of interesting physical pursuits.



Fine motor skills will also be developing – drawing, colouring, gluing,

sticking, building construction toys, making puzzles, and painting – the list is endless. The more variety we provide with small motor activity,

the more children will engage in the activity. The children are not just

playing – they are developing skills for life.

Babies, toddlers and children will undergo regular health checks to

ensure that they are reaching their milestones. If a child is functioning

two years behind the milestone, then they are examined to see if there

is any underlying cause. In this way we can pick up any potential

problems and take action. There is a steady increase in weight and

height until adolescence. At this time there is a growth spurt. Again,

the onset of puberty varies, as does the reaching of all milestones. In

both sexes this adolescent growth spurt usually lasts around four

years. Boys usually start this growth spurt at around age 11 and it is

usually complete by age 15. In girls, the growth spurt usually starts

and ends two years earlier.

The nutritional needs of young people at this time increase dramatically. On average, boys need more calories than girls. Again,

the age at which sexual maturation starts varies; however, a boy who

has had an early growth spurt is likely to mature early and a girl who

shows early breast development is likely to start menstruating early.

Many adolescents who have developmental delay agonise

over why their maturation is different from their friends

and they need reassurance that this is perfectly normal.

Girls are able to conceive within a year of menstruation.

Some adolescent girls react negatively to the start of

their periods. One reason for this might be the negative

reaction of the people around them. Good preparation

and education for both sexes about the changes that will occur will help

them to go through these changes with confidence and ease.

It is important when developing physical skills, as well as in all other

areas of development, that we balance the risk with challenge. We

need to ensure that children are safe but we also need them to face

the next challenge. In terms of physical activity this means that we

allow them to take small, progressive steps in honing new skills. In

other subjects, it is encouraging them to take steps out of their comfort zone. One of the skills needed when working with children is to

set them tasks that are just within their grasp. If we ask too much of

children then they may fail. We do, however, need to stretch children

by asking a little more of them every day. This needs to be tailored to

their own needs, stage and abilities. Maria Montessori believed that we

should give children the correct tools for the job. She used real tools

and materials with her charges.



She felt that a child would never learn to do a task properly unless the

child carried it out herself. Practitioners have to balance health and safety issues with the need for the child to grow and be challenged.

Adolescents need to be helped towards an ability to assess risks for

themselves and to start to take responsibility for their own safety and wellbeing. The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme is just one way a

child may learn to start to depend on their own skills and abilities and

evaluate risks.

How we communicate

We communicate with each other in an array of ways:

LETTER, FAX, PHOTOS

GESTURE , SPEECH, EMAIL

TEXT, TELEPHONE, SMILES

EYE CONTACT, ADVERTISING, NEWSPAPERS

SIGNS, T.V. , RADIO SIGN LANGUAGE, MAKATON, SYMBOLS

BODY LANGUAGE, RHYMES, POEMS

MORSE CODE

Experts tell us that our body language is often more important and

communicates more than the words we use. Body language includes

facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, how we hold ourselves, and

how near we are to people. We can see how body language

communicates ideas when babies are able to tell us a great deal

without the power of speech.

DID YOU KNOW?

Instead of a Birthday Cake, many Russian

children are given a Birthday Pie

ACTIVITY ONE

Circle the words or phrases you would associate with methods

of communication

Chips Letter Radio

Sign language Burger Makaton

Rhymes Body language Kebab



The way we use our voice also conveys a great deal of meaning

The speed at which we speak can convey impatience, calmness, anger,

boredom, etc.

The tune that we put in our voice can make a story magical or put us to sleep. The words that we emphasise can convey different meanings.

As early years and education practitioners, our voice is a very useful

tool. It can be used to command authority, create calm, make a story

magical or make an activity sound really exciting.

The volume that we use when speaking can also be altered

During story telling it can add mystery and excitement and can be used

to denote different characters. Practitioners who shout will have a

noisy childcare setting. Children will mirror you and so, by speaking

softly, you will maintain a calm environment.

We communicate emotions as well as words

Children will reflect or mirror your emotions. If you

remain calm during a fire drill, the children will pick

up on this. If you are enthusiastic about an activity, the children will become enthusiastic too. Children will

be watching your every move and can pick up your

dislikes and attitudes. We communicate far more than we realise. We

also need to communicate effectively with colleagues. Record keeping,

memos, notes, timetables, etc. need to be legible and concise. Records

and test results will need to be passed onto other institutions and

settings and so will need to be accurate.

Written observations may be handed onto other professionals such as

educational psychologists or speech therapists, so need to contain facts

rather than opinions. When working in a professional organisation, you

will need to communicate with colleagues all of the time. You will be

giving instructions and guidance and sharing information about

children.

You will need to record information such as:

1. Records of a child’s progress

2. Essential information, e.g. Contacts in case of emergency, records of

food allergies, medical information

3. Records of incidents and accidents

These should be readable, accurate, relevant and factual. They should

also be signed and dated.



Babies from all over the globe make exactly the same initial

sounds

No matter what language is being spoken around them, babies have

this universal language. They use this language to communicate their

needs.

At first this is by crying, but at 4-8 months it becomes ‘babbling’, which

is their way of exploring sounds and also of communicating socially

with the people around them. Babies have no language but they

communicate very well using sound.

By about seven months they start to tune in to the

sound of their own native language and babies from

different countries start to babble making different

sounds. Babies also use body language. They squirm

or stiffen and they use their facial expressions to tell

us what they are feeling. They are able to show disgust when they

taste something unpleasant. They show surprise with widened eyes and raised eyebrow and quickly learn to smile and associate this with

love and security. At first babies listen to the sound of the voice rather

than understanding different words, and they pick up on the emotions

that are being expressed. A baby can understand a great deal before it has the power to speak. The control of the muscles needed to produce

speech comes after the baby has a good understanding of the world

and is able to communicate.

As practitioners we must be on the look out for non-verbal

communication. Some parents and nurseries now use ‘signing’ to ease

communication. These hand gestures are at first used for simple things

such as milk and sleep. Later, the signing is incorporated into simple

rhymes and songs. This signing can enable the child to communicate

her needs and avoid frustration and confrontation. Speech is not

delayed by this, quite the reverse.

The child has already learned the power of communication

Around their first birthday, children begin to speak their first

recognisable words. As children reach the middle of their second year

they begin to put words and sentences together. Not only do children need to learn words but they also need to learn the tunes in a

language. For example, the voice goes up at the end of a sentence if

you are asking a question, or the tune of somebody’s voice is different

if that person is happy or sad.



Babies and children need to hear the varying sound patterns of their

language being used. It is never too early to read to a baby, as they are listening to the sounds of the language even if they do not

understand all of the words. By repeating and extending a child’s

speech we are aiding development. ‘Yes it is a dog – it’s a brown dog’.

If we correct a child’s speech, they will lose confidence, but if we repeat what has been said, but this time say it correctly, we can

‘model’ the correct speech.

By talking and playing with children we help them to gain confidence

and increase their vocabulary. If a child’s language development is

slow, then a hearing test should be organised. Other children are

tongue tied. A small surgical operation releases the tongue and the

child is then able to formulate all the sounds that they need for speech.

From the age of four the amazing ability that children show in acquiring

language diminishes. That is why it is so vital that children are

stimulated and talked to prior to this.

Listening to the television will not do. The child needs to react and communicate with another human being. As

adults talk to children they learn how language is used.

We need to provide opportunities for children to expand

and practise their talking abilities. In schools this might be through role play opportunities, circle time, puppet

work or story time. We are often bothered about noise levels and ask

our children to be quiet and they are not given enough time to practise

speaking.

It is important that we are able to tell others how we are feeling so

that we can make friendships and relationships work. We need to help

our children and young adults to be in touch with what they are feeling

and be able to express it. The use of drama is particularly useful with

older children and adolescents. Being able to debate an issue enables

children to see that there is always more than one view point. Acting

out situations enables children to see what it is like to be in someone

else’s shoes.

Before there was television, books, the internet and newspapers, all

knowledge was handed down to each new generation verbally.

Now with the printed word, our ability to communicate in writing has

become even more important. Educators have recently felt that too

much emphasis has been placed on the written word at the expense of

the spoken word. Now, with voice activated computer and speech

recognition packages, an ability to express your ideas clearly in spoken

words is particularly important.



Many jobs now require the ability to give a presentation. In the past,

tests were only conducted in written formats – this is changing. Our children and young people now need to be able to speak up for

themselves.

Intellectual development

The Social Learning Theory, put forward by Albert Bandura, says that

we can learn by imitation and that this learning does not need to be

reinforced. We have all seen children copy behaviour and are aware of

this, so we are constantly aware of the words we use and the image we

project. Lev Vygotsky also put a great store on the influence of others

on learning. He thought that children were sociable beings who learn

and gain understanding by being with others. He thought that children

need to be challenged and their thoughts and abilities extended by

adults. He said that social interaction was an important part of learning

and that children learn from each other as well as adults. As a result,

we know that our interactions with children are very important and

that they need social interaction with each other in order to develop intellectually.

The Constructivist Theory, first put forward by Jean

Piaget, states that children construct or build up their thoughts according to their experiences of the world.

He thought that as children develop, so does their

ability to think. He grouped their thinking into four

stages through which children pass. Our response to this theory is to

provide the children with many hands on activities so that they can

build up their own ideas and experiences. Recent technological

developments have resulted in greater understanding of the brain and

brain development.

We are now able to see the workings of the brain through electronic

imaging. For the first time we are able to see how the brain grows and

develops and which part of the brain is active during different thought

processes. The brain is central to all parts of a child’s development. It

controls their emotions, movements and ability to use language. The

time between conception and three years of age is crucial in brain

development. The brain grows fastest at this point and what happens

to a child at this age can affect the rest of their development. At the age of three, children’s brains are working faster than the adults who

are caring for them. When babies are born, they show that they have

been learning in the womb and they will recognise their mother’s voice

or pieces of music.



The brain is made up of neural pathways and, as the child engages

with the world, messages are passed to the brain. At six months the child’s brain has doubled in weight due to the growth of these

connections, or synapses. As practitioners we now understand that a

baby needs stimulation and interaction with people just as much as

they need food and drink, and that if a child is neglected in their early years their development might be permanently impaired. We also know

that the children in our care need to experience a wealth of personal

experiences so that those connections in the brain can be made.

As a child develops, so their thinking skills increase. They become

aware of what and how they are thinking. In today’s schools this

conscious thinking ability is encouraged. For example, a teacher might

write the following learning objective – edit my work on a computer –

on the board before the lesson so that a child knows that, at the end

of the lesson, she will be able to do this.

In the numeracy hour, the children may be asked

what mental processes they have used to arrive at

the answer and so, in this way, the children become aware that other children think differently in order to

arrive at the same result. The awareness that others

may think differently then helps the child to develop tolerance.

It is now recognised that children have differing abilities and learning

styles. Some children learn best through visual methods, others

through hearing information and some through practical hands on

experience (‘VAK’ – visual, auditory and kinetic.) Good practitioners try

to provide learning experiences using all the senses.

Emotional development

A baby can express basic emotions, but as the child develops, so their

emotions become more complex. A child may not understand what she

is feeling, for example, a toddler may feel frightened of her own

temper tantrums but not know how to deal with them. In our work with

children and young adults we need to help them to develop their own

emotional intelligence. We can do this by helping young children to

name the emotions that they feel and to become sympathetic to the

emotions of others.

This can be done through story work, ‘How do you think the baby bear

felt when he found Goldilocks had broken his chair?’, or during circle

time, when discussing how they might feel about the dark. As children

get older, drama and role play may help them understand the

perspective of others. If a child acts out the role of the bully and the

victim it might help her to gain a new understanding. Adolescence

brings with it a minefield of emotions for children.



They may not know who they are or what they think. The ability to

communicate their ideas and emotions helps them to feel less isolated and alone, so it is important to have helped them to gain these skills

early on in life. We now have a clear understanding of the importance

of early attachments. A child needs to feel love and commitment from

one permanent adult. If a child has not bonded with its mother or another carer, it can have long lasting negative consequences.

Research has shown that those who do not have secure attachments

are likely to have difficulty in conforming to acceptable norms

throughout their lives. As practitioners, we put in measures to make

our children feel secure. Many nurseries have a key worker scheme,

where a child is attached to one adult for the duration of their stay.

Form tutors and leaning mentors are used as the child matures. Many

schools now have a school counsellor, with whom young adults can talk

through their worries and concerns.

Care routines help to make a child feel more secure and also ensure

that high standards are maintained within the organisation. Children need structure, boundaries and routines in order to feel

secure. Routines also help children to develop habits such as washing

hands after using the toilet and before meals. The children also know

what is expected of them in terms of activity and behaviour.

Children for whom English is an additional language may need some

help to understand the established routine. Pics (a system of visual

clues) are sometimes used to help young children or children with

specific educational needs understand what the routines are. They are

also used as a way of the child being able to communicate her wishes

to the adults.

Rehearsed procedures also enable a child to deal with a break from

routine. For example, if a fire drill is rehearsed regularly and with a

feeling of calm, a child may then be more able to deal with changes in

routine. Routines such as the cleaning of surfaces after a nappy change also help us to maintain high standards.

DID YOU KNOW?

The abbreviation Xmas for the word

Christmas is of Greek origin. Since the

word for Christ in the Greek language is Xristos, which starts with the letter "X,"

they started putting the X in place of

Christ and came up with the short form

for the word Christmas



ACTIVITY TWO

Circle the words or phrases you would associate with emotional

development

Spain Language Routines

Educational Portugal Needs

Procedures Changes Mexico

Social development

Social and emotional development are very closely related. Children

need the opportunity to engage with one another so that they are able

to gain confidence in social situations. Children who are socially well

adjusted will be able to communicate with confidence, express their

needs, and negotiate with others. A hearing loss may stop a child from

hearing the subtleties in the tone of what others are saying and may

misinterpret meaning. A child who is visually impaired might also miss gestures, facial expressions and body language and so become

confused. Other children who are suffering from conditions such as

autism may be unable to see the world from another child’s

perspective.

Children also need this time to learn how to socialise

and relate to each other. If a child has come from a

large family there may have been many opportunities

for them to play and interact with others. If a child

has been socially isolated she may find it very difficult

to play and form relationships with others. The

inability to relate to others is often related to confidence levels and to

self esteem. Paired and group work help children to relate to others in

a formal way. Games and play activities provide a child with the

opportunity to learn social rules and notions of fairness, individuality,

and how to loose gracefully.

Planning

Planning is an active, ongoing process. When planning, it is important

that we are aware of the curriculum, or early learning goals, and also the previous or ongoing plans. Most schools and nurseries have

medium, short and long term plans. These are revisited and

amendments made according to the progress and individual needs of

the children.



It is best not to think of individual lessons/activities but to see the

continuous unfolding of knowledge and skills across days and weeks. Assessment of one lesson or activity will inform the planning of the

next. This is why we constantly evaluate what we do.

We ask ourselves questions such as:

� Did any child struggle with this?

� Did any child feel this too easy?

� What was their behaviour like? Why was this?

� Were the children enthusiastic and interested?

� Could I have used better resources or set them out better?

� Did I allocate enough time for each activity?

� Did this stretch all children?

� Could I have organised the layout of the room better?

� Did I need another adult to help with this?

� What skills or knowledge did the children acquire?

� Have these been learned sufficiently or will I have to revisit

these?

� Have I met the lesson or learning objective? � Will I need to recap on this before continuing?

� Have all the children with special needs been catered for?

How do we know the answers to these questions?

We might observe children closely throughout the

activity and also ask questions to see if they have

understood what they are doing or why. We may

collect any work they may have done: pictures,

writing, models and computer printouts, so we can

gauge the success of the outcome.

Sometimes it is a good idea to involve the children in helping to assess

the outcomes. Some teachers use the ‘thumbs up, thumbs down’

technique and ask the children if they feel secure about what they have

learned. Others use a traffic light system where the children indicate

whether they are:

Green – confident and ready to move on

Amber – would like more time and recap on activity/more time to practise Red – really have not understood and need to go over the whole

thing again.

Peer assessment is where children assess each other’s work. This

should always be done in a positive framework, e.g. ‘Can you tell us

three things that you really like about x’s work and one way you think

he might be able to improve next time?’



Children are sometimes asked to assess their own work critically and to

set their own targets for future work. At the end of an activity you might ask them what surprised them or pleased them about their

work, or talk to a partner about what they did, or read out their work

to others.

The children might vote on whose work they thought was best. In this

way you are not only getting feedback from the children for your future

planning but you are producing children who are aware of what they

are doing and why. They are beginning to take responsibility for their

work and you are starting to turn them into independent learners. They

evaluate what they are doing and children normally love the

opportunity to talk about their work and show off their models, pictures

and ideas. This session will also reinforce what it is they have learned.

The best activities are ones where the adult has high expectations,

where there are clear instructions, where children have set their own

targets and where the activity is not dominated by the adult.

With planning it is essential that you know what the activity is hoping to achieve and how you are going to

assess whether it was successful.

The Early Learning Goals and the National Curriculum provide a spiral curriculum. This means that topics

and ideas presented to the very young are then revisited when the

children are more mature and able to understand the subject at a

deeper level. For example, nursery children may play with magnets as

a part of their ‘Knowledge and Understanding of the World’. A primary

child may learn to use a battery and a light bulb. A child at GCSE might

build electric circuits.

In your planning you will build in differentiation. This means that all the

children will be able to successfully be involved throughout the activity.

You may need to differentiate for a special needs child, for example, a

child with limited hand control might be offered a laptop to respond to

the task. Children who have difficulty with writing skills may need a

teaching assistant to support them. The very gifted and talented child

might need an extension activity to ensure they do not become bored

and are reaching their full potential. Sometimes children are put into

sets of ability and children from different school classes but with similar skills and abilities are brought together. Even within these sets there is

still a wide range of ability.

Short, medium and long term plans are just the skeleton on which we

build and any good practitioner will adapt plans to the needs of the

current children in their care.



You also have different life experiences and may have visited a

particular location that you may feel might be useful for children to visit. You may remember activities from your own learning that may be

useful. See if you can think of some different approaches or activities

and write them down. As well as planning activities, we must also think

about the environment. Loris Malaguzzi, who was a leading educator in the Regio Emilio approach to learning, called the environment the third

teacher.

He felt that the teacher could learn as much from the child as the child

could from the teacher. He also believed that a child would learn from

a well-structured environment. When planning the environment, we

must think of how a child needs to develop holistically. There need to

be challenges and stimulation to develop every part of the child – their

language, their social skills, their cognitive abilities, their emotions and

their physical skills.

The outdoor environment needs to be included when

thinking of the development of the whole child. Many placements have equipment that develops physical

skills, but are there areas where a child can socialise

or use their minds? Could some of the activities

offered inside be made available outside? Some schools may use pupil mentors when it is playtime. These pupils are trained to assist children

who find it difficult to play or make friends, and they also help with

disputes and bullying. This system helps the children to develop

emotionally and socially and teaches the mentors many useful life long

skills and helps them with their self-esteem.

Carrying out observations

Observation is a skill that we need to develop in our profession: it is a

very perceptive kind of watching; it helps us sharpen our senses and

raise our awareness; it brings to our attention things that we may

overlook. We are observing all the time but what we actually take in is

limited. Observation is a way of tuning into children. We often see what

we are looking for, or notice what we know already – rarely do we

watch and listen intently. We all have our different ways of looking at

the world because of our own unique set of experiences. With this we

bring attitudes and opinions.

When we observe, we need to be detached and open minded. When we

observe children, we should do it in a systematic, precise and detailed

way, giving it our undivided attention. By observing children, we can

learn how they are developing, what they are thinking, what ideas they

may have and how they respond to others. There are many

observational methods and a few are outlined in your textbook.



We can observe the many and varied ways that children communicate:

� We watch not only their language but their body language

� We do not only listen to the words but how they are being said

� We pick up on the emotions that the children may be expressing

� We note what is not being said � Silence is sometimes as informative as words.

Close observation may bring about the knowledge that a child has a

developmental delay or disability. It may inform us of some emotional

state. It will certainly inform us as to how children develop holistically,

that children are complex individuals and that the various strands of

their development are interwoven. This is a useful skill for you to

develop at this stage of your career because, by close observation of

children, you will see how they come to learn.

As we have just seen, child observation also informs our

future planning and informs how we might differentiate for

the child observed. We are not the only professionals who use child observations to inform our work. An educational

psychologist may sit in with you and the children you are

working with. She will observe one child closely to help her

to make informed decisions about this child’s future. Social workers will observe children playing – sometimes this will be to inform

them of a child’s treatment at home. The police may watch a child play

spontaneously to pick up suggestions of possible child abuse.

We are not the only observers of children. Parents observe and

sometimes record first steps, smiles and the appearance of the first

tooth. Educationalists in the past have observed children in order to

formulate their ideas about child development. Jean Paiget, for

example, observed the child members of his own family before he

came up with his ideas about child education, as did Charles Darwin.

Recording what is said can be very useful and tape recordings of

individual children’s conversations can be very informative. Video or

digital film can be useful when you are discussing your observations

with others. Always remember that you need to get the parents’

permission before you photograph or film a child. Some settings ask

for blanket permission from the parents for this. Record only facts, not opinions. Your ideas and the ideas of others can be sought after you

have recorded the facts.



DID YOU KNOW?

Emus cannot walk backwards

ACTIVITY THREE

Circle the words or phrases you would associate with

observations

Record Radio Facts

Television Opinions Ideas

Development Education DVD

Working with others

Throughout your professional life you will be working with other professionals. Some of these are now summarised below.

Educational Psychologists

Educational psychologists are called in to assess individual children

when we may have concerns. This may be because of developmental

delay or emotional and behavioural problems. They may seek your opinions or look at the observations and assessments you have made.

They may look at the child’s work. Often, as we have mentioned, they

will observe the child in the classroom or perform tests on him/her.

Initially they will write a report, and often this will contain suggestions

on how you might best help this child. If these measures do not work,

the child may be reassessed. Sometimes it is decided that the child has

special educational needs and an individual learning plan will be drawn

up and the child may be offered the support of a learning support

assistant.

Learning Support Assistants

Learning support assistants are used to support individual children with

special needs and they may help the teacher in the education of the

children.



Learning support assistants work very closely alongside the teacher

and are invaluable when it comes to helping groups of children when there is a differentiation of tasks.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)

Most schools have a special educational needs co-ordinator. They have

the responsibility for ensuring that all the needs of the children with

special educational needs are met.

They work closely with learning support assistants, teachers and

parents to ensure that an appropriate programme of work or activities

is put in place for these special needs children.

School Nurse and Health Visitor

The school nurse and health visitor will work in partnership with a

childcare setting. They will monitor particular children’s development,

or help you with dealing with individuals’ medical conditions.

Physiotherapists

An injured child or a child with a particular medical condition may be receiving expert help from a

physiotherapist. Occasionally we are asked to help

the child perform specific exercises during the day to

aid their recovery.

Speech Therapists

Children who are under the expert care of the speech therapist may

need specific help from us. The speech therapist will inform you of

what approach to take and may ask you to help the child with certain

speech exercises.

Social Workers

A social worker may ask you for detailed information on a particular

child’s behaviour, absences or injuries. Always remember to write

down, sign and date any incidents that you feel may be of significance and report it to your supervisor. You may be required to attend a Case

Conference where a group of experts and people involved with a child,

together with the parents, decide what course of action is best for the

child.



Extended Schools

This is a Government initiative where every school in the country is

being asked to offer extended opportunities outside of school times.

This might be to accommodate a playgroup, speech clinic, doctor’s

surgery, breakfast club, after school club or adult computer lessons.

They want to see schools become a hub of the community, to be of use

for the whole community. In the coming years, each school has to

come up with a plan on how they might extend their services. So you

might find that you are working very closely with other professionals as

they may actually share the same building.

As we looked at earlier with the ‘Every Child Matters’ programme, it is

essential that we work with other professionals so that no child suffers

in the same way as Victoria Climbie.

Behaviour

Most children want to be liked and have a good

relationship with the adults and children with whom they

come into contact. Others find it hard to conform to the

norm. Behaviour does not just refer to a child being naughty or good, it might refer to being shy or lazy. Our

goal is to help children towards achieving self control so

that they can fit happily into the world we live in. Children

feel safe and secure if there is a firm framework in which to live. They

feel comfortable with rules and standards and also with adults who

show consistency and fairness.

When children are old enough, it is good practice to get them to come

up with rules that they think are appropriate. Gradually, children then

start to take responsibility for their own actions. Unacceptable

behaviour takes many forms. Some children consistently push the

boundaries. At times, some children just do not know what behaviour

is acceptable. Practitioners should make a note of any sudden changes

of behaviour as this might be a sign that there is something major

upsetting the child, for example, a death in the family, domestic

violence, redundancy, etc. All of these have a huge impact on the

family and the children within it. When a child’s behaviour changes, it is wise to investigate what is going on in their life.

At times, children misbehave because they are not engaged or are

bored with an activity. Stretching such children and giving them

responsibility over tasks may bring about rapid changes of behaviour.



It is important not to take bad behaviour personally and instead find

out why children are behaving as they are.

Many children are attention seekers because they may lack the care

and attention that they require at home. Occasionally there may be

some physical reason why a child finds it difficult to conform. A.D.H.D (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) is a communication/interaction

disorder. This may be a contributory factor towards a child’s ability to

keep on task or concentrate for any period of time.

Other children have homes where there is very little control or

boundaries set. When the child comes to a placement, they may not

have any idea of how they are expected to behave and so there is a

steep learning curve. Childcare settings will have a behaviour policy.

Parents and children may be asked to sign a learning contract, which

may include standards of behaviour, sanctions and appeals.

Children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties may be

given the help that they need by being placed in a specialist unit. The time that they require this specialist input for will vary. This is

sometimes achieved by the child returning for limited periods of time,

during which their behaviour is carefully monitored. Special rewards

and sanctions may be put into place during this period.

Behaviour is linked to parenting and teaching styles. There are four

types of parents and teachers/carers:

1 Authoritative

2 Authoritarian

3 Permissive

4 Uninvolved.

Authoritative parents/carers have a style that is accepting and where

they are involved with their children. They have firm control but always

explain the reasons for their actions and decisions. They allow the

children some choice and independence.

Authoritarian adults are less accepting and have

less involvement. They may try to control and

restrict their children.

Permissive adults are less attentive and give into

the children. Permissive adults find it hard to control.

Uninvolved adults show less commitment to being a parent or a carer.

They tend to be inconsistent when dealing with children.



Children reflect the way in which they have been treated

Authoritative adults tend to rear children with high self esteem who

are cooperative, self assured and well balanced.

Authoritarian adults may produce anxious, unhappy children with a

tendency towards aggression.

Permissive adults may contribute towards impulsive, rebellious and

demanding children, who may find it hard to persist with tasks.

Uninvolved adults produce children who find it hard to attach and

have poor emotional and social skills, and low self esteem. As

practitioners, our aim is to be authoritative carers. We will be accepting

of the children and involved with what they are doing.

We will have firm boundaries but always offer explanations for our

decisions. We will encourage children to gain independence and make

their own decisions. If we are effective, the majority of children in our

care will behave appropriately and will grow into achieving, well balanced adults who have self control and are good at making

decisions.

It is important that we use the procedures of the setting when dealing with behaviour. All settings will have a

behaviour policy that will set out what is expected from the

children, the staff, and the parents. It will demonstrate the

appropriate ways to respond to the children within our

care. Some settings draw up a home/school agreement in

which the parents, child and staff agree to certain

principles and ways of behaving. Some practitioners involve the

children in drawing up their own rules. It has been found that children

respond well to a regime to which they feel they have contributed.

This structure enables us to understand our own role in ensuring that

appropriate behaviour occurs. Feelings can sometimes affect the way

we react to others. At times of stress we may act inappropriately;

however, in our work setting we must always act as professionals

within the guidelines of the setting.

Transition

As we have seen, there are many factors that will affect a child’s life

and its subsequent development. One of these is change. A child has a

need for constancy and routine. We have already discussed the child’s

need for attachment to one constant loving figure if the are to reach

their full potential. As professionals, it is our job to ease these changes

and to help the child or young adult to adapt.



The first change in a child’s life is when she is parted from her mother

or carer for the first time. This is easier for some than for others. If a child has been exposed to many social outings and been taken to a

variety of locations it is somewhat easier.

Some children from certain cultures may have barely been out of the home or the immediate family and they may not be able to understand

the language. Many settings have ‘settling in’ routines, where both the

child and the mother stay for brief periods until the child is familiar

with the environment and the staff.

The child may have a key worker who will take special care of her

needs. Comfort objects may be used to remind the child of the safe

home environment. Keep the environment as calm and reassuring as

possible.

It is inevitable in work settings that there will be

changes in staff. Children of any age may feel

insecure about this. It is always best to be honest about changes and it might help to act out the

situation with puppets or photographs. Children like

plenty of warning about changes that will affect them, as this gives

them plenty of time to adjust. Children need a sense of belonging. This may be achieved by having their own personal, special picture above a

peg or drawer. As a child moves from nursery to school, and then

onwards to secondary school, these transitions too can be made easier

for them. Most schools have days when the new children visit their new

classroom and meet their new teacher. Some secondary schools have a

day when the new intake arrives before any other children and they

have a day to adjust before any of the older children arrive.

Children need help with changes in their personal life. Anew baby, step

parent, house or change of location may unsettle a child at any age. A

stay in hospital, a holiday or change in routine may also need sensitive

handling. We can ease these transitions by talking them through with

the child. There are many excellent books to help children through all

these changes. A very young child may want to act out with you what

is happening, with the use of play figures or puppets. A good

relationship with parents, where there is a constant dialogue, will help

us to handle these transitions well in advance and help the child to accept them. The laws, frameworks and organisational procedures that

relate to transitions vary from region to region and differ in various

Educational Authorities. Many dictate that results are passed on such

as SATS or other measured attainments such as reading ages.



Some of the best transitions are achieved informally between schools

and nurseries. A Secondary school may ask parents how they feel the transition from Primary School to Secondary School can best be

achieved and then implement the parents’ suggestions. This can help

in achieving a much smoother transition for the pupils.

You will need to establish what is expected of you and what role you will need to play in the transition process. You may be required to test

children in various fields to assist the setting.

DID YOU KNOW?

The reason why hair turns gray as we age

is because the pigment cells in the hair

follicle start to die, which is responsible

for producing "melanin" which gives the

hair colour

ACTIVITY FOUR

Circle the words or phrases you would associate with

experiencing transition

Sparrow Changes Staff

Smooth Pigeon Parents

School Suggestions Robin

UNIT CYP 3.1: SIGN-OFF

Assessor’s Name: _________________________________

Assessor’s

Signature:_________________________Date:___________

Learner’s Name: __________________________________

Learner’s Signature:_________________Date:___________

Mentor’s Name: ________________________________

Mentor’s Signature: _________________Date:___________



UNIT CYP 3.1: ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT ONE

Explain the sequence and rate of each aspect of development

from birth – 19 years

ASSESSMENT TWO

Explain the difference between sequence of development and

rate of development and why the difference is important



ASSESSMENT THREE

Explain how children and young people’s development is influenced

by a range of personal factors

ASSESSMENT FOUR

Explain how children and young people’s development is

influenced by a range of external factors



ASSESSMENT FIVE

Explain how theories of development and frameworks to

support development influence current practice.

ASSESSMENT SIX

Explain how to monitor children and young people’s development using different methods



ASSESSMENT SEVEN

Explain the reasons why children and young people’s

development may not follow the expected pattern.

ASSESSMENT EIGHT

Explain how disability may affect development



ASSESSMENT NINE

Explain how different types of interventions can promote

positive outcomes for children and young people where development is not following the expected pattern

ASSESSMENT TEN

Analyse the importance of early identification of speech,

language and communication delays and disorders and the

potential risks of late recognition



ASSESSMENT ELEVEN

Explain how multi agency teams work together to support

speech, language and communication

ASSESSMENT TWELVE

Explain how play and activities are used to support the

development of speech, language and communication



ASSESSMENT THIRTEEN

Explain how different types of transitions can affect children

and young people’s development

ASSESSMENT FOURTEEN

Evaluate the effect on children and young people of having

positive relationships during periods of transition



UNIT CYP 3.1: ASSESSMENT SIGN-OFF

Assessor’s Name: _________________________________

Assessor’s Signature:________________Date:___________

Learner’s Name: __________________________________

Learner’s

Signature:_________________________Date:___________

Mentor’s Name: ___________________________________

Mentor’s Signature:__________________Date___________

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