Promote_Children’s_Development

Promote Children’s Development K3M202 At the crèche we all adhere to the Data Protection Act 1998 ensuring confidentiality when dealing with children’s personal details and information. I view all information given to me by parents as confidential, and will only ever pass it on if its in the childs interest to do so to the relevant parties if I suspect that there is a serious problem. The types of information that I treat confidentially include the childs contact details, medical information and all of the childs records and child observations. If I feel that the child could benefit from me passing on information to a colleague, I would always ask the parents consent first. The only time that a parents consent would not be sought would be if there were a potential child protection issue, where talking to the parent may put the child in the way of further harm. All information given to me by a parent is always pass on to the manager or assistant manager at the crèche. K3M203 Observation, assessment and planning all support children’s development and learning. Planning starts with observing children in order to understand and consider their current interests, development and learning. Observation describes the process of watching the children in my care, listening to them and taking note of what I see and hear. I assess children’s progress by analysing my observations and deciding what they tell me. I also need to find out about children’s care and learning needs from their parents and from these I can identify the children’s requirements, interests, current development and learning. I can plan for the next steps in children’s development and learning. Much of this needs to be done on the basis of what I have found out from my own observations and assessments as well as information from parents. Observation is the formal term for one of the most important aspects of day-to-day professional practice when working with children of all ages. It is how I find out the specific needs of individual children by carefully looking, listening and noting the activities of a child or group of children. Observation allows me to see a child as an individual; this is important for every child in whatever setting but even more important in large group settings. Observation should be both formal (planned) but much of it will be informal (spontaneous) carried out as I work with the children. Without observation, overall planning would simply be based on what I felt was important, fun or interesting (or all three) but it might not necessarily meet the needs of the children in my care. Carrying out regular observations is vital because it ensures that we put the child at the center of my practice. I can discover what new skills and abilities emerge over time through observation. For example, when a baby is able to sit up steadily, or a young child can pour their own drink, think about somebody else’s feelings, assign meanings to the marks they have made on paper, or ride a bicycle without stabilisers. Observation enables me to identify each child’s likes and dislikes and their responses to different situations such as care routines or new people. We can find out which experiences, routines or activities a child seems to enjoy or to find difficult and any that seem to make them anxious. Observation helps me assess children’s progress; we can find out about the specific care and learning needs of each child. I can then plan next steps in children’s development and learning. By involving colleagues in the observations, and also the families it makes the whole process more viable and a more holistic approach, as others may see certain activities or skills in different circumstances than which I may have previously witnessed. K3D204 To find out about a child we need to observe them in a way that is valuable to the child and makes best use of our time. This involves a number of skills: Firstly looking I need to understand what we are looking for. It is always beneficial that I already know a child’s current development and the particular way the child is learning, for example, gathered through information from parents and previous observations. Secondly Listening I must pay attention to the interactions of the individual child with different adults and between different children. Thirdly recording important features of the child’s responses, behavior, learning and development accurately and as soon as possible after observing them. Fourthly thinking I think about what we have seen and this leads into assessing and planning. If need be I can also talk to my manager, the child’s parents and other practitioners to help clarify my thoughts. Finally questioning Whereby sometimes I may need to ask questions in order to clarify, confirm or reject ideas about what I have observed. Where a child is able to respond, my questions may be directed to them. Sometimes my questions may be directed to their parents. From the earliest age, the children should be involved and this is part of the assessment for learning process The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 12 states the right of the child to express an opinion and to have that opinion taken into account, in any matter or procedure affecting the child. Sharing the child’s record together provides an ideal opportunity for celebrating achievements and discussing future plans. Even with babies it is a valuable chance to delight together in their achievements. Involving parents, as parents know their children intimately. For practitioners, therefore, building a close, trusting and reciprocal relationship with parents needs to begin before a child starts in a setting. Parents need to be involved as part of the ongoing assessment process, sharing their views and observations about the child’s development with practitioners and being involved in planning what opportunities and experiences to offer the child next. Looking, listening, recording and thinking all require the need for objectivity: not allowing preconceptions to influence what you I have observed. For example, if I have concerns that a child does not communicate very often, but keeping an open mind about this will mean you are more likely to gather better evidence to either support or clear up my concerns. It may be that although the child is often very quiet, she is using body language that is being ignored, that she communicates well with peers but not with adults or that certain activities or interactions seem to make communication easier or harder for her. My observations will also help me recognise the child’s needs more accurately and to identify if there is any cause for concern. Each child’s emotional well being has a very strong influence on the way the child develops, including their ability to learn, to communicate, their behavior, their curiosity and their ability to cope with new experiences. K3D205 Every child is different. It is always good practice to be aware of a child’s progress, their interests, strengths and areas for improvement; it is also essential that I can keep an open mind. It is important to not label a child. It is also important that a preconceived adult expectation can affect a childs success later on in life. Children will all develop and grow at different rates, and all of their strengths, interests, areas of additional needs will change and develop throughout their childhood. They need to be able to develop bases upon realistic aims and goals. No conclusions can be drawn from a single observation. It is critical to observe a child of a period of time, and also to draw on the childs parents’ knowledge also, as they are experts on their own childs behaviour. K3D206 There are many techniques of observation, which are appropriate for different purposes. Firstly free description (also know as narrative description and written record) is used to record the behaviour of a child over a very short period of time, sometimes less than five minutes. I can note down what I observe to give a kind of portrait of activity for that period in a childs day. Another way is by using checklists or tick charts. These are a method of assessment to ascertain the stages of a childs development. Health visitors use this method during check ups. This is where specific activities and skills are looked for when the session is structured, or over a period of time. A time sample is used to look at a childs activity over a predetermined length of time, for example an afternoon. The child can then be observed at regular intervals during the recording and the observations can then be recorded on a prepared sheet. An event sample is often used to look closely at one aspect of a childs development or behaviour. An example would be to assess how often a child sucks his thumb, or becomes aggressive towards others. As soon as the predetermined behaviour is shown it is recorded on a pre prepared sheet. Finally Target child is used to record one child’s activity over a long period without any gaps in the recording process. Several codes or signs can be used during the observation to allow the observer to maintain the recording. A prepared sheet will aid the observer in this instance. Some of these methods provide more information than others. Open methods of observation may be more appealing, but you still have to make a conscious effort to decide what exactly to record and not record. In the instance of a check list which is a more closed method of observation, may make my focus clearer on certain aspects, but then again may miss many whether important details. It is important to find a method to suit my purpose, and I must first ascertain what I am hoping to achieve by carrying out the observation. Also factors that influence the observation can also be whether I am an active participant in the activity or a non-participant. If I am merely a bystander children are more likely to show natural behaviour, and it is much easier to record events. The recording is also more likely to be objective. The advantages of being a participant observer means that you can ask the child to carry out certain activities rather than waiting for them to happen spontaneously.You are also able to question the child as to why they are doing something in particular. Being a participant may however put children under pressure, or may try to please you instead of carrying out their natural instinct. K3D207 At the creche setting, we tend to do more open and informal observations due to the ages of the children we look after. These are then used to feedback to the parents a picture of their child’s time with us, and indicates a number of activities and their child’s responses to those activities. Should I believe that there is a certain activity or behaviour that a child is displaying that needs additional attention I would let my manager know of my concerns. K3D208 Formative assessment is assessment that is continually ongoing. This means that although I may already know the childs strengths and needs and can plan for them, I still carry on observing them. Summative assessment is where I compile a report so that parents can read about a childs progress. These are often used if information needs to be passed from one professional to another. K3D209 Children’s development starts from the moment they are conceived. Genetically some attributes are pre-determined, such as eye colour, however some factors can be both influence by genetics and the child later environment such as height. Once born several major factors influence the child’s development. Their health is predetermined by genetic factors, along with factors such as their diet, environment and stress. A child may be born with a condition that will automatically affect them such as a blood disorder. Some children may have a pre-disposition towards some health aliment but do not develop them, unless certain circumstances trigger them. An example of this is asthma. The current environment in which the child lives contributes to whether or not a child may develop this ailment. If a child has a particular ailment it may effect their education if they have long hospital stays for example. If they are repeatedly absent it may affect friendships, and in turn affect their self-esteem and confidence. It may also limit their opportunities, as the child may not for instance have the same energy levels as another child making a task extremely difficult to participate in. Another important factor in a child’s development is that of the parents and other adults. Most parents do a good job in nurturing their young, however sometimes the parents are not able to cope so well. If a parents suffers from depression, or is an alcoholic these are examples where the parent cannot fulfil their role of parent very easily. Where the parent in these situations may neglect the younger children, the older children may then take o the portents role of caring in the household. Other adults, friends and family members also have an influence. I as a childcare worker have a great responsibility placed on me every day to ensure that my practice will help children develop. Additional family circumstances such as redundancy or illness, although may be temporary may cause undue stress. Another factor to consider is parents splitting up, which I have health with many times within my setting and have seen the consequences of the undue stress on the children concerned. Discrimination also effect as child’s development. In an ideal world every child would have the same start in life and be offered the same opportunities and love. This does not happen and children are often discriminated against for issues such as poverty, ethnicity, religion and culture and a possible disability. If children are discriminated against on any of these grounds the can feel that they are not valued individuals and thus behave low self-esteem and loose confidence in themselves. They may find that people have low expectations of them, and do not give them the appropriate activities or opportunities to allow them to develop and acquire new skills. Play is a fundamental part of a child’s development. It’s paramount to the health, growth and overall well being of a child. When a child has varies and interesting opportunities a child brain is stimulated. This is vital for growth. Play should be both indoors and out giving a child the opportunity to develop both their gross and locomotive skills. If a child is denied play and stimulation their development is likely to result in delayed development. A final important factor in the child’s development is their diet. To make sure a child remains healthy a child needs a balanced diet. This will stop them becoming obese, which is a growing trend, and help improve their fitness, physical ability, concentration levels and improved behaviour. K3D210 Current theories of play can inform the crèche in many ways. By having a more in depth knowledge I can then begin to assess why certain circumstances come about and also how to detail with certain aspects such as conflict positively. By understanding the ages and stages of development taking sharing for example, you may be lead to believe that children should always share, however up unit a certain stage of development children do not play with other children, they simply lay alongside them. Their concept then is that the toys are their own and are not for sharing. Understanding about getting children of a certain age play together and then they can inform and develop each others skills without adult intervention means that adult participation is not always necessary. However adult participation is a good aid for younger children to help stimulate the play and provide new and more exciting opportunities. K3D211 If I have any concerns over the development of a child I will in the first instance discuss this with my manager who would in turn talk with the carer or parents of that child. Through these discussions we would then begin to plan a possible outcome, whether that is concentrating on a particular set of skills within the creche to help that child develop those skills further, or is necessary advise the parent to seek external help through their GP or health visitor who would then refer them to the appropriate therapist such as speech, or hearing. K3D212 Every area of a child’s development does not work independently from the next. A child’s development must be considered holistically, which means that at any one time in a child’s development more than one area of development is involved. At any one time the child’s personal social and emotional development is evolving, their cognitive development is developing, and also their actual physical, communication and language developments are constantly engaged and also developing. This means that whilst you may be observing for a particular aspect of development or behaviour you always need to be fully aware of the wider picture. Playing hopscotch is a good example of when personal, social, emotional development is required – in order to play the child must be able to take turns and share. Cognitive development- they must understand the rules and how to play the game. Communication language and literacy- children will need to be able to say the numbers and talk to other children whilst taking turns. Physical development- children need to be able to throw, aim, and have the strength to balance, hop and have sufficient coordination, range and movement. It effects practice as when planning is done to meet a Childs individual needs it is done based on their holistic development and so observations on each aspect of development (physical, social, intellectual, creative, emotional) and on their development as a whole are all considered before hand. For example it would be no use organizing a game of hopscotch with children that have disabilities and not have the physical development to hop, jump etc. or for children that are very young and unable to share, count and lack some physical skills such as hoping, and balance. Definition of holistic is; more than one area of development is needed to complete a task. K3D213 Burrhus Skinner - learning is affected by awards and punishments Albert Bandura - imitating/copying others Jean Piaget - children actively involved in their learning Lev Vygotsky - Zone of Proximal Development/scaffolding, children actively learning and through social interaction Shabhna Jerome - active in own learning, develop different ways of thinking at different stages Skinner - reward charts and other positive reinforcement techniques Ivan Pavlov - Most of his work involved research in temperament, conditioning and involuntary reflex actions. Skinner reward charts and other positive reinforcement techniques Vygotsky developed a concept called proximal development which centres on the idea that adults help children to learn and that children help each other. Guiding children to look for answers by imitating what they see in others, listening to instruction and working as part of a group all provide opportunities for them to expand their current base of knowledge. Bruner developed spiral curriculum which makes us believe that children learn through discovery with direct assistance by adults to encourage them to return to activities time and time again which would develop and extend there learning. His theory is used today as children have plenty of opportunity for free play and child initiated activities which forms the majority of the day under the EYFS framework. Bandura developed the social learning theory which is basically learning through watching others. By setting a good example and modeling good behavior children will learn how to behave appropriately. Ivan Pavlov is widely known for first describing the phenomenon of classical conditioning. Currently there are three different approaches to learning; Behaviourist approaches Constructivist approaches Information processing The behaviourist approach suggests that learning is influenced by rewards, punishments and environmental factors. Classical condition is basic learning through experience and was explores by Pavlov in the famous salivating dog experiments, whereby dogs were trained to salivate at the sound of a bell in anticipation of receiving their dinner. Operant Conditioning is often used to encourage children to show wanted behaviour. Skinner suggested that most humans and animals learn through exploring the environment and then drawing conclusions based upon the consequences of their behaviour. This means that people are more active in the learning process. Skinner divided the consequences of actions into three groups as follows; Positive re-enforcers are likely to make people repeat behaviour when they receive something that they desire. This approach is widely used as a Behaviour Management tool, and Skinner suggested that this was the most effective way of encouraging new learning. Positive reinforces for children include gaining adults attention, praise, stickers and treats. This is best done at the time of the wanted behaviour and not a week later. This is when the reinforcement is most effective. If the wanted behaviour is rewarded continually for a period of time, this will eventually develop into an automatic good behaviour. Negative reinforces are likely to make people repeat behaviour as well, but the difference being is that the behaviour is repeated to stop something happening. An example may be a child using their hands whilst going down a slide to regulate their speed if its too fast. Punishers are likely to stop people from repeating behaviour. An example is staying away from an electric fence after receiving a shock. Social Learning Theory is another behaviourist approach, and the key figure is Albert Bandura. Social theorists accept the principles of conditioning but also accept that other types of learning are also taking place. Observational learning, which is learning through watching and copying others, can take place without any reinforcement, which is the main difference from conditioning. The constructivist approach is to see the child as an active rather than a passive learner. The behaviourist model believes that children learn as a result of what they see and what happens to them, the constructivist model suggests that children explore and come to a conscious conclusion about the world around them. Piaget believes that when children play they can make discoveries for themselves without being specifically taught. Children generally share the same sequential pattern of learning, and children of the same age often made the same mistakes. Children’s cognitive development developed through a series of stages and children should not be expected to hurry through these stages; they should be allowed to pass through them naturally. The role of the adult is to provide the environment where children can make these discoveries. The adult’s intervention should only be done sensitively, particularly during role-play. The adult should only join in if invited by the child, when play is flagging or if there is about to be an instance of inappropriate or dangerous play. Piaget's theory identifies four developmental stages and the processes by which children progress through them. The four stages are: Sensorimotor stage (birth - 2 years old) The child, through physical interaction with his or her environment, builds a set of concepts about reality and how it works. This is the stage where a child does not know that physical objects remain in existence even when out of sight (object permanence). Preoperational stage (ages 2-7) The child is not yet able to conceptualise abstractly and needs concrete physical situations. Concrete operations (ages 7-11) As physical experience accumulates, the child starts to conceptualise, creating logical structures that explain his or her physical experiences. Abstract problem solving is also possible at this stage. For example, arithmetic equations can be solved with numbers, not just with objects. Formal operations (beginning at ages 11-15) By this point, the child's cognitive structures are like those of an adult and include conceptual reasoning. Vygotsky another Social Constructivist had the theory whereby children should learn through social interactions and relationships, and through the social tool of language. All play contains an imaginative element. Children should always be challenged by some activities that are just beyond them, this will slightly stretch the child’s capabilities. He used the term ‘zone of proximal development’ which we would define as a Childs potential, and how an adult working with children must help to develop this as much as possible. He also established that you could group different skill levels together for an activity and then encourage the children to help each other. This is the concept of the ‘Vygotsky Tutorial’. He believed that all children would benefit by learning a new skill or concept and also that the other child that is acting as the teacher would also develop a deeper understanding of their existing skill. Both Piaget and Vygotsky influenced Bruner. In his research on the development of children (1966), Bruner proposed three modes of representation: enactive representation (action-based) from ages 0-1, iconic representation based ages 1 – 7, and symbolic representation ages 7+. Enactive meant that thought repeating physical movements people of all ages can learn a certain type of skill, such as tying our shoe laces. This fits with Piaget’s sensori-motor stage, where children repeat movements and learn about their worlds through physical movement. Iconic or visual mode involves people building up a picture of things that they have experienced in their minds. They may for example be able to close their eyes yet still picture the car parked outside. This stage relates to Piagets pre-operational stage. The symbolic stage, like Paiget, Bruner felt that around 7 years old children’s thinking drastically changes. In this mode a Childs thinking can take place without having to directly experience something. For instance listening to the news on the television and retaining this information even thought the events were not directly witnesses. Bruner is well known for the Theory of the Spiral Curriculum. Children learn through discovery with direct assistance of adults who should provide opportunities for children to return to the same activities with the same materials and ideas. He believed that this would then extend and deepen a Childs understanding and learning. He believed that a person could look up a particular subject at several times in their lives at different complexities. Through this children should be allowed opportunities for free play and child initiated activities. This will them allow them to revisit previous activities, experiences and ideas. Children should be provided with opportunities and activities that consolidate the existing learning and new opportunities to challenge and motivate them. Moral Development is an important social skill and concerns itself with being able to behave in a way that is socially acceptable. Paiget believed that cognitive development followed a four-stage approach. Pre-moral from 0 –4 years where children learn about right and wrong through they’re won actions and consider the response of the adults around them. Moral realism aged 4 – 7 where the Childs moral development is greatly influenced by the adults in their lives. Their judgments are very much based upon their adult’s expectations. 8-11 years children are pr-occupied with justice and following rules, as they have developed a concept of fairness. Moral relativism age 11+ is where children understand that treating people in exactly the same way may not result in fairness. Children also consider the motive for people’s actions. Kolberg continued Piaget’s descriptions of moral development. Kohlberg's six stages were grouped into three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post conventional. Level 1 (Pre-Conventional) Obedience and punishment orientation (How can I avoid punishment') Self-interest orientation (What's in it for me') Level 2 (Conventional) Interpersonal accord and conformity (The good boy/good girl attitude) Authority and social-order maintaining orientation (Law and order morality) Level 3 (Post-Conventional) Social contract orientation Universal ethical principles (Principled conscience) The pre-conventional level of moral reasoning is especially common in children, although adults can also exhibit this level of reasoning. Reasoners in the preconventional level judge the morality of an action by its direct consequences. The preconventional levels consist of the first and second stages of moral development, and are purely concerned with the self in an egocentric manner. In Stage one (obedience and punishment driven), individuals focus on the direct consequences that their actions will have for themselves. For example, an action is perceived as morally wrong if the person who commits it gets punished. The worse the punishment for the act is, the more 'bad' the act is perceived to be. In addition, there is no recognition that others' points of view are any different from one's own view this stage may be viewed as a kind of authoritarianism. Stage two (self-interest driven) espouses the’s in it for me position, right behavior being defined by what is in one's own best interest. Stage two reasoning shows a limited interest in the needs of others, but only to a point where it might further one's own interests, such as you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours. In stage two concerns for others is not based on loyalty or intrinsic respect. Lacking a perspective of society in the pre-conventional level, this should not be confused with social contract (stage five), as all actions are performed to serve one's own needs or interests. For the stage two theorists, the perspective of the world is often seen as morally relative. The conventional level of moral reasoning is typical of adolescents and adults. Persons who reason in a conventional way judge the morality of actions by comparing these actions to societal views and expectations. The conventional level consists of the third and fourth stages of moral development. In Stage three (interpersonal accord and conformity driven), the self enters society by filling social roles. Individuals are receptive of approval or disapproval from other people as it reflects society's accordance with the perceived role. They try to be a good boy or good girl to live up to these expectations, having learned that there is inherent value in doing so. Stage three reasoning may judge the morality of an action by evaluating its consequences in terms of a person's relationships, which now begin to include things like respect, gratitude and the 'golden rule'. Desire to maintain rules and authority exists only to further support these stereotypical social roles. The intentions of actions play a more significant role in reasoning at this stage; 'they mean well...' In Stage four (authority and social order obedience driven), it is important to obey laws, dictums and social conventions because of their importance in maintaining a functioning society. Moral reasoning in stage four is thus beyond the need for individual approval exhibited in stage three; society must learn to transcend individual needs. A central ideal or ideals often prescribe what is right and wrong, such as in the case of fundamentalism. If one person violates a law, perhaps everyone would - thus there is an obligation and a duty to uphold laws and rules. When someone does violate a law, it is morally wrong; culpability is thus a significant factor in this stage as it separates the bad domains from the good ones. The post-conventional level, also known as the principled level, consists of stages five and six of moral development. Realization that individuals are separate entities from society now becomes salient. One's own perspective should be viewed before the society. It is due to this 'nature of self before others' that the post-conventional level, especially stage six, is sometimes mistaken for pre-conventional behaviors. In Stage five (social contract driven), individuals are viewed as holding different opinions and values. Along a similar vein, laws are regarded as social contracts rather than rigid dictums. Those that do not promote the general welfare should be changed when necessary to meet the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This is attained through majority decision, and inevitably compromise. In this way democratic government is ostensibly based on stage five reasoning. In Stage six (universal ethical principles driven), moral reasoning is based on abstract reasoning using universal ethical principles. Laws are valid only insofar as they are grounded in justice and that a commitment to justice carries with it an obligation to disobey unjust laws. Rights are unnecessary as social contracts are not essential for deontic moral action. Decisions are not met hypothetically in a conditional way but rather categorically in an absolute way. This can be done by imagining what one would do being in anyone's shoes, who imagined what anyone would do thinking the same. The resulting consensus is the action taken. In this way action is never a means but always an end in itself; one acts because it is right, and not because it is instrumental, expected, legal or previously agreed upon. While Kohlberg insisted that stage six exists, he had difficulty finding participants who consistently used it. It appears that people rarely if ever reach stage six of Kohlberg's model. One of the most influential theorists about the makeup of personalities is Freud. In his later work, Freud proposed that the psyche could be divided into three parts: Ego, super-ego, and id. The id is known as the child-like portion of the psyche that is very impulsive and only takes into account what it wants and disregards all consequences. He suggested that babies had only the id when n they were born, hence a baby will cry until it gets fed. The super-ego is the moral code of the psyche that solely follows right and wrong and takes into account no special circumstances in which the morally right thing may not be right for that situation. This develops later on in childhood. Finally, the ego is the balance between the two. It is the part of the psyche that is, usually, portrayed in the person's action, and after the super-ego and id are balanced, the ego acts in a way that takes both impulses and morality into consideration. An example may be if a child takes a cake from a tray they may have it taken off them, however if they are patient and wait they may have a cake offered to them. Erikson accepted Freuds theory but did not believe it went far enough. He believed that personalities were not fixed but were continually changing over the course of a lifetime. He believed that people are faced with dilemmas or conflict at every stage and the outcome at each stage determine personality. He believed that children need encouragement to explore their environment, and imposing restrictions or criticizing children will lead to them feeling incapable. In Mahler’s theory, child development takes place in phases, each with their own sub phases: Normal Autistic Phase - First few weeks of life. The infant is detached and self absorbed. Spends most of his/her time sleeping. Mahler later abandoned this phase, based on new findings from her infant research. She believed it to be non-existent. The phase still appears in many books on her theories. Normal Symbiotic Phase - Lasts until about 5 months of age. The child is now aware of his/her mother but there is not a sense of individuality. The infant and the mother are one, and there is a barrier between them and the rest of the world. Separation-Individuation Phase - The arrival of this phase marks the end of the Normal Symbiotic Phase. Separation refers to the development of limits, the differentiation between the infant and the mother, whereas individuation refers to the development of the infant's ego, sense of identity, and cognitive abilities. Mahler explains how a child with the age of a few months breaks out of an “autistic shell” into the world with human connections. This process, labeled separation-individuation, is divided into subphases, each with its own onset, outcomes and risks. The following sub phases proceed in this order but overlap considerably. Hatching – first months. The infant ceases to be ignorant of the differentiation between him/her and the mother. "Rupture of the shell". Increased alertness and interest for the outside world. Using the mother as a point of orientation. Practicing – 9-about 16 months. Brought about by the infant's ability to crawl and then walk freely, the infant begins to explore actively and becomes more distant from the mother. The child experiences himself still as one with his mother. Rapprochement –15-24 months. In this subphase, the infant once again becomes close to the mother. The child realizes that his physical mobility demonstrates psychic separateness from his mother. The toddler may become tentative, wanting his mother to be in sight so that, through eye contact and action, he can explore his world. The risk is that the mother will misread this need and respond with impatience or unavailability. This can lead to an anxious fear of abandonment in the toddler. A basic ‘mood predisposition’ may be established at this point. Rapprochement is divided into a few sub phases: Beginning - Motivated by a desire to share discoveries with the mother. Crisis - Between staying with the mother, being emotionally close and being more independent and exploring. Solution - Individual solutions are enabled by the development of language and the superego. Disruptions in the fundamental process of separation-individuation can result in a disturbance in the ability to maintain a reliable sense of individual identity in adulthood. K3D214 Developmental milestones or norms describe a recognised pattern of development that children are expected to follow, every child will develop at different rates, but broadly in the same sequence. Looking at milestones helps us see the general pattern of development while recognising the different rates children develop There are some disadvantages’ of looking at milestones, it can cause anxiety when a child doesn’t achieve them when expected at a certain age, children’s performance can be affected by stress, tiredness, illness, anxiety, when assessing a child’s development, observations are a valuable tool to providing comprehensive information. A child’s development depends on the level of maturation, this is a process shaped after birth through genetic programming and may determine whole sequences of development. (Arnold Gesell1925 Thelen & Adolph 1992) use the term to describe genetically programmed sequential patterns of change. Changes in the body, shape, size, hormones at puberty, muscles, bones, nervous system are all programmed this way, any maturational pattern is marked by 3 qualities, it is universal appearing in all children, it is sequential inviting the same pattern of unfolding skills or characteristics and it is relatively unaffected by environmental influence, e.g. you don’t have to be taught to walk, body changes at puberty aren’t taught, these are maturational patterns, they require some minimal environmental support such as good diet, and opportunity for movement and exploration. Research informs us that specific experience interacts with maturational patterns (Greenough 1991) noted that one of the patterns required for the development of the visual system is controlled by a gene whose action is triggered by visual experience Examples like this tell us that maturational sequences do not unfold automatically but requires experience to trigger them, the shift from crawling to walking is an example of maturational developmental change, it follows the same basic pattern in boys/girls in Asians. Blacks, Latinos, Caucasians but it will depend on the child’s level of maturation and experiences when this takes place, as practitioners we need to be aware of the different maturation rates and experiences of children and take this into account when assessing their development. I understand that although children can develop at completely different rates to each other due to a vast number of factors, they will always develop in broadly the same sequence of events and abilities. K3D215 Children develop at different rates or developmental norms. Two major factors that Influence developments are nature and nurture. In nature development occurs in response to the way that children are genetically programmed from birth to enable them to do certain things. In nurture it is thought that development occurs in response to the experiences that the individual child has had from birth onwards. Each individual childs development and levels of maturity is directly dependant on the experiences that they have had. This means when I am assessing a childs development I must be realistic, and remember that every child has had a different cultural and social upbringing, and will have been exposes to completely different experiences. This means that a child cannot be expected to achieve levels of development directly attributed to nurture if they have not been exposed to certain situations to encourage this. K3D216 It is very important to have a detailed knowledge of children’s and young people’s developments when assessing and evaluating observations. This enables you to go through and make notes about the observation highlighting any significant areas or vents that could affect achievement, progress, any difficulty or feelings for instance. Through reflection upon these events I am then able to draw from my knowledge to assess whether I believe that the development observed is consistent with what I know about the stages of a childs development. I am also able to take into consideration what I know about the childs individual circumstances, and also result from prior observations. It is important to record this information to share with colleagues to build a more rounded and whole picture. Should any aspect be of any concern to me I am then able to share this with the childs parents. If there are issues of concerns I also can enlist the support from other professionals such as the childs Health Visitor or Doctor, or Social Services. K3D217 K3D219 How to promote children’s development from 3 -7 years 1 At both of my places of work the manager does a daily risk assessment, which includes checking that all toys are safe and not broken or dirty. They also check that all of the facilities including the toilet and washrooms are clean and contain towels for each child, soap, toilet paper and tissue. They ensure that spaces are cleared of any obstructions so as to avoid accidents and ensure that there is enough space for them to play. At the crèche security arrangements include recording the exact time that the children arrive and depart from the setting. Children are only ever collected by their primary carer or another as designated on their contract. For outings (after school club only) to the local park in summer the children are supervised at all time during outings, with regular head counts by all members of staff. The parents are informed prior to going on the outing and have given written consent. All children are greeted by the staff upon entry to the room and all toys and equipment are set out around the room. 2 Children need to be given opportunities to play and learn. A range of different activities should be available to maximise their learning and development. Providing children with activities that they enjoy is vital. If children are not given activities that they enjoy then they will become bored,which can lead them to show inappropriate behaviour. Areas of play. Construction play Imaginative play Creative play. Quite area Activities that are planned need to help develop the children’s social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional development (SPICE). Each of the above areas of play can help children develop in different ways. For example, a child who is playing on an outdoor climbing frame with their friends will not only improve their large motor skills but they will also be improving their social skills. 3 When giving children toys or equipment it is vital that you check that it is suitable for their age and needs. You can do this by looking on the toys or boxes to see if they have an recognised safety marks. All toys should have an age guideline on them. For example, a toy may come in a box with a statement ‘Not suitable for children under 12 months. It is important that practitioners follow the manufactures guidelines. Failure to do so could harm the child. Even if the manufactures guideline states that a toy is safe for the child you are working with to use, it is still the practitioners duty to make sure it is safe for their needs. For example, a toy that says it is safe for children over 2 years of age, may not be safe for a 3 year old because that child still puts things in their mouth. Another example would be that a 4 year old may not have developed intellectually enough for them to play a game which is suitable for 4 year olds. They may find the game too hard and unable to take part. This can then have a negative effect on their confidence and self-esteem. This is why practitioners need to think about each child’s needs individually. 4 I will enable every child to experience a full range of activities appropriate to their stage of development, understanding and age. These activities will enable each child to explore the world around them, and I will also promote cultural awareness as part of this process. 5 For children to be able to feel safe and secure they need stability and familiar faces. Children’s attachment needs can have implications. Young children may not be able to cope with having a different carer looking after them each day. Therefore it is important that early year child settings allocate key workers to the children. This can help the children to settle in the setting more easily. Settings should make sure that every child spends time and get to know at least two members of staff. This is so that if their key worker is away from the setting the child will still feel safe and secure. Consistency within the setting is also important. Children need routines to help them feel safe. If a key worker is leaving the setting then it is important that they prepare the children they work with for the change. Introducing them to their new key worker a few weeks before they take over will give the child time to get to know them. Care needs to be taken to making sure that the child’s routine is not changed. Any sudden changes can upset the child. Letting parents know that there is going to be a change is essential. 6 It is important that you give the child a chance to speak and explain what happened without you interrupting them. Children may learn the way to deal with conflict by watching how adults deal with similar situations, so therefore if you raise your voice when dealing with conflict then they will think that that is an acceptable way to behave. Children need to learn how to deal with conflicts themselves. Depending on the age, needs and abilities of the children will depend on how much support you give them. Younger children will need more support. You can help them to sort out their conflict by asking them questions to help them identify the problem and encourage them to listen to each other and to find a solution themselves. If they cannot do this then you could offer them suggestions. It is important that children are taught how to do this by themselves as there may not always be an adult around. You can support a child’s emotional well-being and intelligence by, conferring with developmental charts and giving the children activities to enhance these areas of development. Provide a caring environment by making the setting a place where children can rest, play, learn and trust the person who is caring for them. Respond to the children’s needs. Carry out observations to see if anything can be improved on or if the child’s needs referral. Give children activities that will stimulate their minds. 7 Supporting children’s resilience should be done at all times. Some of the ways it can be done are, listening- listening to a child is important and gives self worth. Consistence – being consistent helps a child to understand routine and boundaries supporting positive behaviour and boundaries, and promotes trust and makes a child feel secure. High expectations- showing a child that you believe in them can support their resilience. You should show them that you have high expectations of them whilst being realistic. Self esteem – children’s self esteem is closely linked to resilience, children that have confidence and self esteem learn to cope with difficult situations easier. Children must have positive role models to look up to with regards to the way they behave and treat others around them, they must be treated with respect and in turn learn to respect and treat others in the correct way, this in turn lays out the skills that children require to fit in society and behave in an acceptable manner and continue to do so when adults. Childcare settings should provide quiet areas where children can go. Stilling the mind during periods of quiet results in increased ability to focus one's attention and concentrate. It is important that settings give all children opportunities for social interaction with both adults and other children. Social interaction with others can help them learn to build relationships. The more time they spend with people the more they will learn to trust them. When given opportunities to socially interact with others, children can develop their confidence and self-esteem. 8 When dealing with children who are showing unwanted behaviour it is important that you stay calm and in control of the situation. Talking to them in a calm voice will help both yourself and the child to stay calm. The body language you display will also have an effect on the outcome of the conflict. You should use eye contact at all times and kneel down to the height of the child so that you do not make them feel uncomfortable or scared of you. It is important that you give the child a chance to speak and explain what happened without you interrupting them. Children may learn the way to deal with conflict by watching how adults deal with similar situations, so therefore if you raise your voice when dealing with conflict then they will think that that is an acceptable way to behave. Children need to learn how to deal with conflicts themselves. Depending on the age, needs and abilities of the children will depend on how much support you give them. 9 Children need to be given challenging activities in order to grow and develop. By trying new challenges they will be learning new skills which can give them the confidence to tackle new activities. All new challenges involves some element of risk. One way in which we can try to keep children safe is by placing limits on children’s achievements. It is important that you do not over-protect children as this can prevent them from achieving, but if there isn’t enough protection then there can be dangers. One danger includes leaving them vulnerable to abuse. Children need to learn how to deal with potential danger and be taught how to manage risks. There are ways in which we can help promote safety while allowing for risk and challenge. We can do this by making sure that potentially dangerous activities are carefully planned and that the children are taught how to use the equipment safely. Provide an environment that is child friendly and encourages play, exploration and problem solving. We must make sure that all toys are safe and appropriate for their age and abilities. Room arrangement. Make sure that there is plenty of room for the children and adults to move around the room safely. Carry out regular risk assessments. Have the appropriate safety equipment to ensure children’s safety. Encourage exploration by encouraging children to try new things like different tastes of food. Providing interesting activities that gains the child’s attention can encourage play. Use culturally and developmentally appropriate activities, materials and first hand experiences to support learning and development. We do this by: In the preschool we provide an area for the children to display their pictures of their families. Give children the chance to talk about physical characteristics to help children learn about each other. We have cultural items in the setting to allow the children the chance to explore diversity. Some of these items are put in the home corner to allow the children to use. We encourage the children to talk about a festivals or celebrations that they are taking part in. We have a range of books which contain positive images of people from different races. We use them when reading a story at the end of the day but they are also available for the children to look at and read throughout the day. 10 When planning a layout of a room, it is important that you consider whether or not the children and other adults can move around the room freely and safely. There may be times when a room layout as to be changed. For example, If you are planning an indoor activity that involves the children moving around the room and you need plenty of space then you will have to move furniture around. This is so the children can move around safely. The way in which activities are put out is also important. They need to be put were they are accessible to all children and they need to be presented in a way that will grab their attention. Every child has access to books, puzzles and other toys that illustrate the diversity of live within our society in a positive way 11 The children’s background and culture may be very important to them so it is important that you show them that you respect their beliefs. Doing this will help them feel wanted and will help you to build a better relationship between you. It is important that children are not made to feel that they can not talk about their background or culture and that it is not important. You can show respect for children’s background and culture by taking time to find out about them. You can do this by talking to the child and their families about them. Doing this will not only help the child feel more settled but it can help show their parents and families that you value their culture. 12 13 Verbally greet each child by name and with a smile. This will help children feel welcomed and valued everyday. Active listening shows that I value what they say. Establish eye contact. Get down to the child’s level when talking to them when possible. Give children enough time to get their words out. Do not rush them. Ask questions. This will encourage children to talk further. Encourage an interest in books by reading stories. Encourage communication through play. Using a home corner, dressing up clothes to activate imagination. Supply them with dolls and puppets which they can use to make up stories. Allowing children to explore and practice a wide range of activities will help to develop their language skills. Provide toy telephones. cross reference unit 301 K3D174 Children must respect the needs, the rights and possessions of each other. They can be instilled with the values of right and wrong, and that everyone is valued equally. I use many songs; rhymes and stories when we have our story time to help instill these values, along with role-play in my settings. 14 when working in a childcare setting there can be a time when a child may attend who may not speak welsh or English or children with communication difficulties , therefore the practitioner needs to adapt there practice to help the child communicate whilst in the setting, to do this the practitioner could use a number of strategies such as macaton, or adapting the way they talk, more slowly and clearly. Celebrating cultural diversity shows that there are different languages out there. Discuss with parents noting down key words that are used regularly. These can be used to interact with the child. Word games and activities such as pictures and number lotto can help the child learn and improve their English. Show interest in children’s conversation about their culture. Plan to celebrate key festivals. Always make the child feel valued and welcome. Learn sign language so that you can communicate important words to the child. Contact an interpreter for additional help if needed. 15 Find out from the parents keywords that I could use to help me communicate with the child. If the parents did not speak English and I found it difficult to communicate with them I would talk to an interpreter. For children who cannot speak English I would provide a range of opportunities for them to communicate and make choices for themselves. I would do this by showing them pictures of activities to choose from or pictures of food for choosing meals. cross reference unit 301 K3C168 It is important that a child must feel that the language that they speak at home is valued, but in a sensitive way. Often children that are learning more than one language might be slower at starting to talk and communicate because they are trying to absorb more information than a child that only uses one language. 16 Depending on the child’s age, needs and abilities will depend on the type of activity and equipment the children will be given. In my work setting the children are assessed on a regularly basis. The type of math equipment that we use include, Number jigsaws. Matching cards Linking counting elephants 17 Children can be encouraged to extend their range of skills and achievements by you as a childcare practitioner. Opportunities should be provided for children to develop their confidence and movement skills as relevant to their stage of development. Many simple resources can be utilized in order to enable a child to experiment and extend their range of skills. Cushions and soft play items for example may be used to encourage a child to roll it or push it. Other toys such as walking toys etc can also be used. The range of activities should be wide and children at every skill and development level should be provided with a wide range of activities. You as a role model should encourage the children to participate in activities by participating in them yourself. For example you can do a skipping activity outside and participate yourself thus encouraging the children to do so . At the crèche, we provide the children with opportunities to develop their creativity skills. These include, A role play area Sand play area Painting activities Junk modeling 18 At the crèche we provide time (usually after snack) on a physical activity this can be in a form of dance (Rubacon) or using the PE equipment for an obstacle activity where the children are encouraged to either crawl through a tunnel, go in and out of cones and kick a ball. We also provide bikes and push along cars prams and dolls to encourage movement. Following extensive research on childhood obesity the government have provided some guidelines on healthy eating and the sorts of foods that children should be eating in order for them to be healthy. If children are educated on healthy eating and eat healthily as a child then they are more likely to continue this into adulthood. As part of your role as a childcare practitioner you should promote a healthy diet to children and parents alike. Children will be largely influenced by their time at the creche and this includes what they eat. We provide healthy snacks of a variety of fruit, vegetables, bread sticks and toast with drinks of water or milk. 19 With regards to fine motor skills activities that you should encourage children to do include anything that involves fine but accurate movement. Examples of this could be cutting or drawing. With regards to gross motor skills activities that you should encourage children to do include anything that involves gross movement of the whole body. This could be a running or jumping activity. 20 When planning a physical activity we ensure that the room is cleared of any equipment so there is plenty of space. When planning for an activity we take into consideration the age group that the activity is for and if it is suitable for all the children involved. We also have to consider other needs of the child such as a disability or special need. You should also consider cultural issues and other needs of the individuals. The key is treating children as individuals and considering all these factors. For example you wouldn’t be able to do an activity with lots of running with the babies because it is unsuitable for their stage of development. K3T111 Support children through transitions in their lives e.g. A Children aged 0-3 years as they make transitions from home to daycare, room to room within a setting. When a child is separated from their parents they can react in a variety of ways. Their reaction will depend on the child’s age and experiences. For example a child who as never been separated from their parents before may find the initial separation from them much harder to deal with than a child who has had a variety of different childminders or as attended several settings. When a parent as to leave their child in a new setting for the first time it can be very upsetting. It is a good idea to encourage the parents to visit the setting a few times before they leave their child alone there. They can start off by just leaving their child there for a few hours and then gradually extend the hours. It is important to involve the parents and keep them informed of how their child is settling in. When a young child needs to move to a different room of the setting they need to be given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new room. You can do this by allowing them to visit accompanied by a familiar staff member from the child’s old room, increasing their length of stay with each visit. B Children aged 3-7 years as they move between different settings. The introduction to a new setting can if handled correctly, have a positive impact on the way that the child settles in. A new start should be planned in advance with the child, parents and the new setting. Any new child should be made to feel welcome and that they are arriving at a friendly place. When the child first visits the setting they need to be shown around and told certain information like where the toilets are. Allocating the child a key worker is often a good idea to help the child with the settling in process. The child should be introduced to the other children and staff, and should be helped as much as is needed for the first few days. C Children aged 7-12 years through transitions such as moving to a new school. Often a move to a new school can be anticipated some time in advance. A range of Tactics can be used to help the child in the weeks leading up to the move including: Visits to the new school accompanied by a key worker from the old setting. Reading books about starting a new school. Encourage them to talk about their feelings relating to the move. It is important that children are allowed to talk about their feelings about moving settings. By listening to how they feel will enable you to help them develop positive expectations of the move. D Young people aged 12-16 years, transitions including preparing to leave school or move from home. When children are about to start secondary school they may have common anxieties about making the transition including: Will I make friends' Will the work be too hard' Will I understand the timetable' There may be many more questions that children will want answering. It is important to give children the opportunity not only to talk to adults about them but also to other children who may be feeling the same. And to encourage them to express their feelings. When starting any new school it is important that the child as the opportunity to visit the school before they start. This will give them the chance to meet their new teachers and to find answers to some of the question they have. One change that some children have to get use to is catching a bus to school. It is a good idea that an adult takes the child on the bus before their first day so that they feel confident that they know where to get on and off. As children start preparing to leave school they need to be given plenty of information and support as they make career choices. They need to be encouraged to go and see a careers adviser who will be able to inform them about what further education courses and training courses are available to them.