Caring for Children /
Exam Preparation
Prep 1- Holistic development
Prep 2- Physical development
Prep 3 – Intellectual development
Prep 4- Emotional development
Prep 5- Social development
Prep 6- Observations
Prep 7- Expected and unexpected events
Prep 8- Transitions
Prep 9- Sectors and settings
Prep 10- Early Years Care Values
Prep 11- Legislation
Prep 12- Inclusive practice
Prep 13- Study Skills
Prep 1: HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT
It is important to approach child development in an HOLISTIC way. This means exploring how a child develops PHYSICALLY, INTELLECTUALLY, EMOTIONALLY and SOCIALLY.
As a child develops in 1 area it can affect the development in another area. For example, a child develops FINE MOTOR SKILLS and so can hold a pencil in a pincer grip. This will allow them to WRITE- this is part of their INTELLECTUAL development.
When early childhood educators take a holistic approach they pay attention to children’s physical, personal, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing…….While educators may plan or assess with a focus on a particular outcome or component of learning, they see children’s learning as integrated and interconnected. They recognise the connections between children, families and communities and the importance of……relationships and partnerships for learning. They see learning as a social activity and value collaborative learning and community participation.An integrated, holistic approach to teaching and learning also focuses on connections to the natural world. (DEEWR, 2009).
Young children develop holistically. They need support in health, nutrition, care, protection, early stimulation and learning.
The importance of the HOLISTIC approach:
It helps build meaningful relationships
It recognises the importance of rest and sleep
It supports healthy eating
It makes sure that children are safe
Exam type question
It is important to observe the holistic development of children so that
a. they can enjoy their play
b. their routines can be followed
c. they can have regular rest and
sleep
d. their needs can be met during a transition
Create a MINDMAP of the HOLISTIC approach
Prep 2- PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
AGE / GROSS MOTOR SKILL / FINE MOTOR SKILLNEW BORN / REFLEXES
1 MONTH / LIFTS UP CHIN, SOME CONTROL OF HEAD.
6 MONTHS / CAN MOVE OBJECTS FROM ONE HAND TO ANOTHER. PICKS UP DROPPED TOYS IF THEY ARE IN SIGHT.
15 MONTHS / CAN WALK WITH OUT HELP
2 YEARS OLD / KICKS A BALL.
2/3 YEARS OLS / CAN BUILD A TOWER OF BRICKS.
2/3 YEARS OLD / STANDS ON TOES, CAN RIDE A TRICYCLE.
This area of development focuses on the skills children develop using their large limbs; arms and legs and their small limbs; fingers and wrists.
There are 2 main groups of skills:
Gross motor skills- LARGE LIMB SKILLS
Fine motor skills- SMALL LIMB SKILLS
EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS
A child aged 12 months usually can
a. run
b. kick a large ball
c. sit without support
d. build a tower of three bricks
A baby aged 3 months can usually
a. start to crawl
b. smile at a familiar adult
c .offer toys to other children
d. manage to feed using fingers
Create revision cards for Physical development at different ages
Prep 3- INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT
This area of development is sometimes called COGNITIVE development. It looks at how the brain develops including memory as well as the emergence of language: speaking, reading and writing.
01 yr.
The baby can recognise the sound of parent's voice.
She also learns to focus her vision from the periphery or the corner of her eyes to the centre.
3 yr. Old Child
Identifies common colours such as red, blue, yellow, green
Can count 2 to 3 objects.
Has good self-knowledge, can understand the difference between self and younger children, but not between self and older children.
Can say his age.
He can make little stories from pictures or books.
Asks who, what, where and why questions.
Can put together a 6piece puzzle.
Draws a circle and square.
Recognises common everyday noun.
Interested in similarities and differences.
4 yrs. Old
Can place objects in a line from largest to smallest
Can recognize some letters if taught, and may able to print own name.
Recognizes familiar words in simple books on signs (STOP sign)
Understands the concepts of "tallest, biggest, same, more, on, in, under and above".
Understands the order of daily routine (breakfast before lunch, lunch before dinner, dinner before bed time).
Learns name, address, phone number if taught
Name 68 colours and 3 shapes.
Has basic understanding of concepts related to number, size, weight, colours, textures, distance, position and time.
by the age of four can probably draw a person.
They still don't really understand things like height and size.
5 yrs. Old
Can place objects in order from shortest to tallest
Can understand comparative terms like big, bigger, biggest, sorts objects by size, more, less, same.
Counts up to 10 objects.
Understands before, after, below and above.
Has good attention span and can concentrate well.
Is project mindedplans buildings, play scenarios, and drawings.
Interested in cause and effect.
Understands the concept like yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Knows full name, address and age.
Loves to learn.
Can usually separate fact from fantasy.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
.
0-1 Year :
A baby's first attempts at communicating emotions and needs are through crying. Parents quickly learn how to differentiate hunger cries from those indicating tiredness or a wet diaper.
By three months, the baby will turn his or her head towards voices and recognizes parents' voices (e.g., stopping crying when parents are speaking to him or her). Expressively, the baby indicates contentment and/or amusement by smiling. He or she repeats sound (e.g., cooing)
At 4 to 6 months the baby notices new such as the sound of telephone. She responds to "no" and to changes in tone of voice. He or she plays attention to music. Early sound discrimination skills are beginning to emerge. Sounds have a more speech like babble to them (e.g. baba mama). When playing alone the child makes gurgling sounds. She can also ask for something she wants through gesture.
At 7 months to one year; the infant begins to recognize her name by turning his head or looking up. The baby listens when spoken to. The baby begins to recognize the common words like "Cup",
"juice", and "bottle". She also can respond to request like "come here" Babbling has long and short group sounds of one or two words such as "ba ba" "ma ma".
One to two years
The child can listen to simple stories, songs.
She can follow simple commands.
Can point to a few body parts.
Can point to pictures of things in a book when you name them.
She can put 2 words together for example "more juice", "get UP”
She can use many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
Two to three years
Can understand differences in meaning (e.g., "up and down", "in and out".)
Notices different noises (e.g. door bell ringing, the telephone)
Can follow the request and directs that have two parts (e.g., "Get the ball and throw it to me")
Can ask for objects naming them.
Three to four years:
Can talk in sentences of four or more words.
People outside the family can understand her.
Understands and answers simple who, what, where questions.
The average three and half year knows more than 1,200 words.
They ask questions beginning with 'what', 'who', Where' and 'why'
Can take about yesterday and tomorrow.
Four to Five Years
Can pay attention to simple short stories and also can answer simple questions about them.
Can understand most of what is said at home or school.
Communicates easily with other.
Can have errors in pronunciation.
EXAM STYLE QUESTION
Intellectual development for a child
aged 5 years includes
a. sharing playthings
b. developing self-help skills
c. being able to join handwriting
d. using reasons to solve problems
Create a chart that shows the intellectual development of a child 0- 5
Prep 4- EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Emotional development includes feelings and how a child learns to express those feelings as well as their self-esteem and confidence.
Emotions play a very important role in life. So, it is essential to know how emotions develop and also how they affect personal and social adjustment.
01 yr.
At birth, the infants do not show any clear cut emotional response. They can show some pleasant and unpleasant responses. They show pleasure by a general relaxation of the entire body and also by making sound in the form of coos and gurgles. They show the pleasant responses when they suck or when they are provided with warmth.
They also show unpleasant responses by crying, when exposed to sudden noise, abrupt changes in body position, cold or when wet.
1 2 yrs.
Recognizes familiar people and show fear to strangers.
Experience and show shame.
Are sensitive and "catch" feelings from adults
Develop a sense of trust in the world.
Begin to mimic adult behaviour.
Separated from parent may create anxiety and insecurity.
3 yrs old
Gets pleasure by hearing stories about self, imitating others Seeks love and approval of adults. Feelings can easily hurt. Show fears and also unclear about what is real and what is fantasy
Not Able to Differentiate between Reality and Fantasy
Four Year Old
Capable of feeling jealous
Fearful of dark and imaginative things like ghost, monsters
Begins to understand dangerat times can become quite fearful.
Five Year Old
Expresses anger and jealousy physically.
Less fearful of the world than toddlers because understands world better.
Has a good sense of human and enjoys sharing jokes and laughter with adult.
EXAM SYLE QUESTIONS
Children are MOST likely to have temper tantrums at age
a. 0 to 1 year
b. 1 to 3 years
c. 3 to 4 years
d. 4 to 6 years
Make a set of FLASHCARDS with faces on one side and an emotional FACT on the other.
Prep 5- SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
This is all about RELATIONSHIPS children know what it means to play, share and co-operate.
.
01 yr.
Socialization begins around the third month. The baby develops love and trust with the parents, or whoever is taking care of him. She loves to hold and play. She seeks for company.
1 to 2 yrs
Become aware of self
Recognize and explore faces.
Participates in simple make-believe games. Her play will mostly involve imitating adult actions such as feeding a doll, talking on phone or shopping.
Capable of sharing love.
He will begin to claim ownership of certain possessions. Words like "me", "my" and "mine" will be used.
He asserts independence
3 yrs old
Seeks attention and approval of others.
Accepts suggestions and follow simple directions.
Enjoys helping simple household tasks.
Cooperate and share well.
4 yrs old
Enjoys playing in a group
Obeys rules of the game
Imitates parent of same sex, particularly in play.
5 yrs old
Invents games with simple rules.
Organizes other children and toys for pretend play.
Carries on conversation with other children and adults.
Often excludes other childrenbest friends only.
Sometime can be very bossy.
More sensitive to the feeling of others.
Likes to feel grown up.
Understands and enjoys both giving and receiving.
Can understand relationship between people and similarities and differences in other families.
Embarrassed by own mistakes.
Enjoys sharing jokes and laughter.
EXAM STYLE QUESTION
What is an example of social development in children aged 3 years?
a. listening to a story
b. playing with a variety of toys
c. spending time with other children
d. staying at home with their parents
Write a description of a play experience for each of the following ages:
1 year old
3 years old
5 years old
Prep 6 – OBSERVATIONS
Observation is the practice of looking at and listening to children to find out how they are developing, what they like doing and what they are learning through their play and the experiences on offer.
It is important that parents and practitioners share what they know about these three things so that they can decide whether the child’s development is at the expected stage, whether the resources such as toys and equipment are suitable for the child and to focus them on, what to provide in the future to support the child to develop new interests, learn new skills and acquire new knowledge.
Observations of children are vital. Each child has a unique set of abilities and talents, observations in different situations capture these first hand.
The starting point is always with the child. Observing what children choose to do, what their interests are and who and what resources they enjoy playing with, provides adults with reliable information about children as individuals.
The observations are analysed to identify the stage of development a child is at. This is vital so that progress can be monitored and recorded.
Finally the practitioners can plan for the next stage of development and place activities in the setting to support the child. And so the cycle begins.
There are many types of observation.
Advantages / DisadvantagesNarrative observations / Know the child well –plenty of detail.
Gain an insight into the uniqueness of the child.
It enables you to chart development changes over a period of time.
Don’t need a lot of training
Context is given / Objective observations may upset parent/carer.
The child’s behaviour or development proves to be atypical (not typical)
Confidentiality
Time consuming
Hard to do such observations on groups
Time sampling / Takes less time than other methods
Can record data on many children at once;
It provides useful information about the intervals or frequency of behaviour / May miss important behaviours
Context of behaviour not noted; does not focus on the causes and consequences of the behaviour
It is limited to behaviours that occur frequently
Event sampling / Can be used to study infrequent behaviours
Notes the antecedents and consequences of the behaviour / Focuses on only one or a few behaviours
Does not have as much detail
Checklist / They are easy and quick to use
Little training required
They can be used in the presence of the child or recorded later
Helps to focus observations on many behaviours at once / Not very detailed;
Little information about the context or sequence of events
May miss important information not included on the checklist.
Notes if a behaviour occurred but not how often
EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS
An event sample can be MOST useful to
observe a child’s
a. physical skills
b. emotional security
c. challenging behaviour
d. language development
It is important to observe the holistic development of children so that
a. they can enjoy their play
b. their routines can be followed
c. they can have regular rest and
sleep
d. their needs can be met during a transition
Create key word cards about observations
Prep 7- EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED EVENTS
An expected event is something that most children go through and can be planned for. These include:
Birth of a new baby
Going to school
Learning to walk
An unexpected event is something that does not happen very often and cannot be planned for. These include:
Illness
Accidents
Marriage break down
Death
New family members
Loss of a job
All these events have an impact on a child’s development. These impacts can be positive or negative
Fill out the following table:
Event / Physical / Intellectual / Emotional / SocialGoing to school
Loss of a job by the parent
Learning to walk
Accidents
Illness
EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS
What will affect a child’s physical development?
a. illness
b. parents’ divorce
c. changing schools
d. death of a grandparent
Moving to a new house is MOST likely to affect a child's
a. physical development
b. language development
c. emotional development
d. intellectual development
What may affect the holistic development of a child aged 2 years?
a. learning to read
b. having a new toy
c. living in a house with a garden
d. starting at an early years setting
Create a flowchart of 1 unexpected and 1 expected event and their impacts on a child’s development.
Prep 8- TRANSITIONS
These are times in a child’s life when things change. Often these changes are planned; for example going to school.
- Starting nursery
- Illness of a member of the family
- Changing friends
- Starting primary school
- Death of a family member
- Separation from parents
- Diagnosis of Illness
- New siblings
- Diagnosis of disability
- Moving house
- Moving through year groups
- New step-parents
- Entering care
- Foster parents
- Living in a new country
- Change of class teacher
- Living with the illness of a family member.
Transition can impact on a child’s development in both a positive and a negative way and as a result it is important that practitioners support children through the different types of transition.