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Focus on Children
TQA Level 1
Focus on Children BHC110111: TQA Level 1, Size Value = 10
The course document
This document contains the following sections:
rationale...... 1
course size and complexity...... 2
COURSE DESCRIPTION...... 2
COURSE requirements...... 3
Learning OUtcomes...... 3
COURSE CONTENT...... 4
Assessment...... 6
Quality Assurance Processes...... 7
Criteria...... 7
Standards ...... 8
Qualifications Available...... 11
Award Requirements...... 12
course evaluation...... 12
course developer...... 12
Accreditation...... 12
Version History...... 12
rationale
Focus on Children is designed to develop basic understanding and skills required to interact appropriately with children. It provides introductory information and activities to help develop practical skills required to care for children. The focus of the course is to increase learners’ awareness of contemporary issues related to children, and to develop learners’ understanding of some of the dilemmas and possible outcomes encountered by parents and other people caring for children.
Learning is a creative process for both children and adults. Therefore this course allows the learners to build on what they already know, and to choose areas that hold an interest for them and allow more in-depth study.
This course is designed so that a program derived from it can be taught as a single, meaningful course,where students learn by doing, and by relating the learning to their own experiences.
course size and complexity
This course has been assessed as having a complexity level of TQA level 1.
At TQA level 1 the student is expected to carry out tasks and activities that draw on a limited range of knowledge and skills. The tasks and activities generally have a substantial repetitive aspect to them. Minimum judgement is needed as there are usually very clear rules, guidelines or procedures to be followed.
The course has a size value of 10.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to allow opportunities for students to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes in a variety of ways. It has a focus on learners interacting with children in everyday situations - whether they be their own children, part of their family, or part of the wider community.
The inclusion of contemporary issues that hold a personal interest for learners provides for further discussion and investigation into topical subject matter.
Through observation and experiential learning,students will develop understanding that every individual is unique, and appreciate that an appropriately relaxed and flexible approach to child caring contributes to the overall well-being of both the child and the caregiver.
Learners who successfully complete this course may decide to study a related QTA level 2 course and/or an AQF Vocational Education and Training qualification in childcare.
The course’s units may be delivered in any order and in a way that best suits the needs of the learners. Thematic approaches to course delivery may also be employed.
course requirements
Students must complete the essential unit and studies in two additional in-depth elective topics.
The essential unit comprises concepts, knowledge and skills required by all learners. Two of the five essential skills and knowledge areas may be covered by the study of the specific electives to which they relate. For example, the essential skills and knowledge in the areas of Play and Children’s Behaviour may be covered in the elective topics The Importance of Play (#3) and Guiding Children’s Behaviour (#2). The remaining essential skills and knowledge areas may be studied as discrete topics or be incorporated into the study of related electives. For example, the essential skills and knowledge in the area Safety could be covered as an extension to the electives The Importance of Play (#3) or Setting Up the Environment for Children (#1).
Learning OUtcomes
On successful completion of this course, learners will have knowledge and skills to:
- observe, appreciate and respond appropriately to children’s basic needs
- outline the developmental needs of children
- research, discuss and communicate information about children, carers and society.
- work independently
- interact positively withchildren
- enjoy working with children
- develop and use decision-making processes.
COURSE CONTENT
Focus on Children is designed to allow students to demonstrate their ability to interact appropriately with children. To successfully complete this course students must be exposed to, and engage in, some practical work. Learners will observe children at play, visit playgroups or similar settings, and have opportunities to engage with children.
Essential Unit
A) Essential Concepts: Understanding Children and Their Development
The list below sets out the concepts about children and their development that form the theoretical framework for students’ interactions with children. The aim is for the student to understand that children’s growth is defined through maturation and developmental stages, and children’s experiential play is learning. It gives learners the underpinning knowledge required to understand children’s development, how children grow, learn and become responsible citizens in an ever-changing world.
These concepts can be delivered over the whole course and integrated with other learning. Personal experiences, observation of children, discussion and understanding of these observations form the practical method of delivery.
- An overview of factors influencing physical growth and motor development
- Understand how brain growth affects development
- Sensory capabilities
- The importance of attachment, socialisation and communication
- Basic factors influencing language development
- Describing different families and role models for children
- Outline of ages and stages of development.
B) Essential Skills and Knowledge:
The essential areas of knowledge that all learners must develop, and skills they must acquire, are listed below. These are directly related to elective topics and may be explored as part of the study of an elective. Those skills and areas of knowledge not included in selected electives muststill be covered. This might be done by approaching them as stand-alone topics or – perhaps more effectively – by contextualising them within an elective.
1 – The Environment
- What designates a good environment – healthy and safe
- What is ‘off limits’ for children? Why?
- Materials and toys – identifying what is safe and appropriate to different age groups
- Places of interest – how to find out about and accessing appropriate play areas
- Flexibility and balance of activities – identifying different types of activities, their impact on development (eg physical, social, mental), why is a balance needed? How can this be achieved?
2 – Children’s Behaviour
- Age appropriate behaviours – what are they? Why do they differ?
- Learning to share – why is this important? How and when does it happen? Appropriate and simple actions a caregiver can take to encourage sharing.
- Parenting styles – what are some common styles? What are the pros/cons of some styles of parenting? What kind of style will I have? Why?
- Responding to challenging behaviour – appropriate and simple actions to take if inappropriate behaviour occurs, where can I get help from?
- Communicating with children – listening, speaking, sharing silence, appropriate touching… Identifying what is appropriate for a child at a given age and demonstrating it.
3 – Play
- The benefits and value of play – understanding play’s contribution to a child’s development
- Types of play (Creative, Imaginative, Manipulative, Experimental, Social, Discovery, Physical) – understanding and identifying types of play.
4 – Safety
- Safety in the home – what features of a home are safe/unsafe for children? How can unsafe features be addressed?
- Safety outdoors – what features of environments outside the home are safe/unsafe for children? How can unsafe features be addressed?
- Safe toys – what features of toys make them safe/unsafe for children at different ages? Identify unsafe toys.
5 – Nutrition and Health
- Personal hygiene – the child and the caregiver. Why is it important? Demonstrate basic personal hygiene practises.
- Nutrition and food choices for children. What features make food good/bad for children? Identify foods that are good/bad for children.
Elective Topics
Students must complete two of the following electives.
The completion of elective topics should reflect an understanding of key developmental factors, appropriate strategies for interaction with children, practical carer skills, and sources of relevant information. Students will demonstrate the relevant skills they have developed in various ways (e.g. holding conversation with stakeholders, working independently and cooperatively, and the practical preparation of children’s environments).
Elective Topic 1: Setting Up the Environment for Children
- What designates a good environment – healthy and safe
- How to change the environment – furnishings and materials
- Purchase, borrow, collect or make
- What is ‘off limits’ for children
- Active/ noisy Play
- Quiet play
- Older children’s requirements
- Materials and toys
- Places of interest outside the set up environment
- Flexibility and balance of activities
- Routines and transition times.
Elective Topic 2: Guiding Children’s Behaviour
- Age Appropriate behaviours
- Love, Security, Trust, Self Esteem
- Attachment and Separation Anxiety
- Helping develop self-discipline and the ability to live cooperatively
- Learning to share
- Parenting Styles
- Responding to challenging behaviour
- Communicating with Children
- Children with Special Needs
- Resolving conflict.
Elective Topic 3: The Importance Of Play
- Types of Play
- Creative, Imaginative, Manipulative, Experimental, Social, Discovery, Physical
- The benefits and value of play
- Structured and free play
- Children’s parties
- Accessing resources
- Activities suitable for workshops
- Dramatic play: costumes; jewellery; doll play; box props for activities (e.g. fire engine, post office, hairdresser).
- Blocks: Using containers to make blocks (milk cartons, cardboard boxes, foam rubber, match boxes). Using blocks to teach maths, problem solving etc.
- Toys: demonstrate how toys develop fine/gross motor skills; using household objects such as: pots; pans; wooden spoons; pegs; making games; buying second hand toys
- Art - the process, not the product: Felt, glitter, feathers, shells, clay, playdough, finger paint, clay, soap, crayons.
- Books: reading, sharing, pictures, words, questions, libraries, making books, recommended reading, baby handling books, poetry and rhymes, feelings, different races and lands.
- Sand and Water: encouraging outside play, toys, making sand pit, art projects, smocks.
- Cooking: cooking with children, making picture recipe cards, sharing recipes, making recipe books, sharing nutrition information
- Outdoor play: organising environments, making equipment, changing equipment, walks, field trips, creating a garden.
- Music and Movement: sharing music times with children, listening together, exercise to music, music for dramatic play, musical instruments and making instruments, making songbooks, recording music, library or music store sessions.
Elective Topic 4: Safety and Young Children
- Nursery Equipment
- First Aid
- cuts, abrasions, stings, falls, poisoning,
- the sick child
- children and hospital
- Safety in the Home
- Safety Outdoors
- Toys
- Materials and Resources
- SIDS
- Duty of Care to yourself and children
- Immunisation.
Elective Topic 5: Nutrition and Health
- Prenatal Health
- Breast and bottle feeding
- Weaning and First Foods
- Feeding toddlers and young children
- Personal Hygiene
- Nutrition
- Cooking with children / cooking for children
- School Lunches
- Dental hygiene.
Assessment
Criterion-based assessment is a form of outcomes assessment which identifies the extent of student achievement at an appropriate end-point of study. Although assessment – as part of the learning program - is continuous, much of it is formative, and is done to help students identify what they need to do to attain the maximum benefit from their study of the course. Therefore, assessment for summative reporting to the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority should focus on what both teacher and student understand to reflect end-point achievement.
The standard of achievement each student attains on each criterion is recorded as a rating ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’, according to the outcomes specified in the standards section of the course.
A ‘t’ notation must be used where a student demonstrates any achievement against a criterion less than the standard specified for the ‘C’ rating. The ‘t’ notation sits outside the continuum of ratings and is thus not described in course standards.
A ‘z’ notation is to be used where a student provides no evidence of achievement at all.
Providers offering this course must participate in the quality assurance processes.
Internal assessment of all criteria will be made by the provider. Assessment processes must gather evidence that clearly shows the match between individual student performance, the standards of the course and the student’s award. Providers will report the student’s rating for each criterion to the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority.
quality assurance processes
Each provider is responsible for ensuring the integrity and validity of their assessment results against the requirements of the course, including standards, and for maintaining records and documentation that will demonstrate the integrity, accuracy and validity of the award decisions they make each year.
Where the TQA identifies sufficient potential for concern about the integrity or validity of a provider’s award decisions it will undertake an investigation. After such an investigation is completed, the TQA may take action under Section 33 of the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority Act 2003 as it considers appropriate, including but not limited to:
•giving the school/college a direction in relation to the provision or assessment of the course (section 33 (2))
•refusing to accept results for this course from the provider (section 33 (4)).
assessment CRITERIA
The assessment for Focus on Children TQA level 1 will be based on the degree to which the student can:
- Demonstrate communication skills appropriate for interacting with young children
- Outline the main stages of child development and how these are related to behaviour
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of the impact of environments and relationships on the young child’s development
- Assist in the preparation and delivery of activities for children.
STANDARDS
Criterion 1:Demonstrate communication skills appropriate for interacting with young children
Rating ‘C’ / Rating ‘B’ / Rating ‘A’A student can: / A student can: / A student can:
listen to, follow instructions and show a willingness to participate in activities and conversation with children / interact with children and encourage their participation in activities /
- engage children in conversation and participate in activities appropriately
observe children’s activities and conversation before interacting with them / develop appropriate, responsive communication skills to encourage children to develop socially / respond to children in a warm manner that is expressed through voice, facial expression, body language and activity
use words that are generally age-appropriate when talking to children. / use age-appropriate language when communicating with children. / use age-appropriate words and body language when communicating with children
use appropriate practical skills to plan activities and respond to the needs and abilities of the developing child.
CRITERION 2:outline the main stages of child developmentand how these are related to behaviour
Rating ‘C’ / Rating ‘B’ / Rating ‘A’A student can: / A student can: / A student can:
based onobservation of children, outline the main stages of children’s physical development / demonstratea basic understanding of the main stages of physical and social development of children / demonstrate a basic understanding of the main stages of physical, social, cognitive and emotional development of children
when given a description of stages of physical development, identify some related behaviours / make reasonable connections between stages of physical or social development and some related behaviours / outline how various stages of development influence particular aspects of children’s behaviour
collect some relevant information about child development. / collect some relevant information about child development and outline the main messages it contains. / collect, record and present a range of relevant information about child development.
CRITERION 3:Demonstrate a basic understanding of the impact of environments and relationships on the young child’s development
Rating ‘C’ / Rating ‘B’ / Rating ‘A’A student can: / A student can: / A student can:
list some features of safe physical environments /
- d
list some features of nurturing relationships / outline how social environments can impact on children’s wellbeing / describe how social environments can impact on children’s wellbeing and development
outline safe and nurturing environments / describe safe and nurturing physical and social environments
observe family/ieswith young children and note relationship factors that are relevant to children’s wellbeing. / observe several families and discuss the differences between them with regard to relationship factors that affect children’s wellbeing. / observe families and discuss observations of differing dynamics of families in relationship to children’s well being and development.
CRITERION 4:Assist in the preparation and delivery of activities for children
Rating ‘C’ / Rating ‘B’ / Rating ‘A’A student can: / A student can: / A student can:
participate in suggestions for appropriate, safe activities / suggest a range of appropriate and safe activities for a child/children in specified settings /
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given an outline of an activity, identify the resources needed, including people and space / plan a particular activity, including the resources needed / plan and design activities and spaces for a range of children’s activities
assist in the preparation and delivery of several activities. / with assistance, plan and organise activities which enhance children’s uniqueness. / organise a range of activities for children of different ages and abilities
evaluate a range of activities in terms of contribution to children’s learning and uniqueness.
Qualifications available
FOCUS ON CHILDREN (with the award of)
EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT
HIGH ACHIEVEMENT