Unit 15: Food and Mealtimes in the Early Years - Scheme of Work (Version 1 Sept 14)

Scheme of work

This Scheme of work is provided to help you make the most of your planning time. Customise this by adding your own activities/lesson ideas to the ‘Activities’ column.

Guided learning hours (GLH): 30

Number of lessons: 15

Duration of lessons:2 hours

*See the specification for full details of unit content.

Lesson / Unit content* / Activities / Resource checklist
Learning aim A1 : Understand how to provide food for children to encourage health and development
1 / Introduction to the unit. / ●Teacher presentation:Introduce the unit. Outline the nature of the learning aims and inform learners of the number of assignments that they will be expected to complete.
●Whole group discussion: Why is good nutrition essential to growth and healthy development? Learners to discuss and make notes.
●Individual activity:Learners to complete an introductory activity on nutrition terminology.
●Whole group activity: Learners feedback to class.
●Whole group activity:Further discussion – What are the effects of poor nutrition? Learners to contribute ideas and add to their notes.-
2 / Nutrients required by children and their role in health and development, to include protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Foods which contain the nutrients children need, to include sources of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. / ●Teacherpresentation: Introduce session and starter activities. Recap previous session.
●Small group activity:Ask learners to identify which nutrients the foods in a series of pictures might contain. Alternatively/in addition, bring in and show learners a range of basic foods. How could they combine the foods to create a balanced meal? Explain what makes a healthy, balanced diet. Learners to feedback to the rest of the group. Teacher to write responses on board.
●Paired activity:Learners to divide into pairs and provide examples of foods containing a range of nutrients.
●Small group activity:Learners to research the different nutrients and their role and function in providing nutrition. Groups to present their research to the class, supported by feedback from teacher.
●Whole group activity:Learners to create posters on the role of nutrients in health and development using their information from their research.
●Extension activity:Learners can extend their research into the role that the nutrients play in health and development and the causes and effects of deficiency or excess. / Range of basic foods (e.g. pasta, bread, eggs, vegetables and fruit)
Creative materials for poster (such as felt pens, colouring pencils, paints, coloured paper, coloured card, collage material, paints, glue, scissors)
Computers with internet access
3 / Current guidance in relation to provision of food and drink for children aged up to 8 years; to include weaning, portion size and prevention of dental decay. / ●Teacher input: Recap previous session and introduce aims of this session.
●Teacher presentation:Introduction to appropriate websites, such as the Food Standards Agency, Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young (HENRY), National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Department of Health; Change4Life; Infant and Toddler Forum, to research current guidance, NHS (pregnancy and baby).
●Small group activity:Learners to research current guidance on food and drink for young children from 2 to 8 years (including portion size and dental decay) and summarise key points and advice relating to it. Learners to present the information they find to the rest of the class using slides. Whole group discussion on findings. / Interactive whiteboard
Computers with internet access and presentation software
Leaflets on diet and weaning from baby clinics/health centres
4 / Current guidance in relation to provision of food and drink for children aged up to 8 years; to include weaning, portion size and prevention of dental decay (cont.). /

Teacher input: Recap previous session and introduce aims of this session.
Guest speaker:Health visitor or community nursery nurse to discuss current guidance on breastfeeding. For example, the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding and the current guidance relating to breastfeeding. Can parents make informed choices about breastfeeding? Followed by question and answer session.
Teacher input:Show a video clip on introducing babies to solid foods and discuss the stages.
Small group activity:Learners to produce a weaning guidance document for parents with a baby from 6 months to 2 years using current guidance. It should include types and ways that new foods should be introduced and foods that should not be given at this age.

/ Any resources that guest speaker may need
Computers with internet access – (babies and toddlers)
Leaflets on diet and weaning from baby clinics/health centres
Video clip on introducing babies to solid foods. A range of free videos can be found on video-sharing websites; teacher should make sure they view and check them first for suitability before using in sessions
5 / The individual dietary needs of children, including allergies, food intolerance and restrictions because of social, cultural or religious reasons. /

Teacher input: Recap previous session and introduce aims of this session.
Whole group activity:Discussion about food allergies and intolerances: What are they? What is the difference between food allergies and food intolerances? How should they be managed? What alternative foods are available for people with particular allergies/ intolerances?
Whole group activity: Discussion/question and answer session on how a child’s diet might be restricted by cultural and social factors.
Small group activity: Learners to research a given topic related to dietary restrictions to cover allergies, intolerances, religious and cultural factors. For example, give each group a religion/culture and get them to research its dietary requirements. Information to be used to create a classroom display.
Individual activity:Learners to choose from a list of examples of children with specific dietary needs (e.g. a coeliac, a vegetarian, etc.) and plan a suitable meal taking into consideration their dietary restrictions. Learners to feedback their ideas to the rest of the group for discussion.

/ Other reference books
Resources showing foods from around the world / foods from different cultures
Creative materials for classroom display (such as felt pens, colouring pencils, paints, coloured paper, coloured card, collage material, paints, glue, scissors)
6 / How to work with parents to ensure food and drink meets the individual needs of children; to include communicating with parents/carers to understand any dietary restrictions, respecting and following parents’ wishes and recording information for all staff in the setting. / ●Teacher input: Recap previous session and introduce aims of this session.

Whole group activity:Discussion on how to work with parents in a positive manner with regard to an individual child’s food and drink needs. How are food intolerances, allergies and dietary restrictions or preferences because of religion or culture managed in learners’ own placement settings? Teacher to collate key points on the whiteboard.
Whole group activity:Learners to produce a spider diagram that summarises the key points of working with parents to ensure that individual children’s food and drink needs are met.
Paired activity: Learners to produce a template/form that their setting could use to record information on the individual dietary requirements of a child and the wishes of the child’s parent in relation to the dietary needs. Learners can use the template/form for the following activity.
Small group activity:In groups of three, give learners scenarios of children with particular dietary requirements. Learners to act out a role play of a discussion with a parent about the needs of the child. The third person in the group should observe and provide feedback.

/ Scenarios of children with particular dietary requirements
Access to computers with a printer
Learning aim A2: Understand the role of the adult in encouraging children to develop healthy eating habits
7 / That it is important to encourage children to experience as many foods as possible: food preferences develop between ages 1 and 5 so this will help children to develop healthy eating habits. /

Teacherpresentation:Introduce session. Recap previous session.
Teacher-leddiscussion: Learners to reflect on own food preferences as a child. Have their tastes changed? What encouraged them/discouraged them to try new foods?
Small group activity:Divide learners into groups to discuss how children of different ages can be encouraged totry and experience a wide range of foods and how healthy foods could be introduced into a child’s diet. Groups to each focus on one of the following age groups and write their ideas down on sticky notes:
0–1 year
1–3 years
3–5 years
5–8 years.
Small group activity:Learners to use their suggestions to produce a poster for each of the age ranges. Teacherto summarise key points.

/ Creative materials for poster (such as felt pens, colouring pencils, paints, coloured paper, coloured card, collage material, paints, glue, scissors)
8 / The factors that affect attitudes towards food, including food as reward and treats, food associated with love and nurturing, and insistence on finishing food.
How to work in partnership with parents/carers to encourage children to develop healthy eating habits, to include being sensitive to family situations which influence their food choices, providing leaflets about healthy eating and having a healthy eating policy. /

Teacher input: Recap previous session and introduce aims of this session.
Small group activity:Learners to look into and research the topic of the insistence that children finish their food and the use of foods as rewards and treats. Could this impact on a child’s enjoyment and/or attitude towards food? Learners to feedback to whole class and discuss other factors that affect attitudes towards food.
Small group activity: Learners to create a leaflet for parents/carers on healthy packed lunch choices in line with current dietary guidance. The leaflet should suggest some alternatives to the processed foods often found in lunch boxes and explain why the alternatives are healthier. Encourage learners to include ideas that meet the needs of children from different religions cultures.

/ Computers with internet access
Other reference books
9 / How to organise snack and mealtimes to encourage the enjoyment of food, to include encouraging independence through self-serving and adults eating with children.
How to involve children in food preparation to encourage healthy eating, to include cooking and growing food. /

Teacher input: Recap previous session and introduce aims of this session.
Teacher-led discussion: When organising snack and mealtimes, what are the important factors to consider to encourage children’s enjoyment of food and their independence through self-serving? What do children learn from eating with adults and why is this important? Learners to draw on own experiences from their placement.
Small group activity: Learners to research and think of a number of food preparation activities (e.g. fruit and vegetable preparation activities and mixing drinks), cooking activities (e.g. snacks that they can make with children – sandwiches and fruit kebabs, cooking pizza) and growing food activities (e.g. planting seeds) for use with children. Learners to practise carrying out the activities. Encourage activities that include a range of different foods from around the world that may be unfamiliar to learners.
Small group activity: Learners to discuss different ideas on how to make healthy meals attractive for children (prior to planning a food preparation activity). What are the important factors that need to be considered?
Whole group activity:Learners to feedback their ideas to the rest of the group and, through discussion, evaluate their ideas in terms of encouraging children’s involvement and healthy eating.

/ Resource books with ideas of snack s that children from a wide range of cultures and with different dietary needs could enjoy
10 / Practical session
How to involve children in food preparation to encourage healthy eating, to include cooking and growing food. /

Teacher input: Recap previous session and introduce aims of this session.

Individual activity:Learners plan a food preparation activity (e.g. making sandwiches, fruit tasting) to carry out in their placement that will involve children in food preparation.

Homework activity: Learners to implement their food preparation activity in their placement and evaluate it. Learners to feedback to the whole group during the next session.

/ Research materials:
●computers with internet access
●other reference books
Variety of foods – fruit, vegetables, bread, dairy products, etc.
Cooking/food preparation utensils
11-12 / Summary learning aim A
Issue Assignment 1, Task 1 to cover 3A1.P1, 3A1.P2, 3A2.P3, 3A2.P4, 3A1.M1, 3A1.M2, 3A.D1, 3A.D2
Use centre-devised assignment.
Alternatively, use the authorised assignment from Pearson. /

Teacher input: Recap previous session and introduce aims of this session.
Whole group activity: Facilitate learners’ feedback about the food preparation activity carried out during placement.
Teacher-led discussion: Summary discussion of learning aim A on:
the ways children’s health and development can be affected by their diet
the importance of working in partnership with parents when providing food for children
how adults contribute to children’s health and development through the provision of food.
Teacher presentation: Overview of assignment requirements, nature of assessment and timeline for completion/submission.
Individual activity:Learners to complete assignment independently and submit on agreed date.

/ Centre-devised assignment orauthorised assignment from Pearson
Computers with internet access
Learning aim B: Understand the role of the adult in preparing and serving food safely
13 / The responsibilities of those preparing and serving food in early years settings to comply with current legislation and guidance relevant to home country, to include those governing food hygiene and food safety.
The importance of safe working practices when preparing and serving good, to include practices to prevent food poisoning and ensuring that children with food allergies and intolerances are given the right food, as incorrect food choice or preparation can lead to illness. /

Teacherpresentation:Introduce session.
Individual activity or small group:Learners to look into current legislation governing food hygiene and safety (i.e. Food Safety Act and the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations.
Individual activity: Learners to research one piece of legislation and summarise the key points. (Legislation varies from country to country so learners need to be familiar with the legislation for their particular country.)
Whole group activity:Learners to create a wall hanging from their research findings.
Whole group discussion: What food safety procedures do you have to consider when providing food for children?
Teacher input:Show learners (either by demonstrating or by using a video clip from the internet) the correct procedure for washing their hands.

/ Computers with internet access
Creative materials for wall hanging (such as felt pens, colouring pencils, paints, coloured paper, coloured card, collage material, paints, glue, scissors)
14 / Personal hygiene for safe food practice, to include washing hands before handling food and after handling raw meat, and covering cuts.
How to store food safely, including checking fridge temperature and use-by dates on food.
How to prepare food safely, to include complete defrosting, separate preparation of raw meat and vegetables and fruit, cooking food thoroughly and not reheating food.
Cleaning routines for safe food practice including cleaning of utensils, preparation of surfaces, floors and food storage areas. /

Teacher input: Recap previous session and introduce aims of this session.
Individual activity:Learners to create a good practice checklist for food safety.
Small group activity:Discussion.Each group to take one area (storage, preparation, cooking and serving food)and discuss the implications of unsafe practice. Groups to feedback to whole class and discuss.
Small group activity: What cleaning routines are essential in order to maintain optimum standards of hygiene in an early years setting? Learners to identify essential cleaning routines in a setting, how these should be carried out and how often these should be carried out.
Teacher input:Facilitate feedback and discussion and collate and summarise key points on the board.

/ Computers with internet access
Other reference books
15 / Issue Assignment 1, Task 2 to cover 3B.P5
Use centre-devised assignment.
Alternatively, use the authorised assignment from Pearson. / ●Teacher presentation: Overview of assignment requirements, nature of assessment and timeline for completion/submission.
●Individual activity:Learners to complete assignment independently and submit on agreed date. / Centre-devised assignment or authorised assignment from Pearson
Computers with internet access
TOTAL: 30 hours

*See the specification for full details of unit content.