It is no coincidence that the largest core unit in the Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce focuses on child development.
Without a sound knowledge and understanding of the sequence and rate of each aspect of development, an early years practitioner's work is largely ineffective.
Mine Conkbayir, senior programme manager for apprentices at the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), says, 'I cannot stress enough to our learners how important this unit is. I tell them it provides the cornerstone of everything we do working with young children. I give them examples to drive that home - such as with child protection issues.
'They need to recognise if there is a sudden change of behaviour in a child or its ability to get on with others. The learners have to be able to consider whether such a change of behaviour is a natural developmental stage or signifies something else. We look at current issues like the Baby P case so they can see how important this is. At the heart of it all is the individual child, and you cannot work effectively unless you know where that child is at.'
UNDERSTANDING COMES FIRST
This unit, which carries four credits, provides learners with this all-important knowledge and understanding of how children and young people develop from birth to 19 years, with explanations of the underpinning theoretical perspectives. It also features the interventions that should be taken when differences in development are identified, and the potential effects of transitions on development.
It requires 30 guided learning hours, is knowledge-based and covers theories on different aspects of development, such as Piaget, Freud, Maslow, Bandura, Skinner and Watson.
'They grapple with the theory because it is totally abstract to them,' Ms Conkbayir says. 'However, when they have an understanding of child development, learners can then begin to take on board the theory. If we start them thinking about at what age they would introduce a child to treasure baskets, we can then consider heuristic play and Piaget.'
She adds, 'You have to understand child development before you can promote it. If you do not understand the sequence of language development, how can you know when you need to be worried about a child's ability to communicate? We look at development holistically.'
KNOWLEDGE IN PRACTICE
Newcomers to the sector need the knowledge they gain from this unit if they are to play a full role in nursery life.
Ms Conkbayir says, 'Without a sound knowledge and understanding of child development milestones and how to apply these, apprentices and students cannot contribute to the plan-do-review cycle in the nursery. This results in their practice being limited as well as not sufficiently facilitating the individual child's holistic development and learning.'
Terms such as 'learning outcomes' can also pose challenges for some trainees, she says So, for example, instead of outcomes, what do you want that child to be able to do?
In tutorials, instead of discussing abstract theory, she asks the learners to think about a child in their family, or a child they know well, and assess where he or she is developmentally.
'We watch a video and I get them to write observations so they can assess where the child is at and then plan an activity for the child that will benefit his or her holistic development.'
She will also set practical tests by describing what a child can do, such as throw a ball, and the learners have to work out the child's age.
AN APPRENTICE'S EXPERIENCE
Vruti Patel, aged 21, an apprentice at LEYF's Bessborough Community Nursery, says, 'This was one of the first units we covered and it was one of the first essays we had to write. There was a lot of information to take in. I was quite scared as it was my first time working with young children, but it was really interesting finding out about how they develop. I did psychology A Level, which helped me with the theory.
'When you come into nursery and see the children, you want to know where they are in their development and with their behaviour. No day is the same as yesterday and you see the children come out with new words or even new sentences, or they pick up new habits,' she says. 'I think about how I can help them develop and thrive into their adult life. Their time in nursery can make such a difference.
'One of my main reasons for working with children is to help provide them with an absolutely fantastic start in life. I had a very good upbringing and went to nursery, which I loved.'
Her manager, Mona Majed, says 'Some people are very practical and find the theory harder, but this unit is so important. They need to be able to interact with parents and talk about child development in general and how their child is developing in particular.
'To put it simply, how can you help a child develop further if you do not know what stage the child is at already? How can you feedback to the parents if you do not have a clear idea about what would be expected of a child at that age?'
She adds, 'At our nurseries we have parents who want their child to be reading and writing at the age of three. How can a practitioner talk to them and explain if they do not understand child development?'
Part 11: On 15 November we will look at 'Promote child and young person development'
KEY ELEMENTS OF UNDERSTAND CHILD AND YOUNG PERSON DEVELOPMENT
- Understand the expected pattern of development for children and young people from birth to 19 and be able to explain the difference between the sequence and rate of each aspect of development.
- Understand the factors that influence development and how these affect practice. This includes explaining how development is influenced by both personal and external factors and how theories of development influence current practice.
- Understand how to monitor children's and young people's development and the interventions that should take place if this is not following the expected pattern.
- Understand the importance of early intervention to support the speech, language and communication needs of children and young people, and explain how play and activities are used to support the development of speech, language and communication.
- Understand the potential effects of transitions on development.
TOP TIPS
- Invest in a copy of Carolyn Meggitt and Gerald Sunderland's Child Development, Birth to 16 Years: an Illustrated Guide (Heinemann Childcare)
- On your way to and from work, play a guessing game with yourself - look at the young children you pass and try to work out their age
- Observe your siblings
- Think of a child you know well from nursery, assess where he or she is at developmentally and plan next steps to promote that child's development in different areas, such as language and communication
- Team up with someone on your course and test each other - one of you describe what a child can do and the other guess the child's age, and vice versa.
