BTEC Level 3 in Children’s Play, learning and Development Unit 1: Child Development Understand how the principles of growth and development apply to children’s developmental progress from birth up to 8 years

What you will be expected to understand from Learning aim A You will be expected to understand the principles of growth and development; to use relevant information from provided sources to recognise the developmental stage that children should have reached at that age; to anticipate the next stage(s) of development; to recognise delays, difficulties or advanced progress in relation to growth and developmental norms; to analyse how development in one area may affect their development in other areas; to explain a child’s development in the context of their cultural environment; to recall, apply and synthesise knowledge of child development and apply it to unfamiliar scenarios.

Principles of growth the rate of growth is variable; different parts of the body grow at different rates; children’s growth is monitored by measuring height, weight and the head circumference of babies

Definition of development the skills and knowledge that children gain

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice Developmentally appropriate practice is based on knowledge about how children develop and learn. As Katz (1995) states, “In a developmental approach to curriculum design…(decisions) about what should be learned and how it would best be learned depend on what we know or the learner’s developmental status and our understanding of the relationships between early experience and subsequent development”

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice To guide their decisions about practice, all early years educators need to understand the developmental changes that typically occur in the years from birth up to 2 years 2 up to 4 years 4 up to 8 years Variations in development may occur How best to support children’s learning and development during these years For each of the age/stages can you think of any examples Why would children differ

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice Physical development occurs in an orderly sequence Human development research indicates that relatively stable, predictable sequences of growth and change occur in children during the first nine years of life (Piaget, Erikson) Predictable changes occur in all domains of development- physical, emotional, social, language and cognitive-although the ways that these changes are manifest and the meaning attached to them vary in different cultural contexts. Can you think of any examples? Knowledge of typical development of children within the age span provides a general framework to guide practitioners

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice physical development begins with the control of head movement and continues down the body Babies are almost immobile when they are born and have very little muscular co-ordination. Very quickly, however, they are able to focus their eyes and follow a sound from side to side as well as being able to cry and make gurgling sounds. Soon the muscles begin to strengthen and babies start to control their movements. This allows them to begin to explore their environment and learn how their world operates Physical control and co-ordination progress downwards, beginning with the head and moving through the neck, trunk, arms and finally the legs

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice physical development begins with uncontrolled large movements before becoming precise and refined

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice areas of development are interrelated Development in one domain can limit or facilitate development in others. For example, when babies begin to crawl or walk, their ability to explore the world expands, and their mobility, in turn, affects their cognitive development. Likewise, children’s language skill affects their ability to establish social relationships with adults and other children, just as their skill in social interaction can support or impede their language development. Because developmental domains are interrelated, practitioners need to be aware of and use these inter-relationships to organize children’s learning experiences in ways that help children develop optimally in all areas and that make meaningful connections across domains.

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice the development rate varies between children Individual variation has at least two dimensions: The inevitable variability around the average or normative course of development The uniqueness of each person as an individual Each child is a unique person with an individual pattern and timing of growth, as well as individual personality, temperament, learning style and experiential and family background All children have their own strengths, needs, and interests; for some children, special learning and developmental needs or abilities are identified. Can you think of any examples and where they are not identified? Given the enormous variation among children of the same chronological age, a child’s age must be recognised as only a crude index of developmental maturity.

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice development is affected by a range of different factors The simplest way to express this principle is to say that human beings are products of both heredity and environment and these forces are interrelated. More often today, development is viewed as the result of an interactive, transactional process between the growing, changing individual and his or her experiences in the social and physical worlds. For example, a child’s genetic makeup may predict healthy growth, but inadequate nutrition in the early years of life may keep this potential from being fulfilled A severe disability, whether inherited or environmentally caused, may be ameliorated through systematic, appropriate intervention A child’s inherited temperament-whether a predisposition to be wary or outgoing- shapes and is shaped by how other children and adults communicate with that child.

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice How the development of children’s brains (neural growth, development of pathways, myelination) underpins many aspects of children’s overall development Students to research and explore how the development of children’s brains underpins many aspects of children’s overall development. Student to produce their own case study

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice The effects of cortisol on the developing brain Cortisol is a hormone that helps the body prepare to cope with stress Task: Students to research the effects of cortisol on the developing brain.

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice Homework Task: students to produce a factsheet to show how the principles of development help practitioners to: recognise a child’s overall stage of development support a child’s development anticipate the next stage(s) of development recognise delays in development recognise difficulties in development understand different factors that may affect development.

Principles of child development that inform developmentally appropriate practice