1. Unit 5 Play and learning
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2. LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments.
AC 8.1 Analyse the role of the early years practitioner in supporting children’s socialisation within play environments.
AC 8.2 Evaluate strategies to support children to manage their own behaviour.
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3. Compare your list with a partner.
LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.1]
Time: 10 mins
List all the daily activities within your setting that encourage children to play with others.
Compare your list with a partner.
What are the similarities and differences?
How do the activities vary according to age and stage of development?
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4. Supporting children to be with others
LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.1]
Supporting children to be with others
For some children, coming in to an early years setting will be their first experience of playing with others.
Children are not born knowing how to share.
Some children are naturally dominant whilst others will be very shy.
Early years practitioners need to provide activities and experiences to meet the individual needs of all children.
Adults need to know when to step in to support children to play together and when to let children work it out for themselves.
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5. LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.1]
Time: 15 mins
Read the scenario and discuss the questions following in your group.
Suky has been at the setting for three weeks. Every morning she is bought in by her grandmother and she goes straight to the puzzle table. She picks up pieces of puzzle and turns them over and over in her hand before putting them down again, but she never attempts to complete a puzzle. If more than two other children sit at the table she gets up and wanders around the setting.
Other children approached her in the beginning but now that happens less frequently. She will do an activity with an adult if led to it by the adult.
Why might Suky be behaving in this way?
How could the adult support her to play with or near others?
Why is it important to encourage Suky to socialise with others?
Teacher notes:
Why might Suky be behaving in this way?
ESOL
Grandmother unable to support settling in
Only child or large family.
How could the adults support her to play with or near others?
Sit with her and narrate what is going on around
They should not force her to be with others
They could choose children with a placid nature to play near Suky
Use of routines
They could encourage her to help adults with tasks.
Why is it important to encourage Suky to socialise with others?
There could be an impact on Suky’s social development if the issue is not addressed.
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6. Creating opportunities for children to play and work with others
LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.1]
Creating opportunities for children to play and work with others
Early years practitioners should provide a wide variety of activities and opportunities to meet individual needs.
Children need to experience group activities.
Activities that encourage children to play collaboratively are essential.
Children should be given time to choose who and what they want to play with.
Group situations that encourage sharing and talking will support a child to develop in these areas.
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7. LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.1]
Time: 15 mins Create a table of activities or experiences that support children in socialising. Some examples have been provided.
Group learning
Socialisation
Bug hunt
Home corner
Floating and sinking
Circle time
Teacher notes:
This activity will encourage learners to link activities to opportunities for children to work and be together.
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8. LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.1]
Time: 15 mins
How do activities that involve socialisation and group work benefit a child’s holistic development?
Consider:
Working with others
Being around others
Thinking of others
Taking turns.
Teacher notes:
Learners should discuss the benefits and can link their experiences from the setting to this discussion.
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9. The role of the practitioner in supporting behaviour
LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.2]
The role of the practitioner in supporting behaviour
Adults play a crucial role in managing children’s behaviour.
When working with children we have to think about everything we do and say as children look up to adults as role models.
You will often see children in role play imitating what they have seen adults do or say in real life.
Children will come to an adult if they have problems with their friends or if no one will play with them.
Children will take ‘cues’ from adults and will pick up on body language.
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10. Managing own behaviour
LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.2]
Managing own behaviour
Children have to learn to manage their own behaviour.
Adults need to decide when to intervene in children’s arguments.
Early years practitioners should support children to deal with disagreements and disputes in the setting.
Praise and encouragement after a dispute is essential.
Positive reinforcement can support a child to think about their behaviour.
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11. What did you do as soon as you saw the incident?
LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.2]
Time: 10 mins
Think of a situation in your setting where two children were arguing over a toy.
What did you do as soon as you saw the incident?
Did you involve the children in resolving the incident?
What was the outcome of your intervention?
What would you do differently next time?
Discuss with a partner.
Teacher notes:
Learners need to reflect on how they deal with unwanted behaviour. Many step in and tell children what to do. This activity gives them the opportunity to decide how to encourage children to manage conflicts and behaviours.
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12. LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.2]
Time: 15 mins
Look at a behaviour policy. You could ask if you can see the one in your setting, or find one online.
Does the policy identify how children could be encouraged and supported to manage their own behaviour?
How could the policy be improved to support children to manage their own behaviour?
Teacher notes:
This activity encourages learners to read behaviour policies and show how children’s behaviour is managed by the setting.
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13. LO8 Understand how the early years practitioner supports children’s socialisation and behaviour within play environments [AC 8.2]
Time: 15 mins
Create an advice sheet on how parents/carers can support their child to deal with conflict.
Include information on why it is important for children to have opportunities to manage their own behaviour.
Teacher notes:
This activity is designed to encourage learners to think about the importance of consistency in managing behaviour and the role parents/carers play in this.
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14. In this lesson we:
Have identified that practitioners play a crucial role in supporting socialisation within play.
Have discussed activities that will be available on a daily basis to encourage children to work and play together.
Have learnt that children will copy adult behaviour and so it is essential that practitioners are positive role models for all children.
Have learnt that settings will have behaviour policies and procedures to ensure a consistent and fair approach to managing behaviour.
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15. What would you do if you saw an argument starting between two children?
Is there an element of your own behaviour that you need to address when in the setting?
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