Cognitive Development Theory
Piaget
Piaget observed children doing a series of simple but in genius tests to reveal different cognitive abilities. He found that children are merely less competent thinkers than adult and he showed that young children think in strikingly different ways compared to adults. According to Piaget children are born with a very basic mental structure on which all subsequent learning and knowledge is based.
Vygotsky
Vygotsky’s theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognitive development, he believes strongly that the community plays a central role in the process of ‘making meaning’. Unlike Piaget, Vygotsky argued that social learning tends to proceed development. Vygotsky places more emphasis on culture affecting/ shaping cognitive development; the role of language and the way that adults transmit their culture tools of intellectual adaptation that children internalize.
Bruner
According to Bruner, the outcome of cognitive development is thinking. The intelligent mind creates from experience “generic coding systems that permit one to go beyond the data to new and possibly fruitful predictions”. Thus, children as they grow must acquire a way of representing the “recurrent regularities” in their environment. So, to Bruner, important outcomes of learning include not just the concepts, categories, and problem-solving procedures invented previously by the culture, but also the ability to “invent” these things for oneself. Bruner would likely agree with Vygotsky that language serves to mediate between environmental stimuli and the individual’s response.
Psychoanalytic Freud
Freud developed a more structural model of the mind comprising the entities id, ego and superego (what Freud called “the psychic apparatus”).
These are not physical areas within the brain, but rather hypothetical conceptualizations of important mental functions.
The ego develops from the id during infancy. The ego’s goal is to satisfy the demands of the id in a safe a socially acceptable way.
Erikson
Erikson Erik Erikson does not talk about psychosexual Stages, he discusses psychosocial stages. His ideas were greatly influenced by Freud, going along with Freud’s theory regarding the structure and topography of personality.
However, whereas Freud was an id psychologist, Erikson was an ego psychologist. He emphasized the role of culture and society and the conflicts that can take place within the ego itself, whereas Freud emphasized the conflict between the id and the superego. According to Erikson, the ego develops as it successfully resolves crises that are distinctly social in nature. These involve establishing a sense of trust in others, developing a sense of identity in society, and helping the next generation prepare for the future. Erikson extends on Freudian thoughts by focusing on the adaptive and creative characteristic of the ego and expanding the notion of the stages of personality development to include the entire lifespan.
Erikson proposed a lifespan model of development, taking in five stages up to the age of 18 years and three further stages beyond, well into adulthood. Erikson suggests that there is still plenty of room for continued growth and development throughout one’s life. Erikson puts a great deal of emphasis on the adolescent period, feeling it was a crucial stage for developing a person’s identity. Like Freud and many others, Erik Erikson maintained that personality develops in a predetermined order, and builds upon each previous stage. This is called the epigamic principle.
Humanist Theory
Maslow
The Work of Abraham Maslow described a hierarchy of needs that he argued provides a model for understanding the need for human relations in the classroom. Needs lower on the pyramid, such as physical and safety needs, must be met before an individual will consider higher-level needs.
This hierarchy explains important components of behaviour, including school behaviour. Teachers often assume that the physical security and safety needs of their students are ensured, but in many schools, they are not. Increasing numbers of homes and schools are unable to provide simple safety. When
Physical security and safety, including sleep, are challenged, students will use most of their time, energy, and creativity simply trying to survive. This struggle interferes with learning.
Belonging needs are often strong in school. Children need to know they are a welcome part of the class. The teacher cannot allow derogatory name-calling and other forms of bullying and exclusion to dominate the classroom. These peer group relations substantially influence school success. It is
Difficult to learn in hostile, conflict-filled classrooms and schools. Classroom planning and curriculum decisions, such as the decisions to teach cooperative learning and peer group mediation, can help to convert the classroom environment to one of support and belonging.
Maslow did not consider this hierarchy a rigid one. Students will partially fulfil some needs and thus become prepared to consider higher-level needs.
Rogers
Rogers agreed with the main assumptions of Maslow but added that for a person to ‘grow’ they need an environment that produces them with geniuses, acceptance and empathy. He believes that without these, relationships and healthy personalities will not develop as they should. Rogers also believe that every person can achieve their goals, wishes and desires in life. When, or rather if they did self-actualization took place.
Carl Rogers viewed children as having two basic needs: 1) positive regard from other people 2) Self-worth.
Self-worth may be seen as a continuum from very high to very low. For Carl Rogers (1959) a person who has high self-worth, that is, has confidence and positive feelings about him or herself, faces challenges in life, accepts failure and unhappiness at times, and is open with people.
A person with low self-worth may avoid challenges in life, not accept that life can be painful and unhappy at times and will be defensive and guarded with other people.
Rogers believed feelings of self-worth developed in early childhood and were formed from the interaction of the child with the mother and father. As a child grows older, interactions with significant others will affect feelings of self-worth.
Rogers believed that we need to be regarded positively by others; we need to feel valued, respected, treated with affection and loved. Positive regard is to do with how other people evaluate and judge us in social interaction. Rogers made a distinction between unconditional positive regard and conditional positive regard.
Unconditional positive regard is where parents, significant others (and the humanist therapist) accepts and loves the person for what he or she is. Positive regard is not withdrawn if the person does something wrong or makes a mistake. The consequences of unconditional positive regard are that the person feels free to try things out and make mistakes, even though this may lead to getting it worse at times. People who are able to self-actualize are more likely to have received unconditional positive regard from others, especially their parents in childhood.
Conditional positive regard is where positive regard, praise and approval, depend upon the child, for example, behaving in ways that the parents think correct. Hence the child is not loved for the person he or she is, but on condition that he or she behaves only in ways approved by the parent(s). At the extreme, a person who constantly seeks approval from other people is likely only to have experienced conditional positive regard as a child.
Bandura
Albert Bandura states behaviour is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning. Bandura believes that humans are active information processors and think about the relationship between their behaviour and its consequences. Observational learning could not occur unless cognitive processes were at work.
Children observe the people around them behaving in various ways. Individuals that are observed are called models. In society, children are surrounded by many influential models, such as parents within the family, characters on children’s TV, friends within their peer group and teachers at school. These models provide examples of behaviour to observe and imitate, e.g. masculine and feminine, pro and anti-social etc.
Children pay attention to some of these people (models) and encode their behaviour. At a later time, they may imitate (i.e. copy) the behaviour they have observed. They may do this regardless of whether the behaviour is ‘gender appropriate’ or not, but there are a number of processes that make it more likely that a child will reproduce the behaviour that its society deems appropriate for its sex.
First, the child is more likely to attend to and imitate those people it perceives as similar to itself. Consequently, it is more likely to imitate behaviour modelled by people of the same sex.
Second, the people around the child will respond to the behaviour it imitates with either reinforcement or punishment. If a child imitates a model’s behaviour and the consequences are rewarding, the child is likely to continue performing the behaviour. If parent sees a little girl consoling her teddy bear and says, “what a kind girl you are”, this is rewarding for the child and makes it more likely that she will repeat the behaviour. Her behaviour has been reinforced (i.e. strengthened).
Reinforcement can be external or internal and can be positive or negative. If a child wants approval from parents or peers, this approval is an external reinforcement, but feeling happy about being approved of is an internal reinforcement. A child will behave in a way which it believes will earn approval because it desires approval.
Positive (or negative) reinforcement will have little impact if the reinforcement offered externally does not match with an individual’s needs. Reinforcement can be positive or negative, but the important factor is that it will usually lead to a change in a person’s behaviour.
Third, the child will also consider of what happens to other people when deciding whether or not to copy someone’s actions. This is known as vicarious reinforcement.
This relates to attachment to specific models that possess qualities seen as rewarding. Children will have a number of models with whom they identify. These may be people in their immediate world, such as parents or older siblings or could be fantasy characters or people in the media. The motivation to identify with a particular model is that they have a quality which the individual would like to possess.
Identification occurs with another person (the model) and involves taking on (or adopting) observed behaviours, values, beliefs and attitudes of the person with whom you are identifying.
Behaviourist Approach
Pavlov
Pavlov believed in ‘conditioning’ his research started with dogs who salivated when their food was put down for them. He noted that whilst ringing a bell when the dogs’ food was put down resulted eventually in the dogs still salivating at the sound of the bell ringing even if no food was put appeared. This is because he had conditioned them to do so. Gradually after a while of just the bell ringing the dogs’ conditioned response to salivate weakened until they finally did not react – called ‘extinction’. This is a useful theory to help us understand the reasoning/behaviour of a child for example, having a phobia of going to the toilet in a new/strange place. Since he/she has been conditioned not to like the new/strange place and may refuse to go inside. This is where the conditioning is linked to an irrational fear and it is best to try to get him/her not to link the two and ‘un- condition’ him/her.
Skinner
Skinner suggested that humans and animals learn from exploring their environment then drawing conclusions based upon consequences of their behaviour. He divided the consequences into three groups. Positive rein forcers- Likely to repeat their behaviour when they get something they desire. He suggested this was the most effective way of encouraging new learning. Positive reinforces for children include gaining adult attention, praise, stickers, sweets and treats. Negative rein forcers- Likely to make people repeat behaviour as well but the behaviour is being repeated to stop something from happening i.e. children who are going down the slide too quickly will learn to use their hands to stop themselves as they are unhappy about the speed. Punishers- Likely to stop behaviour from being repeated i.e. staying away from the plug socket after receiving an electric shock.
Information-Processing Approach
The information processing theory approach to the study of cognitive development evolved out of the American experimental tradition in psychology. Developmental psychologists who adopt the information- processing perspective account for mental development in terms of maturational changes in basic components of a child’s mind. The theory is based on the idea that humans process the information they receive, rather than merely responding to stimuli. This perspective equates the mind to a computer, which is responsible for analysing information from the environment. According to the standard information-processing model for mental development, the mind’s machinery includes attention mechanisms for bringing information in, working memory for actively manipulating information, and long-term memory for passively holding information so that it can be used in the future. This theory addresses how as children grow, their brains likewise mature, leading to advances in their ability to process and respond to the information they received through their senses. The theory emphasizes a continuous pattern of development, in contrast with Cognitive Developmental theorists such as Jean Piaget that thought development occurred in stages at a time.
Attachment Theories
Attachment theory is a psychological model that attempts to describe the dynamics of long- term interpersonal relationships between humans. However, “attachment theory is not formulated as a general theory of relationships. It addresses only a specific facet”, how human beings respond within relationships when hurt, separated from loved ones, or perceiving a threat. Essentially, attachment depends on the person’s ability to develop basic trust in their caregivers and self. In infants, attachment as a motivational and behavioural system directs the child to seek proximity with a familiar caregiver when they are alarmed, with the expectation that they will receive protection and emotional support. John Bowlby believed that the tendency for primate infants to develop attachments to familiar caregivers was the result of evolutionary pressures, since attachment behaviour would facilitate the infant’s survival in the face of dangers such as predation or exposure to the elements.
The most important tenet of attachment theory is that an infant need to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for the child’s successful social and emotional development, and in particular for learning how to effectively regulate their feelings. Fathers or any other individuals, are equally likely to become principal attachment figures if they provide most of the child care and related social interaction. In the presence of a sensitive and responsive caregiver, the infant will use the caregiver as a “safe base” from which to explore. It should be recognized that “even sensitive caregivers get it right only about 50 percent of the time. Their communications are either out of synch, or mismatched. There are times when parents feel tired or distracted. The telephone rings or there is breakfast to prepare. In other words, attuned interactions rupture quite frequently. But the hallmark of a sensitive caregiver is that the ruptures are managed and repaired.
Attachments between infants and caregivers form even if this caregiver is not sensitive and responsive in social interactions with them. This has important implications. Infants cannot exit unpredictable or insensitive caregiving relationships. Instead they must manage themselves as best they can within such relationships. Research by developmental psychologist Mary Ainsworth in the 1960s and 70s found that children will have different patterns of attachment depending primarily on how they experienced their early caregiving environment. Early patterns of attachment, in turn, shape — but do not determine — the individual’s expectations in later relationships. Four different attachment classifications have been identified in children: secure attachment, anxious-ambivalent attachment, anxious- avoidant attachment, and disorganized attachment. Attachment theory has become the dominant theory used today in the study of infant and toddler behaviour and in the fields of infant mental health, treatment of children, and related fields. Secure attachment is when children feel they can rely on their caregivers to attend to their needs of proximity, emotional support and protection. It is considered to be the best attachment style. Separation anxiety is what infants feel when they are separated from their caregivers. Anxious- ambivalent attachment is when the infant feels separation anxiety when separated from his caregiver and does not feel reassured when the caregiver returns to the infant. Anxious-avoidant attachment is when the infant avoids their parents. Disorganized attachment is when there is a lack of attachment behaviour. In the 1980s, the theory was extended to attachment in adults. Attachment applies to adults when adults feel close attachment to their parents and their romantic partners.
Kohlberg’s Level of Moral Development
The theory holds that moral reasoning, the basis for ethical behaviour, has six identifiable developmental stages, each more adequate at responding to moral dilemmas than its predecessor. Kohlberg followed the development of moral judgment far beyond the ages studied earlier by Piaget, who also claimed that logic and morality develop through constructive stages. Expanding on Piaget’s work, Kohlberg determined that the process of moral development was principally concerned with justice, and that it continued throughout the individual’s lifetime, a notion that spawned dialogue on the philosophical implications of such research.
The six stages of moral development are grouped into three levels: pre- conventional morality, conventional morality, and post-conventional morality.
For his studies, Kohlberg relied on stories such as the Heinz dilemma, and was interested in how individuals would justify their actions if placed in similar moral dilemmas. He then analysed the form of moral reasoning displayed, rather than its conclusion, and classified it as belonging to one of six distinct stages.
There have been critiques of the theory from several perspectives. Arguments include that it emphasizes justice to the exclusion of other moral values, such as caring; that there is such an overlap between stages that they should more properly be regarded as separate domains; or that evaluations of the reasons for moral choices are mostly post hoc rationalizations (by both decision makers and psychologists studying them) of essentially intuitive decisions.
Nevertheless, an entirely new field within psychology was created as a direct result of Kohlberg’s theory, and according to Hag bloom et al.’s study of the most eminent psychologists of the 20th century, Kohlberg was the 16th most frequently cited psychologist in introductory psychology textbooks throughout the century, as well as the 30th most eminent overall.
Kohlberg’s scale is about how people justify behaviours and his stages are not a method of ranking how moral someone’s behaviour is. There should however be a correlation between how someone scores on the scale and how they behave, and the general hypothesis is that moral behaviour is more responsible, consistent and predictable from people at higher levels.
Social Pedagogy
Social Pedagogy is an academic discipline concerned with the theory and practice of holistic education and care. The term ‘pedagogy’ originates from the Greek pays (child) and ageing (to bring up, or lead), with the prefix ‘social’ emphasising that upbringing is not only the responsibility of parents but a shared responsibility of society. As a result, social pedagogy is a ‘function of society’– it reflects how a given society at a given time thinks about education and upbringing, about the relationship between the individual and society, and about social welfare for its marginalised members. Consequently, social pedagogues work within a range of different settings, from early years through adulthood to working with disadvantaged adult groups as well as older people. To achieve a holistic perspective within each of these settings, social pedagogy draws together theories and concepts from related disciplines such as sociology, psychology, education, philosophy, medical sciences, or social work.
Constructivist Approach
Constructivism is a theory of knowledge that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. It has influenced a number of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, education and the history of science. During its infancy, constructivism examined the interaction between human experiences and their reflexes or behaviour-patterns. Jean Piaget called these systems of knowledge schemata. Constructivism is not a specific pedagogy, although it is often confused with constructionism, an educational theory developed by Seymour Paper, inspired by constructivist and experiential learning ideas of Piaget. Piaget’s theory of constructivist learning has had wide ranging impact on learning theories and teaching methods in education and is an underlying theme of many education reform movements. Research support for constructivist teaching techniques has been mixed, with some research supporting these techniques and other research contradicting those results.
Language Development
Language acquisition is the process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and comprehend language, as well as to produce and use words and sentences to communicate. Language acquisition is one of the quintessential human traits, because non- humans do not communicate by using language. Language acquisition usually refers to first- language acquisition, which studies infants’ acquisition of their native language. This is distinguished from second-language acquisition, which deals with the acquisition (in both children and adults) of additional languages.
The capacity to successfully use language requires one to acquire a range of tools including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and an extensive vocabulary. Language can be vocalized as in speech, or manual as in sign. The human language capacity is represented in the
brain. Even though the human language capacity is finite, one can say and understand an infinite number of sentences, which is based on a syntactic principle called recursion. Evidence suggests that every individual has three recursive mechanisms that allow sentences to go indeterminately. These three mechanisms are: gelatinization, complementation and coordination. Furthermore, there are actually two main guiding principles in first-language acquisition, that is, speech perception always precedes speech production and the gradually evolving system by which a child learns a language is built up one step at a time, beginning with the distinction between individual phonemes. A major debate in understanding language acquisition is how these capacities are picked up by infants from the linguistic input. Input in the linguistic context is defined as “All words, contexts, and other forms of language to which a learner is exposed, relative to acquired proficiency in first or second languages”. Nativists such as Noam Chomsky have focused on the hugely complex nature of human grammars, the finiteness and ambiguity of the input that children receive, and the relatively limited cognitive abilities of an infant. From these characteristics, they conclude that the process of language acquisition in infants must be tightly constrained and guided by the biologically given characteristics of the human brain. Otherwise, they argue, it is extremely difficult to explain how children, within the first five years of life, routinely master the complex, largely tacit grammatical rules of their native language.
Other scholars, however, have resisted the possibility that infants’ routine success at acquiring the grammar of their native language requires anything more than the forms learning seen with other cognitive skills, including such mundane motor skills as learning to ride a bike. In particular, there has been resistance to the possibility that human biology includes any form of specialization for language. This conflict is often referred to as the “nature and nurture” debate. Of course, most scholars acknowledge that certain aspects of language acquisition must result from the specific ways in which the human brain is “wired” (a “nature” component, which accounts for the failure of non-human species to acquire human languages) and that certain others are shaped by the particular language environment in which a person is raised (a “nurture” component, which accounts for the fact that humans raised in different societies acquire different languages). The as-yet unresolved question is the extent to which the specific cognitive capacities in the “nature” component are also used outside of language.
Personalised Learning Programmes
Personalized learning is the tailoring of pedagogy, curriculum and learning environments by learners or for learners in order to meet their different learning needs and aspirations. Typically technology is used to facilitate personalized learning environments.
Personalized learning has been defined with different accents by different authors. They are here summarized in a chronological list.
Parkhurst and the Dalton Plan (19th century): According to the Dalton Plan each student can program his or her curriculum in order to meet his or her needs, interests and abilities; to promote both independence and dependability; to enhance the student’s social skills and sense of responsibility toward others.
Washburne: Selfgoverment and the Winnetka Plan (first years of ‘900): The plan attempted to expand educational focus to creative activities and emotional and social development, using a program of a type that later became known as “programmed instruction”.
Claparède in “L’école sur mesure” (1920) states that the schoolchild should have the opportunity to freely choose a series of activities, already predisposed by the teacher, to improve intellectual, social and moral growth and develop personality fully. (Claparède E., L’Ècole sur mesure, Genève, Payot, 1920)
Bloom and the Mastery learning (’50s-’60s) is an instructional method that presumes all children can learn if they are provided with the appropriate learning conditions. Specifically, Mastery Learning is a method whereby students are not advanced to a subsequent learning objective until they demonstrate proficiency with the current one.
Keller within the Personalized System of Instruction (’60s) directs instruction on the base of the students’ requirements allowing them to work on course modules independently. It is an individually paced mastery oriented teaching method. The Personalized System of instruction also fits slightly with social constructivism by requiring students to work in teams of peer support with a proctor answering questions on the studied contents.
Gardner Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences states that not only do human beings have many different ways to learn and process information, but that these are independent of each other: leading to multiple “intelligences” as opposed to a general intelligence factor among correlated abilities.
Hoz
The first one that coined the term “personalization” in the context of educational science is Victor Garcìa Hoz, in 1970. His most important work in this context is “Personalized Education” published in 1981.
Kilpatrik and the Project Method (early 21st Century) is child-centred, is problem solving oriented, and the teacher direction is minimized. The teacher acts more as a facilitator encouraging self decision and self- control of the learner, more than delivering knowledge and information.
1.2 Explain the potential impact on service provision of different theories and approaches
Freud believed that our unconscious minds influence the way in which we behave. He thought that our early experiences caused our later adult behaviour. We are influenced by this in our provision by being good role models for children. We also make sure that they are always safe, and do not experience any negativity that may harm or influence their development. For example, we always praise and reward children to encourage confidence in future life.
Arnold Gesell
In the 1930’s Gesell mapped out the norms of children’s development. We use these to check that the child’s development follows the criteria and is making normal progress, in relation to other children. If it is discovered that the child is not progressing correctly then we can act upon it.
Jean Piget
Piget believed that children learn and go through stages and sequences. We practice this in nursery by using age assessment development sheets. Piget believed that children are active learners, and so we can encourage them through play and activities. It is also believed that children imitate and transform what they learn into symbolic behaviour. We use this information by rewarding the well behaved children, in the hope that the other children will copy and imitate the good behaviour.
Vygotsky
Vygotsky emphasised the importance of play for children under 7, as this allows children to do things beyond what they can manage in real life. We practice this by following the foundation phase which teaches children through play, using their imagination and being creative. For example, using the role play area, or making junk models.
Tina Bruce
Emphasises the holistic nature of children’s learning, the value of play and the importance of the adult on the child’s development. We ensure we use this by having appropriate ratios of child to adult. This enables one to one play and small group activities. This enables a strong bond between child and key worker, which can develop in a safe and secure environment.
Rudolf Steiner
Steiner believed that children should stay with one teacher for as long as possible in order to build the strongest teacher child bond. We practice this in nursery with children with special needs. In primary school certain children will have a one to one key worker who may follow them throughout their education, from primary to secondary school.
1.3 Critically analyse the move towards outcomes based services for children and young people
SIW
Care Standards Inspectorate of Wales
CSIW has helped generate dramatic improvement in written expression skills among both primary and secondary students with learning disabilities. They have seven aims: 1. Have a flying start and the best possible basis for children’s future, growth and development, 2. Have access to a comprehensive range of education, training and learning opportunities, including acquisition of essential personal and social skills, 3. Enjoy the best possible physical, mental, social, and emotional health. This includes freedom from abuse, victimisation, and exploitation, 4. Have access to play, leisure, sporting and cultural activities, 5. Children are listened to, treated with respect, and have their race and cultural identity recognised, 6. Have a safe home and a community which supports physical and emotional well-being, 7. Are not disadvantaged by child poverty.
If any of these aims are not met, then the CSIW will not approve the childcare setting. Therefore the business will not be able to open or
carry on with the services they provide. There is lots of paperwork and procedures to follow, but it is a good guideline to follow. This is because the CSIW ensures that each child’s welfare and development is met, which I think is very important. When the CSIW comes to inspect we are not warned beforehand. This is essential to see the childcare setting as it is day in and day out. There are no false settings and the business is inspected as it would be on any other day. I believe this is very important, as the CSIW can see whether their seven aims are being met, and how well the children are being looked after.
Foundation Phase
This is the statutory curriculum for all 3-7 year olds in Wales. This curriculum is for both maintained and non-maintained settings. Children are given opportunities to explore the world around them and understand how things work. They do this by taking part in practical activities that are relevant to their development. The curriculum focuses on experiential learning, active involvement, and developing each child.
Personal and Social Development
Encourages self esteem, personal beliefs, and moral values. Language, Literacy and Communication Skills
Children are encouraged to communicate their needs, feelings and thoughts. They are given opportunities to choose and use reading materials.
Mathematical Development
Children use numbers with daily activities eg. Songs. They also develop a range of flexible methods for working mentally with numbers. For example, when playing number games and flash cards. Welsh Language
Where the children are encouraged to communicate in welsh and become involved in welsh activities.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Children are given experiences that increase their curiosity about the world in which we live.
Physical Development
Children are encouraged to enjoy physical activities. Their developing sense of identity is linked closely to their own self-image, self esteem, and confidence. For example, it is important to encourage children to play ball games.
Creative Development
Children engage in creative, imaginative and expressive activities in art, craft, design, music, dance and movement. I find that the foundation phase has lots of strengths as it covers nearly all of the theories, thoughts and beliefs. It helps the children learn through play and having fun. It is essential to plan out and organise activities for children at this stage. Activities run much smoother when planned out and the children enjoy them more.
Birth to Three Matters
This is another government framework which supports the learning and development of children under three. It recognises that all children have, from birth, a need to develop learning through interaction with others, and the world around them. This stage focuses on four areas of learning and development. They are:
1. A Strong Child
2. A Healthy Child
3. A Competent Learner
4. A Skillful Communicator
I used to use the birth to three matters framework to help me plan the day for the babies and under 3’s, through our planned activities and the children’s development folder, in a previous job. Now I use the foundation scheme, where there is a lot less paperwork. However, I found that the Birth to Three Matters stage, looked much more professional when presenting the development folder to parents, when the child left the stage. We were given framework cards which gave us ideas for activities in the area of development in which we wanted to observe the children. This took a lot of dedication to implement and took me away from the children that I was looking after, in order to plan effectively.
ESTYN
ESTYN is the office of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales. It is a Crown body, established under the Education Act 1992. ESTYN is independent from the National Assembly for Wales but does receive its funding from the Welsh Government. It is responsible for observing standards in Educational settings in Wales, and therefore has high standards and expectations. I feel that it is more focussed on planning of the children’s development. Therefore, planning can be very time consuming to reach the standards that ESTYN expects. The child’s key worker has to undertake lots of one to one activities with each child, thus building strong bonds with the children. There are lots of observations to do and there is lots of paperwork. The daily planning must involve structured free play, which encourages the child to become more independent and creative. The key worker must attend regular courses to help with their planning. Inspections are more regular at this stage, and inspectors are very strict on the quality of the paperwork and planning.
2.4 Evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to encourage child or young person and carers’ participation in developmental assessment.
Within my setting we have a number of strategies which we use to assess the children developmentally, we usually observe the children whilst they are engrosses in an activity or create a ‘game’ to promote a skill which we can hen observe them doing, however the children usually do not realise that we are assessing them due to their age, but are happy to join in and display their skills to the best of their abilities. As a setting, we feel they this works very well, however due to us being involved with the planning and implementation of the routine and structured activities we are bias when it comes to evaluating the process. When we feel there is a child who may be exhibiting an additional learning need, we do a number of observations on the child, within different types of situations before discussing our concerns with the parent or carer of the child. We find that parents or carers can become a little distressed at the thought of their child having an additional learning need and, when discussing the behaviours they exhibit in the home setting, can sometimes refuse to accept that their child may need additional support or may refuse to allow us, as a setting, to take the concern further. Also when including parents or carers’ in the assessing pf their child’s developmental stages, it can be hard for all parents to be able to make comments on certain things that their child may or may not be able to do, due to our setting being private day care establishment, as they do not have time to assess them before and after work.
3.2 Explain circumstances where referrals to other agencies may be required
3.3 Explain how referrals to other agencies are managed
5.1 Explain how evidence based practice can be used to support children and young people experiencing transitions
Evidence based practice is the integration of best research evidence with practical expertise, and the values of service users and carers. In a private nursery setting we use observations and development assessments, from age 0-3yrs. Once they go to state nursery we forward the child’s information to the nursery they will attend, so they have background information on the child. This will include the stages they have achieved and whether we have any concerns. The new teacher will then know a little about the child, and this will help raise
the development in the future. Once the child moves to High School, their new Head of Year will have a one to one conversation with the child’s year 6 teacher. This will help the child be placed into the correct ability groups, friendship groups, and classes, where they will best achieve. This will help considerably with the child’s transition into a new phase. Hopefully the child will feel at ease.
5.3 Evaluate the implementation of evidence-based practice to support children or young people experiencing transitions
Although evidence-based practice has many positive aspects, there are also some negative aspects due to every child being different. The majority of children will benefit from the types of evidence-based practice we use, however the minority do not. With the inductions within our setting, some children still get distressed when separating from the parent or carer when they first start properly in the setting and although we can offer the parents or carer s extra settling periods with themselves present, this can upset some of the other children when their parents do not join them within the setting. It is also quite difficult to describe a child’s character on paper to send to school and not all information can be passes on through the booklets, such as ways to react towards individual children’s challenging behaviour, as this is something that is discovered over time and different things work the different staff. However for the majority of children, evidence based practice can be beneficial during times of transitions. If a staff member or teacher knows that certain activities are preferred by a child then these can be set up for the children to be made to feel more comfortable, as with favourite songs and comforters.