Childcare and Child Development in the Home Based Setting - Coursework Example

Childcare and Child Development in the Home Based Setting Part a)Discuss how to take a holistic approach to children’s development while using frameworks. Caring for all children regardless of age in a home-based setting involves many considerations. One is to see each child at his or her own developmental level and create activities and opportunities appropriate to their particular levels. The child needs to develop holistically, meaning each developmental area is given attention to so growth and development as a whole person ensues. The specific areas of learning and development, as identified in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) are: Personal, social and emotional development; Communication, language and literacy; Problem-solving, reasoning and numeracy; Knowledge and understanding of the world; Physical development and Creative development (EYFS, 2008) These are all linked together, as in development in one area affects the others. The practitioner needs careful planning and implementation of activities so that children under their care grow in all areas. Jean Piaget, among others, has outlined a remarkable framework in the development of a person and describes each stage. The childminder caring for children of various ages should be cognizant of these stages so she knows how to plan for each child in a specific developmental stage. The initial stage is the Sensorimotor Stage of babies and toddlers. This period is characterized by interactions with the environment based on the child’s reception of sensory input and muscular reactions. The task of this period is to develop the concept of object permanence, the idea that objects exist even when they cannot be seen or heard. (Brewer, 2001). The Preoperational Period (two to seven years) marks the time when a child becomes able to represent objects and knowledge through imitation, symbolic play, drawing, mental images and spoken language. Lack of conservation skills is also characteristic of this stage. “Conservation is defined as the knowledge that the number, mass, area, length, weight, and volume of objects are not changed by physically rearranging the objects.” (Brewer, 2001) The ages of seven to eleven or twelve years falls under the Concrete Operational Period. Primary school children at this age begin to think more operationally. Piaget and Inhelder (1969) described the operational thinker as one who employs “identity or reversibility by inversion or reciprocity” (p.99) in solving problems. They have moved on from being egocentric and consider that others may come to conclusions that differ from theirs. The Formal Operational Period commences at age 12 and continues on to adulthood. This final stage of cognitive development is characterized by the ability to think abstractly, reason logically and draw conclusions from available data. The young adult at this stage is more capable of understanding things beyond the surface meaning. (b)Explain why careful planning is required to provide for mixed age groups of children. Having a mixed age group entails much patience and understanding on the part of the practitioner. It may be challenging to keep track of each one’s developmental level when they are united in creating chaos in the environment. However, the effective practitioner knows how to manage such stressful situations with careful planning. Bearing in mind that each child’s individual need should be met, a practitioner may group children with similar ages or ability levels together and manage the different groups in accordance to their developmental and individual needs. In home-based settings, since the environment is more informal than in school settings, children’s interests may be indulged. Activities may be planned separately for toddlers, preschoolers, primary school children, adolescents and teenagers. The beauty of mixed aged groups is that there is vertical learning. The teen-agers and adolescents may be given responsibilities and tasks to care for the younger children. These tasks may develop in them nurturance and leadership skills. On the other hand, the younger primary school aged children, preschoolers and toddlers may emulate good qualities of their older mentors. Childminders should have enough flexibility in planning activities for children. Following their lead in terms of interests shared by the majority of children is one effective way of capturing their attention and motivating them to develop skills. To ensure that each individual in the mixed aged group is provided with the necessary attention and care, the childminder should be keen in observing their needs and interests so she is mindful of these when planning activities for them. Collaborating with parents is another way of gaining information on each child’s interest, abilities and personal qualities. (c) Evaluate the importance of play in children’s learning. Play is a child’s world. It is an avenue where one can be free to be oneself without anyone imposing rules or restrictions to conform to society’s standards. Play offers many benefits that foster children’s learning. It engages the mind to actively imagine various scenarios for fun or for problem-solving. Babies and toddlers play in order to get to know their world – how things work, how people react, etc. They get to explore and discover things that otherwise they will not learn about if they do not actively engage in play. Preschoolers and primary school children learn better in play-like settings because they retain concepts better when learned in the spirit of fun. They enjoy competitive games in testing their stock knowledge and even simulate game shows they watch on television in reviewing certain academic concepts. Adolescents and teenagers delight in mind games that make them think hard. Board games and mystery games that stimulate deep thought excite them. Such cognitive benefits extend to their real lives as they make decisions, compare and contrast things, use their imaginations and thinking critically and creatively. Play also engages the body. Certain games involve gross and fine motor coordination. Running around, jumping, tumbling and other physical activities help them be physically fit as well as release tension. Much practice in physical play develops their muscles, agility, flexibility and endurance. Socially, play fosters the development of friendships, coaxing children out of their shells. As they play with other children or adults, they get to know about how other people behave, think and feel. They also get to learn socially acceptable behavior like not hurting others and playing fair. Most importantly, they get to know themselves better- how they react to certain situations in the play setting. Play may also be an outlet for emotional release. Young children use role play or puppet play to process experiences they do not fully understand. Doing it over and over helps them realize what was wrong or right in confusing situations. Resolving issues in play may also be therapeutic for some children. Part 2 (a)Explain how you can include disabled children in your home-based setting. Practitioners with a genuine heart for caring for children are not prejudiced in selecting who to care for. According to EYFS principles, “Children should be treated fairly regardless of race, religion or abilities. This applies no matter what they think or say; what type of family they come from; what language(s) they speak; what their parents do; whether they are girls or boys; whether they have a disability or whether they are rich or poor. All children have an equal right to be listened to and valued in the setting.” (EYFS, 2007). Including disabled children in a home-based setting may be challenging to a childminder with limited experience in handling children with special needs. “A broad definition of a developmental disability is a condition or disorder—physical, cognitive, or emotional—that has the potential to significantly affect the typical progress of a child’s growth and development or substantially limits three or more major life activities including self-care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity for independent living, and/or economic self-sufficiency” (Federal Developmental Disabilities Act of 1984). Recognizing this, a childminder should structure the environment to accommodate such children, like providing ramps for children in wheelchairs. At the same time, they should seek the support of the children’s parents and other agencies involved with children with special needs. Professionals from a wide variety of fields and disciplines devote much time and energy in helping these children live comfortable and fulfilling lives with the end view of mainstreaming them into society and the real world. Educators, therapists, psychologists, speech pathologists, physicians, social workers and even government officials join hands in the care and education of these children to ensure their optimum growth and development. The children may be part of the social care team. They have the ability to help each other in their interactions. Children, both normal and with special needs are subsequently paired in natural settings for social activities. “The most direct outcome of these procedures has been an increase in positive social responses and peer acceptance. Strategies for peers to use include, soliciting the student’s attention, providing choices, modeling appropriate social behavior, reinforcing attempts at functional play, encouraging/ extending conversation, turn taking, narrating play and teaching responsiveness to multiple cues.” (Benito & Ramirez, 2000). (b)Analyse your role in supporting the families of disabled children. A practitioner handling disabled children has a key role in supporting them and their families. Listening to families and being sensitive to their concerns regarding their disabled children is one essential role that may help ease the burden of these people. Maintaining a warm and open communication with families and involving them in the activities of their disabled children would surely be a welcome support. Having access to a disabled child’s records (from doctors or other agencies) enables a practitioner to monitor the child’s progress and to plan for the child accordingly. Maintaining assessment records and observations are important as these may serve as assessment tools in future diagnostic purposes by professionals. References Benito, N. & Ramirez, C. (2000) Transition Strategies for teams supporting students with disabilities. University of South Florida: Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. Brewer, J.A. (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Federal Development Disabilities Act of 1984. Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1969) The Psychology of the Child. New York: Basic Books The Early Years Foundation Stage, (2007) Effective practice: Play and Exploration © Crown www.everychildmatters.gov.uk www.qca.org.uk www.surestart.gov.uk www.teachernet.gov.uk Read More