If these aspects are not addressed it will often have the opposite effect and result in giving a child low esteem which will make them question their own beliefs. So by not respecting and valuing the child it will give them a negative view of life and not motivate them to want to succeed so will eventually end up rebelling. For example if a child produces a piece of art that seems to be of low quality as you cannot make out what it is, you gently ask the child what they have drew rather than just letting them know that it was a poor effort.
C1 – By listening to children’s views and valuing their opinions it improves communication skills. By learning to communicate with one and other if effectively builds trust and respect. It will also develop a better relationship with parents of the children and also the children themselves. This is important as the children will then feel safe to be able to approach you if there was and issues or difficulties they may be having with work. Also if a child had problems with their well-being, for example if they are autistic or dyslexic etc., then this will be easier to notice quicker and can be acted upon in the right way.
However if there is a lack of communication and you fail to listen to the children, then any problems they may have can go unnoticed and could affect the child in later life. If staff listen to the child’s views it helps them to have a better knowledge of their job which allows them to enforce the correct strategies for each child to improve their well-being as every child is different and needs different help as all children learn in different ways.
It is also important to listen to children’s views and value their opinions because it makes them feel respected. If a child does not feel like they matter then they may not bother trying and end up giving up.
There are many ways of showing respect to a child such as giving them eye contact and speaking to the child, not at the child as with young children this makes them feel safe because you are getting down to their level. By showing respect it shows the child that their opinions are just as important as the adults and are listened to. It is important that showing you are listening to the child and valuing their opinions is conveyed clearly to the child.
Conversely, if it isn’t addressed then the opposite affect will apply and it will lower the child’s self-esteem and inhibit any development they may be making.
A1 – A child centred approach is a great way for children to progress in learning. It allows the children to take an active role and make more decisions about their own learning rather than the teachers views and ideas being put first over the child’s.
The high scope approach, which was originally developed in the US, uses many strategies in the classroom to give a child centred approach to learning. For example, something that could be set up in a classroom could be building block, crafts, dressing up clothes and they would all the children can use the materials in their own different ways according to how they cope and their ability. They are also flexible on children’s routines, so if they need a drink or something to eat or got to the toilet then they can do when they want, to a certain extent unless it disturbs learning. Another typical method of learning is by setting the children challenges but allowing them to explore in their own way of how to complete it without feeding them the solutions. Children learn quicker this way by having freedom to learn as it shows they want to learn rather than being made to learn.
However on the other hand, it could be a disadvantage to those children who are less motivated and rely on the teacher too much. For example, for children that prefer the games a lot more than the teacher controlled learning activities, they will just be doing the teacher lessons just so that they can play. This means as they are not interested in learning they will not be retaining and information and making progress.
Also for those children who are less outgoing and shy, they may not feel the wish to join in playing games to learn new skills so they will be at a disadvantage to other children.
Additionally, there are a huge number of strengths to child centred learning. It allows all children to learn from their mistakes ad this is seen through the children reviewing what they have done so that they share ideas and find out how to solve things rather than failing something. Through this they get to discover new and exciting things. For example in a class room they could discover “how to mix primary colours to make green” which “helps to develop strong connections in a child’s brain”, Clarke J, 2008, and also lets them tell other children what they have found out so it is a continuous chain of learning.
Reggio Emilia is a form of education that makes parents, teachers and children equal in the learning of the child. Parents are not normally seen as part of the child’s education but here they are. The Reggio Emilia education gives children starting from a young age some knowledge of what they will face in the real world through child initiated learning.
The child centred approach gives children choice and allows them to independently make connections and communicate with others. It allows them to think for themselves and experience situations that they can overcome and succeed in by searching for the answers themselves. This is why this approach is a strong approach to learning and is effective so should be used more widely in schools.
E6 – When working with children you need many professional skills such as:
- Communication. This can be both verbal, written and also uses listening and reading as a key part of it. It is a skill that is fundamental to all practitioners as it is used all of the time, and if effective it is the key part of what builds trust within teams in a work place.
- Limits and boundaries. This is another necessary skill of an early year’s practitioner. These limits are for both the practitioner and the child in the setting. It includes the health and safety of all children, managing the child’s behaviour, child protection and also confidentiality of every child that the practitioner works with.
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The planning cycle. This is a skill that is also used to be a successful early year’s worker or teacher. It has three main stages in the process which are plan, do and review. This involves being prepared and getting resources ready so that you have planned ahead. Also being able to successfully change plans as you go along and thinking on your feet is essential as you never know when a problem could arise. For example, if a task you had set such as paining was to go wrong and you didn’t have the correct materials, then you must be prepared and able to make a quick decision in the changing of the task. The planning cycle also involves observing the children in order to understand them and allow them to progress. The planning cycle should be “a continual process as children’s development is not static”, Tassoni P, 2007, and also as every child is different and progresses at different rates.
B1- There is various limits and boundaries that need to be though about when working with children, these include:
- Health and safety- when working with children you need to go back to basics such as making sure there is no sharp or dangerous object in the work area and shutting doors in class rooms so that you know where all children are at all times. Children also pick up germs easily this means that staff may need to wear a uniform and also before touching the children thinking about the possible need to wear disposable gloves. Knowing your limits and boundaries is important in terms of health and safety as you are limited as to what physical inter action is allowed with the children, so knowing what you should if you spot something unsafe or if a child injures themselves is essential. If you do not understand what to do this could be dangerous as it is putting the children’s health and safety at risk. For example, if a child was playing on the climbing frame and you believed there was a high chance they are going to fall and injure themselves, but you know you are limited on what you can do as you are unable to physically touch the child then you need to know what you are allowed to do by a member of staff in senior role to you so that you and the child is not at risk.
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Managing children’s behaviour – what you are allowed to do has its limits when it comes to intervening on situations where a child is misbehaving. There is a difference between “playing with children and encouraging them to become over excited or distracting them” when learning. Tassoni P, 2007.
If children are not shown what is right and wrong then their behaviour will never improve. It is essential that also all practitioners, both experienced and training, give the children the same messages as mixed messages will not help in managing their behaviour.
- Child protection – A child protection policy is set up in every child setting. A limit that is important that you should be aware of is how much physical contact is being made between you and the child. For example, especially working with you children, they are keen to hug you and want to hold your hand but this may not always be appropriate. It is also important that you know how to keep all children safe and free from abuse
If this wasn’t done then the child may feel uncomfortable or if a policy was not put in place that you knew about then it could go unnoticed if a child was being mistreated or abused.
- Confidentiality – when in a child setting a lot of information is shared that needs to be kept private for various reasons. It is also important to do this because, for example, if a father of a child was legally not allowed to see their child and information was let out from the child’s school or nursery then it could put the child in danger. Also a common example would be if an observation was done of a child, then that information should only be shared with other staff and professionals.
The Data Protection Act, 1998 was designed to “give protection and lay down rules about how data about people can be used”, www.bbc.co.uk, 2011, so therefor it is essential that all information that is shared between the professional and children or the professional and parents is kept confidential.
If this wasn’t done then you could potentially be breaking the law as you are not following The Data Protection Act and also it could put children in danger.
D1 – For care professionals to have a good, strong relationship with parents and other professionals is important.
Working with parents is an essential part of the role as an early practitioner alongside relationships with children. Children at a young age seem to look at their parents for guidance so if the children see a positive strong relationship between their parents and the professional then it will put them at ease and make them feel safe and less fearful.
Also parents need to feel they can trust the professional to care for their child correctly as they have got to leave their child with them. This is gained through trust which also leads on to allowing the parent and professional to confide in one and other if they have any problems involving the child.
It is also important for care professionals to develop strong relationships with other professionals as it enables them to feel safe sharing information within the setting. If there is a good flow of communication then it is an advantage for both the child and the parent. For example, if a parent was to tell a member of staff that their child needed a certain medication you would expect this message to be passed on to ensure that the child gets their medication and that the parent doesn’t have to tell all staff.
If there wasn’t a good relationship between both the professionals and the parents then there would be a breakdown in communication within the setting and this could affect this children’s well-being and their progression. It also could mean that any problems the child may be having in the setting or at home will go unnoticed.
D2 – working in a Multi-agency team means working with various different services that are professionals in a specific area who know how to deal with certain situations and are able to provide services that will help children, parents and carers. Working as part of a multi-agency team is an effective way of supporting children with additional needs and helping them to improve.
When a problem arises, multi-agency meetings take place and all of the professionals such as social workers, therapists, teachers, S.E.N.C.O, health visitors and many more come together to discuss the family’s needs and what they are going to do as a team to provide help for them. Then it is decided who from the team is going to be taking the lead role and will coordinate the team and keep regular contact with both the family and all agencies involved in the situation.
There are both advantages and disadvantages or working a part of a multi-agency team. A benefit of working as a multi-agency is that it leads to better outcomes for children as they are offered a wide range of services that are joined up and they can get help and advice very easily. Also it improves your understanding of issues and other agencies and how they work. It is also a way of building trust as you are always having to share information within the team and trusting the other agencies to provide well for the people concerned as well as your own agency helping.
However there are also disadvantages and problems that could arise when working as a multi-agency teams such as a problem with time. For some services it is a long wait before they are free to do anything and this could be an issue as some matters need to be dealt with quickly. Also all agencies will have to adapt in working in a new way and there could be conflict or disagreement here, or they may also be defensive of the own facilities and equipment and not be willing to share with the rest of the team. This can cause problems for everyone involved in the case.
Overall, working as part of a multi-agency team is a great way of dealing with issues as the more agencies involved that can offer support to the children and parents, the more likely the needed help will be given and to a higher standard.
E7 – There are various study skills required for different careers. To work as a practitioner some study skills that will be needed to be successful are skills such as; note taking, research, time management, planning and many more.
I find that it is essential to be able to note take as you are constantly learning new theories and idea and do not have the time to write in long had or you will miss some vital information.
Being able to plan is a key skill, especially when working with children. This may consist of having to find out about the child and their needs before being able to accommodate for them, but without planning, the children will not have a structured learning time so will not benefit fully.
Learning styles are various ways of learning. One of the most common ways of finding out your learning style is through Flemings VARK model. As a kinaesthetic and visual learner, I find that going out and doing things such a practical’s, day trips, experiments, trial and error situations help. For example, I would undertake a task and then even if I fail, I learn from it and am successful the next time. I also find as a visual learner that it helps to draw pictures and diagrams when explaining things to others and using various bright colours so that I can remember and retain the information easier.
Everyone is different in the way in which they learn but they all are correct.
