BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Children’s play,

Learning and Development

Why choose this course?

Most of us will be parents in the future or will come into contact with children at

some time in our lives. This course will help you to: • understand children better • look after children properly • find about how they learn to do things.

In the real world.

The focus - children between birth and 8

years old.

1 year

2 years

3 years

4 years

5 years

6 years

7 years

7 years, 11 months

What does the course involve? • 3 mandatory units of work

– Children’s development – Development of communication, literacy and

numeracy skills – Play and learning

• 2 optional units of work – Keeping children safe – Children’s physical development, care and

health needs

• 50 hours of work experience

Unit 1 - Children’s development • Patterns of growth in children • Development of children

– Physical – Cognitive – Language – Emotional – social

• Factors affecting growth and development from Birth – 7 years 11 months – Love and affection, diet, nutrition, rest, security

based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – Environmental factors – nature vs nurture,

medical needs, accidents etc

• Promoting physical development – games and activities – Encouraging imagination – Role of the family

• Language and communication development – Theoretical approaches to listening and

attention and understanding – Speaking – language acquisition

• Applying to early years practice – Learning to read and write – Use of non-verbal communication including

makaton and braille, gestures etc – Number work, – Space, shape and measure

• Theories of social and emotional development – Self, others and their place in the world

• Self-confidence, self-awareness • Self-identity, self-concern

– Behaviour theories of social development

– Making relationships • Applying to early years practice

Unit 2 - Development of communication, literacy and numeracy skills

• Stages of speech development – Factors affecting language acquisition and

development – Theories of development – How adults can support the development

• Supporting literacy and numeracy – Development of reading and writing and numeracy – Ways of helping – activities, strategies

• Supporting additional needs – Multilingualism – Additional language needs

Method of Assessment • Unit 1 – Children’s development • Assessment – written examination

– 1 ½ hours – 90 marks

• Unit 2 – Development of communication, literacy and numeracy

• Assessment – task set and marked by the exam board – completed in 6 hours over 2 weeks in school – 68 marks

Unit 3 – Play and learning • Find out about types of play and learning

activities – Types

• Physical • Imaginative • Sensory • Expressive • Construction

– Stages of play – Activities and resources – Benefits of play

• Investigate theoretical perspectives to learning and development – Froebel – vygotsky

• Investigate curriculum perspectives – Forest schools – Montessori

• Look at influences on early years practice

• Practise skills needed by early years professionals to support play – Recognising individual needs – Scaffolding learning – Organising indoor and outdoor play – Selecting toys and other resources

appropriate for age – Supporting group learning and

socialisation – Keep children safe whilst learning

This work will be assessed by internal 2 written assignments partially based on work

experience

2 optional units • Unit 5 - Keeping children safe

– Legal responsibilities and approaches to health and safety in early years settings

– Procedures for prevention and control of infections

– Safeguarding – Recognition of hazards and risks,

responding to emergencies This work will be assessed by internal

written assignments – investigations, case study and a portfolio of evidence

2 optional units • Unit 6 – Children’s physical

development, care and health needs – Understanding the physical development

and care needs of children to help healthy development

– Planning physical care routines and activities

– Recognising and responding to children who are unwell or who have ongoing health problems

This work will be assessed by internal case studies and reports which might be based on work experience or different set scenarios

How will I learn? • Some of the learning will be:

– direct instruction – Investigative and – practical work, – group and peer work, – Private study and – e-learning

• All students have to work in an early years setting for 50 hours – Nursery – Pre-school – Primary school

•

Is this the right course for you?

• Do you like children?

• Are you interested in a career in education?

• Have you thought about working in the health services?