Learning aim B: Understand the role of the adult in supporting children's physical
development. 3B.P3 .... Then, create a chart that shows sample menus for.
Unit 3
Meeting children’s physical development, physical care and health needs
introduction If children are fit and healthy, their learning and development is encouraged and they are more likely to be happy. In this unit, you will learn about the principles of children’s development and how to provide for children’s physical needs. You will also learn how to recognise when children are unwell and how to support children who have long-term medical conditions. Assessment: You will be assessed by a series of assignments set by your teacher/tutor.
Learning aims After completing this unit you should: understand the physical needs of children for growth and development understand the role of the adult in supporting children’s physical development C understand the role of adults in meeting children’s physical care needs D1 know how to recognise and respond to children who are unwell D2 understand the role of the adult in supporting children with ongoing health conditions.
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A B
Some people think that working with children is all about play. Yes, that is part of the job, but you also have to know how to keep children healthy and care for those with longterm medical conditions such as asthma. Penny Tassoni
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BTEC National Children’s Play, Learning and Development | Book 1
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Meeting children’s physical development, physical care and health needs
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Unit 3 Meeting children’s physical development, physical care and health needs
BTEC
Assessment Zone
This table shows what you must do in order to achieve a Pass, Merit or Distinction grade, and where you can find activities in this book to help you.
Assessment criteria Pass
Merit
Distinction
Learning aim A: Understand the physical needs of children for growth and development 3A.M1 3A.M1
Explain why it is important to children’s growth and all-round development to provide: • a nutritious diet • exercise • sleep. Assessment practice 3.1 3A.P2 3A.P2
Explain how health impacts on a child’s physical, cognitive, communication, language, social and emotional development. Assessment practice 3.1
Discuss the relationship between how children’s physical needs are addressed and their all-round development. Assessment practice 3.1
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3A.P1 3A.P1
3B.P3 3B.P3
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Learning aim B: Understand the role of the adult in supporting children’s physical development Explain how different types of indoor and outdoor activities and resources are used in early years settings to support the physical development of babies and children from birth up to eight years. Assessment practice 3.2 3B.P4 3B.P4
Explain ways in which adults can provide inclusive, risk-managed activities that support varied physical development of children in an early years setting. Assessment practice 3.2
3B.M2 3B.M2
Assess the contribution of adults in an early years setting to inclusive provision in physical activities, using examples. Assessment practice 3.2
3B.D1 3B.D1
Evaluate how adults can support a child’s unique needs at different stages of their physical development. Assessment practice 3.2
Learning aim C: Understand the role of the adult in meeting children’s physical care needs 3C.P5 3C.P5
Explain how adults use care routines in early years settings to support children’s physical care needs. Assessment practice 3.3 3C.P6 3C.P6
Explain how adults in early years settings work with parents to support children’s progression out of nappies. Assessment practice 3.3
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3C.M3 3C.M3
English
Analyse the extent to which different care routines in early years settings contribute to children’s all-round development. Assessment practice 3.3
BTEC National Children’s Play, Learning and Development | Book 1
3C.D2 3C.D2
English
Assess and make recommendations for improving care routines. Assessment practice 3.3
Assessment criteria Learning aim D: 1 Know how to recognise and respond to children who are unwell 2 Understand the role of the adult in supporting children with ongoing health conditions 3D1.P7 3D1.P7
3D1.M4 3D1.M4
Describe how to recognise signs of illness in babies and children. Assessment practice 3.4 3D1.P8 3D1.P8
Explain procedures to follow in early years settings when babies and children are unwell. Assessment practice 3.4
Assess how partnership work with parents could meet the health needs of babies and children. Assessment practice 3.4
3D2.M5 3D2.M5
Explain how adults in early years settings support children with: • asthma • eczema • diabetes. Assessment practice 3.5 English Functional Skills signposting
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Discuss how adults in early years settings can best support children with an ongoing health condition. Assessment practice 3.5
Evaluate the role of the adult in early years settings in meeting the needs of children who are unwell and those who need ongoing support, using examples. Assessment practice 3.4 Assessment practice 3.5
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3D2.P9 3D2.P9
3D.D3 3D1.D3
How you will be assessed This unit will be assessed by a series of internally assessed tasks set by your teacher/tutor. Throughout this chapter you will find assessment practice activities that will help you work towards your assessment. Completing these activities will not mean that you have achieved a particular grade, but you will have carried out useful research or preparation that will be relevant when it comes to your final assignment. In order for you to achieve the tasks in your assignment, it is important that you check you have met all of the Pass grading criteria. You can do this as you work your way through the assignment. If you are hoping to gain a Merit or Distinction, you should also make sure that you present the information in your assignment in the style that is required by the relevant assessment criterion.
For example, Merit and Distinction criteria will require you to analyse and evaluate. The assignment set by your teacher/tutor will consist of a number of tasks designed to meet the criteria in the table opposite. This is likely to consist of a written assignment but may also include activities such as the following:
• producing a reference document for new employees about the importance of meeting children's physical development and physical care needs
• providing evidence of information gained through further reading, examples from practice or discussion with relevant professionals working in the sector
• using evidence from case studies or observations to support your findings or recommendations.
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Getting started Babies and children’s physical care is important to their overall development. Make a list of five things that you think are involved in caring for children.
A Understand the physical needs of children for growth and development It is easy to forget that babies and children cannot learn, relax and play if their basic physical needs are not met. Figure 3.1 shows the physical needs of babies and children. Warmth/ temperature
Clothing
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Exercise
Sufficient food
The physical needs of children
Sufficient drink
Fresh air and sunlight
Cleanliness
Figure 3.1 The physical needs of babies and children
In addition to these basic physical needs, we also have to think about temperature and ventilation when providing an environment for children. Ideally, indoors the temperature should be 18−21ºC, with babies’ sleeping spaces at 16−18ºC. Ventilation is important indoors to prevent airborne illnesses and to make sure that the air is sufficiently oxygenated.
The importance of meeting children’s basic needs When any of children’s physical needs are not met, their health and development is likely to be affected. If, for example, children are too hot or too cold, they 6
Key terms
Asthma – a long-term lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways causing difficulty in breathing.
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Shelter
Sleep
may find it hard to concentrate and if they do not have enough sunlight, they may develop rickets, which is a bone disease. Children should also live in good housing because when they are exposed to damp or live in unsafe homes, they are more likely to develop a respiratory disease such as asthma or have accidents.
BTEC National Children’s Play, Learning and Development | Book 1
Respiratory disease – a condition that affects the lungs or a person’s ability to breathe. Rickets – a bone disease caused by lack of vitamin D.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs Abraham Maslow (1908−70) was a psychologist who was interested in understanding people’s behaviour and motivation. He studied people who were high achievers and came to the conclusion that it was only possible to reach high levels of personal and career fulfilment if other needs were met first. Maslow showed this through a hierarchical model similar to the one shown in Figure 3.2. The idea is that the basic physiological needs on the bottom layer have to be met before the next layer of needs can be met. When Maslow’s work was published in 1943 it was influential in many areas, and notably for large employers. Maslow’s model is useful in reminding us that children cannot learn or benefit from settings unless their physical and emotional needs have been met.
Meeting children’s physical development, physical care and health needs
Selfactualisation
self-fulfilment, mental stimulation, purpose, interests, hobbies
Self-esteem Social needs Safety and security needs
personal worth, sense of identity, need for respect, achievement love, affection, friendship, being valued, belonging feeling safe, secure, protected from danger, financially secure
Physical needs
food, water, shelter, clothing, warmth
Figure 3.2 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
How health impacts on growth and all-round development
Key terms Malnourished – having a lack of proper nutrients. Undernourished – having insufficient food/ nutrients.
What is a healthy diet? It might seem easy to suggest that children should have a healthy diet but recognising what and how much children should eat is actually quite complex. This is because children’s needs change according to their age and level of activity. A good starting point is to understand that food and drink provide us with nutrients. A healthy diet is, therefore, one in which children have the right balance of nutrients for their age/stage. Nutrients are often grouped into the following food groups:
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Good health is important for babies’ and children’s all-round development. When babies and children are poorly, they are less likely to want to play with others, interact and explore their environment. This lack of stimulation will, in turn, delay their cognitive and social development as they will not be gaining new experiences or interacting well with others. Feeling poorly also means that babies and children are less likely to cope with the trials and tribulations of the day and so are more likely to have tantrums, cry or become frustrated.
UNIT 3
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• protein – good for growth and repair of cells • carbohydrates – good for energy • fats – good for energy and to absorb some vitamins • minerals – necessary for a range of different
For children of school age, taking time off school due to illness may mean that they fall behind with learning to read as well as other aspects of the curriculum. For children with medical conditions, care has to be taken to support them, because their long-term development can be affected for the reasons just described.
The need for a nutritious diet
The development of babies and children is also affected by what, and how much, they eat. Food and drink intake supports the physical and brain growth of babies and young children and also provides them with sufficient energy to move. It, therefore, helps to develop their physical skills. Food and drink is also important for good health, and children who are malnourished or undernourished are more likely to have periods of ill-health. On the other hand, babies and children who have too much food and drink and insufficient exercise, even if the food is otherwise healthy, are likely to develop health problems later in life that are associated with being overweight, such as heart disease.
functions, such as calcium for bone development
• vitamins – necessary for a range of different functions, such as vitamin C for healthy skin.
Changing needs It is important to understand that babies and young children have different nutritional needs than adults. Adults have larger stomachs and so proportionally, they need less energy than babies and children. Also, children’s nutritional needs change during childhood and they can vary according to the child’s activity level. When planning meals, knowing what babies and children need at different ages is, therefore, essential.
Activity Find out about what babies and children need in terms of nutrition by visiting the Caroline Walker Trust website. You can access this website by going to www.pearsonhotlinks.co.uk and searching for this title. Then, create a chart that shows sample menus for children of three different ages. 7
The role of sleep
How much sleep?
Sleep is vital to children’s health and well-being. This is because sleep is needed for healthy brain function and growth. It is also needed to regulate the hormones that are responsible for growth and even appetite. Sleep is needed for other reasons, as we will now see.
Although children vary in how much sleep they need, there are some useful guidelines that we can follow. Table 3.1 shows the guidelines for children aged 3 months to 5 years.
Age
Naps
Nighttime
Total
Brain function is helped or hindered by sleep. When children are tired they will find it harder to concentrate.
3 months
5 hours
15 hours
20 hours
Memory/learning
4–12 months
3 hours
11 hours
14 hours
1–3 years
2 hours 15 minutes
11 hours
13 hours 15 minutes
3–4 years
1 hour 30 minutes
10 hours 30 minutes
12 hours
None
10–12 hours
10–12 hours
Concentration
The immune system
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During sleep, the brain reviews the day’s events and this seems to be important in terms of putting down memories. Children who are not sleeping sufficiently are likely to find it harder to learn because they will not remember as much.
Controlling emotions and impulses
Young children tend to be impulsive and emotionally labile. A lack of sleep exaggerates this and so children who are not sleeping sufficiently are more likely to show impulsive behaviour.
Obesity
5 years
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Sleep plays a part in supporting the immune system. During sleep the body repairs cells and fights infection. Children who are not sleeping sufficiently are more likely to have colds and other infections.
There has recently been a study into the relationship between how long a child sleeps and their weight. It would appear that children who are not getting sufficient sleep run the risk of becoming overweight and even obese.
Research You can find out more about the latest research into the links between childhood obesity and sleep by looking at the FLAME study on the British Medical Journal website. You can access this study by going to www.pearsonhotlinks.co.uk and searching for this title.
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Table 3.1 How much sleep children need at different ages
BTEC National Children’s Play, Learning and Development | Book 1
Source: Department for Education (2010) © Crown copyright 2011
Key term
Emotionally labile – emotions that may be strong and fluctuate quickly.
Activity
Download an early support booklet that has been provided by the Department of Education for parents about the importance of sleep for children. You can access this booklet by going to www.pearsonhotlinks.co.uk and searching for this title. Read the booklet and make a poster that gives advice to parents about the importance of sleep and bedtime routines.
Unit 3
Meeting children’s physical development, physical care and health needs
Signs that a child is tired
How much exercise?
Babies and children will show us when they are tired. Look out for the following signs:
Over the past few years, there have been concerns that young children are not having sufficient opportunities for vigorous exercise. At the time of writing, the recommendation is that young children should spend an hour over the course of the day engaged in physical activity. This might be by walking, running, using wheeled toys or generally engaging in some form of play. When planning for children’s physical activity, it is worth knowing that young children need a stop–start approach. Their lung and heart capacity means that they will find it hard to maintain vigorous activity for long periods. This is why toddlers are in and out of their pushchairs, for example – one moment they will be sat down and the next they will up walking or having a run about.
• irritable behaviour • crying for no clear reason • a lack of concentration • dark rings around the eyes • having tantrums or becoming whiny and uncooperative.
Helping children to sleep
Aids sleep
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You can only fall asleep when your body relaxes and feels safe. This means that children who are tired may find it hard to sleep in an environment that is noisy or unfamiliar. We can help babies and children to sleep by providing them with familiar objects such as their own sheet or cuddly toy, and by making sure that the environment feels calm.
Provides stimulation
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Develops spatial awareness
Helps with appetite
The benefits of exercise
Promotes coordination and skills
Develops lung capacity
Strengthens bones
Develops heart function
Figure 3.3 The benefits of exercise
Assessment practice These children all have their own beds and sheets, and an adult will stay with them so they feel safe
The importance of exercise Babies and children need exercise. This does not mean formal movements or PE lessons, but opportunities to move around or, in the case of nonmobile babies, to be able to kick and move their arms. Figure 3.3 shows the benefits of exercise to children’s overall development.
3.1
3A.P1
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3A.P2
|
3A.M1
Make an information pack that shows the physical needs that children have and why they are important for children’s all-round development. Be sure to include coverage of the following topics in your pack:
• how health impacts on a child’s all-round development
• the relationship between children’s all-round development and how their physical needs are addressed.
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B Understand the role of the adult in supporting children’s physical development Children’s physical development is linked to the type of environment and resources that adults provide. This section looks at how practitioners can support children’s physical development.
The role of observation
Go to Unit 1: Section B to find out more about how children develop.
Key term Key person – a practitioner who is designated to take responsibility for a child’s emotional wellbeing by having a strong attachment with them and a good relationship with the child’s parents.
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Observation plays an extremely important role in supporting development. By looking carefully at babies’ and children’s physical development, we can work out what their developmental needs are. We can also think about whether children are showing any signs of developmental delay that may need further investigation. For observation to be of any use, we do need to know what typical development looks like for most children. This means that it is worth revising your knowledge of normative development. We also need to talk to parents, as children often show some aspects of their physical development outside of the setting.
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Selecting appropriate resources and activities
By observing children, we can also think about other areas of their development – such as their confidence levels and whether they are keen to try out new experiences.
There are many different resources that can be used to support children at different ages and stages in acquiring skills. Choosing resources requires thought about the ages/stages of children, and also their interests. This is why observing children’s individual needs is so important. Table 3.2 shows some examples of skills that children should develop and the type of resources that might be useful to encourage this.
Case study The importance of observing children Purmina is 18 months old. She loves playing with her sit-and-ride toy. Her key person has spotted that she is coordinating her feet movements to push the toy along with both feet. She is also moving quickly and knows when to stop and turn the toy. Her key person talks to Purmina’s mother who tells her that, at home, Purmina tries to get on her brother’s tricycle. They agree that it is
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BTEC National Children’s Play, Learning and Development | Book 1
time for Purmina to try out a simple tricycle that requires pushing rather than pedalling, but which she can steer. 1 Why is it important for Purmina’s key person to observe her development? 2 Why is it helpful for the key person to talk to Purmina’s parents? 3 How will this observation help Purmina’s development?
Meeting children’s physical development, physical care and health needs
Unit 3
Table 3.2 Examples of resources to help children practise skills
Fine motor movements 0−2 years
Fine motor movements 2−8 years
Skill
Activity
Skill
Hand coordination: grasping; moving objects from one hand to the other
Pincer grip • Rattles Self-feeding • • Play with sensory materials such
Hand–eye coordination
• Pointing to pictures in books • Turning pages in books • Self-feeding • Baby gym • Pop-up toys • Playing with water
• Tweezers, pipettes • Sewing, pegboards
Strengthening • Routine activities that require an active hand and a stabilising hand preference hand, e.g. dustpan and brush, drying a beaker Hand−eye coordination
• Turning pages in books • Self-care skills such as dressing, eating • Sewing • Construction toys, e.g. Lego • Drawing and painting • Playing with malleable materials, sand and water • Junk modelling
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as gloop (from 6 months) • Activity mat
Activity
Gross motor movements 0−2 years
Gross motor movements 2−8 years
Skill
Activity
Skill
Activity
• Baby gym • Activity mat • Bath time • Playing with water • Playing in ball pool • Throwing soft balls
Locomotive skills and balance
• Climbing frames • Running • Obstacle courses • Movement to music
Hand−foot coordination
• Tricycles, bicycles, pushchairs
Strengthening of limbs and muscles
Locomotive movements and balance
• Baby swing • Brick trolley • Sit-and-ride toys • Climbing frame
and other wheeled toys requiring steering • Ball games involving catching and throwing • Games such as ‘The hokey cokey’
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that they need to moderate their speed when doing so. Today, it is accepted that children do need physical challenges in their environments and opportunities to explore and experience risk management. It is also recognised that where settings totally eliminate risk and, therefore, challenge for children, there is a greater likelihood of accidents taking place because children become bored and use toys and resources inappropriately. Figure 3.4 shows the benefits of providing risk and challenge in settings.
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Development of gross and fine motor skills
Greater cognitive stimulation
Reflect
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How is this toy promoting the baby’s physical development?
Resources and activities
Make a list of toys, resources and activities that your work placement uses to promote children’s fine and gross motor movements.
Approaches to providing challenge and helping children manage risk Part of growing up includes learning to manage physical risks. This may include deciding when to cross a road or whether it is safe to climb up a ladder. For babies and children, learning about their environment is the first step on the way. Up until a few years ago, there was a focus on total risk elimination in early years and play settings. This has now been revisited because it has been shown that children did not benefit from this approach – they did not learn the skills they need to keep themselves safe. For example, children who have not walked on an uneven surface will not know 12
BTEC National Children’s Play, Learning and Development | Book 1
Greater understanding of the need to moderate own behaviour
Greater awareness of the environment
Benefits of providing opportunities for risk and challenge
Better spatial awareness
Figure 3.4 The benefits for children of providing opportunities for risk and challenge in settings
Most settings have to work out how to balance risk against their legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent accidents. The test of what is reasonable or not is linked to what a ‘reasonable person’ thinks is acceptable. This, in turn, is likely to link to the age of the child and how significant the risk is. An example of an unreasonable level of risk would be giving a marble to a baby – however, it would be reasonable to let a 6-year-old play with marbles.
Deciding on the level of risk When deciding how much risk and challenge is acceptable, we have to consider several factors.
The age/stage of the child Babies and toddlers have little awareness of safety and are very impulsive. We also know that until 18 months or so, babies and toddlers put things in their mouths.
Meeting children’s physical development, physical care and health needs However, the majority of older children are often more aware of their surroundings and have more self-restraint.
Risk assessment It is important to identify the risks in order to make a decision about what is appropriate. As part of the risk assessment, you should consider what the physical impact/injury for the child would be if an activity went wrong. A slight bump or bruise is likely to be acceptable for an older child but the possibility of concussion or a serious wound is not.
Adult support and supervision If adults are on hand to support children, the levels of risk and challenge can be increased. This is because adults can stop risky behaviours that may endanger the child or other people in the area.
Group size and composition When young and older children are together and sharing the same space, it is important to think about what resources can be used and what activities can take place. A toddler can easily stumble into the path of an oncoming bicycle or football, for instance.
Portfolio building activity
CYPW
CYP 3.4, Assessment criteria 3.3 Write down a minimum of two examples of how you have helped a child to assess and manage risk. This could be, for example, asking children who want to play on tricycles about the risks they may face and how they could keep themselves and other children safe.
The importance of managing risk in physical activities
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Did you know?
Unit 3
We have seen that there are many factors to take into consideration when thinking about risk. Where we have identified that there are potential risks involved in an activity, it is important that we think about how these risks can be managed. Table 3.3 shows how risk can be managed in a range of situations.
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Learning to manage risk is now seen as important in children’s development, even by those involved in child safety. Look at the vision and values of the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT), a leading organisation in preventing accidents involving children. You can access the CAPT website by going to www.pearsonhotlinks.co.uk and searching for this title.
Table 3.3 How to manage risk in a range of situations
Situation Physical benefits
Risks
Bath time Helps babies’ fine • Danger of drowning and gross motor • Danger of scalding coordination Playing on a climbing frame
Increases confidence and improves gross motor movement
• Children could fall • Children could stand on another child’s hands
Managing the risks
• Check water temperature • Do not leave the baby unattended • Have all equipment ready • Supervise younger children • Make sure the climbing frame is the right height for the age/stage of the child
• Do not allow climbing when it is wet • Limit the number of children allowed on the climbing frame
Sewing
Helps children’s hand–eye coordination and pincer grasp
• Child could swallow a needle
• Child could prick skin • Child could poke
• Supervise and give children advice • Use needles that are appropriate for the children’s ages, e.g. large blunt-ended ones for younger children
another child in the eye • Space children out in the room
Playing on tricycles
Helps children’s hand–foot coordination
• Children could fall off • Children could hit each other or younger children
• Check that tricycles are appropriate for the child • Create separate areas for riding or have rules about where tricycles can go
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Reflect
Toddlers aged 1 to 2 years
Managing risk
Toddlers are very active and so need opportunities to move around.
Make a list of ways that adults in your setting manage risk when children are engaged in physical activities.
Table 3.5 Resources to support fine and gross motor movements: toddlers aged 1 to 2 years
Toddlers aged 1−2 years Fine motor movements
Gross motor movements
Heuristic play
Climbing frames
When planning the layout of a setting and specific activities, it is important to think about covering a range of physical skills both indoors and out. Many resources and activities that will support fine and gross motor movements can be set up in both environments. Tables 3.4, 3.5 and 3.6 show activities and resources that can be used indoors and outdoors.
Mark making
Some wheeled toys – sit-and-rides
Paint
Soft play cushions
Playing in water and sand
Throwing (beanbags and soft balls indoors)
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Using the environment to support physical development
Sensory play, e.g. gloop
Babies
Swings
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In cold or damp weather, babies will need to be dressed warmly but they should still spend time outdoors. Table 3.4 Resources to support fine and gross motor movements: babies
Babies
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Fine motor movements
Gross motor movements
Treasure basket play
Paddling pools
Sensory play
Baby gym
Shakers
Swings
Rattles
Roll-a-ball games
Looking at books
Knock-down bricks and beakers
Activity mat
Tree stumps to allow babies to cruise
BTEC National Children’s Play, Learning and Development | Book 1
This child is being helped onto a climbing frame. How is the activity helping his physical development?
Meeting children’s physical development, physical care and health needs
Unit 3
Children aged 2 to 8 years As children develop, their need for space increases when playing with wheeled toys or during other vigorous activities. Some settings, such as schools, have large indoor spaces that are helpful in this respect. Table 3.6 Resources to support fine and gross motor movements: children aged 2 to 8 years
Children aged 2−8 years Gross motor movements
Construction, e.g. block play
Parachute games
Mark making, chalking and drawing
Moving to music
Painting
Throwing and catching (beanbags in limited spaces)
Role play (this may include elements of gross motor movements)
Soft play
Sand and water play
Circle games, e.g. ‘The farmer’s in the den’, ‘The hokey cokey’, musical statues
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Fine motor movements
Theory into practice
Observe what activities are available for fine and gross motor movements in your setting. Create a chart like the one below and fill it in to show whether these opportunities are indoors or outdoors. Fine motor movements Indoors
Outdoors
Gross motor movements Indoors
Outdoors
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