BTEC Children’s Play, Learning and Development

REVISION GUIDE

Name _____________________________________________ TG ____________

Remember Key terms Exam tips Summary

Topic Remember Key terms Exam tips SummaryA.1 Understand growth and development in children

B.1 Understand the characteristics of children’s development from birth to eight years

Development of the child

Development

Growth: a gradual increase in size

Development: increasing abilities, skills and understanding

Percentile charts: charts used by health professionals to monitor a child’s development

Developmental milestones: the stages of development which all children pass through in a similar sequence

Growth curve: the line showing how an individual child’s measurements (height, weight etc) are developing

Ensure that you know what developmental milestones are and at what ages a child of: -

One year Three years Five years Eight years

should achieve each milestone

You should now be able to describe factors that influence growth and development

You should also be able to explain that growth is a physical process which continues with or without stimulation, whereas development involves a child’s increasing abilities, skills and understanding

3 Physical development 1 Development can be affected by environmental, physical, social and cultural influences.

Without opportunities and stimulus to be physically active, children can become lethargic. This can affect their interest in eating and learning and can also impact on their long-term development.

Developmental testing: checks made on babies and young children at specific ages to monitor progress and see that they are developing as expected

Ensure you can explain what a percentile chart is and how it is used

You should be aware that there are a number of factors that affect development, be able to give examples and explain why they are factors

You should now be able to explain the effects and importance of a range of factors on the development of young children

Physical development 2 Gender: male or female You might be asked to explain how certain factors affect a child’s physical development

You should now be able to explain the effects and importance of a range of factors on young children

TopicPhysical development 3

Opportunities for supporting physical development can be found anywhere. Toys and equipment are often not necessary.

Gross motor skills: skills involving large gestures and movements e.g. walking, running, hopping, jumping, bending, stretching, balancing

Fine motor skills: skills which involve using hands, fingers and thumbs to pick up, hold and manipulate

Sensory development: the use of the body’s five main senses to explore and learn

Be aware of the difference between gross and fine motor skills and be able to give examples of each type

You should now be able to give examples of how to encourage physical skills both indoors and outside

Physical development 4

Interdependent: where different things rely upon each other to succeed

In the exam you could be given diagrams or photographs of indoor and outdoor play activities and asked how they could encourage sensory development

You should now be able to explain how physical and social skills are interdependent and also give examples of how to encourage these skills both indoors and outside

Gross motor skills Infants and young children develop at their own pace. You should support and encourage development, never pushing children on to activities for which they are not yet ready

Involuntary reflex actions: automatic responses, seen in babies in the earliest days and weeks

Head lag: inability to support the weight

Balance: moving in a controlled manner

Coordination: being able to plan, combine and control a sequence of movements

You could be asked to give the usual stags at which gross motor skills develop and to give examples of what children can do at each stage

Learn the sequence in which gross motor skills develop

You should now understand what gross motor skills are and how they usually develop

You should now be able to provide resources and activities suitable for infants and young children who are

Spatial awareness: appreciation of the size of space around so that it can be used accurately

stationary, crawling and running

Topic Remember Key terms Exam tips SummaryFine motor skills Babies need to want to reach out

and touch, so provide attractive three-dimensional objects that initially gain and then maintain their attention. Older children need activities that off greater and greater challenges, for example jigsaw puzzles

Palmar grasp: a reflex action in which a baby’s hand grabs everything it touches

Pincer grasp: the use of index finger and thumb to hold something

Primitive grasp: a clumsy grasp of crayons etc

Hand-eye coordination: using vision to help control actions and to support the manipulation of objects which the child has planned or intended

Tripod grasp: adult grip of a pencil to control it

Ensure you know the different grips and grasps and at what ages they are usually achieved

You could be asked to show this development using drawings a child would produce at each stage to illustrate your answer

You should now understand and be able to give examples of hand-eye coordination and explain the different stages of fine motor skills development

You should be able to support a child’s development by providing appropriate resources and activities

Sensory skills 1 All our senses are important to development. Children therefore need activities that encourage the use of each sense as they play, explore and learn in order to maximise each learning opportunity

Sensory mouthing: using the mouth to explore (touch, taste, smell, feel)objects

You should be able to name the five main senses giving examples

You could be asked how sensory skills are important to development

Make sure you can explain what sort of toys and objects can encourage sensory development

You should now be able to explain the five main senses and give examples of sensory activities used within your child study

Sensory skills 2 We continue to use our senses throughout life. It is important

Object permanence: understanding that something

You should be able to link the expected sequence of

You should now be able to explain how

to provide children with opportunities that use them all

exists even when it can no longer be seen

sensory development with developmental milestones

sensory learning develops and to give examples

Topic Remember Key terms Exam tips SummaryIntellectual development

Cognitive: to do with knowledge in the widest sense, involving a range of skills and understanding concepts

Language: a means of communication

Nature: qualities that are inherited

Nurture: qualities that come from experience and environment

Make sure you can differentiate between cognitive development and language development, giving examples to illustrate your answer

You should be able to discuss ‘how children learn’, giving examples

Make sure you know how cognitive development links with other developmental areas

Be sure that you know what is meant by the terms ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’

You should now be able to explain what is meant by intellectual development and the difference between cognitive and language skills

You should also be able to explain the difference between nature and nurture in their influence on development

Cognitive development 1

Children have a lot of things to learn and the opportunities you give them will all help to shape their development

Concept: a general idea used to sort out and understand the environment Numbers, colour, shape,

time, volume, speed, opposites etc

You could be asked to identify from a range of toys , what the concept is and how the toy can aid all areas of development

You should now be able to explain a range of cognitive terms with examples

You should also be able to explain some of the concepts children learn

Cognitive development 2

Imagination: the use of thinking to visualise and plan ideas

Creativity: being able to express oneself in different ways

Egocentricity: not taking anyone else’s view or needs into account

You need to be aware of what the key terms mean

• You need to be aware of what the key terms mean

You should be able to explain and describe the main aspects of cognitive development

Conservation: understanding that things can be the same even if they look different

Concentration: the ability to focus for a period of time

Conceptualisation: the organisation of thinking and understanding

Reasoning: understanding the cause and effect of our actions

Memory: the power to store and retrieve information in the mind

Problem solving: the ability to think of ways to sort out a problem, puzzle or difficult situation

topic Remember Key terms Exam tips SummaryLanguage and communication

Communication can be both verbal and non-verbal. It is important that you are aware of both your body language and the tone of your voice as well as what your are actually saying when speaking to children

Verbal: spoken Non-verbal: unspoken Passive vocabulary: words that

are understood but not used (in speech)

Active vocabulary: use of speech or signs

Turn-taking: coos and gurgles in response to words and sounds from a carer

Monosyllabic babbling: repetitive sounds for example ‘dadada’

Polysyllabic sounds: changes in tone and pitch, for example ‘mememomo’

Jargon: words that are not recognised by others easily

Holophrase: a word that is used

You should know and understand the stages of language development and be able to give examples of each stage of a child’s development

You should be able to describe different methods of communication used by children

You should be able to explain why language development is important and to describe its main stages

You should e able to refer to language and communication in your child study

to describe more than one object belonging to a group

Echolalia: repeating the last word or sound heard

Telegraphic speech: short sentences that lack ‘joining’ words

Motherese: the tone of voice often used by adults when talking to babies

Stages of drawing and writing

Stages of drawing are not directly related to age. All children move through a similar sequence but at their own pace

Emergent writing: a child’s first attempts at forming letters as a means of communication. Patterns of letter-type shapes are often seen first, with children then trying to write their own name or a caption for their drawing

You should be able to link developmental milestones with the stages of drawing and writing

You should now be able to identify and explain how the stages of drawing and writing develop and give examples of how you can support this.

Topic Remember Key terms Exam tips SummarySocial and emotional development

Primary and secondary socialisation both help shape a child’s personality and a secure bond with a carer helps them feel safe and to build good relationships with others

Socialisation: learning the behaviour and cultural expectations of family and society

Primary socialisation: the influences of family and immediate social circle on social development

Secondary socialisation: the influences from the wider community for example teachers, friends, church leaders, etc on social development

You should be able to show your understanding of primary and secondary socialisation by giving examples

You should be able to explain the importance of wider experience in all areas of development

You should also be able to explain how parents can provide opportunities for socialisation

You should now be able to explain the close links between social and emotional development and give examples

You should also be able to explain some of the main terms used to describe social and emotional development

Discipline: the setting of boundaries and expectations of behaviour

Bonding: the strong emotional tie between child and main carer, usually starts at birth

Separation anxiety: the concern shown by very young children when left by their main carer

Emotional development

Children need to feel able to express their emotions as well as understand how and when to do this

Self-image: your identify who you think you are

Self-esteem: how you feel about yourself

Emotions: feelings Comforter: thumb or other item

that soothes and comforts a child

You should understand the significance of self-image and self-esteem and their impact on development

You should be able to discuss and give examples of the advantages and disadvantages of different comforters

You should now be able to explain what a child needs for secure emotional development

You should also be able to explain which emotions are positive which are negative and which can be both

Topic Remember Key terms Exam tips SummarySocial development 1

Solitary play: the first stage of play in which children play alone

You should know and understand the stages

You should now be able to explain how the

Parallel play: the second stage of play in which children play alongside but not with each other

Looking-on play: the third stage of play in which children observe and learn from what others are doing

Joining in play: the fourth stage of play where very simple signs of cooperation and playing together are seen

Cooperative play: the fifth and final stage of play where children work together to complete tasks and role play together

Stereotyping: making generalisation about a person rather than seeing them as an individual

of social play and be able to give examples of each stage

stages of social play develop and describe what happens at each stage

Social development 2

Your expectations of social skills in a two year old should be very different from what you would expect from a five year old

Don’t forget that sometimes a child may have a tantrum simply because they are tired

Discipline: upholding rules of good behaviour

Bullying: hurting or intimidating someone weaker

Tantrum: a loss of control of emotions

You should understand the possible reasons behind poor behaviour and ways in which to encourage and develop good behaviour

You should now be able to give examples of unacceptable behaviour and also make suggestions for dealing with it

Topic Remember Key terms Exam tips SummarySocial development 3

Positive reinforcement for good behaviour will encourage children to continue to behave well

Positive reinforcement: giving praise and rewards for good behaviour (and ignoring bad

You should understand the possible reasons behind poor behaviour

You should understand some of the basic behaviour theories and

behaviour) Boundaries: clear limits within

which the children have to stay Sanction: a punishment where

something is taken away Regressive behaviour: displays

of behaviour reverting to that of a younger age

and ways in which to encourage and develop good behaviour

make suggestions as to how these theories can be put into practice

You should also be able to explain why boundaries are important for children

The importance of play

Children learn best through play Play deprivation (play malnourishment): where children are not given enough opportunities to play freely without adult organisation and intervention

Play based learning: where learning opportunities were provided through play

You need to be able to discuss why play is important in all aspects of a child’s development

In the exam you may be given a range of play items or toys and asked to discuss how each one aids development

You should now be able to explain the importance of play to both learning and development and understand what effects play deprivation can have

Types of play 1 Children’s play moves through different stages. These are1. Solitary play2. Parallel play3. Looking on play4. Joining in play5. Cooperative play

Structured play: play that is organised by adults and often has a pre-set outcome

Spontaneous play: play in which children choose how and what they do freely

Practice explaining what the different types of play involve

You should now be able to explain the difference between spontaneous play and structured play giving examples

Types of play 2 Children need a range of play experiences to develop their learning

Creative: expressing oneself in different ways

Discovery play: play using senses

Be able to explain how play affects all areas of a child’s development

You should be able to give examples of different types of play

Topic Remember Key terms Exam tips SummaryC.1 Understanding how adults in early years settings can support children’s development

Meeting children’s physical needs by providing a well-ventilated and relaxing area for children to sleep at regular intervals

Gross motor skills: skills involving large gestures and movements e.g. walking, running, hopping, jumping,

You should understand why adults in early years settings need to meet the needs of a

You should understandthat children’s development can be positively influenced by

Gross motor and physical development

Meeting diet and nutritional needs I accordance with policy and parental wishes

Providing opportunities to be outdoors

Providing age-appropriate resources and activities that encourage gross and fine motor skills both indoor and outdoor

Providing resources and activities that encourage children to touch, feel and explore, objects with their senses

Providing opportunities for children to meet their physical needs

bending, stretching, balancing Fine motor skills: skills which

involve using hands, fingers and thumbs to pick up, hold and manipulate

Sensory development: the use of the body’s five main senses to explore and learn

child in order for them to develop by providing a range of opportunities.

adults in early years settings

You should be able to recognise why some forms of adult support are age/stage appropriate

You should also be able to suggest age/stage support.

Cognitive development Providing objects and games that encourage children to develop their memory and imaginative skills and helping them to think about others

Proving age appropriate and stage appropriate activities and resources that encourage problem solving skills

Proving opportunities for children to visit different places and experience new things

Encourage children to ask questions, helping children to link new experiences to past ones (memory and recall)

Imagination: the use of thinking to visualise and plan ideas

Creativity: being able to express oneself in different ways

Egocentricity: not taking anyone else’s view or needs into account

Conservation: understanding that things can be the same even if they look different

Concentration: the ability to focus for a period of time

Conceptualisation: the organisation of thinking and understanding

In the exam you may be given a range of play items or toys and asked to discuss how each one aids cognitive development

• You should understandthat children’s development can be positively influenced by adults in early years settings• You should be able to recognise why some forms of adult support are age/stage appropriate

• You should also be able to suggest age/stage support.

Reasoning: understanding the cause and effect of our actions

Memory: the power to store and retrieve information in the mind

Problem solving: the ability to think of ways to sort out a problem, puzzle or difficult situation

Communication and language development

Taking time to talk, smiling and maintaining eye contact to encourage listening skills

Encouraging speaking and listening skills by using nursery rhymes, picture books, telling stories, reciting nursery rhymes, ‘show and tell’ and by asking questions such as ‘what’ and ‘who’ to encourage speaking

Proving role play activities for pretend play

Encouraging writing skills by copying their own name and familiar names and works

Encouraging creative expression through stories, poetry, dance, drama and making music.

Verbal: spoken Non-verbal: unspoken Passive vocabulary: words that

are understood but not used (in speech)

Active vocabulary: use of speech or signs

Turn-taking: coos and gurgles in response to words and sounds from a carer

Monosyllabic babbling: repetitive sounds for example ‘dadada’

Polysyllabic sounds: changes in tone and pitch, for example ‘mememomo’

Jargon: words that are not recognised by others easily

Holophrase: a word that is used to describe more than one object belonging to a group

Echolalia: repeating the last word or sound heard

Learn about a selection of nursery rhymes/stories and think about what message they are trying to convey

You should now be able to explain what speaking and listening skills are

Telegraphic speech: short sentences that lack ‘joining’ words

Motherese: the tone of voice often used by adults when talking to babies

Emotional and social development

Encouraging bonding through holding children close, maintain eye contact, talking in appropriate tone

Maintaining proximity as key person, responding to changing behaviour such as clinging, resistance, temper tantrums by helping children express their emotions positively without hurting others

Supporting children through appropriate transitions such as moving home, new siblings, change of carer

Encouraging confidence and self-esteem, encouraging children to express their feeling through activities and resources and encouraging children to share and help other peers or adults

Maintaining appropriate proximity to children while allowing them to express themselves freely and safely

Encouraging children to develop positive relationships and

Socialisation: learning the behaviour and cultural expectations of family and society

Primary socialisation: the influences of family and immediate social circle on social development

Secondary socialisation: the influences from the wider community for example teachers, friends, church leaders, etc on social development

Discipline: the setting of boundaries and expectations of behaviour

Bonding: the strong emotional tie between child and main carer, usually starts at birth

Separation anxiety: the concern shown by very young children when left by their main carer

Self-image: your identify who you think you are

Self-esteem: how you feel about yourself

Emotions: feelings

You should understand the importance of bonding, eye contact, tone

You should know how adults in early settings play a part in the social development of children

• You should understandthat children’s development can be positively influenced by adults in early

Emotional and social development

encourage children to understand their changing emotions and dealing with them through positively through role play and discussion

Introducing everyday routines to establish security

Providing age-appropriate play to encourage children to interact with others children, supporting others and learning to share and take turns

Encouraging children to be thoughtful and cooperative with others by praising them and being a positive role model

Encouraging children to develop a range of friendships

Comforter: thumb or other item that soothes and comforts a child

years settings• You should be able to recognise why some forms of adult support are age/stage appropriate

• You should also be able to suggest age/stage support.