UNIT 1: A UNIQUE CHILD

EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS FOR CHILDREN WHEN THIER INDIVIDUAL NEEDS ARE MET

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

• Every child is a unique individual with their own characteristics and temperament.
• Development is a continuous complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors in which the body, brain and behavior become more complex
• Babies and children mature at different rates and at different times in their lives
• Babies and children are vulnerable and become resilient and confident if they have support from others
• early relationships strongly influence how children develop and having close relationships with carers is very important

A SKILFUL COMMUNICATOR

Babies are especially interested in other people and in communicating with them using eye contact, crying, cooing and gurgling to have ‘conversations’

• Babies and children are sociable and curious, and they explore the world through all their senses.
• Babies and children develop their competence in communicating through having frequent, enjoyable interactions with the people, in contexts that they understand.
• Children learn to communicate in many ways, not just by talking, but also in a non-verbal ways such as gestures, facial expressions and gaze direction, in drawing, writing and singing, and through dance, music and drama.

A COMPETENT LEARNER

• Babies come into the world ready to learn and are especially tuned to learn from other people and the cultural and material environment.
• Play and other imaginative and creative activities help children to make sense of their experience and ‘transform’ their knowledge, fostering cognitive development.
• Language, thinking and learning are interlinked, they depend on and promote each others development.
• What children can do is the starting point for learning.
• Children learn better by doing, and by doing things with other people who are more competent, rather than just being told.

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EFFECTIVE PRACTICE

• Understand the process involved in babies’ and children growth, development and learning.
• Support babies and children to develop a positive sense of their own identity and culture, this helps them to develop a positive self-image.
• Encourage, listen and respond to babies and children’s communications, both non-verbal and verbal.
• Acknowledge the different ways in which babies and children learn, and be aware that learning is a process that cannot be rushed.
• Recognise that babies and children attitudes and dispositions to learning are influenced by the feedback of others.

DESCRIBE HOW THE PRINCIPLES OF ANTI – DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE CAN BE APPLIED TO PRACTICE

CHILDREN’S ENTITLEMENTS

• All children are citizens and have rights and entitlements.
• 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 a equal right to be listened to and valued in the setting

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

• All children have a need to develop, which is helped by exploring and discovering the people and things around them. Some children’s development may be at risk, for example

Children who are disabled and those with special educational needs;

Those from socially excluded families, such as the homeless or those who live with a parent who is disabled or has a mental illness;

Children from traveller communities, refugees or asylum seekers and those live diverse linguistic backgrounds. All children are entitled to enjoy a full life in conditions which will help them take part in society and develop as an individual, with their own cultural and spiritual beliefs. Practitioners ensure that their own knowledge about different cultural groups is up to-date and consider their own attitudes to people who are different from themselves.

Attached: Playroom Day Nursery’s Inclusion and Equal Opportunities policy

PROMOTING ANTI – DISCRIMINATION PRACTICE

LEGISLATION

There are various pieces of legislation in place to promote equality and reduce discrimination. These include the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, Convention on the rights of the child (UN, 1989), The Human Rights Act 1998, The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (as amended), Employment Equality ( Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003, the Equality Act 2010.

The aim of this legislation is to promote equalit