Supporting babies and young children effectively in their play requires practitioners to have an informed knowledge of child development. This module is designed to build on your existing knowledge of child development and encourages you to critically evaluate how different explanations of children's learning and development underpin pedagogical play interventions for babies and young children.

In this module you will traditional and contemporary theoretical perspectives related to child development. These include, but are not limited to:
Attachment theory
Constructivism and Social constructivism
Neuroscience

Task 1 (LO 1&2): Case Study
Students will choose a case study to evaluate an intervention which is intended to support an aspect of child development. They will draw on child development theory to explain the significance of the role of both the Early Years Practitioner and Parents/Carer and the appropriateness of the intervention.

Formative Assessment opportunities will include:
Peer Review and Tutor feedback of information booklets at different stages of their construction.

The teaching, learning and assessment strategy has been carefully developed for this module. It recognises you may bring with you practical experience and knowledge of specific contexts to share with others. This pool of practical experience will be used to promote discussion and debate, which will build upon existing knowledge to encourage reflection and critical thought. You will be an active participant in your learning and engage with online learning, some face to face content, group activities and individual tasks set. You will be encouraged to be a critical thinker and apply your learning in an academic and professional context. Some sessions require prior reading and independent research to inform the sessions.

A digitally enabled approach will be used to support both virtual and face to face opportunities. University workshops will draw upon your experience and help you to interpret that experience in the light of current thinking on teaching, learning, assessment and schooling in relation to literacy and numeracy. You will also be asked to use the ideas explored in the sessions in planning your future work. You will also be asked to collaborate with others in preparing and presenting your work.

The methods are designed to provide practical contexts for the analysis of contemporary issues and problems of a practical nature. The following strategies will be adopted to ensure that you have a supportive teaching and learning environment, providing a range of learning opportunities;

Work Related Learning – You will be required to reflect on values, practices, assumptions and work-place policies in your taught sessions. Work-based activities either as class based simulated tasks or in the workplace help students to establish connections between the workplace and issues raised by the programme

Lectures - You will be given lectures which will provide theoretical underpinning on key educational concepts. These may take the form of face-to-face, digital or virtual sessions.

Tutorials – You will be given the opportunity to discuss work-related and academic concerns in small group tutorials and/or individual tutorials. This will support the development of theoretical understanding.

1. Evaluate the appropriateness of different interventions that can be used to support child development.

2. Develop lines of argument and make sound judgement in accordance with theories and concepts related to child development.

Unless otherwise stated, all books are available online through Staffordshire University library website when logged in using your university username and password. If you have difficulty accessing these, please contact the University library. There is also an online reading list for each module on this course. To access this, go to http://staffs.rebuslist.com/ and then type in the module code in the search box. Do not worry if this list seems excessively long. You may wish to focus on texts which are most relevant to your education sector. This module covers a wide range of texts and you may find that you only need to read short sections of the texts listed (or from other texts that you may find in libraries or journals). Your tutor will also advise you on the relevant texts and sections of texts to read. Remember that it is important to show you have considered views from a wide range of sources. When referring to texts in your assignment, always use https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/refzone for guidance. There are many versions of Harvard referencing systems in use around the world, but for Staffordshire University, Refzone Harvard system is the only correct method to use.

Early Years Coalition (2021) Birth to Five Matters; Early Education; London

Children’s Commissioner (2020) Best Beginnings in Early Years

Lindon, J & Brodie, K (2016) Understanding Child Development 0-8 Years 4th Edition: Linking Theory and Practice. Hodder and Stoughton; London.

McBlain, S (2021). Children’s Learning in Early Childhood: Learning Theories in Practice 0-7. London. Sage

This module offers an opportunity to further understand how child development theory informs policy and practice related to play.