Task - to produce an Information resource of your choice. You will design an information resource for parents/carers which illustrates how playful pedagogical approaches support child development for children aged between 0 to 8 years. The resource will refer to relevant policy, theory and literature in order to provide informed advice about how play supports young children’s learning and development.

Formative task Formative assessment opportunities include:

A review of a case study looking at a child's development
Drafts
Peer reviews

You will examine the social, cultural and political factors that influence how play is understood and interpreted within educational contexts and the home learning environment.

In this module you will explore different approaches to play pedagogies and will consider how child development theory underpins different pedagogical play interventions.

Rationale
As an early years practitioner, this module explores the essential role of play in babies’ and young children’s learning and development. Play is a powerful and developmentally appropriate way for children to build cognitive, social, emotional and language skills, and playful pedagogies can enhance learning

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of current literature and policy frameworks in relation to play pedagogies for children aged 0 to 8 years.

Programme Learning Outcome: 1 Knowledge and Understanding

2. Communicate ideas accurately, reliably and with structured and coherent arguments.

Programme Learning Outcome: 6 Communication

The teaching, learning and assessment strategy has been carefully developed for this module. It recognises you may bring with you practical experience as level 4 students and knowledge of specific contexts to share with others, and 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. A digitally enabled blended approach will be used to support both virtual and face to face opportunities.

University workshops. 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. Workshops will include opportunities for discussions.

Work Related Learning – You will be required to reflect on values, practices, assumptions and work-place policies. Work-based activities help 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.

Guided reading and supported self-study – You will be provided with booklists and reading tasks in order to enable you to engage with relevant and appropriate debates.

Drop-in support sessions, to support you with assessment

Simulation activities such as Sessions in the Woodlands Forest School

This module will also provide opportunities for you to:
* Work with others
* Develop interpersonal skills
* Demonstrate the capacity to plan, share goals, and work as a member of a team
* Communicate and present oral and written arguments

* Education and early years research databases
* Related work-based learning opportunities

Early Years Coalition (2021) Birth to Five Matters: Published by Early Education on behalf of the Early Years Coalition, St Albans, 2021; ISBN 978-0-904187-82-3

This guidance provides a comprehensive, practitioner-focused framework supporting high-quality early years practice from birth to age five, emphasising child-centred pedagogy and developmental progression.

Children’s Commissioner (2020) Best Beginnings in Early Years: available as Best Beginnings in the Early Years: A proposal for a new early years guarantee (PDF).

This report highlights the importance of the early years in shaping children’s life chances and calls for stronger, more equitable support systems to ensure every child has the best start.

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

This book introduces key learning theories and demonstrates how they can be applied in practical, real-world early childhood education settings for children aged 0–7

This module offers an opportunity to understand and develop pedagogical approaches to working with babies and young children aged 0 - 8 years and to further understand how child development theory informs policy and practice related to play.