Entry Requirements: FETAC Level 5 Major Award in Childcare or equivalent.

Duration: 39 Hrs   13 weeks x 3 hrs

Unit 1

The Physical Child

Learners will be able to:

• Explain the principles of physical development.
• Differentiate between the concepts of growth and maturation.
• Describe the stages and sequences of growth and maturation from conception to 6 years.

Unit 2

The Thinking Child

Learners will be able to:

• Explain the process of cognitive development in children from
• Birth to 6 years
• Explain the role of sensory and perceptual development
• Examine the development of concept formation
• Describe the development of learning
• Describe the process of developing the following:1.metacognition 2.symbolic/creative representation

• Outline theories of Multiple Intelligences
• Describe the stages and sequences of language acquisition and
• Development from birth to 6 years
• Explain the process of bilingual language acquisition
• Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between first and second language acquisition analyse the implications of a bilingual and multilingual environment on children.

Unit 3

The Social and Emotional Child

Learners will be able to:

• Describe the process of social and emotional development in children from birth to 6 years.
• Discuss the concept of temperament and personality including their genetic and environmental bases.
• Describe the relationship between the parent/carer and infant
• Outline a range of theoretical approaches to attachment
• Explain the relationship between the child’s development of self-concept and self-esteem
• Describe the development of gender concept
• Describe the development of social cognition
• Outline the relationship between social cognition and social behaviour
• Outline the process of moral development
• Summarise a range of theoretical perspectives commonly drawn upon in the field of behaviour management
• Evaluate specific behaviour management programmes, their techniques, advantages and disadvantages
• Examine the correlation between behaviour, stages of development and environment.

Unit 4

Observation

Learners will be able to:

• Define the concepts of reliability, validity, subjectivity and objectivity in relation to observation and evaluation
• Evaluate a range of observation and evaluation techniques
• Evaluate the use of a range of media such as audio or video in the observation process
• Implement procedures for observation and evaluation across the early childhood education and care setting
• Describe the role of team work in observation and evaluation
• Involve staff and parents in the use of child observation in the early childhood education and care setting
• Describe ethical issues involved in the observation and evaluation of children to include permission, confidentiality, sensitivity to the needs and rights of children and their parents/carers
• Examine environmental, cultural and social based influences on children’s responses to the evaluation process
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively summarise, interpret, and
• Evaluate data from a range of observation and evaluation techniques
• Recognise their own limitations in evaluating observations e.g. bias, attitudes
• Describe the role of research in the observation and evaluation process.

Unit 5

The Whole Child

Learners will be able to:

• Evaluate the interaction and impact of nature versus nurture on each domain of development
• Analyse the inter-relationship and interdependency of all the domains of development
• Describe the effects of a range of factors (genetic, social, cultural and environmental) on all domains of development
• Discuss the wide variations in the chronological age at which stages of development are reached to include an awareness of normative measurements and their limitations
• Analyse the concepts of delay and impairment in child development and their implications
• Evaluate a range of theoretical perspectives on child development with particular emphasis on current and emerging theory
• Examine the implications of theoretical perspectives on child development on the learner’s own practice
• Examine the role of theoretical perspectives on child development on practice in the early childhood education and care setting
• Recognise situations where involvement of outside advice and agencies/experts is required.

Assessment

Project……………………………….80%

Assignment …………………………20%

On the first night of your course you will be provided with information on the project and assignment.

80% Attendance Required

Further Details

If you would like further details on course content the full module descriptor is available on the FETAC website at

www.fetac.ie/modules