Children’s Play, Learning and Development BTEC Level 3
Welcome to Level 3 Childcare.
We are so pleased and excited that you have decided to join us in this fulfilling, fun and fascinating programme.
Throughout this two-year course, you are required to undertake 750 hours in placement. The placement must include a minimum of:
- 100 hours working with babies 0 – 2 years,
- 100 hours with children 2 – 4yrs
- 100 hours with children 4 – 7 years 11 months.
We would like you to find out about three placements in your local area which cater for these age groups.
You will need to answer the following questions:
- Placement Name
- Placement Address
- Telephone Number:
- Name of Head Teacher, Manager or Supervisor:
- Name of Student Co-coordinator
- Age range of children
- Any special facilities
- Opening hours
Produce an Information booklet which includes this information, make it informative and clearly presented. You will need to hand this in o the childcare team on your first day at college
To support you further, here is an outline of what you will be studying from September until December:
Unit 1: Children’s Development
Learning about child development is vital for working with children in an early years setting. It gives you a background of the key theories that will govern all aspects of your working practice and everything you do as an early years educator. In this unit, you will learn about theories and models of development that explain how and why children develop and how this relates to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). You will develop an understanding of a range of factors that may influence children’s development, and consider the short- and long-term effects on their development. The knowledge you will gain in this unit will prepare you for a variety of careers as a childminder, family support worker or early years educator in the private, voluntary or state sector and/or allow progression to higher education studies in early years education or management.
Unit 3: Play and Learning
Do you remember playing when you were little? It is something that most children do. Whether it is splashing around in water or pretending to be a superhero, play seems to be an integral part of most people’s childhoods. Play is an important way in which children learn and that is why there is a specific unit on play and purposeful learning activities in this qualification. In this unit, you will learn about the types of play and the opportunities that should be made available to children at different ages and stages of development. You will consider why play is so important and how it supports children’s learning and development. There are a number of important theoretical perspectives, philosophies and curriculum approaches to play that have been developed over many years. You will investigate these approaches and consider how they continue to influence practice in early years settings.
In preparation for this, look at these websites and make notes to help you begin to understand the development of children and the curriculum we follow:
Child development
Early Years Curriculum
Good luck & we look forward to seeing you after the summer!