Template for the completion of the Child Development L5 assignments

This assignment should be

 Minimum of 2000 words (Overall word count depends on method used)

 A4
 Typed,
 Times New Roman, Font size 12 with 1.5 Line Spacing
 Use the Harvard Referencing system for all paraphrased (written in your own words)
and quoted material
 Pseudonyms should be used - no real names should be mentioned
 Include an ethical statement
 Page Numbers
 Permission for observations to be undertaken
 Submitted with this Assessment Brief attached, signed and dated.
 Submitted in a soft cover folder with a divider between the Integrated Study of One
Child and the Collection of Work
 The first page should be the Assignment Submission Sheet (available on the website)

REMEMBER: Always keep a copy of your work for your own files.

Child study
In this assignment you must complete an integrated study of one child. Your child study will
be based on the observations which will be evaluated and linked to early learning and
development i.e. physical, intellectual (cognitive), language, emotional social, (PILES),
theory of how children learn, dispositions, Aistear’s themes, aims and goals. You will then
identify and discuss planned learning experiences i.e. recommendations for future learning. 

You need to collect a minimum of five observations. You can include spontaneous
observations also if they add to the context

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 Template

First page should be assignment submission sheet

Integrated Study of One Child

Proposal

Include

 The aim and rationale – What is the overall aim of this child study, give reasons for
proposing this child and what you hope to achieve.

 Background details about the proposed child and setting – Give a brief description of
the child, their background e.g. age, gender, race, home language, family, siblings, living
arrangement e.g. who they live with and where i.e. urban/rural, medications, allergies,
likes/dislikes etc. any other relevant detail

Type of setting: describe the overall setting – type of setting, how many rooms, teacher
and ages catered for, how many children, urban or rural, outdoor space etc.

 Intended methods for completing each observation: you must state the method of
recording you will use for each and why you chose it (refer to theory when discussing
why you feel the method is appropriate).

 Plan and schedule: Plan and schedule for your observations

 Permission and confidentiality - Discuss ethical considerations in relation to permission

and confidently and how you address these (relate to theory briefly).

Report: (New Page)

The report should follow a standard observation recording format to include;

 The overall aim and rationale – similar to above, this time you will include your
consultation with management, co-worker, parent etc.

 Background details about the child and workplace setting e.g. age, place in the family –
siblings older, younger etc., type of family e.g. lone parent, two parents, foster child etc.
Who they live with, ethnicity, how long have they been attending the setting, are they

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 attending full day, part time, sessional, if attending sessional and parents work who
collects and cares for him for the remainder of the day etc. any disabilities, health issues,
medications, parental concerns, practitioner concerns etc.

 Permission information – include your ethical statement and state that signed permission
is included at the back of the folder.

Observations – complete your observation according to your chosen methods. Ensure your
observations are objective. For each objective observation record (e.g. Checklist/anecdotal,
event sample etc.), include the immediate context, the date and the start and finish times

Example:

Child: Date:

Location: (of observation e.g. sandpit in outdoor area)

Time started: Time finished:

Observer: Background information (only if relevant e.g.

John has started to become upset mid-morning for the past week),

Others involved: e.g. Mary (Group Leader), Tom (4:3 yrs).

The continue using your chosen observation – REMEMBER TO BE OBJECTIVE

Analysis and Evaluation

When all your observations are complete you will then write an analysis and evaluation and
should include how the child is progressing for each of the five (PILES) aspects of
development relative to normative standards (which can be found in the back of the notes or
you can check out http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/ /
https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Publications/Children/Unit_5_Developmental_Assessment.p
df / From Birth to Five Years: Children’s Developmental Progress, 4th Edition by Mary Sheridan).

Types of play the child was involved in – solitary, parallel, group/co-operative etc. role play,
co-operative play, imaginative play, investigative play i.e. finding out, messy play etc. (useful
- http://www.ncca.biz/Aistear/pdfs/Guidelines_ENG/Play_ENG.pdf )

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Dispositions – what positive learning dispositions where noted
(http://www.ncca.ie/en/Curriculum_and_Assessment/Early_Childhood_and_Primary_Educati
on/Early_Childhood_Education/How_Aistear_was_developed/Research_Papers/
Formative_assessment_full_paper.pdf page 22 /
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/nqsplp/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/
RIP1001_EYLFsample.pdf )

Link to Aistear’s themes, aims and learning goals

Throughout this part refer to your observations as evidence (http://www.ncca.biz/Aistear/ / )

How children learn – e.g. could the child’s learning be linked to Piaget (learning through
hands-on experience in the environment, what stage of development is this child in according
to Piaget’s stages of development, Vygotsky (does the child learn in a social situation, are
they in ZPD for something), Bruner – (was their learning scaffolded in some way), Bandura –
(did another adult or child model behavior which the child imitated), Piaget/Athey (any
evidence of schemas http://www.flyingstart.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Schema.pdf
), Bowlby (evidence of attachment between child and key worker), Laevers (access wellbeing
and involvement https://www.kindengezin.be/img/sics-ziko-manual.pdf ) etc.

Recommendations

Above you have evaluated your observations, now take that evaluation and discuss what you
will plan for this child (individually and/or group) to further their learning and
development and why.

Ensure that you show sensitivity when referring to holistic development, diversity, inclusion,
equality and individual variation in children.

Discuss

The methods of recording / observations used – what they are, pros and cons. Your
experience using the various methods, what were the similarities, differences, your preferred
method and why.

The influence of the observer and setting - Theory and then link to your practice How did the
setting and the people in it influence your observations?

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The importance of carrying out and using observations in the workplace (refer to theory –
Aistear, Regulations, Síolta etc.)

Useful:
http://www.firstdiscoverers.co.uk/early-years-observation-spotlight/
https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/media/5555/effective_poa_and_planning.pdf
http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/nursery-world/news/1102493/observing-children
https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/9656_022816Ch5.pdf
https://www.childcareexchange.com/library/5011250.pdf

Collection of Work

You must complete five observations in total on various children in the 0-1 years, 1-3 years

and 3-6 years age groupings (at least one from each).

For each observation (X 5) include the following headings (can be completed in table format

if preferred)

Child’s Name: (Use a Pseudonym)

Child’s Age (in years and months):

Gender:

Permission granted by: (include consent form)

Background details:

Date of Observation:

Name of Observer:

Aim & Rationale:

Method of Observation:

Camera used: (state yes or no – remember if using a camera no defining features should be

shown)

Time Started:

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Time Ended:

The Setting (where is the observation taking place):

Part of daily routine:

Number of adults present:

Number of Children present:

Observation

Then complete your observation objectively using your chosen method (refer to Methods of

Recording)

Evaluation and analysis

Then evaluate stating what the observation tells you about the child

Is this child developing at a normative rate in this area of development? Link theory to

observation

Make link sto theory (e.g. Piaget, Vygotsky,etc. (as above), dispositions, Aistear’s themes

aims and learning goals) (refer to links provided above)

Recommendations

Make recommendations for what steps you will take to further this child’s learning in this

area of development, ensure they are age and developmentally appropriate.

Personal Learning

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the observation method chosen. Any challenges

to using this method.

Discuss how observation informs future planning and how you can make use of this in future

practice.

Discuss your learning during the process of this task.

You complete the above 5 times to complete your 5 observations – each one should be a

minimum of 1000 words.

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Good Luck