Introduction to Children and Young People’s Development

Know the main stages of children and young people’s development.

Learners need to have a overview of the expected patterns of development from birth to 19 years. It may be helpful to group the age ranges into infancy 0-3 years, childhood 4-9 years, adolescence 10-18 years but this is left to the discretion of the tutor and learners. 

Learners need to be aware of the Early Years Foundation areas of development

• Communication and language
• Physical
• Personal, social, emotional
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understating the world
• Creative expression

Assessment Criteria

• 1.1

  Outline the expected pattern of development for children and young people from birth to 19 years to include:

  • physical development
  • communication
  • intellectual development
  • social, emotional and behavioural development

Know the factors that affect children and young people’s development.

Factors that may be considered could include:

1. background - income, education, family size, culture, religion
2. health - diet, exercise, illnesses, lifestyle
3. environment - pollution, quality of housing, rural versus urban. Not every factor mentioned above needs to be included. Learners should be able to identify factors from each area.

Assessment Criteria

• 2.1

  Identify the factors that affect children and young people’s development to include:

  • background
  • health
  • environment

Know how to support children and young people’s development.

Examples of ways children and young people's development may be supported can include:

1. physical development - providing appropriate indoor and outdoor play equipment; leisure activities e.g. sports, walking, board games
2. communication - how the adult can support reading, writing, listening and speaking at different stages; library, internet, social media; appropriate play materials and books to encourage different aspects of communication
3. intellectual development - play equipment such as jigsaws, puzzles; creative actives; role play and imaginative games; problem solving activities
4. social, emotional and behavioural development - opportunities to play with others; team games; play resources that allow for stress release e.g. clay, dough

The examples given above are indicative.

Assessment Criteria

• 3.1

  Outline different ways to support children and young people’s development to include:

  • physical development
  • communication
  • intellectual development
  • social, emotional and behavioural development