CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

CACHE LEVEL 2 INTRODUCTION TO

EARLY YEARS EDUCATION AND CARE

Unit 3.8 Understand how to plan to meet the needs of the developing child

Session 1

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Starter activity

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.1)

Table blast

Why do we observe children?

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

LO1 Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years.

AC 1.1 Explain why the early years practitioner plans to meet the individual needs of children.

AC 1.2 Describe approaches to planning to meet individual needs of children in the:

• Short term

Learning Outcomes

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• All children have individual needs and rates of development.

• Carefully thought-out plans will support children to move on to their next stage of development or milestone.

• Practitioners will plan a range of activities and experiences that will be age and stage appropriate for the children they are working with.

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.1)

Planning to meet individual needs

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• Practitioners will plan to meet the individual needs of children to ensure that they grow and develop.

• All children are individual and unique, and practitioners will plan accordingly.

• Planning for individual needs will support the holistic development of the child.

• Meeting individual needs will mean that children will be able to progress to the best of their own ability.

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.1)

Planning to meet individual needs

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Check a child’s overall development

See if a child is progressing

To help planning

To evaluate activities, routines or strategies used with children

To report to other professionals

To report to parents

To resolve a particular problem.

To learn about individual needs

Reference: Penny Tassoni

Why do we observe and

assess children?

Why do we observe and

assess children?

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Pairs activity

Time: 15 minsDiscuss what might happen if practitioners do not take individual needs into account when planning for children.

Look at your headings on your tables to support you.

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.1)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.2)

Approaches to planning

Please create your own

planning cycle

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• All settings will have planning meetings where they will discuss short- and long-term plans.

• A short-term plan will cover a short amount of time, and could be for one activity, one day or one week.

• A long-term plan can cover anything from a term to a year.

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.2)

Approaches to planning

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Short-term plans can be:• Activity plans• Lesson plans• Weekly plans• Individual Education Plans• Individual Learning Plans or Journeys.

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.2)

Approaches to planning

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Independent research activity

Time: 15 minsCompare at least two examples of lesson or activity plans for early years settings.

Split your page up and consider the following for each example:• Similarities• Differences• Headings• Layout• What you like and dislike about the plan• Are there any spaces on the plan for meeting individual needs?

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.2)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

CACHE LEVEL 2 INTRODUCTION TO

EARLY YEARS EDUCATION AND CARE

Unit 3.8 Understand how to plan to meet the needs of the developing child

Session 2

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Starter activity

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.1)

What national festivals/ celebrations fall on the months of the year?

One volunteer to come and add them to the board

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

LO1 Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years.

AC 1.2 Describe approaches to planning to meet individual needs of children in the:

• Short term.• Long term.

AC 1.3 Explain planning in relation to current frameworks.

Learning Outcomes

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• Long-term plans are more general, as they will cover a much longer timeframe.

• A long-term plan will give practitioners an overview of topics that will be covered.

• It can also include planned trips out or visitors to the setting.

• A long-term plan is usually displayed for all to see, and this then helps practitioners to carry out their short-term planning.

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.2)

Approaches to planning

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.2)

Long term: topic examples Short term: activity examplesWinter Snow picture

Making soupColours Threading beads

Sorting carsAll about me Plate faces

Height chartLife cycles Butterfly paintings

Bug huntBeing healthy Obstacle course

Making healthy sandwiches

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Group activity

Create an outline of a long-term plan as a whole class that would show topics to be covered in a day nursery from January to December. (You need to agree as a class the template you will use)

Consider:• Seasons• Festivals• Topics • Areas of learning• Indoor and outdoor areas• Trips or visitors.

Keep this safe as you will be creating a final in the computer room later in the week

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.2)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a framework that must be followed by all early years providers who care for children from birth to 5 years old.

• The EYFS is split into three sections:1. The learning and development requirements2. Assessment3. The safeguarding and welfare requirements.

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.3)

Current frameworks

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Practitioners must plan according to the guidelines set out in the EYFS, and this includes covering all the areas of learning.

The three prime areas:• Communication and language• Physical development• Personal, social and emotional development.

The four specific areas:• Literacy• Mathematics• Understanding the world• Expressive arts and design.

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.3)

Current frameworks

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• The National Curriculum is followed by all state schools for children from 5 to 16 years old.

• The National Curriculum is broken down into ‘Key Stages’, and children aged 5 to 7 years old follow Key Stage 1 (KS1).

• Teachers must plan to cover all the subjects in the National Curriculum.

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.3)

Current frameworks

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Can you name all subjects covered in the National Curriculum for key stage 1?

There are 12

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.3)

Current frameworks

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Key Stage 1 subjects:

• English• Maths• Science• Geography• History• Design & technology• Music • Art• Religious Education • Physical Education

• PSHE• Computing.

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.3)

Current frameworks

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Group activity

Create an outline of a daily short-term plan that supports your long term plan, ensuring you have covered all areas of the EYFS. (You need to agree as a class the template you will use)

Consider:• Differentiation• All areas of the setting • Learning styles • Individual needs • Extensions

Keep this safe as you will be creating a final in the computer room later in the week

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.2)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Group activity

Create an activity plans to support your short-term plan, ensuring you are covering a range of development areas. Look at your placement plan to support this task.

Consider:• Age of children • Individual needs• Areas of learning• Indoor and outdoor areas

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.2)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Extension activity

Time: 15 minsAsk for copies of any short-term plans used in your setting. Compare these to the ones reviewed in the Independent research activity.

Consider:• Similarities• Differences• Headings• Layout• What you like and dislike about the plan/s from the setting• How does your setting plan for individual needs?

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.3)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

CACHE LEVEL 2 INTRODUCTION TO

EARLY YEARS EDUCATION AND CARE

Unit 3.8 Understand how to plan to meet the needs of the developing child

Session 3

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Starter activity

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.1)

Fill in the blanks

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

LO2 Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children.

AC 2.1 Describe information the early years practitioner requires to be able to plan to meet the needs of children.

AC 2.2 Explain the reasons for identifying children’s needs, interests and stage of development prior to planning.

AC 2.3 Explain the role of observation in planning.

Learning Outcomes

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• Practitioners will need to have access to a range of information about a child in order to plan effectively.

• All planning must be age and stage appropriate.

For example, a practitioner would not set up an outdoor obstacle course for 3- to 6-month-old babies, and they would not plan to use baby rhymes with 5-year-olds.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.1)

Planning to meet individual needs

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

As well as planning according to the age and stage of development of the child, the following may be useful to know:

• The child’s likes and dislikes• Routines at home• Habits such as twiddling their hair when tired• Dietary needs• Previous experiences at other early years settings or school• Parent/carer’s wishes• Medical information where relevant.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.1)

Planning to meet individual needs

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Lets create our own all about

me page

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.1)

Planning to meet individual needs

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• A well-informed practitioner will find it easier to plan to meet the needs of all children.

• If a practitioner were to plan an activity where a child was expected to cut around a shape, it would be useful to know if the child is able to use scissors confidently.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.1)

Planning to meet individual needs

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Pairs activity

Time: 15 minsDiscuss how knowing a little bit about a child has helped you to support them in an activity or experience.

For example:• Supporting a child who is afraid of spiders when they have been asked to

take part in a bug hunt• Helping a child with a threading activity even though they got frustrated

last time they tried it• Working with a child who has a milk allergy during snack time• Why is it important to know this sort of information?

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.1)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• Children will be far more likely to take part in activities if they are interested in what has been planned.

• If children in the setting show an interest in a cobweb shimmering in the sun, then practitioners can plan activities around this to support learning and development.

• These activities could include threading, string-painting, singing Incy Wincy Spider and reading The Very Busy Spider storybook.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.2)

Identifying needs, interests and stage of development

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• It is important to identify any individual needs a child may have before a practitioner plans activities or experiences.

• A child may be asthmatic and therefore it is important that any vigorous exercise activities are planned with that in mind.

• The child may need to take their inhaler first, or they may need to take part at a slightly slower pace.

• If a practitioner did not know this before planning, then the child could become anxious and have an asthma attack.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.2)

Identifying needs, interests and stage of development

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Group activity

You have been asked to plan a series of activities for a 3½-year-old child who is reluctant to play in the setting. You have been told that she loves cars and trains.

Consider:• Activities that support different areas of learning and development• Indoor and outdoor activities• Encouraging the child to play with others• How you can move the child on from just playing with cars and trains.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.2)

Communication Physical development

Personal Expressive arts and design.

Messy play Language Emotional development

Understanding the world

Mathematics Literacy Outdoor play Social ICT Construction

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• Practitioners will carry out a range of planned and spontaneous observations on all children.

• When a practitioner observes a child, they will watch them carefully to see what they say and do.

• Observations will help practitioners plan future activities and experiences.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.3)

The role of observation in planning

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Classroom discussion activity

Are observations of children shared within the team?

Consider:• Sharing a child’s specific achievement• Describing a task a child has struggled with• Explaining how children have been very interested in something in the

setting• Discussing an activity that children were not keen to take part in• Identifying equipment that is very popular with children• Why is it important to share these observations of children?

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.3)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

CACHE LEVEL 2 INTRODUCTION TO

EARLY YEARS EDUCATION AND CARE

Unit 3.8 Understand how to plan to meet the needs of the developing child

Session 4

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Say what you see

What word can you see?

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

LO2 Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children.

AC 2.4 Devise a plan to meet the needs of an individual child.

AC 2.5 Explain why the early years practitioner involves others in planning for the next steps of children’s development.

AC 2.6 Describe reasons for tracking children’s progress.

Learning Outcomes

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• Practitioners will create plans that will support children to move on to their next stage of development.

• For example, practitioners may observe that a child can recognise the numbers 1 to 3, so they plan activities that will begin to introduce the number 4.

• Practitioners will discuss ‘next steps’ with parents/carers so that they can continue with supporting the child’s development at home.

• Practitioners will discuss children’s progress with any professional involved in their care.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.4, 2.5)

Planning to meet individual needs

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• It may be that a practitioner observes a child doing something new in the outdoor area, and they report this to the child’s key person.

• This will enable the key person to further develop this new skill.

• Practitioners may need to discuss the progress of a child with other professionals outside of the setting in order to plan effectively for them.

• It may be that they are working with a child who has English as an additional language and so the practitioner requires the support of an interpreter to help plan suitable activities for the child.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.4, 2.5)

Planning to meet individual needs

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Pairs activity

Mary is 19 months old and will soon be moving from the baby room to the toddler room. She moves happily around the room, but likes to be holding on to something while she does this. You are her key person in the baby room and you need to work with the key person from the toddler room to support Mary to develop this skill when she moves up.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.4, 2.5)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Pairs activity

Consider:• What makes Mary happy?• Why is this important?• A clear explanation of Mary’s stage of walking• How you can plan for both the transition

ahead and developing Mary’s walking skills• Why is it important to work together on this

matter?• What might happen to Mary’s walking if you

did not work together?

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.4, 2.5)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.4, 2.5)

Involving others in planning

Share ideas Different

views

Continuity Meets needs

Holistic view

Supports development

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• When we track a child’s progress we keep a record of their development.

• Observations will inform a child’s tracking, as this will show when a child was able to do certain tasks.

• Practitioners will review the tracking at regular intervals to check progress.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.6)

Tracking progress

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Independent research activity

Ask for a copy of a tracking sheet from your setting.

You need to complete a check list observation (tracking observation) to achieve Unit 11 – 2.1a

You will then need to plan for the child’s next step from the observation information you have gathered.

Consider:• What information from the tracking sheet would help you to plan the activity?• How would this information help you to move children onto their next stage of

development?

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.6)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• The EYFS tracks children’s progress at specific stages.

• Children’s progress is checked at the age of 2, if they are in an early years setting and at the end of the EYFS.

• This checking of progress will allow practitioners to assess a child’s development and plan to meet their needs.

• Tracking progress will enable early intervention if there appears to be a delay in a child’s expected pattern of development.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.6)

Tracking progress

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Classroom discussion activity

Discuss how your setting tracks progress.

Consider:• Team meetings• Informal discussions• Observations • Charts on the wall• Post-it notes• Learning journeys, books or journals.

2. Understand how to plan to meet the needs of children (2.6)

CACHE Level 2 Intro to Early Years Education© Hodder & Stoughton Limited

• Please type up as a class you long term long-term plan as a whole class, using your created draft to show topics to be covered in a day nursery from January to December.

• Please type up as a class you a daily short-term plan that supports your long term plan, ensuring you have covered all areas of the EYFS

This will be displaying in the classroom

1. Understand approaches to planning when working with children from birth to 7 years (1.2)

Long and short term plan