E7 and D1

7

E7 and D1

There are many different reasons why settings should have well planned care routines as well as the key worker system.

One reason why it’s important to have well planned care routines is in order for babies to understand routines and so they have an idea on what to expect each day in their routines. Routines helps babies to experience consistency which means they will be doing the same sorts of things in their routines each day like having their nappy changed throughout the day, having their bottle, having breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner, having a sleep and getting to have some time to have free play. Routines will also offer babies stability, this means that the babies can feel safe and secure in a setting and knowing that this will be a place that is stable and that they will be coming to very often.

Routines will help to enhance babies overall development, this will happen by focusing on SPICE, where key workers will offer support and help the babies to develop in their

Physical development

For example encouraging them to stand up and to try walking, social development e.g. encouraging them to interact with other babies and encouraging them to share.

Newborn to 1 Month

·  Baby's will start to develop their fundamental reflexes that they will need to grow up and survive, this will include the sucking, swallowing, coughing, gagging, elimination, grasping, blinking and startling.

·  "Hand, arm, leg, and rooting movements are all reflex motions" (The Best Chance, No Date).  

·  At this age babies will a lot of the time clench in their fists.

·  Their eyes will not yet be fully coordinated which means they may appear to cross.

·  At this age babies will not yet be able to organise their own hands and eyes to work together.

·  "Focuses eyes at 18 to 45 cm" (The Best Chance, No Date). 

Intellectual development

For example providing the baby's with challenging experiences which will encourage them to use their intellectual development because they will have to think about what they are doing as well as concentrating.

·  At this age babies will be able to watch an object that is about 12-15 inches away from them, particularly if it's moving slowly from one side of their felid of vision to the other side.

·  Baby's will start to investigate their own hands and fingers by starting to move them in different directions.

·  At this age babies will start to show a preference for when they hear their mother's voice.

·  They will be able to start to differentiate different smells and tastes. You may find that they will favor sweet tasting liquids and will also withdraw from unpleasant smells.

Social and Emotional development

Encouraging babies to show their emotions and just making sure their happy

·   At this age baby's will be able to sleep commonly between 17 and 19 hours a day. But this will be done in a series of short sleeping patterns.

·  "Is alert 1 out of every 10 hours" (The Best Chance, No Date).

·  Baby's will take pleasure in being rocked and held. 

·  Babies will start to show early characteristics of their individual personality. 

·  At this age babies will start to regconise their primary key carer.  

·  "Persistent crying can start at about 2 to 3 weeks" (The Best Chance, No Date).

Communication development

For example getting them to try and say some words depending on how old they are. All of these things will help to give babies a small understanding of development.

·  At this age babies will mostly communicate by crying but they will occasionally make some other noises.

·  "Communicates with smiles, gazes, and crying" (The Best Chance, No Date). 

·  Baby's will start to expand their preferences for positive sounds e.g. they might settle or become still when they hear music or noises that they recogonise familiar voices.

·  They will now be able to turn in the right direction of a voice that they recogonise.

·  "Small cooing begins and responds to voices" (The Best Chance, No Date). 

1-4 Months

Physical Development

·  When babies are faced down they should now be able to lift their head and chest up and then looks both ways.

·  "They move their arms and legs in a squirming fashion and kick their legs" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date).

·  Baby's will now be able to start to keep their hands open.

·  They will now center their eyes and be able to track a moving object or their carer.

·  They can now wrap their fingers around an object when it is put in their hand.

·  "Lifts head about 45 degrees while lying on tummy" (The Best Chance, No Date). 

Intellectual Development

·  At this age babies will be able to move their heads in the direction of different colours and the changing in lighting.

·  They will now be paying attention to people voices and looking at them all the time.

·  They will start to investigate the environment around them by putting things into their mouths.

·  At this age baby's will reach towards the sound of toys that make noises.  

Social and Emotional Development

·  At this age baby's will now be able to act in response with a smile when someone else smiles at them.

·  "Your baby’s personality becomes more obvious" (The Best Chance, No Date). 

·  Baby's will now be able to play games which include peek-a-boo with their carer.

·  Babies will get pleasure from being lightly ticked and jiggled.

·  When a baby is crying and they hear a familiar voice it will soothe them and they will stop crying.

·  "Persistent crying usually peaks in the second month" (The Best Chance, No Date).

Communication Development

·  At this age baby's will start to make cooing and gurgling noises, mainly when a carer is talking or smiling at the baby.

·  "Gurgles, coos, and squeals exhibits motions" (The Best Chance, No Date).

·  Baby's will now cry when they want something.

·  They will now be able to laugh and it may be loudly.

·  At this age baby's will now be able to connect sounds with objects and physical activity.

·  "Looks at mother’s or father’s face when they talk" (The Best Chance, No Date).

4-8 Months

Physical Development

·  At this age baby's first teeth may start to come through which causes gum swelling and irritation.

·  "They begin to purposely reach for things by coordinating their hands and eyes" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date).

·  Baby's are now able to hold their bottle on their own while feeding.

·  With help baby's will now be able to hold a sitting pose. They will also be able to bounce up and down if they are being held in a standing position.

·  Baby's are now able to turn over on their own when they are on a flat surface.

·  "They may scoot backwards while on their stomach before they can crawl forward" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date).

Intellectual Development

·  At this age baby's will be able to look forward to being fed which means they may open their mouths when they see food in sight.

·  "They start to copy the expressions or movements of carers, such as waving" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date).

·  Baby's will now be able to focus on an object and then reach for it.

·  Baby's will now begin to search for things that have been dropped or are not there anymore.

·  At this age they may not be able to focus on only one toy at a time.

Social and Emotional Development

·  At this age baby's will now have a strong attachment to and they will want their primary carer.

·  "They regconise their regular caregivers, family, and their reflections in the mirror" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date).

·  Baby's are now able to understand that they are different and separate from their carers.

·  Baby's may now be starting to show some anxiety when they are in company of unknown adults.

·  At this age baby's will respond negatively when a toy is taken away from them.

·  "Your baby’s personality becomes more obvious" (The Best Chance, No Date). 

Communication Development

·  At this age baby's will now babble in a rhythmic fashion.

·  "They imitate sounds not related to speech, such as lip smacking and tongue clicking" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date).  

·  A baby will now be able to recognise their own name.

·  Baby's will now be able to carry out simple, one word requests including "wave" and "eat".

·  At this age babies will repeat the same sounds over and over again.

·   "Begins extended vowel sounds, e.g. “ah” (The Best Chance, No Date).

8-12 Months

Physical Development

·  At this age baby's can manage to drink from a cup with a little help from an adult.

·  "They are able to eat cereal, raisins and different finger foods on their own" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date). 

·  Baby's can now manage to reach for objects using one hand.

·  They can now sit up on their own.

·  Baby's at this age can now crawl on the stairs and on flat surfaces.

·  "They can walk while being supported by someone else" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date). 

Intellectual Development

·  At this age baby's will now imitate the movements of what their carers do.

·  They can now show that they can see things far away by pointing at them.

·  Baby's are now able to react to simple instructions.

·  When a baby is given another toy they will automatically drop the other toy.

·  "They start to understand how to use common objects, such as a comb to comb hair or a spoon to put food in their mouth" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date). 

Social and Emotional Development

·  At this age babies will always try to make sure they keep their carers in sight because they like them near them.

·  Baby's will now grow to be attached to their favourite toy or blanket.

·  "They begin to show assertiveness by pushing away a carer or by shouting" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date). 

·  "They may show separation anxiety, such as crying when a caregiver leaves" (Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date). 

·  Baby's may now share their belongings with other baby's.

·  At this age baby's will now be able to understand the word "no" and what it means.

Communication Development

·  At this age baby's will now be able to imitate words that are spoken or sounds that are made by their carers.

·  Baby's at this age may speak their first words.

·  "They can show they agree or disagree by nodding or shaking their heads"(Development Milestones from Birth to 12 Months, No Date).

·  Baby's will now be aware of what their carers name is and then react to it when it is called.

·  At this age baby's will begin to interact verbally with their carers.

·  "Baby's can say "longer and more varied sounds (“ga‑ga, dada, papa”)"(The Best Choice, No Date).

Routines will offer children security because it's important that a setting is secure and that it is safe for babies e.g. locks on windows and making sure that doors are closed at all times. It is also important that babies feel safe in the setting and that they feel secure in their surroundings, it's also important that the babies are never put in any danger or put at risk. Routines give babies independence to explore their environment and to experience new and exciting things that will help them to develop, routines will also be meeting babies care needs.

Routines and the key person system will link to their home life, this is because when babies are at home they care needs are being meet e.g. being fed, having sleep, having their nappy changed, having a bottle and having chance to play, this is what they do in a setting. So key works are helping bring babies home life into the setting in order for the babies to feel more at home and feel comfortable and happy in the setting and it will make them feel like they’re at home. It's the same with the key worker system because key workers are like babies second mum/dad and they are the people that look after them, meet their care needs and help improve their development, babies also have a loving and secure relationship with their key worker and they will trust them like they trust their parents. Key workers will make sure baby’s needs are meeting and making sure they are always development and trying to meet their full potential. Key workers need to make sure they keep the babies safe and secure.

It is important that baby’s individual needs are being met by both planned routines and by the baby’s key worker. It's important that when babies have routines that their individual needs are being met. Daily routines are designed beforehand to make sure they meet the needs of each individual baby in a setting as well as providing a reasonable and stimulating day that allows time for babies to sleep and relax. "Meal times and nappy changing times provide ideal opportunities for interaction and for picking up the meaning of words and gestures" (Kinderwold Day Nurseries, 2012). It is important that key workers let babies follow their own interest and to let them explore what's in their environment. Key workers should be carrying out activities with their key children that have already been planned, this will give key workers a chance to talk to the babies and interact with them. There are many advantages of using the key worker system; one reason is that they will create good relationships with the baby's parents and with the baby to. Having the efficient communication with staff and parents in order to be able to recognise and deal with any problems that might arise to do with one of the babies, e.g. their development, health or safety. Having the key worker system would make it easier for key worker to observe a smaller group of babies by have key groups in order for them to recoginse the baby’s developmental stages and then to plan for this in order to support them to develop further and progress to the next stage in their development.

Routines will help babies to learn to predict what is to happen next, once children get used to their routine after to being at a setting for a certain period of time they will start to realise what is going to happen next in the daily routine for example they may know it is lunch time or a certain meal of the day when the table cloth is put out of the table, In my baby placement the children would come to the table when they saw that the table cloth was being put on the table, if the baby could walk they would sit on the chair themselves. The babies always knew it was sleep time after lunch and some of them would start to get tired and when you laid them down to sleep most of them would go to sleep by themselves.

Routines and the key worker systems benefits babies in Early Years settings because it's a chance for key workers form relationships with the baby’s parents. When they have this relationship they can then work with the baby's parents in order to work together in order to make sure the baby is development at the right stage for their development and supporting the baby with any problems they may be having e.g. struggling to walk, eating habits, sleeping etc In my baby placement there was a baby that was partly blind in one eye so she needed more support from her key worker in order for her to be developing at the right rate. Her key worker worked with her parents to contact another professional that could come into the setting and do activities with the baby in enhance their development and to help improve her eye. So every few weeks a lady would come in and carry out activities with the baby that helps her eyes to work, the lady would put toys in front of her eyes for example she put a light up wand in front of her eyes and the lady was trying to get the baby to follow the wand with both of her eyes but focusing on the eye that she is partly blind in. I found that the baby was really concentrating and trying hard to follow the wand so it showed that she was using her bad eye as best as she could so from this it showed that to work the professionals were doing was helping the baby's eye.

Having routines and the key worker system will help and support children with their confidence and trust. Routines helps babies with their confidence because they more they get used to their routine the more they will become confident about what happens in their routine everyday which means they will begin to feel secure and safe in their environment. Key workers as play a big part in babies confidence and try because they are the people that help encourage babies to be more confident by getting them involved in activities, encouraging them to play with other babies, giving them attention and interacting with them, giving them love and making them feel wanted. All of things help babies to have trust in their key worker and they will feel comfortable and enjoy being around their key worker which will then bring out their confidence in order for them to be able to develop and reach their full potential and receiving the care needs they require.

Routines can enhance baby’s development from birth to 12 months in some many ways. The overall development of babies can be supported during care routines because as well as providing babies with food and drink, meal times in general can be an enjoyable and it will help to stimulate the social and emotional development of babies because babies will show different emotions when they are eating they may smile and look happy when they are enjoying their food but they may have a sad face or an upset face when they don't like their food. Babies will also be making noise because it is showing that they are trying to speak, in my placement when the babies are out the dinner table they will be making different sounds and they will be very noisy, they will also be trying to talk to each other when they are eating and also when they are playing with the toys. Routines will enhance the development of babies because it will help them to gain more independence and be able to do things on their own e.g. feeding their bottle to themselves from 10 months, washing their hands if they are a year old, feeding themselves with a spoon rather than using their fingers etc. Routines will give babies a sense of security because without this babies may feel distressed and upset because some babies find it really hard to settle in a setting when their parents leave this, in my baby placement there was this one baby and he cried quite a lot of the time and he tended to always want to be with one member of staff all the time, if that member of staff then left him he would then cry until they comforted him again because when babies feel secure and safe they are more than likely to be able to detach themselves from their parents/carers because they feel safe and comfortable around that staff member, so that's why it's important that babies feel safe and secure in their setting in order for them to develop their learning and care needs.

Emily Reeves

Site Number: 643:00

Pin Number: 10/681373

Site Name: North Hertfordshire College

E6

6

E6

There are many different reasons how child protection policies and procedures in a childcare setting protect and safeguard babies.

Observations

One way in which you can do this is by observing babies. When you observe a baby you are looking to see how the baby is doing in terms of their development and what they enjoy doing when in the setting. However it isn't just for them reasons it's also to see how the baby is behaving and whether you notice any changes in the baby that you think is worrying and not what the baby would normally do. It is important that you take this further if you are really worried because it could be a case of a type of abuse and it is your job as a practitioner to safeguard babies and to make sure they that are not in any danger or harm.

Recording

Another reason why child protection policies and procedures are put in place for baby’s safety and wellbeing is by making sure that you are observing and recording a situation that was unusual in a baby’s behaviour or their physical and emotional condition, you should also look for signs of neglect. If you found that there was something unusual when you observed a certain baby it is important that you record this. If you see a baby is doing something inappropriate or unusual you need to make sure you write this down, making sure you write every detail to ensure it is clear enough and precise for another professional to examine and then come to a conclusion on what could have happened to the baby. When you are writing the report you need to write what happened step by step so that you don't miss any important details, you need to write what time it happened and where it happened. If you notice any physical, emotional or sexual signs and signs of neglect will also need to be recorded, this could include physical signs like cuts, bruises, burns, red marks etc. it could also include emotional signs e.g. crying all the time, clingy, separates themself from other babies etc....you could also see sexual signs like bruising in their private parts or anywhere near their private parts etc.... and lastly you may see signs of a baby being neglected e.g. dirty clothes, dirty nails, they may smell or they may have lost a lot of weight. When you are recording this information you will need to write down in clear detail, what the sign is and what the condition looks like, you need to write how severe it is and the most important information is where it is on their body so you can determine what sort of abuse the baby could be subjected to.

Reporting

Another reason on how polices and procedures in a childcare setting can protect and safeguard babies is by reporting an incident that you have seen that you thought was concerning and action needed to be taken. Reasons why you may have to report an incident that a baby has been involved could be, if the baby’s behaviour had changed e.g. crying a lot, becoming more violent or if they are quiet. Inappropriate behaviour maybe if they are being sexually, physically, emotionally abused or they are being neglected which could change their behaviour dramatically. You could maybe see bruises, cuts, rashes, red marks, burns or any of physical signs when changing a baby’s nappy. If there was ever a time when you come across something like this then it is vitally important to report this incident even if it is a misunderstanding. This is  because if when you had reported it and it turned out that a baby was being abused you could be the person to stop this abuse from progressing any further or saving the baby’s life if it turned out to be a very serious case. This is why it is vital to record any differences you see if a baby’s behaviour and the way they are acting. Once you have reported what the baby was doing that was inappropriate or unusual and what signs of abuse they may have been subjected to you will need to discuss and decide what professionals you would need to contact to report the incident. These professionals could include:

· Social services 

· Police

· Hospital/Doctors

· NSPCC 

· Child Protection line

Once you have decided which professional you are going to contact you would to work with them in order to make sure the baby’s case is successful and the child is going to be safe. You would also need to make sure you are always preventing it from happening to the baby again or to any other baby in that setting, this is why it is vital to have child protection policies and procedures to safeguard and protect babies.

Recognising signs of abuse

It is so important that when you are working with babies that you do observe a child to see whether there could be any signs of abuse. It is not about accusing parents of abusing their babies it is just about checking to make sure you are safeguarding babies just in case there was an incident where a baby was being abused, so being aware and reconising signs of abuse is vital and paramount to baby’s safety. It is imperative that you recogonise the different between small bruise where a baby could have fallen over to a big bruise where a baby could have been hit or been physically abused. Child abuse is a very serious problem and it is a very serious issues when it comes to babies and toddlers, this is often because babies cannot communicate to you how they are feeling which means that you might be less likely to know if a baby is being abused because they are unable to tell you. This means that babies will become helpless which means that babies will be at a higher risk from abuse than a school aged child would.

If you suspicious and you suspect that a baby is being abused or that they are being put in danger or harmed then you need to be aware of any of the following warning signs. You may start to see a change in the babies behaviour that you will find is unusual, this could include a baby may have an unexpected fear of a specific location or a particular person. It may be that a baby is be abused by a man so they will be frightened of men and they may cry every time one comes it to the setting if it is not a person they regconise or the place they are being abused in could be dark and small so when they are in the setting they may cry when the light goes out when it is their sleep time. The baby may not want to be alone when they are in day care so a practitioner may have carry the child allot and make sure they are comforting them. They may also distance themselves from other children and not want to play with other children so as a practitioner you will need to encourage the baby to play with the other children. If a baby was being sexually abused you would need to look for certain signs like they might scream or cry if you try to take their clothes off when you change their nappy, they may only want a certain staff member to change their nappy, the baby might flinch when a practitioner touches their private parts, if a practice is concerned and they notice any of these signs then you will need to take further action to investigate the situation to see whether the child is being sexually abused.

It is important to have confidentially policies and procedures in a setting to safeguard babies. Confidentiality policy is written to make sure important and personal information about babies and their families are kept confidential. The policy says that this confidential information is not to be shared outside the setting and that only staff member, parents and other professionals are allowed to read it. The policy will say that confidential information should be locked away in a filing cabinet where you can only access it by a key or on a computer where you have to have a password to get into it. In the policies and procedures it will say that parents are allowed to look at confidential information about their own baby but not anyone else’s but they do have to ask a member of staff before look at the documents. It is important that practitioners do not discuss personal information about babies with anyone else other than their parents. If confidential information is given to a practitioner by parents/carers is not allowed to be passed on to another professional unless they have discussed it with the parents/carers and they have agreed to it. Personal issues with babies and their families should always continue to be confidential to the people that are involved and it should never be discussed outside of the setting or with any other parents. If there is any an anxiety or confirmation that is about any baby’s personal safety, it is important that this information is kept in a filing cabinet and it should not be shared with some people in the nursery apart from the baby’s key worker or the manger of the nursery.  

It is vital that settings have policies and procedures of the rights of children. It is vital that babies have their own rights and it's also important that practitioners are letting children have these rights and their not discriminating children's rights. All babies have the right to be kept safe and secure and to live and in a warm and loving environment where they are loved and looked after by the people close to them. These rights are taken away from them when they are being abused or their safety is taken away from them so that is why it is paramount that that practitioners make sure they have policies and procedures for the rights of children in order to protect and safeguard them.

It is important that the welfare of babies comes first before anything. The Children Act 1989 is Intended to guarantee that the welfare of children is paramount. It is important to work in partnership with parents/carers and practitioners to protect babies from any harm or abuse. "The Act was intended to strengthen the child’s legal position; to give him/her equal rights, feelings and wishes; and to ensure children were consulted and kept informed" (Children Act 1989, No Date). The Children Act 2004 looks at reinforcement to further develop children's lives and legalises and refers to 'Every Child Matters' (Change for Children 2004). Other legislation that is closely linked to The Children Act 2004 is

· Protection of Children Act 1999

· Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

· Childcare Act 2006

It is important that you work with parents when it comes to safeguarding babies,

It is important that you work as a team in a childcare environment when you are safeguarding babies because one opinions than one can help solve a problem and stop abuse or harm to a baby faster. Working together as a team sets out to show how different organisations work together with practitioners to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and babies in connection with Children Act 1989 and Children Act 2004. It's really important that all practitioners in child care settings that are working to safeguard children and babies have an understanding of their responsibilities and duties that are already set out in primary legislation and linked regulations and guidance. 

It is important that you are always aware of health and safety when it comes to safeguarding babies. It's important that practitioners are always aware of baby’s safety and making sure that they are not put in any danger or put at any harm. It is also important that you are always aware of baby’s health and that practitioners are looking at signs of whether a baby is unwell. It is always important that you that have the right staff ratio in settings at all times when it comes to safeguarding babies because more staff may be aware if a baby may be being abused and there are also more people to observe the children to see if they find any signs of abuse. It is practitioner’s duties to protect babies from maltreatment preventing them from physical abuse, it's important that practitioners are always looking out for any signs of physical abuse. It is practitioner’s duty to prevent impairment of baby’s health and development and ensuring that babies are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of care. "Undertaking that role so as to enable those children to have optimum life chances and to enter successfully" (Class Notes, 2012).

Emily Reeves

Site Number: 643:00

Pin Number: 10/681373

Site Name: North Hertfordshire College

 




   

4

E4

There are many different activities you can provide a 1 year old to support their overall development. I am going to be choosing to activities that will support babies overall development and that will encourage them to try and learn something new to improve their development.

Pull along snake toy

 Materials

· A variety of bright paints (Lead- free paint

· 10 -12 Large reels

· Cotton Reels

· Cord

· Large oval bead

· Paint Brushes (Depending on how many colours of paint your going to use)

· Some Wooden or Plastic beads (To help make the handle)

The first activity I have chosen to do that will support the overall development of a 1 year old is called a pull along snake. When a baby gets to a year old they will be starting to walk so it’s important that practitioners use toys and different objects to encourage babies to walk. I have chosen a pull along snake because they have learnt how to walk it will be a good way of them showing off their walking skills. This will help babies to walk with confidence and not needing to hold someone’s hand or holding onto some furniture. It should be brightly painted using cotton reels that are threaded onto a soft cord or string that makes an attractive 'Snake' for a 1 year old. To make the pull along snake you will need to use the following instructions:

1. The first step is to get some bright paint, you then need to paint 10-12 large cotton reels in your bright colours you have chosen, you should lead-free paint as this will make it easier to paint on your cotton reels.

2. Step 2 is to get your cotton reels and thread them onto your cord. It should be 0.75 m (20 inches) long.

3. Step 3 is to knot your cord in order for you to ensure that all the reels are about 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) apart from each other; this is so the snake will twist and turn when it is pulled.

4. Step 4 is to Use a large oval bead that will make the snakes head. You then need to paint an eye on your snake using whatever colour paint you wish each side of the snakes head.

5. The last step to finish your pull along snake off is to use a small wooden or some plastic beads that will help to make an easy- to- grip handle for the baby to hold onto.

How this activity will support a 1 year olds overall development

The pull along snake will help babies to form a good grip is a pull along snake to stop falling out the babies hand as they had pulling it along that is why it's important to have a strong and easy-to-grip handle to stop this from happening. This activity will also help to promote a 1 year olds motor skills because they will be using the big muscles in the body. They will be using their legs to walk along and to make the pull along snake move. They will also be using one of the arms to grab onto the snake and pull it along. This is activity will also help to support a 1 year olds balance and coordination because by pulling the snake along it will help them stand upright and not fall over and they will have to think about walking straight and looking where they are going when they are pulling the snake along. This activity will also help to encourage a 1 year old to become more aware of their own ability to control their own environment and move freely around their environment going where they want to go in the room and not having to be carried to different places in the room all the time.

Matching Colours with Play Food

The second activity I have chosen to do that will also support their overall development of a one year old is Matching Colours with play food. This activity will help 1 year olds to understand different colours and the colours of food and how they match together. This activity is also great for colour identification, great or matching things together and exploring your resources. This Activity will also help with 1 year olds vocabulary; practitioners can encourage 1 year olds to identify and name the different colours, name the different foods, tell them the name of the different objects, naming the colours etc. To do this activity you will need to use the following instructions which are:

1. The first step is to get all your equipment to carry out the activity which is:

• Three plastic plates from the play kitchen that the children play with. (Making sure there the same colour).
• Three pieces of play food from the play kitchen that again the children play with (Again making sure there all the same colour).

2. Step 2 is to get your three different colour plates from the play kitchen that should be the same colour as the play food.

3. Step 3 is to get your three different play foods from the play kitchen. 

Then you are ready to do the activity. To start off with in carrying out the activity a practitioner should work with the child and work together to match the different play foods with the different colour plates they match too. As you are doing the activity you should talk to the child about what colours the food are before you get them to match them to the colour plates, you should also ask questions to the child like, 'what colour do you think this is' and 'what plate does this food match with' etc. You should also talk to the child about the type of food it is and ask them questions about the food but only simple questions like 'do you know what is in this food' or 'what does this food look like or taste like'. You should you what resources you have at home if it's a parent that is doing the activity with the child or if it's in a childcare setting you should you use the play food you have in the setting, but make sure it is the right colours. It could be toys/objects that your child likes to play with or what they like to play within a childcare setting e.g. blocks, characters, cars, straws, or stickers can work well with plates, cups, construction paper, craft foam etc. This activity will help a 1 year to use their concentration and creative skills when they are trying to work out the colours of the food and plates and which food matches to which plate. It will help a child to understand colours and the different types of food and it will give them more of an understanding of what they are and what they're used for and the difference between them.  

Emily Reeves

Site Number: 643:00

Pin Number: 10/681373

Site Name: North Hertfordshire College

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E3

I am going to be looking at the expected stage of development for a baby that is 12 months old. I am going to be writing about what a baby is expected to do as far as their development at this age and then I'm going to be looking at what changes there would be in their development after another two months.

A baby will be 1 year old at the age of 12 months old and they will be celebrating their first birthday. Babies at 12 months babies will tend to look at an adult before they do something e.g. looking at you before they try to put their hand in plug socket or something they shouldn't be put their hands in. They will be starting to do things the way it should be done e.g. holding a hair brush and brushing their own hair or maybe brushing someone else’s hair. Babies at 12 months will also be finding out ways that things happen e.g. pulling a table cloth off the table and plates and cups fall on the floor. They will start to know what comes next or what's going to happen next e.g. finishing the end of a song before everyone else has got to that part of the song. At 12 months babies will be starting to be able to do more than one thing at a time, they will also start to remember where things are like the cupboards with the toys in, where the crayons are kept, they will be able to crawl or walk to the crayons to reach them.

At 12 months old it will be important to babies that they feel secure and safe so they can explore the world around them and to be more independent and do things on their own. They will now be strongly attached to someone that is close to them e.g. parents, family members, friends and maybe their key worker if they go to a childcare setting. Some babies may be shyer than other children and may not want to explore like some children.

Babies at 12 months think that their world has changed considerably at this age because they are becoming more mobile and they are crawling all the time and cursing along and using different furniture to give them support. Some babies at this age may be starting to walk or they might already be walking. At 12 months old some babies may still be shy when they are round people they don't know, most babies will have a favourite comfort toy/object e.g. a teddy or a blanket or a dummy might be their comfort. At 12 months babies language will start to develop small conversation with growing imitation meaning they will start to copy what other do, but there will be very few words that will be recognisible. Babies at 12 months will be improving their own sense of identity.

Physical Development

At 12 months old babies will be using their gross motor skills a lot. Babies will be able to rise on their own to a sitting position from when they are lying down. They will now be able to rise and stand up on their own without hold onto furniture or someone’s hands. They will then be able to stand for a few moments and then they will usually sit down. Babies will crawl on their hands and knees and they will bottom shuffle or they may use their hands and feet to move quickly on the floor which is called 'bear-walking'. Some babies will be able to walk on their own, their feet will be wide apart and their arms will be raised so they can keep their balance or to walk with one hand held by an adult "Her newborn reflexes have diminished, and she’s showing increased control over her gross motor movement" (About.com, 2013).  Babies at 12 months old will also use their fine motor skills a lot. Babies will be able to pick up small objects with the fine pincer grasp between their thumb and the tip of their index finger. Babies will now be able to point with their index finger at toys/objects that they're interested in. Babies will be able to hold a crayon in a palmer grasp and use this to turn several pages. At 12 months babies will drop and throw toys on purpose and then look to see what they have landed. They will now be able to build with a small number of brick and arrange toys when on the floor " Similarly, your little one is illustrating increased dexterity as her fine motor skills refine. Her ability to pick up small objects between their thumb and finger is cause for you to be very aware of potential choking hazards" (About.com, 2013).  

Sensory Development

When a baby is 12 months old they will be able to see almost as well as an adult would be able to. Their visual memory will be very good and that might find things that an adult may not be able to find. "Sensory and motor development is the gradual process by which a child gains use and coordination of the large muscles of the legs, trunk, and arms, and the smaller muscles of the hands" (My Health. Alberta.ca 2012). Babies will be able to know and respond straight away to their own name when it is being called, they will also regconise common sounds and voices that they've heard before.

Cognitive and Language Development

At 12 months old a baby will be using trial and error methods to learn and use different toys and objects. Babies will be able to speak two to six or maybe more recognisible words which they will show they understand many more babbling will have developed into a more speech like form, again with increased intonation.  "Up until around now, when your family cat left the room, the cat ceased to exist for your infant.  When you removed that toy from his view, he didn’t know that it was just put away in the basket he thought it no longer existed. The concept that objects and people in this world exist even when they are no longer able to be seen, heard, or touched is referred to as object permanence and this is a very important cognitive skill that emerges over time generally around 8-12 months of age or so" (Playing with words 365, 2012).  At this age babies will be able to comprehend simple instructions connected with a gesture such as 'come to mummy', 'clap hands' and 'say hello'. Babies can now hand over objects to adults when they are asked to, they will also embark on treating toys/objects in a suitable way e.g. cuddle a teddy but use a hair brush. Deaf babies will stop babbling at around 12 months, this is because they are beginning to learn the special manual gestures of sign language.

Emotional and Social Development

At 12 months old babies will be closely reliant upon an adult's reassuring presence so they know they are doing something the right way. "Emotional and social growth during the first year of life can be both fascinating and exciting. As babies bond with their parents and caregivers, their interactions become more personal and engaging" (MyHealth.Alberta.ca, 2011).
 Babies will still be shy with people they don't see often. At 12 months babies will be very loving towards the people you are close to. Babies will love to socialise at mealtimes, they will be joining in on conversations while trying to feed themselves. Babies will help you with daily routines such as getting washed and helping with getting dressed. At this age babies will often want a comfort toy or object this might be a teddy or a blanket. Babies will be emotionally labile, which means that they are likely to be having fluctuating moods.

Play

At 12 months old babies will love to play with toys that they are able to move along with their feet. Babies will get great pleasure at looking at picture books, in my placement when I look at picture books with the babies they will usually point to the picture and then I would tell them what it was, sometimes they would keep pointing at the same pictures. Babies will love to play with bricks and containers; they will put the toys into the containers and then take them out again. "Your little one will make great strides in learning. Play will take on a new dimension as language emerges. During these next few months, your baby's babbling will start to morph into words like "mama," "dada," and "baba.". (Kids Health, 1995-2013).

After 2 Months

· Babies will be able to way to someone they know and love.

· Babies will be starting to follow commands e.g. 'give mummy the ball'

· Babies will be able to stack a couple of cubes on their own but the tower will not yet be straight.

· Babies at 14 months should have a vocabulary of half a dozen words, 'no' being one of them that they will tend to use quite often.

· Babies will use negativity that is an effective way for them and it shows that they are demonstrating their new found identity and showing their growing confidence.

· At this age babies will tend to like to make a mess emptying toys/ objects out of things like cupboards, boxes draws etc.

· Babies will tend to drop a lot of things at this age and they will watch you pick it up after to them which they will learn from this.

· At this age it is important that you are looking out for the way babies are walking e.g. bowlegs, flat feet, and toeing out, All three of these conditions should disappear as the child's legs and feet continue to develop and when their balance improves.

· Play time will be critical for improving both children's motor and social skills as well as their self esteem. So it is important that all toddlers are getting the opportunity to have space and fun.

· Babies will get great excitement by may be confused when they play with a new toy.

· Babies at this age will get angry when they don't get a toy they want which in some children may mean that they will have a tantrum.

· You can now talk to them about unacceptable behaviour but they may not yet understand what you’re saying.

 

 

 1 YEAR OLD                            14 MONTHS OLD

Emily Reeves

Site Number: 643:00

Pin Number: 10/681373

Site Name: North Hertfordshire College

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E5

The role of the practitioner in meeting particular needs of babies is very important. I have chosen to do a group based care. The setting of care I have chosen to do is a Day Nursery.

A Day Nursery will offer a range of needs for babies from 3 months up until age 5 which will be Pre-school age. In a Day Nursery there will be a variety of care needs because they have to care for baby’s right up until the age of five so the care needs will be different depending on the age but I will be focusing on babies and the particular needs practitioners can offer babies. 

One way in which practitioners can meet babies particular care needs is that it is vitally important that as a practitioner you are forming a relationship with the babies and their parents. This is important because you can work to together with the baby’s parents to help their baby develop and making sure they are developing at the right stage for their age. It will also be important to work with parents if a baby has a disability or maybe a learning difficulty that could affect the way they develop, for example in my baby placement one baby is partly blind in one eye so she needs extra help in order for her to develop in the right way, so the babies key worker worked together to find a way of helping the baby develop and to improve and strengthen the babies eye in order for her to be able to use that eye and develop to the best of her ability. It is also important that practitioners are forming good relationships with the babies making sure the babies trust you and they feel comfortable around you, to form this relationship you can comfort the baby when they are hurt of sad, making sure they are giving the babies attention by playing and interacting with them.

Another way practitioners can meet the particular needs of babies is by ensuring that practitioners are observing and recording children's development on a daily basis. Practitioners can do this by observing children to see what they enjoy doing and finding out what their likes and dislikes are. Practitioners will need to be recording this information while they are finding it out in order to make sure they have the information on record. Once practitioners have recorded this information they can this use it to plan to meet babies need's by ensuring they are providing the right activities and toys that the babies enjoy doing and that will contribute to their learning, this is so they will progress and improve their development to the best of their ability. It’s important for practitioners to record information because in order for you to go back to the information at anytime, it will also help with providing next steps for babies in order to further their development and then going back to this information after a certain amount of weeks to see if the baby has managed to carry out their next step.

Another really significant way of meeting babies particular needs is by always ensuring that babies are always be supervised in a childcare setting at all times. It is vital that in a setting they have a ratio system to ensure that there are enough staff to the amount of children in the setting each day. When it comes to babies the ratio has to be one adult to every three babies, so for example of there was twelve babies in on one day then there needs to be four members of staff in the room. If the room is split into two then it maybe a sensible idea would be to put six babies in one room with two members of staff and the other six babies in the other room again with the other two members of staff, this is so that there is more room for the babies to move around and so that it is easier for the staff to supervise the babies. This may also happen because each staff member will have a certain amount key children that they are responsible for, meaning that they have to do observations, change nappies and feed their key children, so is so babies care and learning needs are looked at more closely by one person and they will be responsible for ensuring that their key children are developing and learning as they grow up.  If a key worker was on their own with three babies then they would need to carry out certain tasks in order to make sure that they will always be supervising the babies. The tasks they would need to carry out would be changing baby’s nappies on the floor on a changing mat instead of changing them on a nappy cubical, so is so that the key worker can watch the other babies while they are changing one baby’s nappy. It is important for key workers to make sure they are supervising babies this is so that can try and prevent babies from having accidents and to make sure that the babies are being kept safe.

Another way of meeting babies particular is by providing a variety of different resources and equipment in order to help the babies to develop and to reach their full potential. Key workers should be providing babies with toys and equipment that will stimulate them and keeping them interested. Toys like mobiles and things that are hanging will help to stimulate babies that are 3 months and younger when they are in a cot or under a play gym because they will try and reach their body up in order to try and grab the different toys. Sensory toys and materials are a good way of stimulating babies because they will be interested in how they feel, what they look like and younger babies will put things in the mouth in order to feel the texture of the material. Shape sorting toys will help babies really concentrate because they will be trying their very hardest to get the shapes into the holes and they may spend ages on the one toy until they can get the shapes in the holes. Puzzles are also another good way of stimulating babies because they will be turn each puzzle piece different ways to try and get them in the right place but they won't yet know which piece goes in which slot they will just try and put any piece in any slot to see if that puzzle piece matches, they do sometimes get it right. Building towers will also help to stimulate a baby and to help them concentrate because they will try to make a tower without it falling down, when I’m in my baby placement I will start off a tower for baby so that they can try and put the next brick on top. Babies will love to use walkers when they are in childcare settings, this is because the love to move around, they will like to bang into things and walkers will also encourage babies to walk and to use their legs, babies will also feel a sense of achievement when they are using a walker because they love it when they can get to the other side of the room. In my baby placement some of the babies have been using the walkers and they will spend a lot of time just going up and down the room.

Another way of meeting baby’s needs is by making sure babies have routines. It is important for babies to have a routine for many reasons. Routines will help stimulate babies and it will help them to keep interested because they are doing different tasks and activities throughout the day. It is really important to have routines in a Day nursery because some babies can be there from half seven in the morning to something like half six at night so they need to have routines in order to keep them occupied and to make sure they are having fun as well as developing at the same time. In a babies routine it is important to ensure that they have breakfast, a snack lunch and dinner to make sure they have got enough energy for the day and to ensure they are getting a balanced diet and a variety of nutrients. key workers will need to ensure they change the babies nappies at certain times of the day, it is also important that babies can a lot of time to play and explore their environment, the toys and the different resources. Routines will give babies stability and freedom to do what they want. Routines give babies a chance to be flexible. Routines will help babies to know what to expect in their daily routines for example, the babies in my placement will always know what it is time to eat. Routines will support baby’s development and they will be learning new aspects everyday.

To provide quality care for babies should be delivered with a caring and personal relationship between the baby and a practitioner. In a Day Nursery it is important that they have a key worker system to connect a practitioner with an individual baby, though a key person will have a group of babies to work with to meet their individual needs and to support them with their development to help them reach their full potential. The practitioner will also work with the baby’s parents to work together to make sure that the babies are developing at the right stage of development for their age. A key worker as a number of tasks to carry out in order to meet baby’s particular needs. Key workers should always be keeping daily records of their key baby’s development e.g. by writing a dairy about what the baby has done each day they are in the Day Nursery. In my baby placement the staff members have to write a dairy everyday about what the baby has been doing in their day. They would write whether the child ate all their meals in the day and how much they ate, how long they slept for, how many times they had their nappy changed and what they did, they also wrote down how many ounces they had of their bottle if they had one and then they would generally just write about what the baby did in the day and what they played with. This showed and helped their parents to understand how they are developing what they like to do. Key workers should observe the babies when they do something new and then make sure they feed this back to their parents. Key workers should be "observing your key children and analysing the information gathered through observation" (teaching expertise, 2009). Key workers should be planning a variety of different experiences for the babies which links to the observations you've done of the baby’s interests. If a baby has special needs it's important for practitioners to create individual education plans that will help support them. It is important that practitioners are keeping in contact with other professionals and other colleagues about the baby’s development.

Emily Reeves

Site Number: 643:00

Pin Number: 10/681373

Site Name: North Hertfordshire College