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BTEC @ Home
www.dac-childcaretraining.co.uk
June 2010 CHILD SAFETY WEEK - 2010 (21 -27 June) Serious accidents can cause injuries to children that take months or years to heal. The psychological damage caused to children and their families often lasts a lifetime. Yet many of these accidents can be prevented by taking just a moment, to move a hot drink, check a smoke alarm, lock the medicine cabinet, switch off the dryer or take your foot off the accelerator. That’s why the theme for 2010 is ‘make time for safety’. For parents and carers our key messages are:
More children end up in hospital because they’ve been seriously hurt in an accident than any other cause. Many of these accidents can take just a moment to prevent. We want everyone who cares about children – parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, childminders, foster carers - to pledge some time and help stop the children you care about being hurt in a serious accident. For more information on Child Safety Week, and how you can become involved go to: http://www.childsafetyweek.org.uk SUMMER TIME Now the fine weather is with us, many of you will be planning events and outings; please consider sending us photographs that we can display on our website.
BTEC IS CHANGING From September 2010 all qualifications in the UK are having an overhaul; they are being put onto a new framework, which measures unit size in credits. Apart from new titles, this will not mean any big changes to students; however, for those who are registered on the current titles there is a limit to the time allowed for completion. I will be writing to all registered learners in the next 6 weeks, to explain how each of you might be affected. VISITS During the last 3 months I have had the opportunity to spend some time in a variety of childcare settings, supporting our HND students; I have been made to feel very welcome at all venues. It is a privilege to be able to witness the many examples of Good Practice that take place in the playgroups, children’s centres, day nurseries and other settings across the country, and to see the children, staff and other adults getting down to the serious business of Play. Thank you!
INDEPENDENT SAFEGUARDING AUTHORITY – UPDATE In its recent document ‘The Coalition: Our programme for government’, the Government set out its aim to ‘review the criminal records and vetting and barring regime and scale it back to common sense levels’. In order to deliver this promise and carry out the remodelling, the Vetting and Barring Scheme will be halted. The first phase of registration was due to commence on 26 July 2010. Although the Scheme is halted whilst the Government undertakes its review, new safeguarding regulations introduced in October 2009 continue to apply. These include:
We will bring you further information, as it becomes available. Best wishes Margaret
Thursday 14 January 2010
And all we have to cope with is Snow!!!
On Tuesday 22 January 2010 a massive earthquake, measuring 7.0, struck the Caribbean nation of Haiti. Although no official figures are yet available, it is feared that tens of thousand of people have been killed. The Red Cross estimates that up to 3million people have been affected by the disaster. Many building, including the presidential palace, United Nations headquarters have been wrecked in the quake, which struck about 10miles SW of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The Disasters Emergency Committee has launched an appeal for donations; if you wish to contribute please follow the link: Disasters Emergency Committee Below you will find some photographs of the devastation that is occurring in Haiti in the aftermath of this disaster. Many nations have already pledgeds support in helping Haiti to recover from this tragedy; further updates of responses to the earthquake can be found on the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news.
Stunned, but alive in the wrexkage
Rescuers carry another victim to safety
In comparison, is a little inconvenience because of snow all that bad??
Monday 11 January
RESEARCH FINDS NO ADVANTAGE IN LEARNING TO READ FROM AGE FIVE
A researcher at the University of Otago has provided quantitative evidence that teaching children to read from age five is not likely to make that child any more successful at reading than a child who learns reading later, from age seven.
The ground-breaking research was conducted by Dr Sebastian Suggate; he has been awarded a prestigious Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to further his studies into childhood education.
Starting in 2007, Dr Suggate conducted one international and two New Zealand studies, each one backing up the conclusions of the other; that there is no difference between the reading ability of early (age five) and late (age seven) readers by the time those children reach their last year at Primary School by age eleven.
Comparing children from Rudolf Steiner schools, who usually start learning to read from age seven, and children in state-run schools, who start learning to read at five, he found that the later learners caught up and matched the reading abilities of their earlier-reading counterparts by the time they were 11, or by Year 7.
Therefore, the previously unscientifically tested and widely held view that children in New Zealand should learn to read from age five, now appears contestable; Dr Suggate, in three years of studies, involving regular surveys of around 400 New Zealand children, found no statistical evidence of an advantage in reading from the earlier age of five.
He decided to study childhood reading because he could not find any quantitative controlled study within the English-speaking world to establish whether later starting readers were at an advantage or disadvantage. He found only one methodologically weak study conducted in 1974, but nothing since that time. Yet people regularly insist that early reading is integral to a child’s later achievement and success. He admits to being surprised, therefore, by his own findings that this is not the case.
“One theory for the finding that an earlier beginning does not lead to a later advantage is that the most important early factors for later reading achievement, for most children, are language and learning experiences that are gained without formal reading instruction,” says Dr Suggate. “Because later starters at reading are still learning through play, language, and interactions with adults, their long-term learning is not disadvantaged. Instead, these activities prepare the soil well for later development of reading.”
“This research then raises the question; if there aren’t advantages to learning to read from the age of five, could there be disadvantages to starting teaching children to read earlier (at age 5). In other words, we could be putting them off,” he says.
Dr Suggate conducted three studies over three years to obtain his data. First, he re-analysed data collected as part of the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (known as the PISA Study) across 54 countries and found that by the age of 15, there was no advantage in learning to read early from age 5. This first study has recently been published in the International Journal of Educational Research. He then conducted two studies based on research in New Zealand only. The first compared the reading ability of 54 children who had attended Rudolf Steiner Schools (who begin learning reading from age 7) with another 50 children who had attended primary schools. Children were tested at the age of 12, at state-run intermediate schools in Dunedin, Christchurch and Hastings.
The study controlled for their home literacy environments, the economic situation of their parents, parental education, school decile rating, their vocabulary development (called receptive vocabulary), ethnicity and sex. Their reading fluency and comprehension were then measured and he found there was “no difference” by age 12 in the reading ability between the early and later starters.
Dr Suggate’s third and final study was a longitudinal one to look at reading from day one to the end of primary school, and to see whether differences in school experiences and the primary curriculum at the two different types of schools would have accounted for the ability of Rudolf Steiner children to reach the same reading level as their state counterparts by age 12.
As well as controlling for the same variables such as economic situation of families, education of parents, sex, ethnicity and home literacy environments, this study also looked at second language ability, and found out how the teachers taught reading in their classes using questionnaires. This also looked at the amount of time teachers spend on oral language activities versus reading activities to help rule out, or control for, any differences in teaching methods that might account for the results.
“At the end of the study, the data was analysed using Hierarchical Linear Modelling, which is commonly used in longitudinal studies, and a particularly robust way to analyse data, and estimated the point at which the early starters and later starters of learning to read met – and it came up with 10.89 years – between 10 and 11 years of age,” he says.
“It was very exciting and unexpected – one of those science moments. The results concurred with the results of the other two studies and there were no differences in the abilities of the early and later readers by 11.”
In this last study, the groups were also divided into three quartiles based on reading ability. By the age of eight or nine, the earlier lower performing readers had caught up with the earlier high performing readers. “Many families have children who do not achieve well in reading at the beginning of school, so this will be quite comforting to them,” says Dr Suggate.
The last two studies are currently in preparation for submission to publications, although he understands his findings are controversial as this study is the first of its kind to look quantitatively and statistically at this area of childhood learning. “This research emphasises to me the importance of early language and learning, while de-emphasising the importance of early reading,” he says.
“In fact, language development is, in many cases, a better predictor of later reading, than early reading is. Secondly, this research should prompt educationalists, teachers and parents to reconsider what is important for children at age six or seven to learn, and third, it may give heart to parents whose children have initial difficulty learning to read. The picture is more complicated than simply early mastery of reading skills.”
Please let us have your views on this article Margaret
Happy New Year from DAC Childcare!
BTEC @ HomeTelephone: 0845 491 8740 www.DAC-ChildcareTraining.co.uk
January 2010
Here we go – a new decade!!
As we leave 2009 behind we would like to thank all our learners – past, present and future – for all their hard work in selecting the best course, completing assessments and achieving really good grades in their qualifications.
We are delighted to report that an increasing number of learners are returning to embark upon another course – the ‘study bug’ is a powerful thing when it bites!!
You will remember that in September we featured Sister Alberta, who had achieved the Level 2 Award; she has now returned to her native Ghana, where she is teaching young children in a school. Her aim is to open a childcare setting, when funds become available.
Our plans Here at DAC we are in the process of applying to Edexcel to become an NVQ centre; this means we will be able to offer a greater range of qualifications, to better suit the needs of employers and learners. We are continuing to explore opportunities for funding, so that we may reduce our course fees.
Dates for January 2010 (as many as possible in this small space)
5 January Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh (Sikh) 6 January Epiphany (Christian) 7 January Orthodox Christmas 14 January Makar Sankranti (Hindu) 17 January World Religion Day 25 January Burns Night (Scotland) 25 January St Dwynwen’s Day (Wales) 27 January National Holocaust Memorial Day 30 January New Year (Buddhist) 30 January Tu B’Shevat (Jewish)
Wishing you all the very best for 2010
Margaret
PS we are now on Facebook – please pop in and leave us a message!!
margaret@dac-childcaretraining.co.uk
Regards
Margaret Cronin B Ed, M A, FIfL DAC & Partners Limited Tel: 0845 491 8740 Mob: 07811 357 035 Fax: 0800 007 3069
December 2009
Many people would have been shocked and extremely distressed at recent revelations concerning incidents of reported child abuse across the country, especially as many of those who abuse have been identified as women. The identification of any person who could harm children is extremely difficult; CRB checks recognise only those who have previously committed an offence.
For those affected by this issue there is support available; this can be from many sources, including colleagues, GP or counsellor. One charity that aims to support individuals in this area is The Lucy Faithfull Foundation; www.lucyfaithfull.org. Others might wish to seek support from (for example) Victim Support on 0845 3030 900.
Although one can never entirely rule out the danger of employing someone who proves for whatever reason to be unsuitable there are procedures which, when followed, can reduce the risk. DAC is able to offer a 1 day course in Vetting Skills, meeting the requirements of BS 7858.
Newspage @ DAC Childcare We are still seeking your contributions to add to our Newspage – maybe you would like to send us some ditty about how you celebrate Children in Need this year.
There is concern at the moment over possible changes to the use of childcare vouchers; we will keep you updated on news as it becomes available.
BREAKING NEWS! DAC is now a licensed IOSH centre; as such we are able to fulfil all Health and Safety training needs for your staff.
Call for details of how DAC can help provide a secure future for your setting.
DAC Childcare News
September 2009 This month sees the anniversary of our move to Croesnewydd Hall; in the last 12 months we have enjoyed the heat, sun, snow (and of course rain) that is associated with the changing seasons.
In that time we have also added many new courses to our portfolio; there has been a lot of interest shown on the Level 5 Higher National Diploma, not too surprising as it is equivalent to a Foundation Degree and many local authorities provide funding under the Graduate Leader Fund.
The National Award in CCLD remains our most popular course; this is equivalent to one A Level. We are delighted to announce that we can now also offer the National Certificate and National Diploma (worth 2 and 3 A Levels respectively.
Frequently we receive enquiries from people who have begun a qualification but, for some reason, have been unable to complete it; we have been pleased to examine the work within the portfolio and credit it against the BTEC course. As some of these enquiries concern Level 2 qualifications, we have also sought and (yesterday) gained approval to offer the First Certificate and First Diploma in CCLD. These qualifications are equivalent to 2 or 4 GCSE (at A*-C).
Did you know that the Early Learning Centre offers a discount of 10 per cent to toddler groups? Just go along, and open an account with them.
Festivals in September
Until next time
Margaret Cronin August 2009 This article is written by one of our recent success stories My Experiences
I am a sister (Nun) of the Order of the Holy Paraclete. Our Mother House is St Hilda’s Priory, Sneaton Castle, Whitby.
I love children so I started working with them in Ghana. In particular I did a lot of singing activities with young children. I came to the Priory in 2007. Because I love children the Prioress made arrangments for me to do voluntary work at the Lobster Pot Day Care Nursery and Creche, in Whitby.
I greatly enjoy being there and decided to study a course so that when I go back to Ghana I would have learned practical skills, as well as widened my knowledge, in order to do day care work effectively. I found DAC Childcare Training on the Internet, liked what I saw and applied to do a correspondence course. This suited me because I did not have the time to go to college to complete a course.
I have learned about how children develop and grow, about promoting positive relationships with children and adults, communication skills, Child Protection, how to deal with accidents and emergencies, working with parents and carers and undertanding equality and diversity. All through the course I was able to use the nursery’s policies to support my work, and I received a lot of guidance from my course tutor, Margaret Cronin. I was very pleased to receive my BTEC certificate, and feel very proud of what I have achieved through DAC Childcare Training.
There is a great need for people to help with street children in Ghana and I hope that one day I might contribute to that as part of my mission as a member of a Religious Community.
Sister Alberta aba Arhin OHP
Gardening TipsDo you have some children who are not too keen on the veg you provide, as part of their nutritious diet? What about involving them in ‘growing their own’ – a wonderful website we have discovered that offers advice on how to go about it is www.gardeningwithchildren/family-zone/ see how long it takes for them to become fans of the ‘real stuff.’
NCMA has published a booklet to help childminders‘understand and improve their practice.’ Although aimed at childminders, we believe it could be of equal value to anyone working in childcare. To view this document go to www.ncma.org.uk and follow the link. A newsletter aimed specifically at toddler groups is available at www.engagetoday.org.uk
We would like YOU to be involved in the content of this page; please send us details of any activities in which you have been involved – (with photographs, if parents approve). We are also embarking upon weekend workshops here at Croesnewydd – these are for existing students and also those who are not yet ready to begin their learning journey, and would like some more first-hand information about what they would be letting themselves in for! The next workshop will be on Saturday 24th – please call for details.
Margaret
January 2009BREAKING NEWS!!Just had to send this extra ‘snippet’ to let you know about the exciting events of the week here at DAC Childcare. As you know, we had submitted for approval to deliver Level 5 courses – after what seems like an age .... ‘The man from BTEC - he say ‘YES!’ This means that with immediate effect learners may enrol onto the Edexcel Level 5 Higher Nationals (Certificate or Diploma) in Advanced Practice in Work with Children and Families
The qualification is equivalent to a Foundation Degree, and offers four different pathways, including Education, Health and Management. For those who already have a suitable Level 3 qualification this could be the next step towards gaining Early Years Professional Status (EYPS). Please call for further details: 07811 357035 margaret@dac-childcaretraining.co.uk Margaret
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