Let's get physical
Friday, February 17, 2012
Movement skills are about much more than 'ages and stages', as a new Level 3 unit explains. By Karen Faux
With physical development identified as one of the three prime areas of learning and development under the revised EYFS, both new and experienced practitioners may need to undertake training to refresh their practice.
With this in mind, a new course - QCF Unit Plus to Promote Young Children's Physical Activity and Movement Skills - has been devised by teacher and trainer Dr Lala Manners with the support of CACHE and Liverpool John Moores University. The two-day training can be taken as a stand-alone qualification or an optional unit in the Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce, and has just rolled out at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College.
Dr Manners says, 'As yet we have had little or no guidance as to how the physical development priority in the new EYFS will work in practice. The only training available that specifically links in with a national training scheme is the one we are offering.'
She adds, 'I hope the course will offer a good generic training for all practitioners working with young children - not only nursery workers but also those from the therapeutic community, especially speech and language therapists.'
ESSENTIAL SKILLS
The course will enable students to:
- Extend their existing knowledge of young children's physical movement and skills
- Gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between movement skills, curricular skills and language skills
- Design and deliver safe and effective sessions appropriate to individual settings and the children's ages/stages
- Work with a range of easily available materials that promote transfer of skills across environments.
- Develop a critical awareness of worldwide resources and link their use to CPD.
Dr Manners says, 'There will be a period of consultation with CACHE after the course. Ultimately the goal is to have one person in every setting who is trained and qualified and responsible for this area of the curriculum.'
Course dates and further information are available from matt@activeplanet.org.uk.
