module specification

In this module students consider a range of issues relating to the health and well-being of young children and their families.

Students should normally have a minimum of three years full-time experience (or equivalent) of working with young children and their families. It is expected that students will undertake observation and practical tasks for a minimum of one and a half hours each week throughout the module, normally in a group setting.

This designate module aims to enable students to:
· develop an understanding of the place of health promotion within the early childhood
curriculum
· identify and examine some of the health care issues raised when working with young children
and their families
· consider the inequalities of access to the conditions that promote health
· examine the wider structural constraints on health.
The graduate attributes addressed in this module are A1, A2 and A3.

The concept of health education in early childhood, crossing and connecting the areas of physical, personal and social and cognitive development forms the basis of this module. The issue of promoting health in the early years and helping children to make informed choices will be explored. This will include introducing very young children to issues of environmental education and life cycles.
A range of developmental and social issues including pre-natal and ante-natal care; immunisation and health screening, nutrition and culture will be explored. The impact of ill health and disability on early learning will be considered.
A further element of the content of this module will examine the health of the child in the family context. The impact of parental mental health and stress, domestic violence, child abuse, drugs, HIV/AIDS and the effects of poverty and inequality on children’s health. There will be an introduction to environmental issues. The range of agencies involved with children and their families, including the early childhood practitioner, will be discussed.

Theoretical input will be derived from lectures and seminars. Learning will additionally be supported by the use of reflective tasks and discussion. Workplace observation and negotiation to develop a new initiative will be the focus of much learning.
Lectures, seminars, discussion, tutorials and workplace observations

lectures, workshops and seminars 25 hours
other assessment related independent study (inc. tutorials) 75 hours
workplace observations and discussions 50 hours
TOTAL 150 hours

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. understand how health influences learning and is affected by poverty and inequality (A3)
2. demonstrate how health care issues can be explicitly developed with very young children (A2)
3. articulate their role and that of other professionals and agencies in addressing a range of
health care issues (A1)

In this module the assessment strategy seeks to enable students to demonstrate and develop a range of academic, professional and communication skills. An oral presentation (or, in the case of distance learning students, a leaflet) will make a case to workplace colleagues for introducing a new health topic to children. The rationale will include the what, how and why of the proposed initiative. Both the oral presentation and the leaflet will be presented using IT (e.g. Power Point, Microsoft Publisher, or similar). The second instrument will be an essay, with a title to be selected from a given list, emphasising both the cultural and environmental influences on health and well-being and the student’s professional role in addressing relevant issues.
Formative assessment will occur through group and individual tasks and for distance learning students through written feedback on a weekly task. This module is pass on aggregate.
Assessment instruments
Assessment Description Learning Outcomes
A An oral presentation 2, 3
B Essay 1, 3

David, T Goouche, k Powell, S and Abbott, L (2003) Birth to Three Matters: A review of the Literature, complied to inform The Framework to Support Children in their Earliest Years Ch 6. Nottingham DfES Publications
Dryden, L., Forbes, R., Mukherji, P. and Pound, L. (2005) Essential Early Years London Hodder Arnold. Chs. 2 and 10
Department for Education and Skills (2004) Promoting emotional health and well being through the healthy school standard Wetherby Health Development Agency.
Department of Health(1996) Child Health in the Community: A Guide to good practice London HMSO
Department of Health (2004) The national Service framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services. http://www.dh.gov.uk/childrensnsf Accessed 7-3-06
Hall, D (2003) Health for all Children (4th ed.) Oxford University Press

Websites: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/
http://england.shelter.org.uk/home/index.cfm
http://www.ich.ucl.ac.uk (site for the Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond St Hospital)
http://www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk For information on the healthy schools initiative
http://www.cwt.org.uk/ The Caroline Walker Trust. There is a free downloadable booklet on nutritional standards for schools and a good links section.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/ (investigate the whole site. There is a good section on health inequalities)