CHCFC505A: Foster cognitive development in early childhood

Descriptor: This unit describes the knowledge and skills required to foster and enhance cognitive development of children
Employability Skills: This unit contains Employability Skills
Application: The skills and knowledge within this unit applies to workers engaged in a range child care contexts supporting the children’s development

Element	Performance Criteria
Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.	The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.
1. Assist children to develop thinking and problem solving skills	1.1 Provide varied and appropriately challenging opportunities and resources related to each child’s stage of development and interests 1.2 Provide opportunities for children to experience the consequences of their choices, actions and ideas 1.3 Encourage children to explore, understand and solve problems in their environment 1.4 Use a variety of strategies to maintain children’s interest in solving problems 1.5 Provide challenging and engaging experiences for each child to develop their attention span and give them time to stay with the activity until they are ready to move on 1.6 Introduce new ideas/activities that may build on existing knowledge, skills and interests 1.7 Use questioning and non-verbal communication to develop children’s abilities to observe what is happening around them 1.8 Identify and monitor children’s cognitive development and thinking skills
2. Promote opportunities for a wide range of developmentally appropriate experiences in science mathematics technology and the environment	2.1 Present a range of developmentally appropriate experiences in science, maths and technology 2.2 Present a range of experiences to stimulate learning about the environment 2.3 Recognise children’s abilities and respond to their interests and learning potential 2.4 Encourage participation in science, maths, technology and environmental learning experiences in a way that is enjoyable 2.5 Present experiences that stimulate children’s curiosity and learning 2.6 Provide opportunities for children to further explore their concept development

Required Skills And Knowledge

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively perform task skills; task management skills; contingency management skills and job/role environment skills as outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit

These include knowledge of:

Stages of cognitive development
Peer group interactions
Child’s family and community context and influences
Organisation standards, policies and procedures
Planning processes and understanding of adults role in experiences
Sensory perceptual development and brain development
Theories of brain and language development, which may include but are not limited to: Piaget, Vygotsky and Gardner
Social constructivist learning theory
Interrelationship between cognitive, creative and language development
Importance of dispositions impacting on lifelong learning
Awareness of the following national child health and well being core competencies as they apply to all who deliver care to children:
- core principles of child development and the key developmental tasks faced by young children and their implications for practice
- cumulative effects of multiple risk and protective factors and the developmental implications of the balance between them
- environmental conditions and the experiences known to have positive effects on prenatal and early childhood
- environmental conditions and experiences known to have adverse effects on prenatal and early childhood development
- factors that support or undermine the capacity of families to rear young children adequately
- features of a family’s immediate social environment that are important for family functioning and young children’s development and well being
- features and qualities of communities that help or hinder families in their capacity to raise young children adequately
- core needs that all children and families have in common, and how to provide inclusive child and family services
- understanding of particular backgrounds, experiences and needs of children and families in exceptional circumstances or with additional needs

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Encourage children in thinking and problem solving experiences with consideration for each child’s culture, stage of development and interests

In addition, the candidate must be able to demonstrate relevant task skills; task management skills; contingency management skills and job/role environment skills
These include the ability to:

Demonstrate application of skills in:
- planning open ended experiences to promote children’s enquiry and mathematical thinking
- problem solving processes and tools or strategies to facilitate children’s problem solving
- use open ended questions to encourage children to predict, hypothesise, explain, reason and express their ideas and opinions
- creative use of inexpensive resources to stimulate children’s interest and curiosity
- modelling strategies, suggesting next steps and highlighting aspects the children may have overlooked
- supporting and encouraging children’s unconventional and innovative use of materials
- use the environment to stimulate children’s curiosity
- arrange experiences that stimulate children to explore and discuss diverse objects, people and places
Apply the following skills identified as underpinning national child health and well being core competencies, where they are applicable to the work role:
- implement effective evidence-based service delivery
- coordinate service delivery to families with an interdisciplinary teamwork approach and where possible collaborative interagency practice
- support infants and toddlers to master key developmental tasks
- early identification of emerging trends in child needs and how to address them
- manage children’s health needs, eating behaviours and physical activity
- provide environments and relationships that are safe for young people
- engage and work with parents/carers and families

Range Statement

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Thinking skills may include:	Reasoning Developing understanding and explanations Critical thinking Use of mathematical concepts Problem solving Inventing, discovering and planning
Opportunities for children to develop cognitively will vary according to the child’s age/abilities and must include:	For babies and infants: Responses of caregivers are prompt and consistent Routines to provide sensory experiences are used Toys that stimulate all the senses are available for touching, looking, listening, smelling and tasting Opportunities to perceive similarities and differences are provided For toddlers: Equipment is provided to explore the concepts of size, shape, number, volume, weight, temperature, time and all senses Songs, rhymes and stories are provided to aid in the development of memory There are opportunities to help with household duties and explore built and natural environment For 3 to 5 year old children: Time is allowed for children to explore Opportunities are provided to interact with real people and objects to gain an understanding of themselves, others and the world around them A variety of materials and resources is provided Children are alerted to aspects of the environment they may have overlooked Children’s reasoning is responded to respectfully
Understandings may include:	Mathematical understanding Scientific principles Social understandings Geographical awareness Historical understanding Mechanical understanding Potential of computers
Opportunities to develop problem solving skills vary according to age of the child:	For babies and infants: Opportunities to explore cause and effect are provided For toddlers: Equipment such as spades, spoons, buckets and baskets are provided to explore the environment For 3 to 5 year olds: Time is made available for children to investigate a topic that interests them, for example, how a syphon works
Opportunities to explore their environment will vary according to age of the child:	For babies and infants: Observation and exploration For toddlers: Introduce them to natural materials from local environment Introduce them to a range of people in community For 3 to 5 year olds: Exploration of local environment through visitors, excursion, bringing experiences to children
Opportunities to explore their local environment directly will differ according to a range of factors such as:	Distance, proximity of new experience Risks and hazards Time available
Opportunities to extend children’s knowledge of the world may include:	Excursions/incursions Visits Maps, posters, music, books etc. Walks in the local area Visitors Community resources
The world/environment may include:	The natural environment The social world The cultural environment The world of ideas Human made environment

Evidence Guide

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.