Assignment Task
Overview
Your early childhood centre is reviewing its health and safety policies. The existing centre policies on health and safety have included general issues of health such as health-related conditions and illnesses (such as allergy and asthma). The centre has taken a holistic and inclusive approach to health and safety issues and this approach will be included in the review process. The centre has also decided to include the following two areas in the new policies:
Assignment details
This task is assessing your ability to demonstrate that you meet the following unit learning outcomes:
Describe children's specific health-related conditions, illnesses and patterns of growth and their implications for children’s inclusion in early childhood services.
Articulate the significance of brain development in the early years, contributing factors and the implications for teaching.
Identify a range of contemporary health issues that affect children, including protective behaviours, obesity, exercise, body image and sex education.
Step 1
Research relevant information on contemporary issues I & II (topics 9 & 10) and compile a descriptive annotated bibliography.
A descriptive annotated bibliography is bibliography that include a summary of each of the entries. For examples, please see guide to annotated bibliography on Canvas.
You should include your unit readings plus additional sources from your research in this bibliography. Select the most relevant sources. Reference each source in APA 7 referencing style into a list in alphabetical order as you normally would for an assignment. Underneath each entry (reference) write a brief annotation (approx. 150 - 200 words per entry) including:
Main purpose of the source
Main findings or outcomes
Author’s conclusions or arguments particularly relevant to your research
Strengths and weaknesses
The minimum required number of entries for the bibliography is 10 (for both areas combined) which include academic sources (peer reviewed books, chapters and journal articles), reports, policies and statistics.
It is expected that you will first utilise your unit readings, and then include additional sources. You should have sufficient information to make recommendations. Please be discreet when researching and selecting your sources.
Step 2
Drawing on your research (the bibliography) of the two areas write an introduction of the report:
define the specific objectives and purpose of the report
indicate the overall answer to the problem explored in the report
Explain why a holistic and inclusive approach is important (Topic 8 in Week 5 covers the content). You should include:
health and safety issues are of vital importance in early childhood due to rapid and irrevocable development, particularly brain development (LO2).
various health conditions and safety issues may have impacts on children’s development (LO1).
based on the above two points, briefly state their implications for teaching practice (LOs 1 & 2). For example, a holistic approach to health and safety issues, the importance of having policies to prevent harm and promote inclusive practice.
Step 3
Summarise and synthesise your findings in the two areas from Step one research, make recommendations and then evaluate. Your recommendation should follow a holistic and inclusive approach.
As long as the sources of information are acknowledged in the bibliography and you do not use direct quotations, you do not need to cite in the main body of the report (introduction, discussion and recommendation)