Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitPrerequisites
NilUnit rationale, description and aim
In this unit students will explore physical education and health and nutrition curriculum for children birth to eight years. In addition, students will examine issues of children’s wellbeing in the contexts of prior to school, transition to school, family and community. It will have a particular focus on the issues being faced by Australian Indigenous children, children with disabilities, children who are gifted, and children experiencing marginalisation (e.g., children who are speakers of English as an additional language). Australian educational policy and subsequent curriculum documents (e.g., EYLF and state frameworks) will be examined in relation to supporting young children’s health, wellbeing and physical education. The unit will also briefly focus on the health, wellbeing and physical activity of staff who work within prior to school and school settings as complementary (and contingent to) young children’s wellbeing.
The aim of this unit is to assist pre-service teachers to explore physical education and health and nutrition curriculum for children birth to eight years, as well as to examine issues of children’s wellbeing in the contexts of prior to school, transition to school, family and community.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Understand the significance of health, wellbeing and physical activity on early brain development, and physical, social and emotional development and learning in young children (APST 3.1, 4.4; ACECQA A3, A4, A5, B8) |
| LO2 | Design and critically evaluate play experiences and pedagogical approaches (inclusive of engaging with children’s views and opinions about their learning) in the early years that support the development and learning of young children in the domains of physical education, health and nutrition (APST 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 5.3; ACECQA A4, A5, B8, C1, C2, D4) |
| LO3 | Understand the range of influences on children’s wellbeing, with particular focus on specific issues around the participation rights of children, with emphasis given to Australian Indigenous children, children with disabilities, children who are gifted, and children experiencing marginalisation (e.g. children who are speakers of English as an additional language) (APST 4.4; ACECQA A5, A6, D3) |
| LO4 | Demonstrate an understanding of child protection and how it impacts upon the health and wellbeing of young children (APST 4.4; ACECQA A4, A5, B8) |
| LO5 | Demonstrate an understanding of occupational health and safety and how it impacts upon the health and wellbeing of young children and educators (APST 7.2; ACECQA A4, A5, B8, F2) |
AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS - GRADUATE LEVEL
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should be able to:
3.1 Set learning goals that provide achievable challenges for students of varying abilities and characteristics. |
3.2 Plan lesson sequences using knowledge of student learning, content and effective teaching strategies. |
3.3 Include a range of teaching strategies. |
3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of a range of resources, including ICT, that engage students in their learning. |
4.4 Describe strategies that support students’ well-being and safety working within school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements. |
5.3 Demonstrate understanding of assessment moderation and its application to support consistent and comparable judgements of student learning. |
7.2 Understand the relevant legislative, administrative and organisational policies and processes required for teachers according to school stage. |
ACECQA CRITERIA
On successful completion of this unit, pre-service teachers should have developed the following specific knowledge:
A. Psychology and child development A3 Social and emotional development A4 Child health, wellbeing and safety A5 Early intervention A6 Diversity, difference and inclusivity |
B. Education and curriculum studies B8 Physical and health education |
C. Teaching pedagogies C1 Alternative pedagogies and curriculum approaches C2 Play based pedagogies |
D. Family and community contexts D3 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives D4 Socially inclusive practice |
F. Early childhood professional practice F2 Management and administration |
Content
Topics will include:
- The importance of supporting the physical, social and emotional health and wellbeing of young children for their development and learning
- A health model of wellness and wellbeing as a framework for exploring the social, cognitive, physical, environmental, emotional and spiritual aspects that support a healthy start to life
- Approaches to supporting the physical, social and emotional health and wellbeing of young children in prior-to-school and school settings, including a play-based approach to curriculum and safe and supportive environments
- Planning, implementing, evaluating and reporting/sharing healthy eating learning opportunities for young children in the early years making links to the relevant National and State curriculum and policy documents
- Planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting/sharing physical activity and education experiences in alignment with the Early Years Learning Framework and State curriculum and policy documents
- Health and safety issues including hygiene, infection control, allergies, anaphylaxis, and keeping the environment safe for all
- The influence of prior-to-school/school, home and community characteristics and the importance of relationships in supporting the physical, social and emotional health and wellbeing of all young children.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Pre-service teachers will be involved in a variety of teaching-learning strategies to progress and demonstrate their understandings in this unit. Participants will be involved in a variety of teaching-learning strategies to support learning, including: online materials, workshop/tutorial attendance (where applicable), readings, discussion forums and assignment preparation. The unit delivery will consist of a digital core with the expectation of students working with these materials for a minimum of two hours or equivalent each week. In addition, a two hour workshop/tutorial may be held once every two weeks (i.e., 4 times a semester or equivalent) in online mode, or the equivalent in intensive mode. There will be an opportunity for the content to be applied in the professional experience and students will draw on the ethical, theoretical and practical considerations of this unit for their professional practice.
This is a 10-credit point unit and has been designed to ensure that the time needed to complete the required volume of learning to the requisite standard is approximately 150 hours in total with a normal expectation of 36 hours of directed study and the total contact hours should not exceed 36 hours. Directed study might include lectures, tutorials, webinars, podcasts etc. The balance of the hours then become private study.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks and their weightings are designed to allow pre-service teachers to progressively demonstrate achievement against the unit learning outcomes and demonstrate attainment of professional standards.
Minimum Achievement Standards
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome.
The total assessment tasks will amount to the equivalent of 4,000 words
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Assessment task 1: Design a range of experiences that could be offered to support the physical health of young children, such as, natural outdoor play experiences. The rationale of the experiences should reflect a whole-of-community response, inclusive of the voices of children, that takes account of state and national curriculum and policy documents. Consideration should be given to staff wellbeing and safety in supporting young children’s physical education/activity. (2,000 words or equivalent) | 50% | LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5 |
Assessment Task 2 Report: select one significant contemporary issue concerning the health and emotional wellbeing of young children such as resilience, bullying, child protection and draw on literature and curriculum/policy documents to reflect on ways to support the health and wellbeing of young children. Consider how current knowledge could be applied to practice, policies and procedures. (2,000 words or equivalent) | 50% | LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5 |
Representative texts and references
Underdown, A. (2007). Health and wellbeing in early childhood. Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2009). Being, belonging and becoming: Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.
Brakhane-Endres, J., Rockwell, R.E., & Gurden Mense, C. (2004). Food, nutrition and the young child. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Davies, M. (2003). Movement and dance in early childhood (Zero to Eight Series). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Doherty, J., & Bailey, R. (2002). Supporting physical development and physical education in the early years (Supporting Early Learning). Buckingham: Open University Press
MacNaughton, G., & Williams, G. (2009). Techniques for teaching young children (3rd ed.). French’s Forest, NSW: Pearson Education.
Mathews, C. (2004). Healthy children- A guide for childcare. Marrickville, NSW: Elsevier.
NHMRC (2005). Staying healthy in childcare –preventing infectious diseases in childcare. Canberra ACT: NHMRC. Online access: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/index.htm
Oberklaid, F. (2004). Health in early childhood settings: From emergencies to the common cold. Castle Hill, NSW: Pademelon Press.
Sara, H. (2009). Optimistic carers and children: Pathways to confidence and wellbeing. Canberra, ACT: Early Childhood Australia.