Exploring Early Childhood
EXPLORING EARLY CHILDHOOD (CEC)
PRELIMINARY 1 UNIT CATEGORY B NON-ATAR
Prerequisite
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Description
Exploring Early Childhood Stage 6 aims to develop understanding, skills and strategies to enable students to support and foster positive growth and development in the young children with whom they interact through the provision of safe, nurturing and challenging environments.
This course gives students an overview of Early Childhood, from conception to early school years. It provides the opportunity to consider a range of issues in relation to the individual, their family and the community. Students are encouraged to engage with children and to consider future interactions, be these as a parent, friend, carer or teacher.
This course prepares students for further study in a range of child care courses. Career options include: Child care worker, teacher, welfare worker, nanny, nurse, midwife.
Complementary Subjects: PDHPE, Community and Family Studies, Senior Science
For whom is this subject intended
Students who have an interest in pursuing this type of employment after school and developing life skills they may use in a family setting in the future.
Main Topics Covered
The core studies are compulsory. There are three parts to the core:
Part A: Pregnancy and Childbirth (15 hrs)
Part B: Child Growth and Development (20 hrs)
Part C: Promoting Positive Behaviour (10 hrs)
The nature of this course allows students to engage in up to fourteen optional modules, depending on student interest, teacher expertise, available resources and intended depth of treatment. This provides an opportunity to meet the interests and needs of the students within the class.
Optional modules include:
Learning Experiences for Young Children
Play and the Developing Child
Starting School
Gender and Young Children
Children and Change
Children of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities
Historical and Cultural Contexts of Childhood
The Children’s Services Industry
Young Children and Media
Young Children and the Law
Children’s Literature
Food and Nutrition
Child Health and Safety
Young Children with Special Needs
All core studies, as well as each module, have a content section entitled Contemporary Issues. The issues included are indicative only and can be selected from or added to according to the needs and interests of students or changing understanding and issues that have an impact on early childhood.
Students who complete this course are eligible to apply for the Red Cross Advanced Child Care Certificate.