Exploring Early Childhood

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:

1.       Learning Experiences for Young Children 

2.       Play and the Developing Child 

3.       Starting School 

4.       Gender and Young Children 

5.       Children and Change 

6.       Children of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities 

7.       Historical and Cultural Contexts of Childhood 

8.       The Children’s Services Industry 

9.       Young Children and Media 

10.   Young Children and the Law 

11.   Children’s Literature 

12.   Food and Nutrition 

13.   Child Health and Safety 

14.   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.