Help Needed With Nvq 3 C11

[Guest debralenise]

I am really bogged down and confused, or may be its just too late to be thinking, by question C11 Knowledge Evidence 4 How does the way a child think at different ages (e.g. egocentrism) affect their ability to communicate? and KU 5 How do the different methods in which children communicate support or substitute each other? I'm doing my NVQ 3 by Quickstep internet method, I need to complete it by March, with very little support from my assessor who I rarely see, she sends me questions on action plan sheets covering different elements on each, very confusing as I am jumping about all over the place. I have found your info. on the other elements very useful, thanks. Can anyone help with C11?

[Helen]

Hello Debra,

Many thanks for making your first post.

I've not come across anyone doing an NVQ in such a way, andI can imagine it's a pretty lonely experience.

I've dug out my NVQ file and had a look at the the statements you mention. My assessor put "A" for the code, and her observations on me talk about how I changed my communication methods acording to the children's ages and level of development and understanding. You could include examples of how very young children begin to communicate with one and two-word utterances, and are concerned initially only with the "here and now". They point out pictures in books, and give them labels, wanting you to expand, eg:

Child: car (pointing to picture of car)

Practitioner: Yes, a big red car with lots of people in it. I wonder where they are going. I can see buckets and spades in the back; maybe they are going to the beach, etc etc.

You could then go on to say a bit about how communication skills develop according to the child's interests and experiences both within and outside the setting, and a skillful practitioner will use this information to develop the child's communication skills, eg through repetition of the child's phrases, and adding an extension phrase or sentence.

The other part of your question, I think, is concerned with non-verbal communication eg facial expressions, body language, actions, etc. Sometimes these methods support a child's attempts for meaningful communication, eg pointing to something and shouting "want dat!", and sometimes, these methods can be used instead of verbal communication.

I'm not an authority on this, by any means; this is just what I did when I did the NVQ. Hope it is of some help. I know there are many members who would have some ideas too.

[Guest]

Hi Debra,

 

For this element of C11 K.E.4 I used a developmental chart to illustrate the ages and stages, covering the prelinguistic and linguistic stages. Have you got the NVQ3 handbook by Penny Tassoni? The chart is in there. This was sufficient for my NVQ3 completed end of 2003- not sure if it has changed since then, I know a lot more of it is supposed to be practically observed than before, but if you are doing it on the internet then the written content may be higher like mine.

 

K.E.5 - I did a spider diagram of ALL the types of communication that children can use i.e non-verbal such as gestures, touch, facial expressions,drawing,body language, using I.T.,Persona dolls,drama/music and movement and the range of verbal communications. Then underneath a small passage about children using one form of communication to substitute for verbal e.g. gesticulating for a drink, and also using a second form of communication to reinforce the first e.g pointing and whining when they want something.

 

I hope this is of some use.

[Guest debralenise]

Thanks so much for your replies they really help, I was thinking along the same lines but got confused reading too many text books. I have got the Penny Tassoni NVQ book, I couldn't manage without it! I wouldn't recommend doing NVQ on the internet, you're right it is very lonely, no one to bounce ideas off or discuss anything with, in hindsight - a wonderful thing - I wouldn't do it this way. My partner at playgroup retired in the summer after 15 years together and after being let down by the person who was going to take over from her, I decided to run the group on my own. My pre DPP qualification and 15 years experience is not enough for Ofsted so I am doing the Quickstep NVQ on the internet, its for people who already have experience in childcare settings and has to be completed in a year. I was slow to get started at the time I didn't know I wouldn't have a partner to share the playgroup load, or that I would have to re-register and re-apply for Nursery Funding as well and the amount of work that that entailed. That done I am now desperately trying to get through the NVQ work as well as run playgroup, luckily I have a very good staff team! Sorry about the length of this, I sometimes feel sorry for myself but then remember why I am doing it, the children make it all worthwhile.

[Steve]

Hi Debra - welcome to the forum!

 

(And Magpie too - thanks for making your first posts so helpful! )

 

Debra - as you've agreed, doing the NVQ online sounds like a lonely experience. I hope this community mitigates your isolation. That's what it exists for!

[Guest]

Debra,

 

If you need any more help with the NVQ coursework just shout or email!! I am now doing the Foundation Degree in Early Years so I'm going to be doing the same when I get stuck! Sometimes it really helps just to brain storm or 'thought cascade' subjects even if people haven't done the actual courses. Someone will always come up with some good ideas.

 

Hope all goes well with the rest of your course.

 

Magpie

[Guest]

Hello Magpie

 

How active you are already! I have fineshed two years of the Foundation Degree E123 and E124 and am studying Children and Families this year so if you need to ask anything perhaps I may be able to help you.

 

Teri

[Guest debralenise]

Magpie

 

Thanks for your help I certainly won't hesitate to ask when I next need help and I'm sure I probably will before I'm finished.

Thanks again.

 

Debra

[Guest]

Hi Teri,

 

Thanks for your offer of assistance. By the module codes that you quoted I presume you are doing the FD by O.U.? I am doing a semi-distance learning course with Newman Higher Ed college in Birmingham. I attend college Tuesday evenings + 1 whole Saturday a term. This way of doing the FD is very good as you have the support of a lecturer weekly + online Web CT and also the support of the other students; there are 14 of us in our cohort plus another 15 more local to the college. I have been studying for just a term and have completed two modules. The first, FD401 was a unit on us as "Independent Learners", which I got a merit in. The second was a unit on child development which I have not had the marks for the two assignments that I submitted for this. I'm back to college tomorrow so I should get the results of the essay back then. I also submitted a 7000 word portfolio on a case study which wont be marked for another month. This term we are doing 1 1/2 modules although these still havent been confired, so it'll be a surprise tomorrow!!!

 

I am hoping that while using forums like this, we will be able to assist each other in brain storming different subjects.

 

Good luck with your mext modules

[AnonyMouse_2732]

Hi debra and welcome!!

If you get stuck at all again, just shout, pm or email. I'm an assessor and am more than happy to assist!

 

Sue