Undergraduate

Ways of knowing: language, mathematics and science in the early years

On this page

• What you will study
• Entry
• If you have a disability or additional requirement
• Study materials
• Teaching and assessment
• Professional recognition
• Students also studied
• Future availability

This course is for anyone involved in the care and education of children aged three to eight years. Through study and activities linked to your work with young children, you’ll explore how they develop and learn, and the factors that affect learning – focusing on the core areas of language, mathematics, and science. You’ll examine the underpinning principles and values of established curriculum frameworks and further your understanding of these three essential subjects, both within the curriculum and to meet your own needs as a practitioner. You will need to be working in an early years setting prior to and during the course.

Course facts

Register for the course

What you will study

This course is for you if you work in childcare and/or education, whether it be as an early years teacher (especially if you do not have qualified teacher status); teaching or classroom assistant; nursery nurse; playgroup or pre-school worker/leader; childcare worker; outreach play worker; childminder or in some other paid or voluntary role in a school, children’s centre, day nursery or out-of-school context with young children. It will be of value to you if you are an early years practitioner who is working towards our Foundation Degree in Early Years, Diploma of Higher Education in Early Years or BA or BA (Hons) in Early Years and of particular relevance if you intend to follow a course of initial teacher training. The course is also of benefit to any early years teacher or practitioner who wishes to develop their subject knowledge in the areas of communication, language and literacy, mathematics and science.

By the end of the course you will have developed:

• your subject knowledge in the three essential curriculum areas of language, literacy and communication, mathematics and science
• your understanding of how your subject knowledge supports the learning of young children from the age of three years to the end of the first phase of formal schooling at the age of seven or eight
• your understanding of issues, theories and research which underpin practice in supporting children’s learning in the three subjects
• your understanding of the principles which underlie the curriculum frameworks within which you are working
• and demonstrated the sound knowledge and critical understanding of relevant theory that underpins good practice in supporting children’s learning
• cognitive and key skills appropriate to study at undergraduate Level 2.

Vocational relevance

This course is for practitioners working with young children and their families in a wide range of early years settings, and its content is directly relevant to practice.

Entry

This course is available in the UK and to students working in British Forces schools overseas and in early years settings in Europe and beyond where a curriculum similar to those found in UK settings is offered. It is expected that you will have been working with young children – either in a paid or a voluntary capacity – in an early years setting prior to starting the course for six months if full time, and a year if part time. During the course, you will need to be working in the setting for a minimum of five hours a week in order to carry out the practical activities.

To work in an early years setting you will need to meet the ‘fit person’ criteria for doing so, including obtaining the necessary clearance required for the setting and country in which you are working. It is the responsibility of you and your employer to ensure you meet these requirements, and not the OU. You should contact the relevant agency in your country for more information if you are in any doubt about your eligibility, or to find out more. For who to contact in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales visit the Childhood & Youth website.

Although it may be studied independently of other courses, E230 is a module of the Open University Foundation Degree in Early Years (FDEY), Diploma of Higher Education in Early Years (DipHE) and the BA and BA (Hons) Early Years. Students wishing to complete either degree are advised to complete the Level 1 modules (The early years: developing practice (E100) and Professional practice in the early years (E105)) before progressing to this Level 2 module. 

If you opt to take E230 as part of the FDEY or the DipHE you must have studied the discontinued course Inclusive education: learning from each other (E243) too, unless you have already completed E242.

This is a Level 2 course. Level 2 courses provide subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning to help you to progress to courses at Level 3.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Preparatory work

To undertake the course, you must be working in either a paid or a voluntary capacity with young children. There is no essential preparatory work before the course starts, but it is suggested that you locate and become familiar with the policy and curriculum documents for your local area and for the childcare or early years setting in which you work. Reading publications such as Nursery World, Early Years Educator and Early Education, as well as other practitioner journals, will allow you to acquaint yourself with current educational issues in the early years sector.

If you have a disability or additional requirement

Please note that this course makes significant use of audio and visual materials. Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical and scientific materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.

You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.

Study materials

What's included

Three course readers, other printed materials, CD-ROM and website.

You will need

Portable audio recording equipment (e.g. an audio cassette recorder) for some activities.

You will need to either own a computer or have regular access to one, possibly through your workplace. 

Computing requirements

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running Windows using Boot Camp or similar dual-boot system.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer tutorial support through online forums and group tutorials that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.  

Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.

The end-of-module assessment (EMA) is a project. Assessment is an essential part of the teaching and so you are required to complete it all. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.

Professional recognition

In England, this course is a module of the Early Years Sector-Endorsed Foundation Degree and leads to the status of Senior Practitioner. It is also a recommended course if you wish to progress to an honours degree, from which it is possible to gain Qualified Teacher Status through a Graduate or Registered Teacher Route or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education.

In Scotland, this course is a module of the Diploma of Higher Education in Early Years that is recognised by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) as a qualification for practitioners in a day care of children service.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Working together for children (KE312)
• Early years focus on research with children and young people (EK311)
• Extending professional practice in the early years (E210)
• Children's literature (EA300)
• Professional practice in the early years (E105)

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2012 when it will be available for the last time. A replacement course is not planned.

Fees 2012

See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.

Study explained

Financial support

- find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.

Study explained

- all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.

A taste of OU study

Student Reviews

As a practitioner working in year 2, I found much of the course material irrelevant as it appeared to be ...
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I found this course extremely enjoyable and motivating. The TMAs are manageable and the course content was surprisingly engaging. I ...
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Your questions

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