Understanding children
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| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
How can you improve a child’s confidence? What do children need to develop their self-esteem? How can being consistent, open and honest help support their personal growth? This introductory course follows a family and asks you to consider the choices and rights of the children as they grow up. You’ll explore what babies can do and how we can help them feel valued and secure; and how adults can listen more effectively to young children at home and school. You’ll also consider how older children (up to 11 years) contribute to family life, and the importance of friendships to this age group.
Course content
Understanding children has been prepared with the needs of new learners in mind. The course materials assume no special knowledge and no experience of studying. Taking examples from everyday life, they enable you to start from your general knowledge and interests and gradually build up to degree-level study.
Features of the course include:
- case studies that illustrate the main themes
- activities that encourage you to link the discussions in the course to your own experience
- study skills sections that help you to develop your skills and think about how you are learning
- key points sections that summarise the important information.
The course consists of three units. The Babies being heard unit considers the ways in which babies and children under the age of three communicate and express their individuality, and how babies form relationships with people around them and why this is important.
Children having a say focuses on children between the ages of four and five and starts by exploring what happens when conflict or disagreements arise with young children and the range of ways families can resolve them. The second part of this unit explores the experience for children of moving from the home and into a nursery or school environment; changes in expectations; and having their views heard.
The final unit, Young people finding their place, looks at nine-to-11-year olds and their relationships with the world beyond the family; how their voices are heard; the skills they are learning; and their contributions to family life.
Study skills are key to the course, and skills such as time management, note taking, reading for study purposes and reflection on your own learning are explored.
Entry
There are no entry requirements. The course is designed for students who have not studied before or who may have studied a long time ago.
This Openings course would be useful if you are interested in going onto our longer Level 1 course An introduction to health and social care (K101) or, if you’re already working in an early years setting, The early years: developing practice (E100).
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
This course can count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The printed course material is available in comb-bound format. Written transcripts are available for any audio components. The course units and supplementary material are available on CD-ROM in ‘ReadOut’ format with navigational facilities. The text is provided and, where available, a real voice recording. You will need your usual interface to access the material, e.g. a screen reader with synthetic speech output, screen enlargement software or Braille facilities. Large print versions of the printed course material can be provided on request. 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 booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course 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.
Course materials
What's included
Course books and a DVD.
You will need
Access to a telephone (preferably a landline) for contact with your tutor; and the equipment to play and watch a video DVD e.g. a television and DVD player or a personal computer with DVD-ROM.
A computer is not essential to study an Openings course. However, if you wish to receive and send email and use our online services, you will need access to both the internet and a computer.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will keep in touch by telephone. There are no face-to-face tutorials; all tutorials are conducted by telephone. Your tutor will help you to plan your work and to think about the ideas explored in the course. Your tutor will also comment on and help you with your written work. At the end of the course you will discuss your progress with your tutor, and you will work together to produce a review of your study plans.
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 can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.
You will also be asked to submit an end-of-course assessment (ECA) as well as a learning plan and review. If you submit at least one TMA and achieve the appropriate standard in the ECA you will gain 10 credit points at Level 1 that can count towards a degree.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The course starts four times a year, in September, November, March and June. Each course lasts for a maximum of 20 weeks, although you can take less time if you want.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Childhood and Youth, Education and Health and Social Care.
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Level
- - indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
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