Child Psychology: Certificate Course

1. Introduction to Business English

2. Communicating with Children

3. Learning Psychology

4. Child Development

5. First Aid Concepts

1. Introduction to Business English

• Introduction to communication

• Non-verbal communication

• Business writing

• Speaking, listening and reading skills

• Meetings

• Presentations

• Work readiness

2. Communicating with Children

• Module 1 – Helping children deal with their feelings:

  • Understand the importance of attentive listening skills to help children feel accepted

  • Recognise the importance of acknowledging feelings with a word

  • Define and be able to practise the process of giving feelings a name

  • Understand the concept of giving a child his or her wishes in fantasy

• Module 2 – Engaging cooperation:

  • Describe what you see, or describe the problem

  • Give information that will encourage your child to cooperate

  • Explain what you mean with a word

  • Describe what you feel

  • Know when to write a note to communicate with your child

• Module 3 – Alternatives to punishment:

  • Point out a way to your child to be helpful

  • Express strong disapproval without breaking down character

  • State your expectations

  • Show your child how to make amends

  • Offer a choice

  • Take action

  • Allow your child to experience the consequences of misbehaviour

  • Be able to solve problems with a list

• Module 4 – Engaging autonomy:

  • Let children make choices

  • Show respect for a child’s struggle. Not ask too many questions

  • Not rush to answer questions

  • Encourage children to use sources outside the home. Not take away hope from a child

• Module 5 – Praise:

  • Describe what you see in order to praise your child

  • Describe what you feel when you give praise

  • Sum up your child’s praiseworthy behaviour with a word

• Module 6 – Freeing children from playing roles:

  • Look for opportunities to show your child a new picture of himself or herself

  • Put children in situations where they can see themselves differently

  • Let children overhear you talk positively about them

  • Model the behaviour you would like to see in your child

  • Be a storehouse for your child’s special moments

  • When your child behaves according to the old label, state your feelings and/or your expectations

• Module 7 – Practical advice

3. Learning Psychology

• Approaches to Early Learning:

  • Learning psychology

  • Social, moral and cognitive development

  • Individual differences and disabilities

  • Learning and cognition

  • Behavioural perspective

  • Cognitive perspective

  • Social cognitive perspective

  • Constructivist approach

  • Motivation

• Conditions for effective learning:

  • The learning process

  • Contemporary perspectives on effective learning process

  • Factors that contribute to individual differences in performance as an output of learning

• Brain-Based Learning:

  • Effects of brain damage

  • Substances influencing brain activity

  • Understanding perception

  • Perception effects on learning

  • Areas of visual perception

  • Areas of auditory perception

  • Perception and reality

• Personality and Temperament Traits:

  • Classic child development temperament traits

  • Humanistic theories

  • Personality

  • Jung’s theory

  • Five-factor model

  • Locus of control

  • Motives

  • Openness to experience

  • Conscientiousness

  • Extraversion

  • Agreeableness

  • Neuroticism

• Self-Awareness and its Effect on Learning:

  • Self-concept and its nature

  • Self-esteem and its influence on learning

  • Self-esteem, grades and relationships

  • Ways to enhance self awareness

  • Strategies for self-motivation

  • Developing direction

4. Child Development

• Growth and development:

  • The difference between growth and development

  • Ages and stages of development

  • Factors affecting growth and development

  • Self-image as a factor affecting early childhood development

  • Promoting self-esteem among children and teens

  • The whole child

  • Domains of development in the context of the whole child

• Learning in the Early Years:

  • The development of the brain and how it impacts on learning

  • How the senses and the feedback of movement develop early learning

  • The roles of walking, talking and pretending in developing early learning

  • The importance of people in early stimulation

  • Definition of play in the early years

  • Categories of children’s play

  • The social stages of play

  • Types of play in the domain of development

  • Principles involved in making and selecting play products

  • The use of play products and play props

  • How technology stimulates early learning

  • Examples of how children in the different categories of early childhood use technology to learn

  • Definition of perception

  • Categories of perception

  • Example of how children in the different categories of early childhood use perceptual abilities to learn

  • Definition of learning styles

  • The types of learning stimulated by different learning styles in the various stages of early childhood

• Inclusion and Special Needs:

  • Inclusion and Special Needs

  • The definition of inclusion

  • Barriers to inclusion

  • Special needs within the context of inclusive practice

  • Learners with barriers to learning and development – how their different needs can be met

  • Common problems found in early childhood

  • The importance of early identification

  • The importance of identifying children who are gifted

  • Guidelines for teaching gifted and talented children

  • Organisations that can assist parents and caregivers

• Diversity in Early Childhood:

  • The meaning of diversity in the context of inclusive practice

  • Plan, draft and administer a questionnaire to share ideas on how people feel about living in a diverse society

  • How culture, socio-economic conditions, HIV/AIDS and gender affects early childhood development learning

  • The importance of an anti-bias approach in early childhood

5. First Aid Concepts

• The medical-legal implications and principles of First Aid

• Elementary human anatomical structures

• Appropriate First Aid procedures