At SCMA we are always reviewing and developing our learning offering and seeking your suggestions on what would be of most interest to you.
Child development for school-age children is a topic that we regularly receive requests for (as we already offer a course covering 0-3 years) so we are delighted to now provide this new e-Learning course, developed specifically for childminders in Scotland.
Our
Understanding Child Development (5-8 Years) course is fully funded by Scottish Government as part of its work to develop models of wrap around childcare for school-age children to help tackle child poverty.
What is covered in the course?
The aim of this course is to gain a better understanding of what child development looks like between the ages of five to eight and the theory behind it. This will help you to develop an understanding of your role in supporting a child’s development and allow you to review and develop your practice to support the child’s needs.
You will do this by exploring:
- how children learn and develop in this age group.
- physical as well as emotional changes such as anxiety, anger, and self-regulation.
- the role childminders play, including the importance of your service ethos.
- how the child’s experience and perspective impacts your environment, planning, and play opportunities.
- observations, the Leuven Scale and developmental delay.
When can I access the course?
The e-Learning course is available from today (Wednesday 19 February 2025) and you can start it at a time that suits you, and – as always with our e-Learning courses – you can work through it in stages if you wish, rather than completing all in one go.
How long will the course take?
Completion of the course is likely to take around three hours, which you can add to your Learning Log within the Membership Dashboard.
This will count towards the 12 hours of Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) that all childminders are recommended to undertake each year. Note – if you are a funded ELC provider, 12 hours of CPL is compulsory to meet the requirements of the National Standard.
How do I access the course?
All SCMA members will receive an email with a direct booking link, where you can confirm your booking and take your place on this brand-new e-Learning, exclusively available for SCMA members.
Alternatively, you can follow the following steps:
- Sign in to the Membership Dashboard
- Head to your Learning Zone
- Click on ‘Eligible Courses’
- Select the ‘Understanding Child Development (5-8 Years)’ course
- Get started!
We do hope that you enjoy this new e-Learning course and find it useful for developing your practice.
If you have any queries or need further support, please contact our Professional Learning team at
learn@childminding.org.