Unit of competency details

Descriptor 

This unit describes the knowledge and skills required to develop and deliver programs that promote children's creative skills and aesthetic development

Application 

This unit applies to workers responsible for implementing developmental activities for children

Employability Skills 

This unit contains Employability Skills

Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Plan and provide aesthetic experiences  for children

1.1 Identify and select a range of developmentally appropriate  visual, musical and other sensory stimuli to provide children with experiences of art and beauty

1.2 Select appropriate materials  and present them attractively

1.3 Provide work and play areas  promoting aesthetic qualities for both children and adults

1.4 Formulate strategies for fostering creative development and aesthetic awareness in children 

1.5 Respond to children's interests that arise spontaneously as they participate in aesthetic experiences

1.6 Design program of aesthetic experiences in response to emerging skills, abilities and interests of individual children and groups of children

1.7 Present aesthetic experiences that encourage appreciation of diversity including cultural diversity

2. Provide developmentally appropriate dramatic and imaginative play experience for children

2.1 Present play areas both indoors and outdoors which provide children with opportunities to enjoy dramatic and imaginative play

2.2 Plan/design developmentally appropriate experiences to stimulate children's involvement

2.3 Provide inviting, stimulating and safe experiences for individual children and small groups of children involved in imitative, dramatic and imaginative play

2.4 Provide adult support through facilitation and extension of children's imitative, dramatic and imaginative play experiences

2.5 Present play areas which are culturally rich and reflect the diversity of families using the service

3. Support children to participate in the expressive arts

3.1 Encourage children to talk about their creations

3.2 Share enthusiasm for creative work with children

3.3 Encourage children to respect and appreciate the creative work of peers

3.4 Provide children with opportunities to discuss and explore artwork, design and/or images

4. Provide a variety of experiences to develop children's creativity, imagination and self expression

4.1 Provide a variety of experiences to stimulate children's awareness and develop their creativity, imagination and self expression through play

4.2 Provide materials and experiences that stimulate different senses and promote body awareness

4.3 Recognise, acknowledge, encourage and follow up children's enthusiasm and curiosity

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge :

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include:

• Knowledge of a wide range of developmentally appropriate experiences for children in the area of expressive arts and sensory experiences
• Characteristics of high quality learning environments
• Knowledge of aesthetic, safe, interesting, challenging environments to encourage curiosity, experimentation, active learning, literacy and choice
• The value of creative processes and experiences as well as the end product
• Strategies to encourage children's creativity and literacy including: offering suggestions, use open ended questions, offering opportunities for imaginative play
• Dramatic play and its role in socialisation
• Imitative, dramatic and imaginative play
• Use of printed materials and audio visual aids
• Adult's role in creating inviting spaces
• Barriers to creativity
• Presentation of imitation play, dramatic play and imaginative play spaces for children
• Overview of an inclusive approach
• Use of evaluations for modifications and changes to extend play and stimulate involvement
• Awareness of the following national child health and well being core competencies as they apply to all who deliver care to children:

• core principles of child development and the key developmental tasks faced by young children and their implications for practice
• cumulative effects of multiple risk and protective factors and the developmental implications of the balance between them
• environmental conditions and the experiences known to have positive effects on prenatal and early childhood
• environmental conditions and experiences known to have adverse effects on prenatal and early childhood development
• factors that support or undermine the capacity of families to rear young children adequately
• features of a family's immediate social environment that are important for family functioning and young children's development and well being
• features and qualities of communities that help or hinder families in their capacity to raise young children adequately
• core needs that all children and families have in common, and how to provide inclusive child and family services
• understanding of particular backgrounds, experiences and needs of children and families in exceptional circumstances or with additional needs

Essential skills :

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Apply understanding of the stages of children's development in planning and delivering a range of appropriate activities to stimulate an interest and love of learning in children

In addition, the candidate must be able to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include the ability to:

• Demonstrate application of skills in:

• planning expressive arts opportunities and activities for children
• communication with children
• scaffolding children's knowledge and skills
• creative use of resources and imagery
• stimulating and encouraging participation
• choose appropriate resources and music for creative experiences
• express self through creative mediums
• appreciation of a range of creative mediums

• Apply the following skills identified as underpinning national child health and well being core competencies, where they are applicable to the work role:

• implement effective evidence-based service delivery
• coordinate service delivery to families with an interdisciplinary teamwork approach and where possible collaborative interagency practice
• support infants and toddlers to master key developmental tasks
• early identification of emerging trends in child needs and how to address them
• manage children's health needs, eating behaviours and physical activity
• provide environments and relationships that are safe for young people
• engage and work with parents/carers and families

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency :

• The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
• Candidates must be assessed over a number of occasions working with children. Assessment will include observations, examination of portfolios of evidence and questioning
• Assessment must include assessment of the ability to provide developmentally appropriate experiences over a range of ages

Access and equity considerations :

• All workers in community services should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in relation to their own area of work
• All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
• In recognition of particular issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Context of and specific resources for assessment :

• This unit can be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other community services units of competency is encouraged

Method of assessment :

• In cases where the learner does not have the opportunity to cover all relevant aspects in the work environment, the remainder should be assessed through realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on 'What if?' scenarios
• Assessment of this unit of competence will usually include observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questioning on Essential knowledge and skills and consideration of required attitudes
• Where performance is not directly observed and/or is required to be demonstrated over a 'period of time' and/or in a 'number of locations', any evidence should be authenticated by colleagues, supervisors, clients or other appropriate persons

RANGE STATEMENT 

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Aesthetic experiences that are developmentally appropriate may include :

• Visual arts experiences, such as:

• drawing and painting
• modelling
• printing
• construction
• collage

• Music and sound experiences, such as:

• listening to music and singing
• participating in music making and singing
• listening to sounds of nature

• Taste and smell experiences
• Performance such as:

• dance
• drama

Appropriate materials will include :

• Thick and thin crayons
• Pencils
• Waterbased paints
• Fingerpaint
• Thick and thin brushes
• Natural materials
• Clay
• Playdough
• Papier-mache
• Recycled materials
• Modeling wire
• Oil pastels
• Chalks
• Found objects and self-made objects for printing
• Joining materials

Work and play areas that promote aesthetic qualities may be :

• Indoors
• Outdoors

Strategies for fostering creative development and aesthetic awareness in children may be :

• Provide an aesthetically pleasing environment
• Display of quality adult visual art
• Create aesthetically pleasing displays of children's work
• Model aesthetic awareness and creativity
• Encourage visual representation and expression with the children to record aspects of the program

Experiences presented should stimulate children's curiosity and learning through :

• Encouraging active exploration, experimentation and learning
• Introducing new ideas and experiences via formal and informal, planned and spontaneous experiences
• Encouraging program input from children, staff, parents, community
• Encouraging problem solving and curiosity

Range of developmentally appropriate experiences which stimulate children's imitative , dramatic and imaginative play are presented through :

• Creation of inviting uncluttered spaces - large and small
• Provision of a range of open-ended materials to stimulate imagination
• Provision of a range of accessories
• Provision of a range of cross-cultural materials
• Mime