What's inside the Book?
Section 18. Childminding Courses & Qualifications
Section 18 outlines the courses and qualifications available to childminders and explains the National Qualification Framework. It also covers the skills childminders need when completing course work, such as essay writing and referencing.
Contents
- Distance Learning
- Centre Based Learning
- Courses Available
- Qualification Levels
- Diploma in Home-based Childcare
- NVQ 3 in Children's Care, Learning and Development
- First Aid Training
- Safeguarding Children and Young People
- Child Protection
- Basic or Foundation Food Hygiene Certificate
- Grants and Funding
- Completing Course Work
- Reading
- Note Taking
- Highlighting
- Tables
- Flow Diagrams
- Spider Diagrams
- Essay Writing
- Word Counts
- Plagiarism and Referencing
- Bibliography
- Organising Your Work
- Organising your Time
- Getting the Most from your Tutor
Diploma in Home-based Childcare (Level 3)
The Diploma in Home-based Childcare (DHC) is a nationally recognised award from the Council for Awards in Childcare and Education (CACHE) and NCMA. It replaced the Certificate in Childminding Practice (CCP) in January 2006. The CCP contained three units: Introducing, Developing and Extending Childminding Practice. If you have completed part of the CCP you may be able to count this towards the new DHC - ask your college for more information.
As you complete each module you will receive a certificate, and on completion of the full course a diploma. The units also provide all the underpinning knowledge needed if you decide to go on to do an NVQ Level 3 in Early Years Care and Education.
Essay Writing
Writing an essay can be very daunting! The best place to start is with the question itself. Make sure you understand what you are being asked to do and if there is more that one part break it down into smaller sections. It may also help to write it down in your own words. Firstly look for keywords that explain how you should tackle the question - a list of common ones and their meanings are below. It may also help to look them up in a dictionary.
Next consider the topics and ideas you need to cover and write a few notes on what to include in the essay. You can use these notes to start looking for information in books and other source material. Take careful notes from these, the notes will become the basis of your essay. Once you have made notes read them through and add any further comments. Organise the notes into topics to form sections in your essay and start writing them up in full sentences.
An essay should have a beginning (introduction), a middle and an end (conclusion). The introduction should explain what the essay is about, like the blurb on the back of a book or a programme summary in a television guide (remember do not give away the ending, that is for the conclusion). You will find it easier to write the introduction after you have finished the main part of the essay - it is difficult to introduce something before you have written it! The main part of your essay should be divided into paragraphs each focusing on a topic. It contains the information and reasoning you used to answer the question. The conclusion summaries your points and the answers you came to.
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