The Emotional World of Young Children

A 10 week course combining the practice of close observation of young children and small group discussion to develop an understanding of children’s emotional communication.  Dependable emotional experience is central to attachment and development. This course offers a vivid first hand experience of this process and will enhance professional understanding and practice.

This course is suitable for Early Years practitioners in children’s centres, nursery staff, family support workers, teaching assistants, social care staff and health visitors.

Course Aims

• To assist participants to gain awareness of children’s emotional states of mind from observation of their activity and behaviour.
• To develop from a time limited experience of observation, participants’ capacity for observing verbal and non verbal communication.
• To understand the ways in which learning from early relationships influences emotional and cognitive development.
• To observe and recognise significant feelings that are explored and symbolised in under 5s play.
• To explore psychoanalytic concepts such as containment, symbolic function and reciprocity which are helpful to anyone working with young children.

Young Child Observation

Participants will be helped to arrange, in their own time, an observation of a young child. The observation will be for one hour per week for 10 consecutive weeks. The age group of the child should be between 2-4 years and the likely venue for the observation will be a playgroup, children’s centre or nursery school.

Seminars

Seminars will consist of two groups of 5-6 participants, and will run for 3 hours. The first seminar will be the presentation of the observation, followed by a seminar to think about ways to understand the observed material from a developmental and theoretical perspective.

Further Information

Dates for the next running of this course have not yet been set. If you are interested in being part of the next group of participants please express interest via the Course Administrator on 0113 3058750. We are also able to provide this as a bespoke programme for organisations or groups of professionals with a particular interest in this area of work. To discuss the options please contact Sumi Cannon, Parenting and Early Years Lead on the above number.