A Reflective Essay: Analyzing Impact on Children in Early Years

This essay reflects on the significant impact of early years education on children's lives, particularly focusing on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and health and safety considerations. It explores how factors such as social, cultural, and global influences affect children's development during this crucial stage. The essay also discusses the importance of adhering to EYFS standards, which set welfare and learning requirements for children under 5, and the role of practitioners in ensuring these standards are met. Furthermore, it examines how health and safety measures impact children's well-being and the challenges faced by practitioners in maintaining these standards amidst changing cultural and economic landscapes. The analysis concludes that early years education is fundamental for a child's mental and physical growth, highlighting the need for quality care and proper implementation of educational programs.

A reflective essay in which
students analyse how the
impact on the lives of
children within early years
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
EYFS............................................................................................................................................3
Health and safety –......................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
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INTRODUCTION
A child growth and development stars from their early year stage. This is a crucial stage in
which it needs to be ensured that children are given proper health and care services. It is because
early stage shape lives of children through learning and development. Therefore, it has to be
ensured that children are given high quality care in initial stage (Hachul, and Roßbach, 2019).
So, there are many programs and initiatives which is formed by government for it. These all
focuses on learning and development of children. But there are several factors which impact on
lives of children in early stage. They are social, culture, global, etc. moreover, the impact
depends on type of factor and how it is related to child development.
In this easy it will be described about how impact such as social, culture, global etc. impact
on lives of children in early years. Also, two points will be discussed as well that are health and
safety and EYFS.
MAIN BODY
A child learning and development begins in early stage. The crucial years in this are 5 years
where major growth occurs. If child is not given proper care services then it can impact on their
lives. I analysed that in UK government there are certain standards set in it. So, school, nursery,
etc. have to follow them (Baker, Gruber, and Milligan, 2019). It ensures early stage
development is proper in child. I reviewed that EYFS and health and safety are two concepts
which needs to be focused in it. With proper standards health and safety of child is ensured.
EYFS
What it is- early young foundation system is term which comprises of set of welfare
requirements and a set of learning and development requirements that are required to be followed
by providers of care for children who are under the age of 5. This program set standards for the
learning, development and care for the child from birth to 5 years old (Palaiologou, 2016). All
schools and Ofsted-registered early years providers must follow the EYFS. This involves child
minders, preschools, nurseries and school reception classes. This has strong effect and impact of
the lives of children in early stage. Areas of learning that are included in this are-
 Communication and language
 Physical development
 Personal, social and emotional development
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 Literacy
 Mathematics
 Understanding the world
 Expressive arts and design
These are some of the areas which are considered under learning and development in EYFS.
This also involves assessment of children when they are between 2-3 years. In this age they are
assessed by early year practitioners and health visitors. Children are also assessed y their class
teacher at the end of school when they turn 5. The assessment is mainly based on observation
and child is not tested and the assessment considers early learning goals. However if parents
wish they can exempt one or more areas of EYFS in case it is against and conflicting with their
religion and philosophies. After exemption child do not take part in specific and exempted area
of learning.
Impact on children- EYFS have a significant impact on the children because this is early years
assessment and age till 5 plays important role in overall growth and development of the children
(Pascal, Bertram and Rouse, 2019). This age and EYFS also reflect their capacity in learning in
their later age. The areas that are included in EYFS are most basic areas of learning and
development and this also prepare them to learn in future and create foundation for their
development. It is important for child and their effective development and curriculum and
contents in the program are designed the way that are suitable for children. Children with help of
this program became able to understand their surroundings, and became able to understand what
are their likes and dislikes and this impact is visible when they are assessed. Literacy enables
children to understand basic words and read and write them. Mathematics enables children to
understand and learn basic mathematics. With help of this program EYFS children have positive
impact on their future growth and development and they are get physically developed in this.
This ensure a basic understanding and knowledge through which children as they complete 5
years of their age became able to understand the world and also develop in emotional and social
context. However, there will be a political impact on it. this is because it will make changes in
standards which are to be adhered. Thus it will impact on children as proper learning and
development will not occur.
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Impact on practitioner- Impact of EYFS also extends to providers and practitioners because they
are responsible for ensuring achievement of the objectives and aims of EYFS. There are several
qualities and characteristics that must be possessed by EYFS. This is because this is first learning
and development exposure being provided to the children and they do not know anything when
they are in EYFS. This require practitioners to be more diligent while they practicing. This is
challenging and this is why practitioners need to have wide understanding specially concerned
with behaviour (Palaiologou, 2017). This will help practitioners in ensuring that every child in
EYFS gets effective and optimum benefit through them. They also need to work with parents of
children this can help in getting more effective results for children. However role of parents is
also important in this but when children are being taken care outside home in such case
responsibility of practitioners gets increased. Practitioners when are working for the children
being taken care at home they need to work in partnership with parents because they know the
child best and this way they can also provide required services to child. EYFS have significant
impact on practitioners as they need to be ready with all the techniques through which they will
be effective results for children in EYFS. There will be political impact on practitioner as well.
they will require relevant skills in it and change in standards will force them to find out new
practices to apply in maintaining health and safety.
Health and safety –
What it is- It refers to the health and safety of children in which provided to them. In early
years it is necessary to maintain health and safety of children so that their growth is not
impacted. So, i analyse that there several factors which can impact on it such as global, social,
economic,, etc. (Drange, and Havnes, 2019) therefore, it is necessary to identify those factors
so that its impact can be minimised. I found that health and safety is impacted due to change in
culture, economic, global factor. This is because in culture impact it consists of ethics, values,
etc. that is being followed. So, both mental and physical health is based on culture. if there
occurs change in those values beliefs, etc. then it directly impact of health and safety. Similarly,
economic impact is based on economic condition of family or nursery. If there is lack of funds
available then proper health and safety services are not provided.
Impact on children- I found that there is a great impact of health and safety on children growth
and development in early years. in my view I analyse that children health is based on values,
beliefs ethics etc followed in culture. They are grown up on basis of cultural norms and value.
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Therefore, on basis of that health and safety of children is done in early years. so, if cultural
norms are changed then it impact on children lives in negative way. It is because I think that
health is maintained as per new norms thus entire schedule is made.
Similarly, with change in economic impact the health and safety standards are not
properly maintained . thus, children are not provided effective care services and it impact on
their health. Moreover, there is no proper safety measures ensured for them. It impact on well
being and growth of children as they are given low standard health and safety. There is great
cultural impact on children. Their mental health is affected as cultural ethics and values are
applied in it. (Clark, and Muthuri, 2019)
Impact on practitioner- I found that there is impact on practitioner as well in health and safety
of children. This can be viewed that practitioner impact can be either social. They have to
change their way of dealing with children. Besides, social impact occurs as practitioner
communication way changes.. I analysed that they adopt easily with children which results in
changing social environment in which practitioner works. However, they learn new ways of
being interacting with people in social way. I realize that how there is global impact on
practitioner. They have to adhere changes in it and follow standards that are set. For that they
require training and skills to be learned and gained. So, it enable them to work with children at
early years in effective way. They are not able to work as per local perspective and interest of
people and it impact on their professional growth. Thus healthy and safety measures are to be
affected in child care (Nix, and Andresen, 2019). with new provision and theoretical prospectus
it is difficult to follow agenda to ensure health and safety of children. In my opinion, conversely,
international implies a between nations approach, like sharing of pedagogical approaches or the
development of transnational research. the culture impact which I found on practitioner is that
they have to work in different way. It means that ethics and values followed varies and it
becomes difficult for them to follow those cultural practices in healthy and safety
CONCLUSION
So, it has been concluded that early years learning and development plays significant role on
child growth. Here, they learn about various things and it leads to their mental and physical
growth. The EYFS is a program which sets standard for learning and development of child
below age of 5 years.
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Health and safety refers to providing health care services and ensuring their safety. Besides
that, there are many ways of impact on lives of children such as global, culture, social, etc. it
impact on practitioners as well who look after children health.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Baker, M., Gruber, J. and Milligan, K., 2019. The long-run impacts of a universal child care
program. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 11(3), pp.1-26.
Clark, S. and Muthuri, S., 2019. The impact of childcare on poor urban women’s economic
empowerment in Africa. Demography, 56(4), pp.1247-1272.
Drange, N. and Havnes, T., 2019. Early childcare and cognitive development: Evidence from an
assignment lottery. Journal of Labor Economics, 37(2), pp.581-620.
Hachul, C. and Roßbach, H.G., 2019. From Birth to Early Child Care: The Newborn Cohort
Study of the National Educational Panel Study. In Education as a Lifelong Process (pp.
195-214). Springer VS, Wiesbaden.
Nix, E. and Andresen, M.E., 2019. What causes the child penalty? evidence from same sex
couples and policy reforms (No. 902).
Palaiologou, I. ed., 2016. The early years foundation stage: Theory and practice. Sage.
Palaiologou, I., 2017. Assessing children’s play: reality or illusion? The case of early years
foundation stage in England. Early Child Development and Care. 187(8). pp.1259-
1272.
Pascal, C., Bertram, T. and Rouse, L., 2019. Getting it right in the Early Years Foundation Stage:
a review of the evidence.
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