Reflective Account On Child Needs

Children needs
Needs are vital and necessary part of life. Some of the needs are physical needs, intellectual needs, emotional and social needs.
Physical needs
Children’s physical needs are hygiene, food, exercise, warmth, safety and security. Greenside Nursery ensures that all this takes place. For example, the nursey has CCTV and locks on doors to ensure the children are safe. This means that children will be monitored wherever they are.
Everybody needs would be exercise as it is essentials for somebody health and body. This will help children generate their body and develop themselves. This would also help them stay healthy. Some people are very lazy, as they do not like physical education; having PE in school supports them to get a bit
of exercise in their schedule. Children also provided with a play area so they could run around and get the exercise they need. They are also made to do P.E. During winter times, children are advised to bring a coat. This make sure they can do P.E in the cold as well. Parents are notified beforehand to buy a coat for their children. This makes sure they have sufficient exercise but they are still warm. This ensures they stay fit and healthy.
Another need would be food. This will help them get the energy they need and will help them stay active throughout the day. At break/snack time, the nursery feeds the children a nutritious snack, which changes every day. The snack helps children to refill with energy and have one of their five a day. The children are also taught their phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. This shows children how important fruits and vegetables are.
An Important need is hygiene. This will prevent children from getting the cold or any viruses. This will also mean their attendance is high. If their attendance is, they will be getting more education. Before eating and after going to the toilet, children are made to go to the toilet. This teaches them the importance of hygiene therefore; it will reduce the risk of illness and germs.
The pre-school I went to, meet the physical needs by feeding children food about 2-3 times a day. Their diet consists of snacks, which are normally fruits, and for dinners. They would usually give a bit of protein, fibre, carbohydrates and much more. They meet the hygiene rules by providing a sink for children to wash their hands. As well as that, they have posters showing children to wash their hands and they have posters showing how important hygiene is.
Intellectual needs
The Intellectual needs of a child are writing and speaking skills, memory and problem solving skills.
At a nursery, preschool or primary school the children should not be bored.
The nursery that I went to consists of different activities every day. The activities included of learning songs numbers, weeks, days, months, poems and much more
Another activity would be counting the amount of beads, toys etc. This would help children develop their counting skills, painting skills, drawing and crafting skills. The counting skill would help with their maths. As well as that, their painting and drawing skill would help with art.
Story time at least 20 minute a day would help children by developing their speaking and listening skills. At the nursey, I observed they had story time and story corner. This is where children can go and read whenever it is necessary and whenever they want to. The story corner was full of books of different genres, which are suitable for children.
Another intellectual need would be schoolwork. This would help you get good grades in life, which would also help you get far in life. This would lead onto education. An intellectual need for education would be learning something new everyday
Children need communication because this helps boost grades and improves their socializing. Greenside nursery encourages children to communicate with each other by putting them in groups and making them meet new
people.
Children have to be challenged so it will improve their work. Greenside nursery challenges children by providing harder work and seeing if they could do it if they find it easy and finish this task, it improves their knowledge.
The nursery has a wide range of activities, which help children to develop their intellectual need.
Emotional needs
An emotional need would be something where the children can distribute and share their emotions.
For example, at greenside nursery they have circle time.
This is done daily so everything such as thoughts and feelings can be shared. Circle time is also somewhere they can feel safe and have nothing to worry about. They can share everything and have no worries. They sit in a circle and hold a teddy when it is their turn to speak. To make circle time enjoyable everyone has to communicate and even if they have nothing to share they will have to speak about what they enjoyed the most and what they least enjoyed.
One to one talk with the teacher can also help. Children can go to any staff at any time of the day. Children are safe to talk to teachers, as it is private and confidential. This means she/he will not be confronted in front of the other children and it will be dealt with secretly. This helps the child because they know they are safe and they know that they can share their feelings.
Naughty corner is place where children go when in trouble or when angry, sad, naughty. They spend 10 minutes over here, which is the maximum time. However, this could take longer due to some situations. The child is supressed from meeting other children until they are calm. This helps them get over everything without anyone making them more
emotional.
Social needs
After having lessons, the pupils have playtime and lunchtime. The fresh air and the breaks help them regenerate themselves. When they come back, they are more focused. Playtime and lunchtime, the children can make friends and socialize. At Greenside Nursey, there are benches so children can sit and talk or just relax.
Colouring ensures that the child is occupied but it also allows children to be calm. The children can also utilise the time by talking and socializing to their friends. By making them share the equipment, they encourage the children to talk and use their manners
Reading time would help the child with their English as well as interacting with their friends. If a child has no friends these kind of activities would help them make a friend. They will learn how to behave around people and will teach them manners.