In our following series of blogs, we will be leading you through the several stages in schools from Reception to Key Stage 4. We will be providing you with an idea on the type of work, the structure and the expectations you might experience working for each stage. These blogs may even help you determine which age group is for you and support you on your path to becoming a Teaching Assistant.
What You Can Expect!
In Reception, you will be teaching students from the age of 4-5 years old. Throughout this year, you will mostly be focusing on the development of the children through games and play. According to Gov.uk, the areas of learning covered will be:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
The first three points are the ones most highly focused on, which are components of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which reception curriculum follows.
Communication and Language
One of the most fundamental ways a child learns is through speaking and listening. At this age, your job as a Reception assistant is crucial in preparing a child’s knowledge of how communication works. Children will learn communication through telling stories, conversation, and non-verbally by using facial expressions, movement or even dance.
Physical Development
As you work to support student’s mental development, you also will need to encourage the students with their physical development. Helping a child mental development can involve motivating the children on being more capable and confident to move and how to be healthy, care and look after themselves.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Included with their physical develops is a child's, personal, social and emotional development. As a Teaching Assistant, you are aiming to help these kids have the best start to their life by giving then a positive outlook. Incorporated in this, is how they work on friendship and relationships and giving them the confidence to become self-aware and managing how they feel and how they should behave.
How you will be Teaching
One of the main things you will be teaching will be the phonics systems, which is a learning technique to help children start reading. You will be teaching them the letters of the alphabet by the sound they made not how they are spelt. Children will then begin to learn how to pronounce words by combining the sounds.
The next part of what you would expect to be teaching children on a daily basis is basic numeracy — using bricks, counters or any form of object that can be counted. You will then assist in helping children learn off by heart methods like number bonds up to times tables.
Finally reading, as a Teaching Assistant, you will be there when a child can read their first book independently. Once you’ve assisted in a child’s understanding of the phonics alphabet and how words are pronounced, you will then be there to help the children move onto their first short books.
Qualifications You’ll Need
To assist with the teaching of Reception students, you may need a qualification. At The Training Room, we can help you achieve a nationally recognised qualification with the support and experience most schools desire. We will help you achieve not only your qualification but help you into a placement and pair you up with our ever-growing list of corporate partners.
With our courses being able to be done in around 3-6 months, and as it’s an e-learning based course, you can learn at your own pace whenever it suits you. Be supported throughout your whole course with our dedicated tutor supports, who will help you become career-ready!
When the course is completed, you will receive the following qualifications:
- TQUK Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (RQF)
- TQUK Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Autism
- TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Children and Young People's Mental Health
And additional qualification with our Professional course of:
- ABC Award Level 3 Special Educational Needs (SEN)
If you’d like to find out more information about how to begin your career in education, click the button below:
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