The returning of the moon man

One Autumn evening of the same year, Griffith ‘s family heard a noise, they went to the street and they noticed that a spacecraft departed from London, it would be the first expedition to the moon but It had crashed and an astronaut was Injured so they needed someone to go In his place _ Grandfather didn't let Deal go with them and took the place of the injured man, so he went to the moon. He was there for a long time so Grand married another man, as she believed that her husband would not return from space, and they went to 1954 for they honeymoon.However, Grandfather came back and when e discovered what had happened, he chased them to 1954, where he smashed the Time Machine and imprisoned Grand in a nunnery. 9. Write the names of the characters. Grandfather Griffith; Grand; Deal my father; Browne, the narrator; Mother; Electric Plumber Williams, Uncle Space-ship-Repairs Jones; Auntie Space-ship-Repeals Jones; The Moon Men; Lonely Time Machine. 10. Choose two characters that h ave impressed you the most and build up their profiles: Name: Grandfather Griffith Role in the story: He is a main character. Description (appearance, personality, actions): He is tall, fiery, old and hard. Great shining rocket. He shot out his long arm and grasped a chopper†. Name: Grand Role in the story: She is a main character. He is like Description (appearance, personality, actions): She uses black clothes, pathetic- looking little woman. She is sad, progressive, persistent, ignorant and angry. â€Å"Grand shivered and sighed†. 11. Describe the setting of the story (time and place). Time- A. D. 2500. Place- Pen-Y- Craig Farm in Rural Wales. 12. Describe the main action/topic/theme of the story. The story occurs in the Rural Wales when the light appeared. C. 13. Explain the meaning of the story title.Grandfather goes to the Moon for a long time and then he returns. 14. Give it another title. Grandfather goes to the Moon. 15. Give the story a different ending. When Grandfather came back from the Moon and discovered Grand had married with another man, he chased them. After having held them, he found a convent to leave Grand. Grandfather wanted to return to the moon with intentions of staying there to live so past few days he went to the moon and never returned, leaving everyone to think that his life was on the moon. 16. Write two quotes from the story that you liked and explain your choices. â€Å"She

Compae

Today the United States of America has a very large constructed government that has been influenced through the ages. The Greeks romans and Judeo-Christian traditions had the biggest impact on our government today though due to the way they began their governments. Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian cultures had similar ideas about laws and individual duties that have influenced us today. The Greeks just like United States use three branches of government, they carry out laws through their executive branch and the legislative branch passes laws.The leader was chosen by lot today the president is chosen by popular vote. Judeo-Christian, Greek and Roman cultures also had differences in their views of law, reason and faith and individual responsibilities. In Judeo-Christian law, reason and faith are based on the Word of God. They believe in only one God, saying he is the creator of all things. Greco-Roman beliefs dealt with more logic. Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle believed in a su preme God but this was because of mythology where the people preferred to create their own gods.As far as law and reason, in Greece; philosophy ruled and in Roman the opinion of Caesar ruled. Greeks viewed law as something that was developed by common sense and over time through civilized logic and experience. Jews and Christians viewed laws as coming from a god. The duties of individuals under Judeo-Christian view is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all you mind and all your soul and to love your neighbor as yourself. Greco-Roman is that only Roman citizens are to be considered people and treated as people.Greeks considered those outside of Athens to be ignorant and not worth their time. These three cultures have influenced the way we think about laws even now today. We use the Judeo-Christians ideas about individual worth, ethical controllers, and the need to fight injustice. These ideals continue to be extremely important to United States government still today. This all taught us that representation and citizen participation are important features of democratic governments around the world. Romans were the first ones to give the world an idea of a republic.They had the first written legal code and idea that this code should be applied equally and impartially to all citizens. On the other hand the Greeks invented the first democracy in the ancient world. All in all these three cultures of Greek, Roman, and Judeo-Christian had one thing in common; they all influenced our government today. Even though all of them are extremely different and have different ideas based on law, faith, and tradition they are all a lot alike. They are all influential in positive ways and we owe it all to them for creating the government we have today in the United States.

An Analytical report over Strategic planning for GigaSoft Pvt. Ltd Essay

An Analytical report over Strategic planning for GigaSoft Pvt. Ltd - Essay Example Modern day software market has multiple requirements along with essential factors like smooth user interface, quick and clear functionality, market sustainability and compatibility with other platforms and devices. Thus, Software market is becoming more and more specific onwards. The competition arises only between software that offer similar utilities and functionality. For a very ground example of word processor, before 2005 Microsoft Word had been a ruling word processors for all types of writing requirements such as letters, drafts, reports, stories, forms, graphic patterns, papers etc. However, taking a look of current word processing market, it is quite significant that every one of those patters have different specific software offering numerous specific utilities. There are options like Open Office, Word perfect, Adobe Story, PDF software, CeltX. Some of them like CeltX offer their services on I-phone and Android devices while Open Office offers a very small size as compared to Microsoft Word and is much easily portable. There are also online word processors like Office Web apps and Google docs which offer a facility of secure cloud storage free of data loss concerns. Accordingly, soft ware marketing and management is synchronized with user demands. While working on numerous word-processing and document management software GigaSoft faced a failure in competing with existing word-processors. Recent replacement strategies of development and marketing have shown unwanted lacking in providing full functionality over all supportive platforms. Also, there is tracked some inefficiency in coping with small gadgets and newly introduced platforms. Some frequent crashes due to the incompatibility with recent market demands are also noticed. Those indicative factors have incorporated a lack of proper management. Hence, an immediate strategic planning for upcoming management strategies is required to be generated and applied. Identifying the faults and loopholes Looking at the recent data sheets and amendments made by GigaSoft corporation. There are seen some specifically lower graphs after the new adjustment for current marketing strategies which involve developing the software over various platforms other than earlier Microsoft platforms. GigaSoft is using waterfall method for production while the twist in the company’s strategy had proved out to be unproductive. It is essential to first analyze the reasons for difficulties before going for a new structure (Gouws & Gouws, 2004). Some noticed reasons for the failure in marketing strategy hold: Drifting away from the most popular platform, which makes the products incompatible for many formats and devices. Failing in synchronizing with the modern devices which require an essential coordination with popular devices other than Windows PCs and Laptops. Failing in development of multi-operative software products Violating the norms of cost-effectiveness by misreading the market graphs, As those reasons are end-results of a long time malfunction in management and planning, basic structure of the company must provide some focus for what errors of management led to those ends. A lack of synchronization in finance, engineering and marketing streams led to produce over costly products. A lack of

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 143

Case Study Example Consequently, this may result to psychological harm to the client depending on how the situation will ensue. In that case, whether the client consents to any kind of physical contact with the social worker, it is best to think through the idea. Although, it is the duty of a social worker to be hospitable, there are limits that should be adhered to. Therefore, Dr. Kim’s situation can be summarized as a painstaking moment. This is because he was keen to safeguard his professionalism but at the same time please his client. Thus, it is fair to conclude that Dr. Kim had the client’s best interest at heart, then again, he did not want to jeopardize his professionalism, and thus, he was quick to seek guidance from another therapist who had more experience in the field. If Dr. Kim had gone along with the act in secrecy, then at that moment he would be more liable to accusations of breach of ethical standards. Nevertheless, he chose to make things right before they get out of hand. NASW (2008). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners. Retrieved from

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 5

Business - Essay Example In simple terms, diversity can be viewed as difference. In the workplace, diversity is defined by Bell (2007) as attracting, recruiting and retaining persons from a wide talent base regardless of their religious affiliation, race, class, gender, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status and any other groupings. This ensures the organizations recruits individuals with a wide range of skills and from different economic, social and cultural backgrounds. There are often group conflicts in organizations that hinder a good working relationship and attainment of company objectives yet diversity is highly valued in organizations. The big question is, â€Å"how can diversity work for organizations?† To answer this question, this paper will compare and contrast various views from different authors regarding diversity in the workplace. The trends that have necessitated diversity will also be discussed. It will also evaluate the diversity in practice i n two organizations: HSBC and Wells Fargo. It will discuss the importance of diversity in the two companies. Some companies develop a diverse workforce to comply with laws but for other organizations, diversity is much more than just a policy as it is the key to success. Besides compliance, companies that have an inclusive workplace environment enjoy a lot of benefits which will be discussed later. The challenges facing implementation are also worth noting. Global Trends Various global demographic, economic and legislative trends have over the years necessitated the development of diversity in workplaces. According to Mor Barak (2011) there has been a workforce decline in various countries thus the need to engage immigrant workers to fill the employment gap. Italy workforce for example, is expected to decline from 60 million to 56 million by 2050 while that of Germany is expected to decline from 82 million to 69 million (P. 4). These are countries which have been known not to entert ain immigrant workers but the demographic trend forces them to. On the other hand, developing countries are faced with the problem of the youth who comprise more than half of the population (Kirton & Green, 2004). Since these economies are growing at a slow pace they cannot accommodate all those youths hence they look for jobs outside borders. Another trend is the growing number of women in the workforce and individualized migration to look for better opportunities without relying on their husbands or family (Bibard, 2011). This has changed the workforce dynamics to a great extent prompting the need to embrace diversity. Various legislations have also been emerging that press the companies to become diverse workplaces. These range from the universal declaration of human rights to the legislations on equal employment opportunity. Inclusive workplace programs have therefore, been instituted in many organizations to tap the benefits of a diverse workforce (Findler, Wind & Mor Barak, 20 07). Companies which do not know how to manage diversity in the workplace risk losing business due to high turnover, absenteeism, and low earnings. Managing diversity is not a simple task. On one hand companies need to appreciate the importance of diversity for organization success and on the other hand, diversity brings about group conflicts which can lead to disharmony and even violence in the workplace (Powell, 2004). Service companies rely so much on diverse customers thus needs to

Hypotheses, Causal Model, and Operationalization Form Essay

Hypotheses, Causal Model, and Operationalization Form - Essay Example Thus, anyone who eats a balanced diet or eats well will have to live longer than those who do not. C) Draw a causal model of your hypotheses—using textboxes, arrows, and proper notation. If you do not already know how to create textboxes, or resize textboxes, or draw and move arrow, or align plusses and minuses along the lines, or make all of the lines and arrows black— this is when to learn. In terms of layout and formatting, your model ought to look like those in the samples and exercises from class. (Simply bump it all to the next page if you need additional space.) 5. Where You Have Access to Data for Your Time Period and Cases to Actually Measure the Variable as Operationalized Above (NOT ‘hope’ to find and have access to, or ‘might’ find and have access to, or ‘will start to look for’ or anything other than KNOW where the needed info/data is and KNOW you have access to it.) The variables will be measured using the most appropriate methods for each of them. Since they have a direct influence on the findings, the choice of the variable will have to be made after considering its effectiveness. For instance, while dealing with eating habits as one of the variables in the research, the researcher will have to conduct a thorough survey to ensure that the most appropriate and proportionate population sample is studied and analyzed. This will help in ensuring that the research is accurate and valid to be relied

Cultural Implications Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cultural Implications - Coursework Example Distinctive culture has diverse conduct standard and good limitations for its representatives in an organization. Organizations will apply incredible impact in transit representatives speak with one another. Then; employee voice is an approach to speak to the organization correspondence. What's more, the voice of employees passes on their certain culture. Take the Japan Company and American organization as illustrations. In Japan Company, employees are obliged to hold the statement of faith of order, and they have a superior work framework. Japanese employees ought to be responsible for their own business exclusively instead of participate with others (Johnstone & Ackers, 2015). While in the American organization the culture is truly diverse. The employees typically carry on specifically to others and the greater part of times they will impart to the work. What the distinction of them show in the part of their human administration. In some renowned Japan organizations like SONY, whos e employees will be isolated into diverse gatherings and keep the gatherings as independent as could be expected under the circumstances as per their distinctive societies to maintain a strategic distance from the social conflicts with one another (Johnstone & Ackers, 2015). Yet the input of this framework is that it is hard to hear distinctive voices from representatives, which will obviously requirement the speedier and healthier improvement of the association. Employee voice is accomplished through both direct voice and indirect voice.

What motivated the United States to pursue an Imperialist policy Essay

What motivated the United States to pursue an Imperialist policy during the 19th century - Essay Example (Fouskas and BÃ ¼lent, 2005 p 1) The factors that motivated the American policy of Imperialism in the 19th century can be grouped into military, political and economic interests. In the 1890s, America saw the emergence of new navalist’s ideologies, which were greatly advocated for. Alfred T. Mahan, a former president at the Naval War College argued out the need for America to battle out for naval supremacy in the world. Mahan pointed out that foreign commerce was crucial to the survival of any great nation and for a powerful country in the world; thus, there was a need to protect the sea routes. According to Mahan, all these could only be achieved by having a strong naval force. A powerful navy would facilitate the acquisition of colonies and overseas naval bases and oil fields In the early 1890s, America experienced an overproduction of commodities by industries. Majority of the prosperous business people and government officials saw the only solution to the crisis as the finding of new markets for American products outside the North American continent. Americans, thus, targeted territories in Middle East, Africa and Latin America. In the beginning of the 19th century, France, Germany and Great Britain were expanding their political powers and influence in the world through various means. One of such ways was the acquisition of territorial regions in Africa, the country of China and other areas of the globe. This made American policy makers to advocate for America to join other European Countries in acquiring colonies for it not to be left behind politically, economically as well as militarily. (Ramos, 2007 pp 30-31) Imperialism led to the strengthening of the American navy. Imperialism allowed the navy to establish ports in Pearl Harbor, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Hawaii. These ports made it possible for America to compete with European countries. America was able to expand its territory. Military forces were easily

DEVELOMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY - METHODOLOGIES OF CHILDHOOD PREJUDICE Essay

DEVELOMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY - METHODOLOGIES OF CHILDHOOD PREJUDICE - Essay Example vities of young children within the social setting in which they find themselves impress meanings upon them more profoundly than through their intellectual grasp of their surroundings (2003). Methods used by researchers have been chosen in order to probe the areas in which social conditioning occur, as well as to detect the social representations given different objects and interactions that can be found or are known to occur in different environments. Their experiments have captured empirically the results of this kind of social representation by facilitating children and adults’ precise designation of the gender to which objects are believed to be best associated. Through this they have demonstrated the different levels at which this type of social conditioning occurs, as well as the prejudices that result and that become evident at different stages of children’s development. Developmental psychologists have theorised that gender assumptions, beliefs, values and prejudices become embedded through the social representations that are available to them in their environment (Sanders, 2003). Ideas about the behaviours and expectations of males and females are learned in ways similar to those in which people learn colour and speech: through interaction with others in the social settings in which they find themselves. These ideas are learned socially and then internalised, and it is these ideas that compact together to form the gender prejudices that are displayed in children. After this period of internalisation, the attitudes and behaviours displayed by persons become unconsciously imbued with these beliefs and their expression of them causes their inculcation in future generations. The method of research by Lloyd and Duveen (1993) has demonstrated the high likelihood of identities to become formed through socialisation that occurs within a specific group. This has highlighted the diversity that exists among the identities that children have expressed, but in

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Accounting - Essay Example A company that has low long term debt can abtain cheaper prices as far as interest rates from lenders. The disadvantage is that the company is leading idle potential opportunities to grow. c) A large cash balance allows a company to obtain interest revenue. A large cash fund gives a firm stability and reduces business risk. A disadvantege is the cost of opportunity of using that cash asset on some other projects that can generate a larger return on investment. 6. The change in methodoly from FIFO to average inventory created a price that is more realistic and better adjuted to market changes. The effects in the accounting books of such a change could be either an understatement or overstanment of the inventory total. 7. a) The mission of the FASB is to establish and improve standards of financial accounting and reporting for the guidance and education of the public including issuers, auditors, and users of financial information (Fasb, 2009). c) The procurement plan utilizes a framework of the following factors: pervasive of the issue, alternative solutionsk, technical feasability, practical consequence, covergence possibilities, cooperative opportunities, and

Sonnet 93 by E. Barrett Browning Essay Example for Free

Sonnet 93 by E. Barrett Browning Essay Throughout the first eight lines of the sonnet the language is simple and personal. There is little elaboration and imagery which shows her true love and shows that the sonnet wasnt written to impress the public. This differs from the other two sonnets as they were conventionally written to amuse the reader and in order to do this they included complex language and imagery. The line beginning the final section of the sonnet shows that she loves Robert Browning with the depth, trust and emotion a child feels for their parents; I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhoods faith. Following this the next line supports a popular belief of the Victorians which was when you are born you are born pure and innocent. As you grow up you gather sin and impurity, and become further away from God. E. Barrett Browning says that Robert has taken away her sin and bought her closer to God once more just like when she was a young child; I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints, She also expresses that she loves her husband with every emotion she goes through in her life; -I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! The last line in the sonnets suggests her love is eternal and she will love Robert even in the afterlife; -and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. E. Barrett Browning doesnt use a Volta in her sonnet as she wants to show her love is continuous and eternal which is a contrast from the other two poems. All three sonnets appear to be about love but all show different meanings. Shakespeares sonnet seems to be about a true physical attraction to a lady and how her beauty is eternal when in fact he is really saying the beauty of his words are eternal. On the other hand Draytons sonnet appears to be about a dying woman when in fact its about a fading love desperate for love to be breathed into it. Finally E. Barrett Brownings sonnet is totally sincere and includes no reversal of meaning. The sonnets also have different forms and language. Shakespeare and Drayton both write a Shakespearian sonnet with complicated and elaborate language whereas E. Barrett Browning uses a Petrarchan form with simple language. Another resemblance is that E. Barrett Browning and Shakespeare consider love relates to time. The most obvious contrast is that Drayton and Shakespeare both use a Volta whereas E. Barrett Browning doesnt. Although I liked the clever, witty changes of meaning in the sonnets by Shakespeare and Drayton my favored sonnet would have to be Sonnet 93 by E. Barrett Browning. I liked it because of the sincerity of her love to her husband. I think when reading and understanding the sonnet the reader is emotionally touched by the strong feelings such simple words can put across.

Policies for the Promotion of Child Rights

Policies for the Promotion of Child Rights IDENTIFY ONE PIECE OF LEGISLATION, WHICH PROMOTES THE CHILDRENS RIGHTS IN YOUR SETTING One piece of legislation that promotes the childrens rights in my setting is the Data Protection Act 1998. This legislation gives everyone the right to know what information is held about them and it provides a framework to ensure that personal information is handled properly. One of its purposes is to safeguard the fundamental rights of individuals. The Act works in two ways, firstly it states that anyone who processes personal information must follow the eight principles below to make sure that the personal information is: Fairly and lawfully processed Processed for limited purposes Adequate, relevant and not excessive Accurate and up to date Not kept for longer than is necessary Processed in line with your rights Secure Not transferred to other countries without adequate protection Secondly, the Act provides everyone with important rights; these include the right to find out what personal information is held about them on computers and most paper records. It also gives the individual the right to complain if they are denied access to their personal information or feel that their information has not be handled according to the eight principles I have stated above. The Data Protection Act 1998 affects the way I run my setting. I have to ensure that: Any personal information I have is kept confidential and stored in a locked filing cabinet and I only can access it. I am careful when discussing with parents anything confidential that no-one is around to overhear our conversation, including in person or on the telephone All personal information I hold is relevant to my setting and is kept up to date I do not keep any information longer than necessary No data that I hold can be used or passed onto other parties without written consent from the parent Parents have the right to request access to my records at any time, but they can only see the information held about themselves and their children My confidentiality policy covers the above please see Appendix 1 Every organisation that processes personal information must notify the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) unless they are exempt; failure to notify is a criminal offence. I am exempt because no personal information I keep is stored on a computer. The only information I store on the computer is my accounts. If you had to notify they have now made changes to the notification fee structure that came into effect on 1st October 2009, it is now a tiered fee structure to reflect the costs of the ICO regulating data controllers of different sizes. DESCRIBE THE ROLE OF PRACTITIONER IN MEETING THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF ALL CHILDREN It is important that the practitioner meets the individual needs of all the children. To do this the practitioner first needs to know what the childrens individual needs are and this can be found out by talking to the parents and getting them to fill in My Special Book, any observations that you carry out, any other professionals involved with the child and liaising with any other settings that the child attends. If the child is old enough they may also be able to tell you. It is important to speak to the parents regularly and keep updated in any changes to the childrens interests and needs or home life. The ways that I use are: Email an effective way to send a quick message, but some parents may not have access to a computer. Newsletters can be a great way to keep parents informed of some of the activities the children have been doing; events and festivals planned; holiday dates and any other information the practitioner wants to tell the parents. Letters to the Parents if there are things you need to inform them of privately a letter would be best. In addition, the parents may have a hearing impairment and may not be able to use another form of communication. Telephone conversation this is best done at the end of the day when the practitioner and the parents have uninterrupted time to discuss things. You will need to make sure who can overhear the conversation so that you can maintain confidentiality. Face-to-Face you can arrange a meeting on neutral territory to discuss any concerns but again you need to maintain confidentiality and make sure you are not overheard. Daily diary keeping the parents informed of the activities the child has done during the day, along with sleep times, healthy food, snacks and drinks, nappy changes and any other information the parents need to know. The parents can also add anything to the diary that has happened at home that you need to know e.g. any accidents, broken nights sleep, teething, whether they have had breakfast etc. Text the quickest way to communicate, it can also be invaluable to someone with a hearing impairment. Most people nowadays have a mobile phone. It is also important to find out and respect the views of all the children to make them feel valued and not ignored this in turn promotes their self-esteem. I talk to the children about what interests them and what they think of things. We often play games that allow the children to air their views and opinions and I use this knowledge to enhance their learning and development. To be able to meet all the childrens needs you first need to understand what their rights are. There is a lot of legislation that promotes children rights but quite simply every child has a right to have their basic needs met for food, warmth and hygiene, but you also need to provide a nurturing environment where the children can rest, play and develop to their full potential. Maslows Hierarchy of needs is one of the best-known descriptions of needs. It identifies five basic needs and shows how higher needs are not considered until the lower level needs have been met. Self-actualisation (Achieving individual potential) Esteem (Self-esteem and esteem from others) Belonging (Love, affection, being a part of groups) Safety (Shelter, removal from danger) Physiological (Health, food, sleep) Diagram copied from Maslows Hierarchy at Changingminds.org It is important to know the difference between a want and a need. A Need is something that we cannot do without, like sleep, food and love. A Want is something that is desired at the time but is not essential and we can in fact do without. To make sure I meet all the childrens individual needs I take into consideration the ages of the children, their stage of development and abilities and whether they need to sleep or have quiet time when planning my daily routine, I make sure that I incorporate all their needs into my daily routine. The children need a daily routine to help them feel secure and they get to know what is happening next and this promotes their development. I adapt my routines depending on which children I have in the setting at the time. It is important that all the children are given a choice as much as possible, because this will help them as they grow and they need to be independent and make decisions for themselves. I give children a choice of snacks, they can choose from milk or water to drink and they can also decide for themselves what they would like to play with and with whom. It is my professional responsibility to: Safeguard and promote the welfare of all the children Make sure that people they come into contact with are suitable Ensure I have safe and suitable premises, environment and equipment Organise my setting so that every child receives an enjoyable and challenging learning and development experience that is tailored to their individual needs Maintain records, policies and procedures to ensure safe and efficient management of my setting and to meet the needs of the children Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2007, pg 6) states, Practitioners should deliver personalised learning, development and care to help children to get the best possible start in life. DISCUSS HOW YOUR DAILY ROUTINES SUPPORT CHILDRENS WELL BEING I have a basic daily routine that includes school runs, child-initiated play, adult-led activities, sleep/quiet time, snack and meal times and home time. The children begin to learn the structure of the day and what comes next. The times of the routine is never set in stone and it allows us to experience spontaneous events like playing in the snow, or taking your lunch to the park on a nice sunny day. For example for snack time the children know that after the mornings child-initiated play we have snacks and they help to clear the table and lay out the plates and cups, which are kept in a low cupboard which the children can easily access independently and this promotes their self-esteem and confidence to help and do things for themselves and others. They know that they are to wash their hands before eating and I have a stool so they can reach the sink which enables their independence and they all sit at the table waiting for the snacks. They have a choice of drink milk or water and they can choose what they want to eat from the choice of snacks on the table. There is always a selection of seasonal fruit, a carbohydrate toast, crumpet or muffin and dairy hard or soft cheese. Allowing the children choice enables them to start the process of thinking for themselves and this gives them a skill that they will need in life. I also need to consider individual children cultures and religions when providing food as some food is not allowed. We also try and incorporate food from around the world and learn about the food from different countries. Snack time is also a social time where we all sit together including myself. We talk about anything and everything, they tell me about things at home or school, where they are going on holiday, what there siblings have been doing, their favourite toys etc. It is a great time to learn more about them and I can use this information to inform my planning according to their current interests. Afterwards the children help to tidy up and clear the table. School drop off and collection times are also very social times. We talk as we walk to school; we often play games like eye spy, count how many red cars we see and look out for various different items along the way to use in our craft work. It is a time when the children learn about their environment and the world we live in. We also talk about stranger danger; how to cross the road safely and why we must all walk together and not run off. Because we carry out the same basic routine everyday the children feel safe and secure in my setting and know what happens next. A good routine develops their self-esteem and promotes independence, allows them to learn about their health by knowing when they have to wash their hands and allows the children to socialise and make healthy choices. The Importance of Routines Helping Children grow, feel secure and flourish states, Children need and crave routine. Routine helps establish security and peace in a childs life. DISCUSS HOW YOUR DAILY ROUTINES COULD MEET THE DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF PRE-SCHOOL AND SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN IN YOUR HOME BASED SETTING My daily routines meet the developmental needs of all the children in my care because I adapt depending on the age and stage of development of the children in attendance each day. The school-aged children are not here for morning snacks but we have snacks when we return from the afternoon school run. The older children know that when we get home to wash their hands and they help to set the table, the younger children see what the older children do and try to copy them. As I said before all the children plates, cups and cutlery are kept in a low cupboard which the children can easily access independently. The older children enjoy showing the younger ones what needs to be done to prepare for snacks and the older children gain self-esteem and self-confidence is being able to do things independtly for themselves and others. The younger children like to learn from the older children and this boots their self-confidence is learning to helkp others. Snack time is a time where we all talk about our day and share what we have been doing and what we enjoyed or disliked. School drop off and collection time can be a time of learning, as I said above we play different kinds of games. We also collect leaves and other items to use in our creative work later eg leaves, sticks, do some bark rubbings. We often include a trip to the playground on the way home from school, the younger children benefit from getting fresh air and observing from the comfort of the pushchair and watching the older children. The older children benefit from having the opportunity to run around in a great big space and practice their gross motor skills on the large play equipment. DISCUSS HOW YOU PROMOTE CHILDRENS SAFETY Promoting childrens safety is paramount. I ensure the childrens safety by providing a secure and welcoming environment and I take proper precautions to prevent accidents by carrying out daily risk assessments of my home and garden and any outings that we may go on. I also comply with my Local Safeguarding Children Boards procedures to ensure the safety and welfare of the children in my care. I have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the signs of possible abuse and neglect. Please see my Safeguarding Children Policy (Appendix ) and my Health and Safety Policy (Appendix ). I hold a current Early Years First Aid for Children and Adults certificate and Emergency Life Support for Adults certificate and have completed Safeguarding Children and Health, Hygiene and Safety Awareness training courses. I ensure that I am up to date with my knowledge by attending regular training throughout the year. I also have house rules, which the children know and follow these include taking off their shoes when indoors, sitting at the table or in a highchair to eat and drink, respecting the furniture, toys and each other. The rules are basic but are there to protect the children. The house rules are displayed at all times in pictures and words for the children to refer to. I make sure that all equipment and resources I provide are age and stage appropriate and that they are safe and clean. They are checked daily before and after use. Children are also taught how to safely use the equipment eg how to hold and use scissors. I use activities to help the children to learn about safety and we talk about how accidents can happen and how to prevent them. If an accident does happen I keep full records including details of the child/children involved, the treatment I provide and parents are given a carbon copy of this information, they also sign to confirm they have been told what happened. My premises are secure at all times: the front door is kept locked and the key is kept on a high shelf so only the adults can reach it. My back garden has a 6ft fence on three sides with no gate. The children are only collected by authorised adults or if it is necessary for someone else to collect them we use a password provided by the parents and they notify me in advance if this is going to happen. All the children are taught about road safety according to their age and developmental stage. With the older children, we talk about stranger danger and how they can keep themselves safe from people they do not know. The children know what to do if there is a fire by regularly practising fire drills and they know why it is important to follow what they have learnt. Please see my Emergency Evacuation Procedure (Appendix ) The children know to tidy up their toys to keep the playroom safe and free from hazards and we do this in a fun way so to maintain the childrens interest and their continued participation in learning to how to keep safe. I check the identify of visitors and keep accurate records of when and why visitors are here and I also record when my two assistants are on the premises. Myself and my assistants (Husband and Mother) have all had enhanced CRB checks, ensuring our suitability to look after the Children. The Children feel safe whilst they are in my care because they know that I will listen to any concerns they may have and respond to them appropriately. The parents know that I operate clear child safety procedures and they have copies of all my policies and permission forms. I make sure that I am a good role model for the Children at all times and I provide a good balance in promoting childrens freedom to explore and play whilst learning and developing and ensuring that they are safe. Children need to have the opportunity to take risks and to make mistakes but within safe limits, that way they learn to be alert to potential danger and how to keep themselves safe. Ofsted Early Years Safe and Sound (2006, pg 9) states, Children should have the freedom to make discoveries and enjoy experiences within safe limits, while learning how to protect themselves from harm. IDENTIFY STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNICATING WITH CHILDREN There are many ways that you can communicate with children but it is important to remember that children are still learning and developing so you need to communicate with them on their own level according to their age and interests. It is imperative to use vocabulary that the children understand eg they may not understand uncomfortable but may know what you mean when you say feeling funny. You also need to use a calm tone and body language that will not send mixed messages. You also need to be aware of children whose mother tongue is not English and that they will find it harder to communicate in English to begin with. Some children may have speech impairment or learning difficulties and this will make it harder for them to communicate effectively. It is also important to be patient and give the children time to respond to your questions. Communicating Effectively with Children states, By paying attention to and communicating regularly with children, you can help children create a vi ew of themselves and the world that is positive and healthy. Use the Childs name first this will get their attention and they are more likely to listen to you. Eye contact shows respect and allows you to gauge how much of the conservation is being understood. Calm tone children are sensitive to anger and do not like raised voices because they can focus solely on the fact that your voice is raised and they may be in trouble, rather than what you are saying. Thumbs up is a simple and easy way of showing approval. Body language avoid all confusion and communicate your message consistently through both words and actions, be aware that different cultures use and interpret body language in different ways. Listening and showing an interest a very important part of communication because if you do not listen and appear interested then it is just a one-way conversation and the child will not feel valued. Non-verbal communication Be aware that some children do not communicate verbally, and that it is important to adapt styles of communication to their needs and abilities eg sign language, lip reading etc. Questioning use open-ended questions to check understanding and acknowledge that they have heard what is being said. Speak slowly and clearly the child may have a hearing impairment and will need you to speak slowly and clearly, so they can understand you, also be aware of the level of background noise. Painting This may seem a strange way but children can communicate their feelings through creativity and may talk to you whilst they are painting without thinking about it. Picture books I am in the process of taking pictures of all my resources and making books that the children can look through and decide what activities they want to do. This is a great way to communicate their needs without being able to speak. Picture cards Can be used for asking children basic things like milk or water to drink. If you have children who use English as a second language then you can make/use picture cards to ask them things in their own language but also have the English word along with the picture and their mother language so they learn new words as they progress. DISCUSS ONE FACTOR THAT AFFECTS CHILDRENS BEHAVIOUR There are many factors that can affect childrens behaviour but I am going to focus on divorce. Any change in a Childs home life will have an effect on their behaviour but when one parent moves out it can be distressing for the child, as they may not know what has happened or when they will see that parent again. It is important for us as practitioners to listen to any concerns that the child has and respond to them according to their age and stage of development. You need to find a way to help them understand appropriate to their level of understanding. A pre-school child may show regressive behaviour. This means that the child may return to an earlier stage of development and, for example, start to wet themselves again. A pre-school child may become confused, irritable or worried. Children between six and nine are very vulnerable. At this age, a child is still not mature enough to understand what is going on, but is old enough to understand that something very unpleasant is taking place. They still depend very much on their parents and will have a hard time talking about their emotions. They may react with anger, or by not concentrating or making progress at school or by having learning difficulties. Children between 9 and 13 may have started having important relationships with other people besides their parents and family. When their parents divorce, it will often be good for a child to talk to someone outside the family about their problems and feelings. All Children can become very insecure. Insecurity can cause children to behave as if they are much younger and therefore bedwetting, clinginess, nightmares, worries or disobedience can all occur. This behaviour often happens before or after visits to the parent who is living apart from the family. Teenagers may show their distress by misbehaving or withdrawing into themselves. They may find it difficult to concentrate at school. It is normal for a child to feel lost, upset, angry and grieve for the family they once were. A child who does not show any feelings or reactions needs help to express what is going on inside. Otherwise, they are very likely to suffer depression and other problems later. Helping Children adjust to Divorce states, Children whose parents divorce are at greater risk for problems such as aggression, depression, lower self-esteem and poorer school performance. Children can express themselves in other ways than with words. Play is very important. You can play with the child and let them act out their feelings using role-play and puppets. Children may need to work off tension through energetic games; you can spend some time at the park or go to an indoor play centre. Drawing may help some children as they often draw things that are important to them. You can ask about the drawings and this can be a good way to start the child talking about what is going on inside, especially if they are not the type of child to talk openly. The child still needs to have established routines in their lives and whilst things are changing at home you can continue with your normal routine and this will give the child some stability and comfort during all the other changes, they feel more safe and secure when they know what to expect next. DESCRIBE STRATEGIES FOR CHALLENGING PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION WHEN WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES I operate an inclusive Childminding setting, where all children are welcome regardless of their race, religion, culture, sex, ability or disability, social background etc. I encourage the children to value everyone as a unique individual, to respect each others differences, and to learn from each other. Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education states, inclusion is founded upon a moral position which values and respects every individual and which welcomes diversity as a rich learning resource. I always challenge any instances of prejudice, unfair discrimination and harassment whether it is a comment a child has made or a parent. I will explain to the child or parent why what they have said is wrong and how their words have hurt another person. I make sure that I am a good role model for the children. Please see my Equal Opportunities Policy (Appendix ). I have toys and resources that show different cultures from around the world and people with different types of disabilities/impairments. We also recognize different festivals and religious occasions from a variety of religions worldwide to give the children a greater understanding of the World around them. I invite the parents to come and take part in story/singing time to enable the children to hear different languages, and stories from around the World. For example, if a Child called another person four-eyes because they wear glasses, I would explain to the Child how they have hurt that persons feelings and that they have to wear glasses because they help then to see as their eyes dont work as well as their eyes. I would also ask the Child how they would feel if someone had called them names. I would encourage the Child to say sorry (depending on their age and level of understanding). Another example is a child is a wheelchair and another child telling them that they cant join in and play with them at the sand and water table because they are in a wheelchair. I would explain to the child that yes they can join in we just need to adapt the position of the tray so that the wheelchair can fit around it and everyone can enjoy the same activity. If I have any children with additional needs in my setting I always talk to all the children about their impairments or disabilities (using the correct medical name) as it provides me with an opportunity to teach basic information about our bodies, health and possible illnesses. It also helps to get rid of any fears about disabilities and helps to influence childrens attitudes in a positive way. I make sure that I am a positive role model for the children and I update my knowledge regularly. I have just completed deaf awareness training and I am booked on other awareness courses. EXPLAIN HOW TO IMPLEMENT CHILDRENS RIGHTS IN THE HOME BASED SETTING I have explained in E2 my role in meeting the individual needs of the children and now I will explain how I implement the childrens rights in my setting. I make sure that I keep my knowledge of childrens rights updated through regular training courses and research through the library or internet. Childrens rights are about the obligations of all adults to protect the best interests of children, and to create the conditions under which they can develop and thrive. Childrens rights are embedded in my policies and I offer resources and activities to ensure that the children can learn about their rights for example we have an activity on diversity where the children look at pictures of children from around the world and we discuss our similarities and our differences and what they would like. Please see my Diversity Activity Planning sheet (Appendix ) I have used some of the Articles of the United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child to show how I implement childrens rights into my setting: Article 1 Everyone under 18 has these rights I ensure that all children in my setting know what their rights are. I use age appropriate resources such as games that we play, books that we read and just talking to each other. Article 2 You have the right to protection against discrimination All children are treated with equal concern and learn to treat each other with respect through the activities I provide eg. Learning about each others differences in a positive way, respecting each others cultures. Article 3 Adults should do whats best for you Everything that I do in my setting is always in the best interests of the child. I always take into consideration their views, feelings and rights when carrying out day to day activities. Article 7 You have the right to have a name and a nationality On the wall in the playroom we have pictures of everyone that attends the setting with their name underneath, so that we can easily learn each others names. We learn about each others nationality through stories and visits to the library and in the food we eat. Article 11 You should not be kidnapped I make sure that all the children are safe and secure in my care whether we are at home or out and about. The children know to stay close to me and not run off or talk to strangers. I never release a child into the care of someone that I dont know unless a parent has authorized it in times of emergency and we always use a password system. Article 12 You have the right to an opinion and for it to be listened to and taken seriously The children know that I will always listen to their opionions and take them seriously. We always discuss as a group and listen to each other. Article 19 You have the right to be protected from being hurt or badly treated I know the signs and symptoms of abuse and what to do if I am concerened about one of the children. The children know that they can talk to me about anything at anytime. Article 23 If you are disabled, either mentally or physically, you have the right to special care and education I run an inclusive setting and the children in my care am treated with equal concern with individual needs regardless of any disablilites. It is important to treat each child as an individual and not label them by their impairment or condition. Article 24 You have the right to the best health possible and to medical care and information I provide home cooked healthy meals and snacks to all children, including healthy drinks (milk and water). If I feel a child needs medical care then I have their parents permission to take them to the doctors or hospital in an emergency or with their written permission I am able to take the children to routine appointments. Article 29 You have the right to education which develops your personality, respect for others rights and the environment All children in my setting are taught appropriate to their age and stage of development. I use all the information I have gathered to provide a challenging and enjoyable experience across all the areas of learning and development, which allows each individual child to develop to their full potential. Article 30 If you come from a minority group you have the right to enjoy your own culture, practice your own religion and use your own language We all learn about each others cultures, religion and languages by the games that we play, books that we read, resources that we play with. We find out about different festivals and celebrations during the year eg Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah, World Religion Day, Chinese New Year and many others. By getting to know all the children and their families I can meet the cultural needs for everyone and make sure that all the children feel valued. Article 31 You have the right to play and relax by doings things like sport, music and drama The children a Policies for the Promotion of Child Rights Policies for the Promotion of Child Rights IDENTIFY ONE PIECE OF LEGISLATION, WHICH PROMOTES THE CHILDRENS RIGHTS IN YOUR SETTING One piece of legislation that promotes the childrens rights in my setting is the Data Protection Act 1998. This legislation gives everyone the right to know what information is held about them and it provides a framework to ensure that personal information is handled properly. One of its purposes is to safeguard the fundamental rights of individuals. The Act works in two ways, firstly it states that anyone who processes personal information must follow the eight principles below to make sure that the personal information is: Fairly and lawfully processed Processed for limited purposes Adequate, relevant and not excessive Accurate and up to date Not kept for longer than is necessary Processed in line with your rights Secure Not transferred to other countries without adequate protection Secondly, the Act provides everyone with important rights; these include the right to find out what personal information is held about them on computers and most paper records. It also gives the individual the right to complain if they are denied access to their personal information or feel that their information has not be handled according to the eight principles I have stated above. The Data Protection Act 1998 affects the way I run my setting. I have to ensure that: Any personal information I have is kept confidential and stored in a locked filing cabinet and I only can access it. I am careful when discussing with parents anything confidential that no-one is around to overhear our conversation, including in person or on the telephone All personal information I hold is relevant to my setting and is kept up to date I do not keep any information longer than necessary No data that I hold can be used or passed onto other parties without written consent from the parent Parents have the right to request access to my records at any time, but they can only see the information held about themselves and their children My confidentiality policy covers the above please see Appendix 1 Every organisation that processes personal information must notify the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) unless they are exempt; failure to notify is a criminal offence. I am exempt because no personal information I keep is stored on a computer. The only information I store on the computer is my accounts. If you had to notify they have now made changes to the notification fee structure that came into effect on 1st October 2009, it is now a tiered fee structure to reflect the costs of the ICO regulating data controllers of different sizes. DESCRIBE THE ROLE OF PRACTITIONER IN MEETING THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF ALL CHILDREN It is important that the practitioner meets the individual needs of all the children. To do this the practitioner first needs to know what the childrens individual needs are and this can be found out by talking to the parents and getting them to fill in My Special Book, any observations that you carry out, any other professionals involved with the child and liaising with any other settings that the child attends. If the child is old enough they may also be able to tell you. It is important to speak to the parents regularly and keep updated in any changes to the childrens interests and needs or home life. The ways that I use are: Email an effective way to send a quick message, but some parents may not have access to a computer. Newsletters can be a great way to keep parents informed of some of the activities the children have been doing; events and festivals planned; holiday dates and any other information the practitioner wants to tell the parents. Letters to the Parents if there are things you need to inform them of privately a letter would be best. In addition, the parents may have a hearing impairment and may not be able to use another form of communication. Telephone conversation this is best done at the end of the day when the practitioner and the parents have uninterrupted time to discuss things. You will need to make sure who can overhear the conversation so that you can maintain confidentiality. Face-to-Face you can arrange a meeting on neutral territory to discuss any concerns but again you need to maintain confidentiality and make sure you are not overheard. Daily diary keeping the parents informed of the activities the child has done during the day, along with sleep times, healthy food, snacks and drinks, nappy changes and any other information the parents need to know. The parents can also add anything to the diary that has happened at home that you need to know e.g. any accidents, broken nights sleep, teething, whether they have had breakfast etc. Text the quickest way to communicate, it can also be invaluable to someone with a hearing impairment. Most people nowadays have a mobile phone. It is also important to find out and respect the views of all the children to make them feel valued and not ignored this in turn promotes their self-esteem. I talk to the children about what interests them and what they think of things. We often play games that allow the children to air their views and opinions and I use this knowledge to enhance their learning and development. To be able to meet all the childrens needs you first need to understand what their rights are. There is a lot of legislation that promotes children rights but quite simply every child has a right to have their basic needs met for food, warmth and hygiene, but you also need to provide a nurturing environment where the children can rest, play and develop to their full potential. Maslows Hierarchy of needs is one of the best-known descriptions of needs. It identifies five basic needs and shows how higher needs are not considered until the lower level needs have been met. Self-actualisation (Achieving individual potential) Esteem (Self-esteem and esteem from others) Belonging (Love, affection, being a part of groups) Safety (Shelter, removal from danger) Physiological (Health, food, sleep) Diagram copied from Maslows Hierarchy at Changingminds.org It is important to know the difference between a want and a need. A Need is something that we cannot do without, like sleep, food and love. A Want is something that is desired at the time but is not essential and we can in fact do without. To make sure I meet all the childrens individual needs I take into consideration the ages of the children, their stage of development and abilities and whether they need to sleep or have quiet time when planning my daily routine, I make sure that I incorporate all their needs into my daily routine. The children need a daily routine to help them feel secure and they get to know what is happening next and this promotes their development. I adapt my routines depending on which children I have in the setting at the time. It is important that all the children are given a choice as much as possible, because this will help them as they grow and they need to be independent and make decisions for themselves. I give children a choice of snacks, they can choose from milk or water to drink and they can also decide for themselves what they would like to play with and with whom. It is my professional responsibility to: Safeguard and promote the welfare of all the children Make sure that people they come into contact with are suitable Ensure I have safe and suitable premises, environment and equipment Organise my setting so that every child receives an enjoyable and challenging learning and development experience that is tailored to their individual needs Maintain records, policies and procedures to ensure safe and efficient management of my setting and to meet the needs of the children Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2007, pg 6) states, Practitioners should deliver personalised learning, development and care to help children to get the best possible start in life. DISCUSS HOW YOUR DAILY ROUTINES SUPPORT CHILDRENS WELL BEING I have a basic daily routine that includes school runs, child-initiated play, adult-led activities, sleep/quiet time, snack and meal times and home time. The children begin to learn the structure of the day and what comes next. The times of the routine is never set in stone and it allows us to experience spontaneous events like playing in the snow, or taking your lunch to the park on a nice sunny day. For example for snack time the children know that after the mornings child-initiated play we have snacks and they help to clear the table and lay out the plates and cups, which are kept in a low cupboard which the children can easily access independently and this promotes their self-esteem and confidence to help and do things for themselves and others. They know that they are to wash their hands before eating and I have a stool so they can reach the sink which enables their independence and they all sit at the table waiting for the snacks. They have a choice of drink milk or water and they can choose what they want to eat from the choice of snacks on the table. There is always a selection of seasonal fruit, a carbohydrate toast, crumpet or muffin and dairy hard or soft cheese. Allowing the children choice enables them to start the process of thinking for themselves and this gives them a skill that they will need in life. I also need to consider individual children cultures and religions when providing food as some food is not allowed. We also try and incorporate food from around the world and learn about the food from different countries. Snack time is also a social time where we all sit together including myself. We talk about anything and everything, they tell me about things at home or school, where they are going on holiday, what there siblings have been doing, their favourite toys etc. It is a great time to learn more about them and I can use this information to inform my planning according to their current interests. Afterwards the children help to tidy up and clear the table. School drop off and collection times are also very social times. We talk as we walk to school; we often play games like eye spy, count how many red cars we see and look out for various different items along the way to use in our craft work. It is a time when the children learn about their environment and the world we live in. We also talk about stranger danger; how to cross the road safely and why we must all walk together and not run off. Because we carry out the same basic routine everyday the children feel safe and secure in my setting and know what happens next. A good routine develops their self-esteem and promotes independence, allows them to learn about their health by knowing when they have to wash their hands and allows the children to socialise and make healthy choices. The Importance of Routines Helping Children grow, feel secure and flourish states, Children need and crave routine. Routine helps establish security and peace in a childs life. DISCUSS HOW YOUR DAILY ROUTINES COULD MEET THE DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF PRE-SCHOOL AND SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN IN YOUR HOME BASED SETTING My daily routines meet the developmental needs of all the children in my care because I adapt depending on the age and stage of development of the children in attendance each day. The school-aged children are not here for morning snacks but we have snacks when we return from the afternoon school run. The older children know that when we get home to wash their hands and they help to set the table, the younger children see what the older children do and try to copy them. As I said before all the children plates, cups and cutlery are kept in a low cupboard which the children can easily access independently. The older children enjoy showing the younger ones what needs to be done to prepare for snacks and the older children gain self-esteem and self-confidence is being able to do things independtly for themselves and others. The younger children like to learn from the older children and this boots their self-confidence is learning to helkp others. Snack time is a time where we all talk about our day and share what we have been doing and what we enjoyed or disliked. School drop off and collection time can be a time of learning, as I said above we play different kinds of games. We also collect leaves and other items to use in our creative work later eg leaves, sticks, do some bark rubbings. We often include a trip to the playground on the way home from school, the younger children benefit from getting fresh air and observing from the comfort of the pushchair and watching the older children. The older children benefit from having the opportunity to run around in a great big space and practice their gross motor skills on the large play equipment. DISCUSS HOW YOU PROMOTE CHILDRENS SAFETY Promoting childrens safety is paramount. I ensure the childrens safety by providing a secure and welcoming environment and I take proper precautions to prevent accidents by carrying out daily risk assessments of my home and garden and any outings that we may go on. I also comply with my Local Safeguarding Children Boards procedures to ensure the safety and welfare of the children in my care. I have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the signs of possible abuse and neglect. Please see my Safeguarding Children Policy (Appendix ) and my Health and Safety Policy (Appendix ). I hold a current Early Years First Aid for Children and Adults certificate and Emergency Life Support for Adults certificate and have completed Safeguarding Children and Health, Hygiene and Safety Awareness training courses. I ensure that I am up to date with my knowledge by attending regular training throughout the year. I also have house rules, which the children know and follow these include taking off their shoes when indoors, sitting at the table or in a highchair to eat and drink, respecting the furniture, toys and each other. The rules are basic but are there to protect the children. The house rules are displayed at all times in pictures and words for the children to refer to. I make sure that all equipment and resources I provide are age and stage appropriate and that they are safe and clean. They are checked daily before and after use. Children are also taught how to safely use the equipment eg how to hold and use scissors. I use activities to help the children to learn about safety and we talk about how accidents can happen and how to prevent them. If an accident does happen I keep full records including details of the child/children involved, the treatment I provide and parents are given a carbon copy of this information, they also sign to confirm they have been told what happened. My premises are secure at all times: the front door is kept locked and the key is kept on a high shelf so only the adults can reach it. My back garden has a 6ft fence on three sides with no gate. The children are only collected by authorised adults or if it is necessary for someone else to collect them we use a password provided by the parents and they notify me in advance if this is going to happen. All the children are taught about road safety according to their age and developmental stage. With the older children, we talk about stranger danger and how they can keep themselves safe from people they do not know. The children know what to do if there is a fire by regularly practising fire drills and they know why it is important to follow what they have learnt. Please see my Emergency Evacuation Procedure (Appendix ) The children know to tidy up their toys to keep the playroom safe and free from hazards and we do this in a fun way so to maintain the childrens interest and their continued participation in learning to how to keep safe. I check the identify of visitors and keep accurate records of when and why visitors are here and I also record when my two assistants are on the premises. Myself and my assistants (Husband and Mother) have all had enhanced CRB checks, ensuring our suitability to look after the Children. The Children feel safe whilst they are in my care because they know that I will listen to any concerns they may have and respond to them appropriately. The parents know that I operate clear child safety procedures and they have copies of all my policies and permission forms. I make sure that I am a good role model for the Children at all times and I provide a good balance in promoting childrens freedom to explore and play whilst learning and developing and ensuring that they are safe. Children need to have the opportunity to take risks and to make mistakes but within safe limits, that way they learn to be alert to potential danger and how to keep themselves safe. Ofsted Early Years Safe and Sound (2006, pg 9) states, Children should have the freedom to make discoveries and enjoy experiences within safe limits, while learning how to protect themselves from harm. IDENTIFY STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNICATING WITH CHILDREN There are many ways that you can communicate with children but it is important to remember that children are still learning and developing so you need to communicate with them on their own level according to their age and interests. It is imperative to use vocabulary that the children understand eg they may not understand uncomfortable but may know what you mean when you say feeling funny. You also need to use a calm tone and body language that will not send mixed messages. You also need to be aware of children whose mother tongue is not English and that they will find it harder to communicate in English to begin with. Some children may have speech impairment or learning difficulties and this will make it harder for them to communicate effectively. It is also important to be patient and give the children time to respond to your questions. Communicating Effectively with Children states, By paying attention to and communicating regularly with children, you can help children create a vi ew of themselves and the world that is positive and healthy. Use the Childs name first this will get their attention and they are more likely to listen to you. Eye contact shows respect and allows you to gauge how much of the conservation is being understood. Calm tone children are sensitive to anger and do not like raised voices because they can focus solely on the fact that your voice is raised and they may be in trouble, rather than what you are saying. Thumbs up is a simple and easy way of showing approval. Body language avoid all confusion and communicate your message consistently through both words and actions, be aware that different cultures use and interpret body language in different ways. Listening and showing an interest a very important part of communication because if you do not listen and appear interested then it is just a one-way conversation and the child will not feel valued. Non-verbal communication Be aware that some children do not communicate verbally, and that it is important to adapt styles of communication to their needs and abilities eg sign language, lip reading etc. Questioning use open-ended questions to check understanding and acknowledge that they have heard what is being said. Speak slowly and clearly the child may have a hearing impairment and will need you to speak slowly and clearly, so they can understand you, also be aware of the level of background noise. Painting This may seem a strange way but children can communicate their feelings through creativity and may talk to you whilst they are painting without thinking about it. Picture books I am in the process of taking pictures of all my resources and making books that the children can look through and decide what activities they want to do. This is a great way to communicate their needs without being able to speak. Picture cards Can be used for asking children basic things like milk or water to drink. If you have children who use English as a second language then you can make/use picture cards to ask them things in their own language but also have the English word along with the picture and their mother language so they learn new words as they progress. DISCUSS ONE FACTOR THAT AFFECTS CHILDRENS BEHAVIOUR There are many factors that can affect childrens behaviour but I am going to focus on divorce. Any change in a Childs home life will have an effect on their behaviour but when one parent moves out it can be distressing for the child, as they may not know what has happened or when they will see that parent again. It is important for us as practitioners to listen to any concerns that the child has and respond to them according to their age and stage of development. You need to find a way to help them understand appropriate to their level of understanding. A pre-school child may show regressive behaviour. This means that the child may return to an earlier stage of development and, for example, start to wet themselves again. A pre-school child may become confused, irritable or worried. Children between six and nine are very vulnerable. At this age, a child is still not mature enough to understand what is going on, but is old enough to understand that something very unpleasant is taking place. They still depend very much on their parents and will have a hard time talking about their emotions. They may react with anger, or by not concentrating or making progress at school or by having learning difficulties. Children between 9 and 13 may have started having important relationships with other people besides their parents and family. When their parents divorce, it will often be good for a child to talk to someone outside the family about their problems and feelings. All Children can become very insecure. Insecurity can cause children to behave as if they are much younger and therefore bedwetting, clinginess, nightmares, worries or disobedience can all occur. This behaviour often happens before or after visits to the parent who is living apart from the family. Teenagers may show their distress by misbehaving or withdrawing into themselves. They may find it difficult to concentrate at school. It is normal for a child to feel lost, upset, angry and grieve for the family they once were. A child who does not show any feelings or reactions needs help to express what is going on inside. Otherwise, they are very likely to suffer depression and other problems later. Helping Children adjust to Divorce states, Children whose parents divorce are at greater risk for problems such as aggression, depression, lower self-esteem and poorer school performance. Children can express themselves in other ways than with words. Play is very important. You can play with the child and let them act out their feelings using role-play and puppets. Children may need to work off tension through energetic games; you can spend some time at the park or go to an indoor play centre. Drawing may help some children as they often draw things that are important to them. You can ask about the drawings and this can be a good way to start the child talking about what is going on inside, especially if they are not the type of child to talk openly. The child still needs to have established routines in their lives and whilst things are changing at home you can continue with your normal routine and this will give the child some stability and comfort during all the other changes, they feel more safe and secure when they know what to expect next. DESCRIBE STRATEGIES FOR CHALLENGING PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION WHEN WORKING WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES I operate an inclusive Childminding setting, where all children are welcome regardless of their race, religion, culture, sex, ability or disability, social background etc. I encourage the children to value everyone as a unique individual, to respect each others differences, and to learn from each other. Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education states, inclusion is founded upon a moral position which values and respects every individual and which welcomes diversity as a rich learning resource. I always challenge any instances of prejudice, unfair discrimination and harassment whether it is a comment a child has made or a parent. I will explain to the child or parent why what they have said is wrong and how their words have hurt another person. I make sure that I am a good role model for the children. Please see my Equal Opportunities Policy (Appendix ). I have toys and resources that show different cultures from around the world and people with different types of disabilities/impairments. We also recognize different festivals and religious occasions from a variety of religions worldwide to give the children a greater understanding of the World around them. I invite the parents to come and take part in story/singing time to enable the children to hear different languages, and stories from around the World. For example, if a Child called another person four-eyes because they wear glasses, I would explain to the Child how they have hurt that persons feelings and that they have to wear glasses because they help then to see as their eyes dont work as well as their eyes. I would also ask the Child how they would feel if someone had called them names. I would encourage the Child to say sorry (depending on their age and level of understanding). Another example is a child is a wheelchair and another child telling them that they cant join in and play with them at the sand and water table because they are in a wheelchair. I would explain to the child that yes they can join in we just need to adapt the position of the tray so that the wheelchair can fit around it and everyone can enjoy the same activity. If I have any children with additional needs in my setting I always talk to all the children about their impairments or disabilities (using the correct medical name) as it provides me with an opportunity to teach basic information about our bodies, health and possible illnesses. It also helps to get rid of any fears about disabilities and helps to influence childrens attitudes in a positive way. I make sure that I am a positive role model for the children and I update my knowledge regularly. I have just completed deaf awareness training and I am booked on other awareness courses. EXPLAIN HOW TO IMPLEMENT CHILDRENS RIGHTS IN THE HOME BASED SETTING I have explained in E2 my role in meeting the individual needs of the children and now I will explain how I implement the childrens rights in my setting. I make sure that I keep my knowledge of childrens rights updated through regular training courses and research through the library or internet. Childrens rights are about the obligations of all adults to protect the best interests of children, and to create the conditions under which they can develop and thrive. Childrens rights are embedded in my policies and I offer resources and activities to ensure that the children can learn about their rights for example we have an activity on diversity where the children look at pictures of children from around the world and we discuss our similarities and our differences and what they would like. Please see my Diversity Activity Planning sheet (Appendix ) I have used some of the Articles of the United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child to show how I implement childrens rights into my setting: Article 1 Everyone under 18 has these rights I ensure that all children in my setting know what their rights are. I use age appropriate resources such as games that we play, books that we read and just talking to each other. Article 2 You have the right to protection against discrimination All children are treated with equal concern and learn to treat each other with respect through the activities I provide eg. Learning about each others differences in a positive way, respecting each others cultures. Article 3 Adults should do whats best for you Everything that I do in my setting is always in the best interests of the child. I always take into consideration their views, feelings and rights when carrying out day to day activities. Article 7 You have the right to have a name and a nationality On the wall in the playroom we have pictures of everyone that attends the setting with their name underneath, so that we can easily learn each others names. We learn about each others nationality through stories and visits to the library and in the food we eat. Article 11 You should not be kidnapped I make sure that all the children are safe and secure in my care whether we are at home or out and about. The children know to stay close to me and not run off or talk to strangers. I never release a child into the care of someone that I dont know unless a parent has authorized it in times of emergency and we always use a password system. Article 12 You have the right to an opinion and for it to be listened to and taken seriously The children know that I will always listen to their opionions and take them seriously. We always discuss as a group and listen to each other. Article 19 You have the right to be protected from being hurt or badly treated I know the signs and symptoms of abuse and what to do if I am concerened about one of the children. The children know that they can talk to me about anything at anytime. Article 23 If you are disabled, either mentally or physically, you have the right to special care and education I run an inclusive setting and the children in my care am treated with equal concern with individual needs regardless of any disablilites. It is important to treat each child as an individual and not label them by their impairment or condition. Article 24 You have the right to the best health possible and to medical care and information I provide home cooked healthy meals and snacks to all children, including healthy drinks (milk and water). If I feel a child needs medical care then I have their parents permission to take them to the doctors or hospital in an emergency or with their written permission I am able to take the children to routine appointments. Article 29 You have the right to education which develops your personality, respect for others rights and the environment All children in my setting are taught appropriate to their age and stage of development. I use all the information I have gathered to provide a challenging and enjoyable experience across all the areas of learning and development, which allows each individual child to develop to their full potential. Article 30 If you come from a minority group you have the right to enjoy your own culture, practice your own religion and use your own language We all learn about each others cultures, religion and languages by the games that we play, books that we read, resources that we play with. We find out about different festivals and celebrations during the year eg Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah, World Religion Day, Chinese New Year and many others. By getting to know all the children and their families I can meet the cultural needs for everyone and make sure that all the children feel valued. Article 31 You have the right to play and relax by doings things like sport, music and drama The children a

Impact of Composition on Pore Throat Size in Mature Shales

Impact of Composition on Pore Throat Size in Mature Shales The impact of composition on pore throat size and permeability in mature shales: an example in Middle and Upper Devonian Horn River Group shale, northeastern British Columbia, Canada Tian Donga, Nicholas B. Harrisa, Korhan Ayrancia, Cory E. Twemlowb, Brent R. Nassichukb a Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada, b Trican Geological Solutions Ltd., Calgary, AB T2E 2M1, Canada, Abstract Shale reservoirs of the Middle and Upper Devonian Horn River Group provide an opportunity to study the influence of rock composition on permeability and pore throat size distribution in mature formation. Sedimentological, geochemical and petrophysical analyses reveal relationships between rock composition, pore throat size and matrix permeability. In our sample set, measured matrix permeability ranges between 1.69 and 42.81 nanodarcies and increases with increasing porosity. Total organic carbon (TOC) content positively correlates to permeability and exerts a stronger control on permeability than inorganic composition. A positive correlation between silica content and permeability, and the abundant presence of interparticle pores between quartz crystals, suggest that quartz content may be another factor enhancing the permeability. Pore throat size distributions are strongly related to TOC content. In organic rich samples, the dominant pore throat size is less than 10 nm, whereas in organic lean samples, pore throat size distribution is dominantly greater than 20 nm. SEM images suggest that in organic rich samples, organic matter pores are the dominant pore type, whereas in quartz rich samples, the dominant type is interparticle pores between quartz grains. In clay rich and carbonate rich samples, the dominant pore type is intr aparticle pores, which are fewer and smaller in size. High permeability shales are associated with specific depositional facies. Massive and pyritic mudstones, rich in TOC and quartz, have relatively high permeability. Laminated mudstone, bioturbated mudstone and carbonate facies, which are relatively enriched in clay or carbonate, have relatively low permeability. Key words: Pore throat size; Permeability; shale composition; Horn River Group shale; Western Canada Sedimentary Basin 1. Introduction Typical shales or mudstones are sedimentary rocks with a dominant grain size less than 63 ÃŽÂ ¼m, serving as source rocks if organic matter is rich and as seals preventing hydrocarbon migration because of fine-grained nature (Schieber, 1998). Permeability is a fundamental property in conventional reservoirs that strongly influences hydrocarbon production rate. Permeability is presumably also important in shale reservoirs for long term flow rates, although initial production rates are also influenced by natural and artificial fracture systems (Jarvie et al., 2007; Rickman et al., 2008). Permeabilities in mudstones are typically several orders of magnitude lower than in coarser grained lithologies, such as siltstones and sandstones (Dewhurst et al., 1999; Nelson, 2009; Yang and Aplin, 2010). Published absolute permeabilities, measured on a variety of shales and by different analytical methods, typically fall in the nano-darcy range (Kwon et al., 2004). Because of the extremely low p ermeability, accurate measurements of permeability in shale samples are challenging (Sakhaee-Pour and Bryant, 2011; Tinni et al., 2012; Moghadam and Chalaturnyk, 2015). Steady-state flow techniques are impractical because it is difficult to achieve flow through shale plugs in a period of time short enough to permit analysis of large numbers of samples (Mallon and Swarbrick, 2008; Sakhaee-Pour and Bryant, 2011). Consequently, transient pulse decay methods, which require much less time, are generally employed to measure shale permeability on both plugs and crushed particles (Cui et al., 2009). One potential problem in using core plugs for pulse-decay measurements is that induced fractures may influence the measurements (Ghanizadeh et al., 2015); therefore, a crushed rock technique (the GRI method) may be a favorable method to measure the matrix permeability (Cui et al., 2009). On the other hand, where microfractures exist naturally in a shale, the GRI method might not be appropriate. In mudstones, permeability primarily depends on the abundance and size of pores and pore throats (Yang and Aplin, 1998; Dewhurst et al., 1999); under reservoir conditions, pore throats and consequently permeabilities may be substantial lower than measured under ambient conditions due to compression of pore throats. Permeability under in-situ conditions is difficult to measure, but it can be estimated from more easily determined petrophysical properties such as pore size and pore throat size distribution as well as surface area (Yang and Aplin, 1998). Mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) measurements provide a qualitative understanding of permeability by giving useful information about the pore throat size and connectivity. MICP data suggest that pore throat size distributions in mudstones are influenced by porosity, grain size and clay content (Dewhurst et al., 1999; Yang and Aplin, 2007). Previously published data indicate that pore throat sizes in shales ranges from 5 nm to more than 100 nm (Nelson, 2009). Reported permeabilities in mudstones vary by ten orders of magnitude, primarily controlled by the presence of clay minerals, which decreases permeability by clogging mineral associated pores (Neuzil, 1994; Yang and Aplin, 1998, 2007, 2010; Dewhurst et al., 1998; Dewhurst et al., 1999). Permeabilities are also impacted by diagenetic processes such as destruction of porosity by mechanical compaction and cementation, and enhancement of pore throats by mineral dissolution (Pommer and Milliken, 2015). Most samples in these studies are either organic lean mudstones or low maturity, and the dominant pores exist between particles. Recently, high resolution scanning electron microscopy combined with ion milling techniques applied to mudstone samples has documented another important set of pores, i.e. those developed within organic matter (Loucks et al., 2009; Loucks et al., 2012; Nelson, 2009; Slatt and OBrien, 2011; Chalmers et al., 2012a; Curtis et al., 2012a; Curtis et al., 2012b; Dong and Harris, 2013; Dong et al., 2015; Mastalerz et al., 2013; Klaver et al., 2015; Tian et al., 2015). However, little work has been done on the control exerted by organic matter and other compositional variables on pore throat size distribution and permeability . Some studies have described pore features and factors controlling the matrix permeability in the Horn River Group shale (Ross and Bustin, 2009; Chalmers et al., 2012b), but none have been sufficiently detailed to determine the compositional factors influencing pore throat size distribution and permeability. In this study, we present a large dataset of permeability measurements on crushed samples and pore throat structure determined by MICP data By integrating geochemical data and petrophysical data for the Horn River Group shale, we investigate the potential effects of shale composition and organic matter on pore geometry, pore throat size distribution and permeability. We then link permeability to lithofacies, which can be used to predict spatial variation in permeability. 2. Geological setting The Horn River Basin, an area of nearly 12,000 km2, is situated in the deep northwest portion of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in northeastern British Columbia, Canada (Fig. 1) (Oldale and Munday, 1994). It is bounded to the south and east by carbonate barrier reefs (Presquile barrier) and to the west by the Bovie Fault, a Cretaceous structure associated with Laramide tectonism (Ross and Bustin, 2008). During the Middle and Late Devonian, the southern part was proximal to the paleo-shoreline and received more siliclastic input than the more distal northern part of the Horn River Basin (Fig. 1) (OConnell, 1994; Dong et al., 2016). The Horn River Group shale includes the Evie and Otter Park Members of Horn River Formation and the Muskwa Formation (Fig. 2), all deposited within a roughly 8 m.y. interval spanning the Givetian to early Frasnian Stages (~ 392 to 384 Ma) (Oldale and Munday, 1994). In the Horn River Basin, most of the Horn River Group shale is within the dry gas windo w with a vitrinite reflectance (Ro) ranging between 1.6 and 2.5% (Ross and Bustin, 2008, 2009; Rivard et al., 2014). The Evie Member is a dark grey, organic rich, variably calcareous mudstone that overlies the shallow marine carbonates of the Lower Keg River Formation (McPhail et al., 2008; Hulsy, 2011). The Evie Member is up to 75 meters thick near the Presquile barrier, thinning to less than 40 meters to the west (McPhail et al., 2008). The average TOC content for the Evie Member is 3.7 wt.% (Dong et al., 2015). The Otter Park Member is typically a grey, pyritic, argillaceous to calcareous mudstone. It is much thicker than the underlying Evie Member and the overlying Muskwa Formation, as much as 270 meters in the southeast Horn River Basin (McPhail et al., 2008). The Otter Park shale generally has lower organic content than either the Evie or the Muskwa, averaging 2.4 wt.% TOC (Dong et al., 2015). Portions of the Otter Park Member are rich in organic carbon with up to 7.09 wt.% TOC (Dong et al., 2015). The Otter Park shale varies geographically in composition, becoming argillaceous in distal part s of the basin to the north and west. The Muskwa shale is a gray to black siliceous, pyritic, organic-rich shale that overlies the Otter Park Member. The Muskwa Formation varies in thickness from 50 to 90 meters (Oldale and Munday, 1994). Organic carbon enrichment in the Muskwa Formation is generally higher than in the Otter Park Member but slightly lower than in the Evie Member, averaging 3.41wt.% TOC (Dong et al., 2015). The Muskwa Formation is overlain by the Fort Simpson Formation which is poor in organic matter. 3. Methodology We obtained core samples from four wells drilled in the Horn River Basin distributed from the northern distal part of the basin to southern proximal part: EOG Maxhamish D-012-L/094-O-15, Nexen Gote A-27-I/094-O-8, ConocoPhillips McAdam C-87-K/094-O-7 and Imperial Komie D-069-K/094-O-02 (Fig. 1). All samples were slabs cut from a 10 cm diameter core and were, on average, approximately 10 cm long and 6 cm wide. Splits were cut vertically along the sides of the core samples for geochemical analysis, permeability measurements, MICP analysis and SEM image analysis, so that the different analyses were performed on the same interval of rock. Before sampling, these four cores were stratigraphically logged in order to identify the sedimentological and ichnological characteristics and define lithofacies (see Dong et al., 2015, 2016 for methods on sedimentological analysis). Weatherford Laboratories analyzed total organic carbon (TOC) content using LECO combustion. Acme Analytical Laboratories determined the major element concentrations, including SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, Na2O, K2O, TiO2, P2O5, MnO and Cr2O3 by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Detailed information on analytical procedures for TOC and major oxides was provided in Dong et al. (2015). We selected ten samples (Table 1) for bulk mineralogical analysis and Based on the lithofacies classification, we selected five samples (Table 2) representing different lithofacies for QEMSCAN analysis, carried out by Whiting Petroleum Corporation, Denver. QEMSCAN is an automated SEM-based mineralogical analysis tool, and can be used for the quantitative determination of mineral abundance and identification of micro-texture (Ahmad and Haghighi, 2012). Permeability and porosity were measured on one hundred samples (Table 3) by Trican Well Service Ltd., Calgary, Alberta. Samples were crushed, sieved with a 10 mesh screen and dried in an oven at 105ËÅ ¡C to remove any existing fluids. Matrix permeability was measured on the crushed and sieved samples using the GRI method (Luffel et al., 1993). Helium pycnometry was used to measure the grain densities of each crushed sample. Ultra-high purity helium was used to maximize penetration of pore space and minimize potential reactions with the samples (Cui et al., 2009). Permeability was calculated at ambient conditions based on a method refined from ResTech (1996) and Luffel et al. (1993), and was not calibrated to insitu conditions. Pore throat size distributions were measured by mercury porosimeter on shale chips. We selected thirty-six samples (Table 4) from the four wells representing a wide range of TOC contents and mineralogical compositions to do the mercury injection analysis (Klaver et al., 2015). Mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) analyses force mercury into pore throats and pores under increasing applied pressure. Pore throat diameters, not pore diameters, are then interpreted from the MICP measurements. The samples were dried in a vacuum oven over 12 hours and then intruded with mercury from 2 to 60000 psi using Micromeritics AutoPore IV 9500 V1.09 apparatus at the Department of Physics, University of Alberta. The minimal pore throat diameter can be measured by this instrument is 3 nm. Scanning electron microscopy enabled visualization of pores on samples polished with ion milling, which produces extremely smooth surfaces (Loucks et al., 2009). Eleven shale samples (Table 5) from core plugs were first mechanically polished and then further polished using ion milling (Fischione Model 1060 SEM Mill at the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta). Composition of the 11 samples is provided in Table 5. Ion milled samples were mounted to SEM stubs using carbon paste and coated with carbon to provide conductive surfaces. The prepared samples were imaged with two different field-emission SEMs. One was a JEOL 6301 F field-emission scanning electron microscope at the Scanning Electron Microscope Facility at the University of Alberta. We performed the FE-SEM analysis using an accelerating voltage of 5.0 kV and working distance range from 10-15 mm. The other was a Zeiss Sigma field-emission scanning electron microscope coupled with an EDX EBSD at t he nanoFAB facility, University of Alberta. The FE-SEM was performed using an accelerating voltage of 10.0 kV and working distance around 8.5 mm. Secondary electron (SE) images document the pore systems and topographic variation. Backscatter Electron Detector (BSE) and Oxford Instruments 150mm X-Max Energy Dispersive X-Ray Detector (EDX) provided the compositional and mineralogical variation. 4. Results 4.1 Lithofacies classification We identified five lithofacies based on thin section analysis and core observation from the four cores within Horn River Basin: massive mudstone, massive mudstone with abundant pyrite lenses and laminae (pyritic mudstone), laminated to heterolithic bedded mudstone (laminated mudstone), bioturbated mudstone, and carbonates. More detailed descriptions and photographs of the lithofacies are presented in Dong et al. (2015). Massive mudstone, lacking physical sedimentary structures and primarily comprising quartz (Figs. 3A and 4A), dominates the Muskwa Formation and the Evie Member (Figs. 5 and 6). Pyritic mudstone is characterized by pyrite-rich laminae and pyrite nodules (Figs. 3B and 4B), and dominates the Muskwa Formation in all four cores, and also dominates the Otter Park Member in the EOG Maxhamish core (Figs. 5 and 6). This lithofacies has less quartz but more clay than massive mudstone. Laminated mudstone is common in the Otter Park Member (Figs. 5 and 6) and consists of millimeter scale clay-rich mudstone laminae with quartz- and calcite-rich silt laminae (Figs. 3C and 4C). Bioturbated mudstone is characterized by moderate to intensely bioturbation and weak lamination (Figs. 3D and 4D) and primarily occurs in the lower part of the Otter Park Member (Figs. 5 and 6). Compared to the massive and pyritic mudstones, the laminated and bioturbated mudstones are relatively rich in clay (Figs. 4C and D) . The carbonate lithofacies, rich in calcite (Figs. 3E and 4E), is restricted to the lower part of the Evie Member (Figs. 5 and 6). 4.2 TOC content, major oxides concentration and mineralogy TOC content for all samples in our data set ranges from 0.04 to 8.25 wt.%, with a mean value of 3.09% (Dong et al., 2015). Lithofacies vary systematically in TOC content (Fig. 7A). Massive mudstone samples are richest in TOC, ranging from 0.82 to 8.25%, averaging 4.23 wt.%. Pyritic mudstone samples have TOC values ranging from 0.3 to 6.81 %, averaging 3.44 wt.%. Laminated mudstone samples have relatively low TOC, between 0.24 and 7.09 % (mean TOC = 2.02 wt.%). Bioturbated mudstone and carbonate mudstone samples have the lowest TOC values, between 0.04 and 3.05 % (mean TOC = 1.11 wt.%). TOC content is highest in Evie Member, moderate in Muskwa Formation and lowest in Otter Park Member (Dong et al., 2015). The oxides SiO2, Al2O3 and CaO represent the major components of quartz, clay and carbonate minerals, indicated by the strong correlation coefficient between major oxides and quantitative mineralogy from XRD analysis (Fig. 8). Thus concentrations of these oxides can be used as proxies for quartz, clay and carbonates. Oxide compositions differ greatly among lithofacies (Figs. 7B-D). The massive mudstone and pyritic mudstone lithofacies are relatively rich in SiO2, ranging from 9.9-80.1% and 12.3-89.4% with average values of 56.3 and 66.5%, respectively. The laminated mudstone and bioturbated mudstone lithofacies are richer in Al2O3, with concentrations of Al2O3 ranging from 2.0-17.0% and 9.1-19.7% with average values of 9.2 and 17.1%, respectively. The carbonate lithofacies is richest in CaO, ranging from 43.8-52.6% with an average of 47.6%. SiO2 concentration is highest in Muskwa Formation, Al2O3 concentration is highest in Otter Park Member, whereas CaO concentration is highest in E vie Member (Dong et al., 2016). Mineral components identified by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) are presented in Table 1 and include quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, calcite, dolomite, pyrite and clay minerals (Dong et al., 2016). The clay fraction is dominated by illite and mixed-layer illite/smectite, plus a trace of chlorite in some samples. 4.3 Permeability Matrix permeability profiles from the EOG Maxhamish, Imperial Komie, Nexen Gote and ConocoPhillips McAdam cores are shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The average permeability for all samples is 15.6 nD, ranging from 1.69 to 42.81 nD (Table 3 and Fig. 9). Permeability is highest in the Evie Member (average permeability = 17.15 nD), moderate in Muskwa Formation (average permeability = 15.18 nD), and lowest in the Otter Park Member (average permeability = 14.44 nD). 4.4 Pore systems Porosity measured on core samples ranges from 0.62% to 12.04%, averaging 5.1% (Dong et al., 2015). Pores are categorized as micropores (pore diameter 50 nm) by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (Sing, 1985). Loucks et al. (2012) recognized three general types of pores in shales: organic matter pores, interparticle pores developed between grains and crystals, and intraparticle pores contained with a particle boundary. All three pore types were observed in our shale samples (Figs. 10, 11 and 12). In our Horn River Group shale samples, mesopores and macropores were observed in the high resolution SEM images (Figs. 10, 11 and 12). Micropores are smaller, below the limit of the SEM images resolution (Dong and Harris, 2013). Pores are common in organic matter and are predominately round or elliptical in cross-section with a wide size range from a few nanometers (Figs. 10B, D and E) to greater than 1 micron (Fig. 10C). Pore abundance within organic matter is strongly heterogeneous, with both non-porous solid organic matter and porous organic matter commonly observed (Figs. 10A and F). Even within the same patch of organic matter, we observed dense area and porous area (Fig. 10B). The size of organic matter pores is also highly variable; for example, mesopores dominate the pore system in sample IK4 (Fig. 10E), whereas macropores dominate sample M2(Figs. 10A and C). Interparticle pores are observed between quartz crystals, calcite crystals and other detrital particles, such as feldspar (Fig. 11). These pores display triangular and elongated shapes (Fig. 11), substantially different in morphology and size from organic matter-hosted pores which are typically ovoid and elliptical in shape. The pore size and morphology of interparticle pores depends on the surrounding minerals, geometry and arrangement of adjacent particles. Most interparticle pores are much larger than organic matter pores, typically greater than 100nm. Interparticle pores are also present between fine-grained phyllosilicate particles that occupy primary pores between carbonate particles (Fig. 12F), displaying smaller size. Intraparticle pores are found within particles or mineral grains, such as clay minerals, carbonate grains, pyrite framboids and apatite. They include primary pores preserved during burial and diagenetic processes and secondary pores generated by dissolution of feldspar and carbonate. Pore spaces within clay flocculates are common in clay rich samples (Fig. 12A). Pyrite framboids, aggregates of submicron pyrite crystals, are relatively common in Horn River Group shale and contain mesopores developed between the submicron pyrite crystals (Fig. 12B). Apatite also provides sites for porosity development (Fig. 12E). Numerous intraparticle pores are present within carbonate grains due to carbonate dissolution (Figs. 12D and E). All fractures observed in the Horn River Group shale are completely open and lack cement filling (Figs. 12C and D). In clay rich samples, the fractures are probably artificial shrinkage cracks produced as the clays dehydrated (Fig. 12C). In the carbonate rich samples (Fig. 12D), fractures surrounding calcite grains are narrower and shorter than fractures in clay rich samples and are interpreted to be natural. 4.5 Pore throat size distributions Porosity and pore size distributions, calculated from nitrogen adsorption analyses, were presented in Dong et al. (2015). These date show that the Horn River Group shale samples contain mixtures of macropores, mesopores and micropores. Pore throat size distributions are more critical than pore size distributions to permeability (Nelson, 2009). Sample preparation and applied injection pressure of up to 60000 psi may either cause artificial fractures in our samples or results in collapse of large pores (Yang and Aplin, 2007; Chalmers et al., 2012a). In this study, pore throats related to artificial fractures were removed from the distributions (Fig. 13). Samples in Figs. 13 are grouped by increasing TOC content. Pore throat diameter distributions are increasingly skewed towards smaller values with increasing TOC content. Samples with low TOC content (Figs. 13A, B and C) are characterized by asymmetric distributions with dominant pore throat radii greater than 20 nm. Pore throat diameters less than 10nm dominate in the organic rich samples (Figs. 13D, E and F). Median pore throat diameter is thus negatively correlated to TOC content (Fig. 14A), but no association with major inorganic components is evident (Figs. 14B, C and D). Mercury intrusion porosimetry also can be used to calculate effective porosity. Porosity calculated from mercury injection ranges from 0.6% to 2.9%, averaging 1.5%, which is much lower than total porosity measured by helium pycnometer. There is a positive correlation between TOC content and effective porosity, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.44 (Fig. 15). 5. Discussion 5.1 Relationship between porosity and permeability Previous studies have shown that the relationship between porosity and permeability in mudstones is primarily controlled by the clay content (Yang and Aplin, 2007; 2010). At a given porosity, Dewhurst et al. (1998, 1999) found that clay poor mudstones are much more permeable than clay rich mudstones. The samples in the Dewhurst et al. (1998, 1999) studies were shallowly buried London clay, with a TOC content between 0.2 and 0.9 wt.%. The samples in the study of Yang and Aplin (2007) are core samples from North Sea and Gulf of Mexico, with a range of TOC from 0.1 to 2.4 wt.%. Samples in those studies are organic lean mudstones and no organic matter pores were reported in their studies. The loss of porosity and permeability is largely driven by the preferential collapse of large primary pores. The wide range of permeability (3 orders of magnitude) likely can be explained by the variation in grain size, which is in turn affected by the clay content (Dewhurst et al., 1998, 1999; Yang and Aplin, 2007). In our Horn River Group shale dataset, however, the relationship between porosity and permeability do not vary systematically with the concentration of Al2O3 (Fig. 9B), which is an approximation for clay content. Unlike the studies cited above, samples with high clay content does not show lower permeability at a given porosity than samples with low clay content. The primary reasons for the contrast between our results and those of Dewhurst et al. (1998, 1999) and Yang and Aplin (2007) are probably the high organic content and the high maturity of the Horn River samples and the definition of clay content. In their studies, clay content is defined as particles less than 2 ÃŽÂ ¼m regardless of mineralogy, whereas we defined the clay content as the abundance of clay minerals including smectite, illite, mixed layer of smectite+illite and chlorite. The samples in this study have a TOC content range of 0.04-8.25 wt.%, with a mean value of 3.09%, approximately 3 to 10 times higher than in the Dewhurst et al. (1998, 1999) and Yang and Aplin (2007) data sets. Ross and Bustin (2008, 2009) showed that Horn River Group shale is highly mature, with vitrinite reflectance from approximately 1.6 to 2.5% in contrast to the low maturities in Dewhurst et al. (1998, 1999) and Yang and Aplin (2007). Dong et al. (2015) reported that hydrogen index (HI) and oxygen index (OI) are very low in Horn River Group shale, indicative of dry gas window. Compared to economically successful shale gas plays in North American such as Barnett Shale (Jarvie et al., 2007) and Eagle Ford Shale (Pommer and Milliken, 2015), Horn River Group shale is more mature, although it is less mature than the gas-productive Silurian black shales in Sichuan Basin, southwestern China, which have an equivalent vitrinite reflectance (%Ro) range of 2.84 3.54 (Tian et al., 2013). We propose that the extensive development of organic matter pores in mature shales impacts the relationship between clay content and porosit y-permeability behavior. Porosity-permeability relationships are shown in Fig. 9. Our permeability data show a positive correlation with porosity, yielding a correlation coefficient of 0.72 for all the samples (Fig. 9A). Porosity is the strongest individual predictor of matrix permeability, stronger than any correlation between any compositional parameter and permeability. 5.2 Relationship between shale composition and pore throat size distribution TOC and median pore throat size calculated from mercury injection capillary pressure data (Fig. 14A) are negatively correlated, suggesting that smaller median pore throat size occurs in organic rich samples than in organic lean samples. The smaller pore throat size in organic carbon rich samples (predominantly less than 10 nm) is also evident in histograms of pore throat size distribution (Figs. 13D, E and F). This relationship is consistent with observations from scanning electron microscopy (Fig. 10), where most of the organic matter pores are less than 100 nm. Similar phenomenon have been observed in Devonian shales, Appalachian Basin, where pore throat size is much smaller in organic rich samples (averaging 8 nm) than in organic poor samples (averaging 22 nm) (Nelson, 2009). Bernard et al. (2012) suggest that in the Barnett Shale, organic pores formed not in kerogen, but rather in bitumen which derived from thermally degraded kerogen in the oil window and in pyrobitumen, which resulted from secondary cracking of bitumen in the gas window. In this study, bitumen, solid bitumen and pyrobitumen are defined as secondary organic matter, following terminology in Pommer and Milliken (2015). Although it is operationally challenging to distinguish bitumen or pyrobitumen from kerogen on SEM images, organic matter in the Horn River Group shale probably consists of mixtures of kerogen, bitumen and pyrobitumen (Fig. 10), as all the stratigraphic units are currently in the dry gas window. A certain fraction of the buried detrital and marine kerogen apparently has been converted to hydrocarbon and secondary organic matter, generating the numerous bubble-like pores (Fig. 10). Pommer and Milliken (2015) identified similar processes in the Eagle Ford Shale, where, over a range of thermal maturities from oil window to gas window, original primary mineral-associated pores are largely infilled by secondary organic matter, in which much smaller organic matter pores (median size 13.2 nm) later develop. Primary intergranular pores between rigid grains such as quartz, calcite were clogged by kerogen, bitumen and pyrobitumen, where small organic matter pores were generated because of the thermal conversion from kerogen to hydrocarbon (Figs. 10B and E). Clay content does not appear to be significantly related to pore throat size in the Horn River Group shale, in contrast to some previous studies (Yang and Aplin, 2007; 2010) (Fig. 14C). At deposition, pore throat size and connectivity is a function of the shape, size and packing pattern of the constituent clasts. Clay-sized particles damage matrix permeability by clogging pores and throats (Yang and Aplin, 2007, 2010). Large primary pores may have been present in the Horn River Group shale at low maturities and relatively shallow burial depths, but at its present-day high thermal maturity (gas window), primary pores have been largely lost due to compaction, suggested by the twisted clay flakes (Fig. 12A). In clay rich samples, only a minor amount of secondary organic matter pores are present (Fig. 12B). Any correlation between clay content and pore throat size that may have existed at low maturity was effectively erased by diagenesis. 5.3 Shale composition and permeability Organic matter pores, which generally are interpreted to be generated during burial and maturation (Jarvie et al., 2007; Zargari et al., 2015), have been well documented in organic rich shales such as the Barnett Shale, Woodford Shale, Marcellus Shale and the Kimmeridge Clay Formation (Loucks et al., 2009; Passey et al., 2010; Curtis et al., 2012a; Fishman et al., 2012