Lesson Element
Unit R018: Health and well-being for child
development
Childhood illnesses
Instructions and answers for teachers
These instructions cover the learner activity section which can be found on page 6. This Lesson
Element supports Cambridge Nationals Level 1/2 in Child Development.
When distributing the activity section to the learners, either as a printed copy or as a Word
file, you will need to remove the teacher instructions section.
The activity
Completing a matching task will help learners to recognise the signs and symptoms of common
childhood illnesses.
They will also learn which symptoms indicate a serious illness that requires hospital treatment and
which illnesses need a visit to the GP or just care at home from parents.
Supporting documents and equipment

Common Childhood Illnesses’ learner activity sheets

scissors

glue sticks.
Suggested timings

Activity 1: 10 minutes

Activity 2: 20 minutes

Activity 3: 15 minutes

Activity 4: 15 minutes.
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opportunity for English skills
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Definitions
Signs of illness:
Changes that occur when a child is becoming ill, for example: loss of
appetite, becoming ‘clingy’, crying, lethargic.
Symptoms of illness:
Conditions, such as: vomiting, diarrhoea, high temperature, breathing
difficulties, fitting, develops a rash, unresponsive.
Activity 2
Provide scissors for the learners to cut out the boxes of signs and symptoms. Explain to your
learners that they should match the signs and symptoms with the illnesses listed in the chart.
Check the answers with your learners before providing them with a glue stick to fix them down in
the signs and symptoms column on the chart.
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Common Childhood Illnesses
Illness
Mumps
Signs and symptoms
Treatment
(Activity 2)
(Activity 3)
Pain, swelling of the jaw in front
of the ears, fever.
Take to G.P. for diagnosis. Then
home care. Rest, fluids,
painkillers that are age
appropriate for the child.
Pain when eating and drinking.
Phone G.P. to confirm diagnosis.
Measles
High fever, fretful, white spots
inside mouth followed by
blotchy rash on body.
Discharge from eyes.
Common cold
Sneezing, sore throat, running
nose, headache.
Home care. Damp cotton wool to
clean the eyes. Paracetamol or
Ibuprofen to relieve fever. Plenty
of fluids.
Home care. Treat symptoms i.e.
headache, sore throat.
Fluids only for 24 hours.
Food
poisoning
Meningitis
Vomiting, diarrhoea and
abdominal pain.
Headache, fever, neck stiffness
and joint pains, small red spots.
If child is very young or if
symptoms are severe or continue
for more than 12 hours, see G.P.
Take to hospital A&E for
emergency treatment.
Inability to tolerate light.
Chickenpox
Slight fever, red itchy rash,
child feels ill, severe headache.
Home care. Rest, fluids, cut
child’s nails to prevent scratching
the rash and causing secondary
infection. Use Calamine lotion to
ease itching.
Tonsillitis
Very sore throat, fever,
headache, pain on swallowing,
aches and pains in back and
limbs.
Take to G.P. for antibiotics. Then
home care, rest, fluids. Cold
drinks to reduce pain.
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Activity 3
Put your learners into groups or pairs for this task. Explain that for each of the illnesses they have
to decide what type of care is required:

only care at home

needs to be seen by a G.P.

requires emergency treatment at a hospital.
Tell them that they will need to be prepared to share decisions with the rest of the class.
Teachers should facilitate discussion of the learners’ decisions. When consensus is reached
learners should complete the treatment column in their table of childhood illnesses.
Activity 4
Learners should now apply their knowledge of childhood illnesses to complete the lists on their
activity sheet. They should give three examples for each.
Signs that a child is ill:

loss of appetite

becoming ‘clingy’

continuous crying

lethargic/listless

irritable/fretful

quieter than usual.
Symptoms of an illness:

vomiting

diarrhoea

high temperature/fever

breathing difficulties

fitting

developing a rash

unresponsive.
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When to call an ambulance:

if a child stops breathing

if the child has breathing difficulties

severe or persistent vomiting and/or diarrhoea

symptoms of meningitis

cannot be woken

appears to have severe abdominal pain

if the child has a fit for the very first time

unconscious/unaware of what is going on.
When to take the child to the G.P.

if mumps is suspected

if measles is suspected

for tonsillitis that requires antibiotics

vomiting/diarrhoea if child is very young.
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Health and well-being for child development
Learner Activity
Childhood illnesses
Completing these tasks will help you to understand the signs and symptoms of common
childhood illnesses. You will know which symptoms indicate a serious illness that requires
hospital treatment and which illnesses just need care at home from parents or a visit to the
G.P.
Activity 1
Before you start to think about childhood illnesses in detail it is useful for everyone to agree a
definition of the difference between a ‘sign’ and a ‘symptom’ of an illness.
Discuss with a partner a definition of a ‘sign’ and of a ‘symptom’ of illness.
Share your definitions with the whole class and then definitions that everyone has agreed
upon can be recorded below.
Definitions
Signs of illness:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Symptoms of illness:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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Activity 2
Cut out the boxes of signs and symptoms shown below. Match them with the illnesses listed
in the ‘Common Childhood Illnesses’ chart you have been given.
Check the answers with your teacher before sticking them down in the signs and symptoms
column on the chart.
Headache, fever, neck stiffness and
joint pains, small red spots.
Sneezing, sore throat, running
nose, headache.
Inability to tolerate light.
Vomiting, diarrhoea and
Slight fever, red itchy rash, child
feels ill, severe headache.
abdominal pain.
Pain, swelling of the jaw in front of
the ears, fever.
Very sore throat, fever, headache,
pain on swallowing, aches and
pains in back and limbs.
Pain when eating and drinking.
High fever, fretful, white spots
inside mouth followed by blotchy
rash on body. Discharge from eyes.
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Common Childhood Illnesses
Illness
Version 1
Signs and symptoms
Treatment
(Activity 2)
(Activity 3)
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Activity 3
Your teacher may put you into groups or pairs for this task. For each of the illnesses decide
what type of care is required:

only care at home

needs to be seen by a G.P.

requires emergency treatment at a hospital.
Be prepared to discuss your decisions with the rest of the class. When agreement is reached
fill in the ‘treatment’ column in your table of childhood illnesses.
Activity 4
Based on what you have learned about childhood illnesses, complete the lists below. Give
three examples for each.
Signs that a child is ill:
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
Symptoms of an illness:
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
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When to call an ambulance:
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
When to take a child to the G.P.
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
 _____________________________________________________
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