Nutrition Issues
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Integration of Nutrition, Health, and Safety
After studying this chapter you will be able to:
▸▸ Define wellness and explain its importance in the development of children from birth through age 8.
▸▸ Explain the relationship between nutrition, health, and safety.
▸▸ Describe a systems model for nutrition, health, and safety.
▸▸ Identify national initiatives to support health education.
▸▸ Include wellness across the curriculum.
▸▸ Incorporate culturally appropriate practices in child development in the classroom.
▸▸ Explain how early childhood education settings fit into culturally responsive systems.
▸▸ Describe how children learn.
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Relationships Between Nutrition, Health, and Safety Chapter 1
1.1 Introduction to Nutrition, Health, and Safety In the past, wellness meant the absence of being sick or injured. Currently, wellness is con- sidered a positive state of health, typically including a lifestyle of exercising, eating nutri- tiously, controlling weight, and avoiding alcohol, smoking, and pollutants. Professionals think of health as the condition of a person’s body and mind, which is unique to each person. Factors that affect a child’s health include heredity and environment, also known as nature versus nurture.
Heredity refers to the characteristics a child inher- its or receives from the parents at conception, and includes genetic makeup. For example, heredity determines a child’s limit in height, establishes eye color, and disposes the child to potential health prob- lems. Environment, on the other hand, includes the physical surroundings, economic resources, and cul-
tural factors of the child and family. These environmental factors can determine to what level children are exposed to danger, risks, accidents, and injuries. Heredity and environment together determine a child’s state of health. Of these two factors, early childhood caregivers and education providers can only try to control, and improve, environment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.), children need environments that meet their needs so they are not at risk of compromised health and learning delays.
Child Development and Health
A child’s state of health, whether positive or negative, has direct influence on child devel- opment. Child development is the continuous process of growth of a child from birth until adulthood. The positive experiences children have in their early years are critical for progress in all domains of development, including cognition, emotion, language, motor skills, and social abilities. A child’s development can be measured by observing when the child reaches milestones in each of these areas. For instance, in the motor skills area, a young child often begins to walk at approximately 12–14 months, but it is not unusual for a child to begin as early as 9 months or as late as 18 months. This is merely one facet of each child’s uniqueness. When a child is in good health, the process of development is fully supported, so the child can reach his or her maximum potential. The level of potential is different for each child, but generally becomes delayed when health is poor.
1.2 Relationships Between Nutrition, Health, and Safety Nutrition, health, and safety have an interdependent connection. This means each relies on the other to help a child reach optimal conditions (Williams, 2006). Nutrition affects health, health affects behavior, behavior affects safety, and all of this affects child development. This interconnectedness is illustrated in Figure 1.1.
Nutrition
Nutrition includes the nutrients in food, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and fat, the amount of intake, and the processes by which a person takes in food. Good nutrition is needed for good health and physical development, including the growth of bones,
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Relationships Between Nutrition, Health, and Safety Chapter 1
organs, muscles, and the brain. It is linked to energy and activity levels, and mental and physi- cal performance. A poorly nourished child may be disruptive or extremely withdrawn, which can affect the learning of not just that single child, but of other children in the room. When these types of behaviors are observed in early child care facilities, caregivers can intervene with both the child and the family. Caregivers should discreetly talk to the child about his or her daily food intake to make an initial determination as to whether the observed behav- iors are the result of poor nutrition as opposed to a behavioral issue. If the caregiver determines that poor nutrition is the cause, the caregiver should support the child and the family in their attempts to improve the child’s nutrition by monitoring the child’s food intake while at the facility and referring the parents to community resources (e.g., local food bank, information about food stamp programs) that can assist them with nutrition.
The habits or routines practiced during meals also affects the nutritional well-being of a child. One positive habit is sitting down as a family to eat a nutritious meal together. Making family meals a regular routine teaches children that nutrition is val- ued by the family. Another good habit is drinking an eight-ounce glass of water with every meal. This practice increases daily liquid intake and helps to keep active children well hydrated. Some negative habits include eating in the car, or while walking or standing up. These behaviors generally lead to eating what is convenient and easy and not always the most nutritious. Another negative habit may be to have a high-calorie drink such as sugary soda with every meal. This not only adds unnecessary calories to a meal, but can lead to tooth decay.
Many parents understand that meal times are important for a child’s psychosocial develop- ment, including building relationships and emotional health. Meals can be a soothing and
Safe ty
Nutrition
Hea l t h
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▲ Good nutrition is vital for quality health and physical development. © Jupiterimages/Thinkstock
Figure 1.1: Health, Nutrition, and Safety
A visual representation of the mutual dependence of nutri- tion, health, and safety. Office of Child Development
Relationships Between Nutrition, Health, and Safety Chapter 1
relaxing occurrence, with time for conversation, com- panionship, and sharing, or they can be a frenetic, hurried experience with family members eating at different times, on the run, before moving on to vari- ous extracurricular activities. Food can become the
stress reliever of choice, especially if a young child is taught to resort to food during times of stress in early childhood (i.e., “Let’s get an ice cream cone; it will make you feel better.”) Food in many families is also used as a reward or to celebrate special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, or winning a championship.
Healthy nutritional habits that can be taught and encouraged in early childhood include planning meals and snacks that are balanced, practicing good hygiene in food preparation, drinking plenty of water during the day, sitting in a relaxed atmosphere during meals, being deliberate about the amount of intake, and more. A child who understands the need for these behaviors and activities and understands how to go about achieving healthy nutrition is likely to make them part of his or her daily routine into adulthood. In addition, early nutrition lays the foundation for adult health, including helping to ward off disease (a disorder of a particu- lar structure of the body, such as diabetes) and illness (the general state of being in ill-health, such as an infection or virus) and helping the child to live a longer, healthier life. The early childhood care professional has the opportunity and responsibility to instill healthy nutritional habits in children who are in their care.
Consider these opportunities. Frequently, caregivers are with young children during one, if not two, meals a day, plus snacks. Although meals in early childhood education centers or schools are planned with nutri- tion in mind, children ultimately choose what and how much of the meal they eat. It is important that
center- or school-based caregivers and other early education professionals teach the benefits of healthy nutrition to children naturally during these meal times by making suggestions, discussing the benefits of certain foods, and encouraging children to try foods they may not normally be offered. It is also a natural time to socialize, talk about the day, and thereby build rapport and relationships among the children, and between children and adults, especially when meals are served “family-style” with serving bowls passed around to each person at the table, increasing social interaction.
The amount of food eaten is important to nutrition also. Malnutrition results from eating too much or too little in early childhood, and both can be problematic. Overnutrition can result in childhood obesity, defined as a condition of being extremely overweight with negative effects on physical and mental health. If prolonged, obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other serious health conditions in both children and adults. In childhood, obesity can cause isolation, poor self-esteem, internalizing behaviors (e.g., depression, anxiety), and other mental health issues. Undernutrition can be just as serious. It generally means a child is not getting essential nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. This can affect muscle and bone development, impair brain functioning, and may stunt growth.
Safety
Safety is another important component of children’s wellness. This component includes behaviors and practices that focus on protecting children from danger, risks, accidents, and injuries. Because of its broad definition, safety encompasses many aspects of the early
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Creating a Foundation of Wellness in the Early Childhood Education Environment Chapter 1
childhood environment, both indoors and outdoors, that are the responsibility of the professional in the center. In general, this includes the condition of indoor and outdoor equipment, toys, and set-up; establishing and enforcing rules for playing responsi- bly with peers; and overall effective classroom man- agement. Less apparent aspects of safety include sun safety, helmet use for some physical activities, age- appropriate play objects, storage of cleaning supplies, attention to frayed carpets and curtain drawstrings, access to the outdoors, and window pane height, to name only a few.
The publication Caring� for� Our� Children:� National� Health�and�Safety�Performance�Standards (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2011) is an invaluable resource that describes safety standards in early care and education settings. Available online at http://nrckids.org/CFOC3/PDFVersion/list.html, the publication is continually updated and is intended for use by all who work with young children in early childhood settings. It helps caregivers implement solid practices and provides a useful agenda for staff development. It also helps programs by translating the latest research on health and safety into practice.
1.3 Creating a Foundation of Wellness in the Early Childhood Education Environment
Physical, social, and cultural factors affect children’s health, safety, and nutrition. Poor health in early childhood can restrain the physical development of a child and contribute to behav- iors that are not conducive to learning, such as hyperactivity and extreme shyness, and even developmental delay. Some children have been socialized to eat mostly processed foods that contain high levels of sodium, sugar, and fat. These children may have little to no experi- ence with healthy options such as fresh fruits and vegetables and meat prepared in a healthy manner (e.g., grilled, broiled) and could benefit from some gentle guidance toward better food choices. For cultural reasons, some parents refuse to have their children immunized, which can lead to potentially ravaging diseases (e.g., measles, mumps, rubella) for the child and puts others with compromised immune systems (e.g., infants, elderly) at risk for contracting these diseases. These exam- ples demonstrate the importance of health, safety, and nutrition and indicate that they must be funda- mental parts of the early childhood curriculum and environment.
Wellness Is Everywhere
It is important to note that most activities in early care and education settings touch upon wellness to some extent. As noted in the section on develop- mentally appropriate practices, effective teaching
▲ Following safety practices prevents accidents and injuries. © iStockphoto/Thinkstock
▲ Families can model healthy food choices and preparations even with very young children. © Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock
Creating a Foundation of Wellness in the Early Childhood Education Environment Chapter 1
involves what the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (NAEYC, n.d.) calls intentionality. Intentionality depends on planning and deliberately intending to do something. Planning in an early childhood curriculum makes teaching more effective. Looking at the health, safety, and nutrition themes that are relevant and natural to the early childhood classroom provides the educator with an abundance of resources. Themes related to wellness can be covered throughout the early childhood environment, during bathroom time, meals and snacks, circle time, story corner, outdoor play, field trips, and other times.
Teachable Moments
In addition to deliberate curriculum planning, caregivers need to use the opportunities of teachable moments. Teachable moments are unplanned questions, events, and other opportunities that pop up during the course of the day. They are recognized by the teacher
as a chance to point out or demonstrate a lesson for children to learn. These moments are quick and require a deviation from the planned course but can also evolve into a complete lesson (Lewis, n.d.).
An example of a teachable moment is when a child’s tooth falls out in class. Of course, this event is unplanned. The caregiver can talk about how new teeth come in, tooth brushing, flossing, healthy foods, or a visit to the dentist. The next day’s theme could be dental care. During circle time, the educa- tor can bring in an egg carton to use upside down as teeth, and each child can floss with a piece of yarn (Hackett & KinderArt, n.d.). At snack time, a variety of snacks can be set out and sorted into a “healthy” basket and an “unhealthy” basket. Art time may have children going through magazines and finding items used in tooth brushing and tooth care (e.g., water, toothpaste, dental floss, and fluoride rinse
advertisements; also apples, carrot sticks, and celery). Teachable moments increase the rel- evance of topics to children’s day-to-day lives.
A challenge to incorporating wellness into an early childhood setting is to do it in develop- mentally and culturally appropriate ways. Children at different developmental stages handle information differently. Children usually lose their first baby tooth at approximately 6 years of age, but it can happen as early as age 4, and a younger child may not be emotion- ally prepared to see a tooth fall out. Caregivers can help to normalize, or transform into something ordinary, the event for the children in their care by explaining that all children
lose their baby teeth to make room for their adult teeth. Explaining that their gums may feel a bit sore and may bleed a little, but that this is also natural (Better Health Channel, 2010), can offer support to children who may be concerned. Caregivers can also try to distract children by talking about putting the tooth under the child’s pillow for the tooth fairy and compare this story with traditions of children around the world regarding what to do with teeth
▲ Skilled adults can recognize teachable moments, or times to share a lesson with a young child. Teachable moments can occur any time. © iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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A Systems Model for Nutrition, Health, and Safety Chapter 1
after they have fallen out, such as throwing the tooth on the roof (Dominican Republic, Greece, Botswana), making the tooth into a piece of jewelry (Costa Rica, Chile), or burying it (Malaysia, Turkey, Russia).
1.4 A Systems Model for Nutrition, Health, and Safety When thinking about children, it is important to remember they are not solitary beings, but part of larger groups that interact, and that this belonging and interaction influence the child. According to ecological systems theory, as outlined in Figure 1.2, children develop within diverse systems that interact differently with each child according to his or her age (Santrock, 2006). These groups interact and are part of larger systems nested within each other. The system closest to the child is the microsystem. The microsystem includes the family, the particular classroom in center-based care, and the peers with whom a child interacts. The microsystem is embedded within the exosystem. The exosystem includes the neighborhood a child lives in, the larger center-based care facility, and the surrounding community. These systems are nested within the macrosystem. The macrosystem consists of one’s culture, societal practices, political system, and nationality. All of these components influence those systems with which families and their children regularly engage, such as neighborhoods, fam- ily friends, church groups, schools, and peers.
The ecological system can be thought of as a set of nested baskets, snugly encircling and supporting each other. The interaction between these systems goes two ways: The systems influence the child (e.g., parents have to adhere to laws specifying how long a child uses a car seat), and the child influences the systems (e.g., a very precocious child may display a level of maturity and self-control that results in a caregiver making that child a leader in the classroom). Very young children are included in a number of specific groups within this system that directly influence the nutrition, health, and safety of children: their family, the center they attend, and the community at large.
The Family
At the center of the model is the microsys- tem, which includes the family. Families play a critical role in the nutrition habits of young children. What the family chooses to buy at the grocery store and serve during meals can lead to lifelong eating patterns for children. In most families there is a “gatekeeper” who is primar- ily responsible for the selection of food,
Figure 1.2: Ecological Systems Theory
Bronfenbrenner’s theory of interrelated systems From: Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Reprinted by permission.
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Microsystem
Exosystem
Macrosystem
Political Systems
Health Agencies
Culture SocietyMass Media
Economics
Family
Nationality
Religious Setting
Peers
Classroom
Community School
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A Systems Model for Nutrition, Health, and Safety Chapter 1
meal planning, and meal preparation. When this person includes a variety of nutritious foods (e.g., fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, chicken, lean meats, dairy, whole-grain bread and pasta, and rice), children are exposed to many foods rich in flavor that will instill in them an enjoyment of healthy foods. On the other hand, families that choose mostly fast foods or prepared foods containing high levels of sugar, sodium, preservatives, and fat can condition children to crave sweet, salty, high-calorie foods that can lead to childhood diseases such as obesity and heart disease. Recent research indicates that the brain becomes used to the “jolt” it gets when we ingest processed foods high in sugar, sodium, and fat, which can make improvements to a healthier lifestyle even more difficult later in life (Greviskes, 2010). The nutritional choices a family makes can have a huge impact on the health of a child.
This can be important later in the child’s life, when peer influence becomes more important in determining food choices and eating habits when away from home: for instance at school, at a friend’s house, or when out to dinner with significant others.
One component of the exosystem includes the societal laws that relate to child safety, which influence the family. There are local, state, and national rules, regulations, and laws related to everything from the use of car safety seats, to the use of lead paint, to the iron levels of commercial formula mix. However, primary caregivers, such as parents, guardians, and/or custodians, are the first line of defense for the safety of the child. Parents are responsible for
making sure their children are in the right car seat, and that the car seat is installed properly. Parents need to make sure that the toys their children play with are not covered in lead- based paint, and that the peeling paint on the trim and woodwork of an old house does not contain lead.
However, parents are not alone. Various support networks and information sources are avail- able to parents to help them ensure the safest environment possible for their young children. Many of these resources are available from the local community (e.g., local lead abatement programs, soil testing programs) and some from the federal community (see the later section on Health and Safety).
The Community
A community can be defined in a number of ways. Merriam-Webster alone has 18 different definitions of the word. A few salient versions are “a unified body of individuals,” “an inter- acting population of various kinds of individuals . . . in a common location,” and “society at large.” Viewing community from a number of perspectives can identify a variety of ways in which a “community” can support the nutrition, health, and safety of children.
A community of prekindergarten parents can serve as a support system for each other, exchanging ideas on nutritious recipes, appropriate bedtime, and playtime activities and books. They can be a sounding board for ideas, provide feedback on parenting practices, and serve as a normalizing influence when parents of young children need to feel that they are not
▲ Families come in many different formations. © Jack Hollingsworth/Thinkstock
A Systems Model for Nutrition, Health, and Safety Chapter 1
alone. A community of parents of children with special needs can serve all of the above func- tions, and also share creative and innovative ideas for customizing play equipment and eat- ing utensils so that their children can use them despite the limitations of their disabilities. This will help to improve the nutrition and health of these children (e.g., customizing eating utensils to increase the amount of dietary intake a child receives) while keeping the children safe (e.g., using communication boards to improve inter- action and decrease communication-related behavior problems). A community of a particu- lar cultural group or religious affiliation can also serve these same purposes, while sharing their rituals, beliefs, and customs in a supportive environment. Children in all of these groups can expand and develop their own sense of self within these communities. Another group may include the caregivers who care for young children while parents work. In fact, caregivers are an important part of some parents’ communities.
The School or Early Childhood Education Center
The school or early childhood education center per- sonnel can be an important influence on the lives of the children in their care, and on the parents of these children. There are various rules, regulations, and laws related to the nutritional standards and safety practices to which child care facilities must adhere (see the sections on Health and Nutrition and Health and Safety).
Many children spend up to eight or nine hours a day in child care facilities and a number of meals and snacks are provided to children during that time. These meals and snacks provide excellent opportunities for caregivers to discuss nutritious foods with children, make recom- mendations, and influence the choices children make. Caregivers can also talk to parents at the end of the day to inform them of what their child did or did not eat that day. Caregivers can report a child’s delight in trying a new food (e.g., star fruit), dislike of a newly introduced vegetable (e.g., baked yams), and possible food allergies that may arise from a particular food offering (e.g., a child may be allergic to soy yogurt but the parents do not know because they do not keep soy yogurt in the home). One strategy for caregivers to communicate with par- ents regarding their children’s eating habits would be to create a short form that caregivers could fill in each day and give to parents at pick-up time. The form could include highlights of the child’s day related to behavioral, social, and emotional events noted by all caregivers during the day. Another idea would be for a designated caregiver to greet parents at pick-up time to apprise them of a child’s notable events from the day.
Ensuring the safety of children in center-based care goes beyond adhering to the various rules, regulations, and laws associated with running a child care center. For many children, learning to function in a group requires an understanding of the various rules and regulations associ- ated with being a part of a community. Keeping one’s hands to oneself, taking turns, sharing, and respecting the personal space of other children not only helps the center to run smoothly,
▲ Suburban communities often have sidewalks and plenty of green spaces that encourage outdoor activities. © iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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National Initiatives and Government Support Chapter 1
it also teaches children how to conduct themselves in a group. Rules not only help children to be safe, they also facilitate school readiness. Child care providers can be an integral part of the community that surrounds a child and can be an important ally to parents in helping to ensure the best child outcomes possible.
1.5 National Initiatives and Government Support The U.S. government has a long history of support for the healthy growth of children. Government support for nutrition, health, and safety has come in many forms: through edu- cational materials available in print or online, financial assistance for families in need, and laws and regulations protecting children against environmental hazards. The following sections describe various initiatives and standards intended to promote better child outcomes.
Health and Nutrition
We Can!
In February 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled a nationwide initiative against child- hood obesity (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, & National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2010). The program, entitled Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition (We Can!), aims to provide caregivers, community organiza- tions, and healthcare providers with resources and tools to improve the health and nutrition of the nation’s youth. As the logo illustrates, this is a dynamic program aimed at improving both children’s and adults’ knowledge of and involvement with health and nutrition. Although Michelle Obama’s initiative focuses on children ages 8–13, the We Can! program provides resources with estimated calorie requirements for sedentary, moderately active, and active children as young as age 2, suggesting that healthy nutrition is important for young chil-
dren (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, & U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2005). Early child care providers can use these guidelines to direct chil- dren toward better food choices during center-based meal time and make other nutritional suggestions dur- ing snack times, based on a child’s activity level. For example, providing children with healthy options at snack time, such as fruits and vegetables and milk or water, as opposed to high-calorie drinks and processed foods, is one way to improve nutrition.
Government Health and Nutrition Assistance Programs
The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (U.S. Department of Agriculture & Food and Nutrition Services, 2011b) allows for the continuation and improvement of many government health and nutrition assistance programs, including:
• Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)—Provides low-income families with food, educa- tion, and referrals to healthcare providers (U.S. Department of Agriculture & Food and Nutrition Services, 2011d).
• National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP)—Provides children from low-income homes with free or reduced-cost nutritious meals at school (U.S. Department of Agriculture & Food and Nutrition Services, 2011c).
▲ We Can! © U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
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• Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)—Allows day cares, afterschool programs, and emergency shelters to provide children and adults with free, nutritious meals and snacks (U.S. Department of Agriculture & Food and Nutrition Services, 2011d).
These programs can be valuable resources for early child care providers, especially those in low-resource areas, to offer to parents who may not be able to provide adequate nutrition to their children in the evenings or on weekends, when they aren’t in child care. More informa- tion on this program is available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/.
Health and Physical Activity
Let’s Move!
Michelle Obama has also started a nationwide initiative called Let’s Move: America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids (Let’s Move, 2011). The logo for Let’s Move illus- trates the goal of this program: to improve the nutrition and physical activity of children. This initiative calls on parents, government officials, schools, faith-based organizations, and community-based groups to be active in encouraging children to eat healthy foods and be physically active. The program suggests simple steps for increasing physical activ- ity, such as dancing instead of watching television, and tak- ing a family walk after dinner.
Child care providers can implement these recommenda- tions in their centers and make sure that there is a balance between cognitive and socio-emotional development and physical development. Group walks, games of Simon Says, going to a park, or just exploring the outdoors around the center are all activities that can be incorporated into the cur- riculum of any center-based care facility in order to increase the physical activity of children. The Health in Action feature box lists a few federal programs for improving health, nutrition, and safety in child care centers.
Physical Activity Guidelines
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008) physical activity guidelines contain a chapter regarding guidelines for children. The guidelines suggest that children should do at
▲ First Lady Michelle Obama is a cham- pion for the prevention of early childhood obesity. © Associated Press/AP Images
H E A LT H I N A C T I O N :
Nationwide Health, Nutrition, and Safety Initiatives
• We Can!: program to fight against childhood obesity
• Healthy Hunger – Free Kids Act of 2010: continues and improves government health and nutrition assistance program
• Let’s Move!: campaign to encourage children to exercise
National Initiatives and Government Support Chapter 1
least one hour of physical activity each day, with a variety of aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening activities. These can be structured, planned activities or they can be incorporated into a child’s natural, unstructured play.
The guidelines also offer suggestions for age- appropriate exercise activities (jumping rope and playing active games such as tag) and examples of kids working physical activity into their daily routine (a 7-year-old child climbing on playground equipment during recess, walking to and from school). As with
the Let’s Move initiative, most supervised activities that get children up and moving around can improve their physical development and help to improve their health. Further information about this program can be found at http://www.health.gov/PAguidelines/pdf/paguide.pdf.
Research has documented a link between physical movement and a child’s cognition. Exercise has been shown to improve a child’s executive functioning, such as self-control, delay of grati- fication, and rule shifting (Tomporowski, Davis, Miller & Naglieri, 2008). Exercise can help to improve a child’s cognition and self-control, leading to greater preparedness for school, and therefore should be a key component in developmentally appropriate practice.
Health and Safety
Maintaining a healthy and safe environment in a child care center is a multi-faceted endeavor. Staff members have to ensure that the physical environment is free not only of obvious dan- gers (e.g., doors that can slam, trapping little fingers) but also hidden dangers (e.g., lead-based paint). In addition to the physical environment, caregivers need to have sufficient training to handle various potential situations in a facility, and certain criteria have to be met to ensure quality care. We will discuss two of the most important concerns: lead poisoning and stan- dards in child care.
Lead Poisoning
Due to the concern over lead poisoning, and particularly the risks posed to children, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (2011) has created a number of regulations in regard to lead in homes. These laws require property sellers and landlords to disclose any known information about lead on the property to all buyers and tenants. When necessary, the EPA also provides homeowners and landlords help with locating certified lead abatement contrac- tors and with accessing possible financial assistance for lead abatement.
The EPA website contains information for parents on the risks of lead and how to minimize those risks. This information is especially salient to home-based child care providers, or those whose child care is located in residential housing. The National Center for Healthy Housing has a lead safety program specifically geared toward home-based child care centers. Resources and training for performing a home-based child care lead safety program can be found at http://www.nchh.org/Research/Archived-Research-Projects/HomeBased-Child-Care-Lead- Safety-Program.aspx. To learn more about the risks to children from lead poisoning and sug- gestions for decreasing the risks, go to http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead/pubs/leadinfo.htm.
Lead can affect the cognitive and physical development in children, and at high doses can cause death. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of lead poisoning include irritabil- ity, decreased appetite, weight loss, sluggishness and fatigue, abdominal pain, vomiting,
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Integrating Wellness Across the Curriculum Chapter 1
constipation, and learning difficulties. Child caregivers are in a prime position to identify the early signs of possible lead poisoning in the children they see frequently. Early detection by child care providers can help parents obtain appropriate medical care as soon as possible.
For child care providers who work in center-based care, the EPA standards regarding lead in child care centers are the same as those for schools. The EPA recommends testing for lead in the following areas:
• drinking fountains, both bubbler and water-cooler style
• kitchen sinks
• classroom combination sinks and drinking fountains
• teacher’s lounge sink, nurse’s office sink
• classroom sinks in special education classrooms
• any sink known to be or visibly used for consumption (e.g., coffee maker or cups are nearby)
For further information regarding lead testing, please visit the noted page on the EPA’s web- site http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/lead/testing.cfm.
Standards in Child Care
Another way that the government works to maintain safety for America’s children is through regulations in early child care and education. The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) (n.d.) requires that all license-exempt child care facilities meet specific CCDF or state stan- dards. Requirements include caregiver background checks, building inspections, CPR and first aid training for caregivers, and more. Individual states may have more stringent requirements, often regarding child–caregiver ratios and equipment safety standards. Proficiency in these basic standards can help child care providers to make available the safest environments pos- sible for the children in their care, and equips providers with the tools needed to ensure the best outcomes possible when children experience an accident or life-threatening situation while in their care.
1.6 Integrating Wellness Across the Curriculum Almost all children in the United States under 6 years old spend a portion of their day in early care and education settings (Aronson & Shope, 2009), and many between the ages of 6 and 8 now attend some kind of after-school program. Because they spend time in centers, programs, and schools, children and staff are prone to infections, contagious conditions, and other health issues. In these settings, early childhood specialists are responsible for controlling the spread of such illnesses and managing the safety and nutrition of the children. One way to do this that will positively affect all staff and children in care is by integrating wellness across the curriculum and environment.
This may sound like a tall order, but many resources are available to assist the early care and education specialist with the integration of wellness. For instance, several national groups provide standards and guidelines that help the early childhood specialist in creating a safe and healthy environment. One such resource is Caring�for�Our�Children:�National�Health�and� Safety� Performance� Standards (AAP, 2011). Another helpful publication is Healthy� Young� Children:� A� Manual� for� Programs (NAEYC, 2002). Other resources give suggestions about
Integrating Wellness Across the Curriculum Chapter 1
what and how to teach so that the early care and education curriculum is full of fun and use- ful health, nutrition, and safety activities. Kansas State University’s website contains links to a number of available curricula for children of various ages. A sample of titles includes: “ABC’s of Toddler Nutrition Times,” “Jump into Foods and Fitness,” and “Kids a Cookin’ and Kids a Cookin’ & Movin’” (Kansas State University, 2003). These lesson plans and DVDs are free and some are available in Spanish. A curriculum that naturally builds in these activities is a great way to recruit help and reminders from everyone in the early care environments, including the children.
An Early Childhood Health, Nutrition, and Safety Curriculum
A belief in the importance of health, nutrition, and safety in an early childhood program is a great start, but actually incorporating these themes into the curriculum may seem like
a daunting task. The fact is that in addition to the available standards and manuals there are many online resources that provide everything from basic information about nutrition, to lists of children’s books that promote healthy eating and nutrition (North Dakota State University, 2011), to initiatives that promote food safety in schools, to actual lesson plans complete with instructions, suggestions, and developmental goals for use in the classroom.
For instance, the North Dakota State University web- site for teachers has a section on nutrition with links to lesson plans on food intake, and the Dairy Council of America and the School Nutrition Association have many teaching materials related to nutrition and food safety, along with a list of children’s books on topics all about food, nutrition, and health. The
Additional Resources box below lists a number of sites that contain resources for early child care workers, including tools for teachers on food and nutrition (including lessons plans, activities, and resources that can be printed and used in the early education classroom), help- ful guidelines for health and safety early childhood curriculum development, and activities and resources (including developmental goals and learning objectives), all available for free.
▲ Snack time is a good opportunity for a lesson on nutritious food choices and proper table manners. © Comstock/Thinkstock
Additional Resources
The following are helpful online resources for early childhood health, nutrition and safety curriculum ideas:
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/food/kidsnutrition/edu-2.htm
http://themes.atozteacherstuff.com/261/food-and-nutrition-teaching-resources/
http://www.foodsafeschools.org/
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5353618/Health-and-safety-in-the.html
search . . .
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Integrating Wellness Across the Curriculum Chapter 1
Along with these suggestions, the National Coalition for Food-Safe Schools has a web- site that provides instructions for teachers, school administrators, families, and children for evaluating a school’s food and safety efforts, along with suggestions for empower- ing teachers, families, and students to take steps that can reduce food-related illnesses
H E A LT H I N A C T I O N :
Fruit Salad Safari
Ages: 3 and up
Number of children: Groups of 3–4
Developmental Aim: Promote good nutrition
Educational Purpose: Teaching children about different types of healthy fruits & safety
Ingredients: Unique fruits that children may not normally be exposed to, for example:
Star fruit Dragon Fruit Kumquat Mango Ugly fruit Kiwi Lychee Pineapple
Tools: Large bowl Plastic cups for fruit salad Cutting boards Paring knife (adult) Plastic Pith helmets (optional) Plastic knives (children) A map of the classroom (optional)
Preparation: Wash hands
Hide fruit around the room near situations where safety lessons can be incorporated into activity:
On top of a play oven Near a door On a counter just out of reach On a window sill Near a sink &/or soap dispenser On the floor
The teacher can serve as the “Safari” leader, leading the children around the classroom toward each item of fruit and safety situation. When they reach each destination, the teacher can tell the children about the fruit and then ask what they should do if they find themselves near a safety situ- ation (an actual stove top, a counter just out of reach, something near a window or door). After all the fruit has been collected, the teacher can wash, peel, and cut large pieces and, after appropriate safety instructions regarding knives, allow the children to cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces with the plastic knives. Then the fruit can either be eaten or saved for snack time. For an additional teach- able opportunity, the teacher can insert toothpicks into the pineapple crown, set it in a bowl of water, and after the top forms roots, plant the pineapple to demonstrate for children the food cycle of life.
Talking Points: • Ask children how many servings of fruits and vegetables they should have per day (5).
• Talk about why fruits are good for you (vitamins that help the body work and grow).
• Ask children what their favorite fruits are.
Suggestion: Either before or after this activity, read “Oliver’s Fruit Salad” by Vivian French & Alison Bartlett to children.
Culturally Appropriate Practices Chapter 1
(http://www.foodsafeschools.org/). Though many of these suggestions are related to schools, they can be easily tailored to early childhood care facilities. These resources can be used individually or in combination to create a custom-made, age-appropriate, center-specific cur- riculum that revolves around early childhood health, nutrition, and safety.
1.7 Culturally Appropriate Practices Children’s experiences impact how they view and respond to their environment. The child’s race, ethnicity, and culture are all factors that can impact a child’s experience. Culture can also include the socio-economic status of the child’s family, their religious beliefs, and the education level attained by the child’s parents. All of these variables can influence how a child sees the world, and how the world views a child. This interplay of beliefs and perceptions can influence a child’s development either positively or negatively, depending on the actions of the adults closest to the child. Therefore, it is important that early child care providers have an understanding of culture and how to implement culturally appropriate practice in early child care settings.
The United States of America’s Changing Child Population
The demographics of young children are dramatically changing. Children ages birth to 6 years born to immigrant U.S. citizens have been the largest growing population in the United States for at least the past decade. This trend is expected to continue so that children in early care pro- grams will be quite diverse in ethnicity, race, and religion. By the year 2050, it is estimated that 82% of young children will be related to immigrant families (Moore & Perez-Mendez, 2011).
With this comes a complexity of new challenges and opportunities. Most of these youngsters are not only brought up with English as their second language, sometimes English is not spoken in their home. Also, many immigrant families have a variety of traditions, practices, and beliefs that play out in the early care and education setting and affect health, nutrition, and safety practices. Care providers must be aware of these and view each child through a “cultural lens” that respects and celebrates diversity. This awareness is important because the way teachers treat children can influence the way children behave and how the children feel about themselves. A teacher who is not culturally competent can send a message to a child that they are not good, not smart, or somehow are not as good as other children. These mes- sages can lead children to act out or view themselves in negative ways, possibly harming their self-concept and self-esteem.
What Is Culture?
One way to consider culture is to think of it as a transference over generations of ideas, val- ues, practices, and behaviors. This includes religion, language, diet, dress, and child rearing styles. For instance, one long-time studied cultural value is the way different societies promote children’s individualism versus interdependence. Cultures that focus on promoting indepen- dence in children (mostly European and North American) work toward individual achievement. Those that emphasize interdependence (often Asian, African, and Latin American) focus on responsibility to others and contribution to collective successes (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2000).
Culturally Appropriate Practices Chapter 1
Yet, we don’t have to go to other countries to appre- ciate diversity in beliefs and child rearing practices. The United States has many cultures, ethnic groups, and races, and is getting more diverse all the time. This means people are constantly attempting, either deliberately or unintentionally, to blend the vari- ous cultures. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of everyone working with children to use culturally appropriate practices.
Culturally Appropriate Practices
No single set of practices is considered culturally appropriate; rather, cultural appropriateness refers to an attitude and manner by which services are delivered (Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, n.d.). Culturally appropriate programs and activities are respectful and effective, and are provided in a way that is compatible with the beliefs, values, and practices of the diverse cultures served. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Minority Health (2007) provides National Standards on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS). These are directed at health care organizations but helpful to all providers who are interested in being more culturally competent. These standards recommend that providers receive ongoing education in culturally appropriate service delivery. They also clarify that the staff in these programs should be representative of the cultural characteristics of the community, families, and children being served.
Most specialists in the field of culturally appropriate practice recommend that the first step in using cul- turally appropriate practices is to become aware of the values and beliefs that dominate the educators and caregivers working with the children in a par- ticular program. Next, early childhood staff must be knowledgeable about the various cultures and cul- tural differences of the children, especially those dif- ferences impacting the children in their care. This knowledge, along with flexible and sensitive responses to children, will help other adults and children adapt to the circumstances and guard against stereotypes, because individual children may or may not behave in ways considered typical of their culture (Cheatham & Santos, 2011). It will remind everyone to consider each child as an individual who comes with a set of experiences and a family context that is unique.
Teachers who have negative beliefs about a child’s culture can behave in ways that are det- rimental to a child’s sense of self. Some teachers will assume that a student is not intelligent because their primary language is not English. The teacher may get into the habit of not including the child in group activities, ignoring the child, or failing to make eye contact with the child. This type of teacher behavior can cause a child to internalize these subtle negative messages and start to believe them, resulting in less effort being put forth in the classroom, attention-seeking behavior, or simply not trying at all. This same treatment may be directed
▲ Early childhood educators need an understand- ing of how a child’s cultural background, including language, religion, and socio-economic status, affects how the child sees the world. © Hemera/Thinkstock
�Culturally�appropriate�practices�are� activities�that�are�effective�and� respectful�and�provided�in�a�manner� compatible�to�the�diverse�cultures� served.
How Children Learn Chapter 1
toward parents, resulting in less parent engagement with the center or school. Research shows that when parents are engaged in school, children have better educational outcomes. Teachers who practice cultural competence can foster a sense of pride in children that can encourage a child’s healthy psychosocial development, which can then support the child’s ability to take intellectual risks. Therefore, using culturally appropriate practices should result in each child having pride in his or her culture, a positive sense of identity, and an optimistic attitude toward learning.
1.8 How Children Learn Children are constantly learning, receiving new information from their environment, their social experiences, and their relationships, and making sense of this information. All of these processes influence the development of a child. The mechanisms for this learning depend on specific elements of physical, social, and cognitive development and their interplay with a child’s environment.
Brain Development
Nutrition and health have a direct effect on early brain development. In the past 25 years, there has been an enormous amount of research and discovery about the complexity of this develop- ment. Years ago, health and medical professionals believed that the development of the brain was tightly controlled by genes and heredity, but now scientists have found that it is an interplay
of nature and nurture. So what children come with at birth is blended with what they get out of their expe- riences, especially early experiences. Therefore, there is no more doubt that the development of the brain depends on the integration of heredity and environ- ment, and both are equally important influences in children reaching their optimal abilities. An integral part of the nurture, or environmental, experience involves a child’s nutritional intake, along with the quality of the health care they receive, and the safety of the environment in which they live. The environ- mental experience can affect the child’s brain devel- opment either positively or negatively.
The brain has enormous capacity to adapt to all kinds of situations: this is called the plasticity of the brain. Think of the brain as soft plastic or clay that changes form as it is twisted, pounded, or even gen- tly poked. Because it is so impressionable, positive
experiences are likely to provide positive outcomes; exposure to negative experiences likewise results in negative outcomes. This latter result is what early care professionals want to avoid.
Because of this malleability of the brain, early childhood programs have incredible influence over the development of the young child’s brain. Researchers have documented that much of the brain’s development happens during the prenatal, postnatal, and early childhood periods (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2000). As early as the 1930s, Montessori
▲ A positive environmental experience greatly affects children’s brain development. © Jupiter Images/Thinkstock
How Children Learn Chapter 1
stressed the timing of experience and referred to these windows of opportunity as sensitive periods (Daily Montessori, 2011). One sensitive period is defined as the first three years of life. During this window of time, the brain is developing rapidly and needs formative, positive experiences. For example, the sensitive period for language is approximately 2 to 6 years of age. The number of words children are exposed to and the amount of conversa- tion they are involved in can positively or negatively affect their language development. And in the case of language deprivation, once this sensitive period is over, the brain is unable to adapt to later efforts toward improvement. It is this susceptibility of the brain to cognitive stimulation, or lack thereof, which indicates that growing up in a dangerous household is an obvious risk factor for healthy brain development and that having many enriching experiences during this period leads to healthy development. This explains why children with different patterns of early experiences display such different behaviors. And this is what brings us to the important role early childhood educators have in creating meaningful experiences and learning opportunities.
Creating Meaningful Learning Opportunities
To create meaningful learning opportunities and retainable lessons, the early care and educa- tion professional must understand how young children learn and how this is different from the learning styles of older children. Older children learn by pen and pencil tasks, by logical discussions, and by analogies and comparisons. These techniques are typically less effective and inappropriate for younger children.
The professional must provide opportunities that are developmentally appropriate at the various stages of early childhood for children to benefit fully. The NAEYC (NAEYC, 2006), a world-renowned professional organization dedicated to educating children from birth to age 8 years, has published “Developmentally Appropriate Practice” (http://www.naeyc.org) and several guidelines and recommended practice works on Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) for young children. According to NAEYC’s Position Statement (n.d.), the prac- tice of DAP refers to knowledge of age-related characteristics that is used to predict what experiences are likely to best promote children’s learning and development. These experiences are then used with “intentionality,” the crux of developmentally appropriate practices (see section on Creating a Foundation of Wellness in the Early Childhood Education Environment for an explanation of intentionality).
Early childhood educators who understand child development and the learning premises described here are able to predict the benchmarks for what individual children and children of a particular age group typically will and will not be capable of doing. They can then design intentional and deliberate strategies and approaches that can promote the children’s optimal learning and development. With this knowledge, teachers can make decisions with some con- fidence about environment, materials, interactions, schedules, routines, and activities.
In addition to DAP, there are some basic and simple premises on which to base teaching of young children. These premises include learning styles, having routines and transition time, and monitoring the professional’s response to children’s behavior. The first of these premises is learning styles.
�Brain�development�is�greatly�influ- enced�by�the�integration�of�heredi- tary�factors�and�the�early� experiences�of�a�child.
How Children Learn Chapter 1
Learning Styles
A learning style is a distinct method of learning that influences how a child learns. As opposed to older children (8 years and older), most younger children learn through interactive activi- ties. They should not be asked to sit and do work pages or look at books for long periods of time. They are generally an energetic group. They are eager to learn. Play is the best vehicle to use in engaging this age group. Children at this age need a variety of modalities in learning, including hands-on learning activities that provide active exploration of their materials, toys, and environment. A kinesthetic approach to learning, in which children are actively involved in the doing of an activity as opposed to watching or listening to a teacher explain how to do something, is recommended.
Although children learn best through a mix of activities, each child has his or her own pre- dominant learning style, as discussed in Health�in�Action:�Learning�styles. This style should be included in group and individual learning. Early childhood teachers can easily learn the pre- ferred styles of their children through observations during the day but especially by watching their selections during free play. What activities do they select? Do they listen to music, go to the book corner, or participate in block building? By using a variety of learning styles, a lesson plan on one topic will be fun for all children.
Importance of Transitions and Routines
In addition to interactive play and using a variety of learning styles, the early childhood spe- cialist needs to pay attention to transition times and routines. A transition time refers to those minutes when a child or a group of children are ending one activity and starting a new one. These times between activities can disturb the young child if handled incorrectly. For example, if a young child is told with no warning that block time is over, there may be resistance to cleaning up, aggressive or defiant behavior, or an emotional outburst. All typical but undesir- able reactions caused by poor adult handling of transition time.
On the other hand, examine what happens during a well-executed transition time between free play and circle time. The early childhood specialist tells the group of children when they
H I G H L I G H T:
Learning Styles
Every child has a preferred learning style. Watch for it, it may be:
Visual—Looking at pictures of safety equipment, reading a book about cooking, seeing a DVD on growing herbs and flowers
Auditory—Tapping a rhythm to a list of safety rules, listening to a tape on nutritious foods, talking about their favorite foods
Aural—A combination of auditory and music, a bit different than auditory; playing in a marching band with each instrument representing another way to prevent spreading germs, singing a song with health or food groups in it, creating their own songs with silly rhymes of hygiene words
Kinesthetic—Movement or tactile/touch; following a road drawn on the ground to a choice point of picking a fruit or vegetable, identifying by touch various foods hidden in a brown paper bag, playing hopscotch over safety symbols
How Children Learn Chapter 1
have 5 minutes left to play and that they will need to clean up next to get ready for circle time. There can be some “social talk” time during these last 5 minutes about the topic of the day for circle time and what activity will take place there, but not so much “talk” that it distracts the children from finishing their play or from cleaning up. Another announcement is made with 2 minutes left, along with some suggestions for children who are still engrossed in their play. There could also be some gentle adult physical guidance in ending the activity. Most likely the reaction will be cooperation from the children and positive anticipation of circle time.
Transition time is important, but it is part of a bigger picture in helping children adjust to schedules and routines. Young children need to know what to expect and when to expect it. Therefore, a daily curriculum must schedule routines, practice skills, and repeat the skills to refine them. This is not the same as repeating a day’s activities over and over during the week. It means instead that a type of activity generally falls in the same sequence of activities each day. For instance, in one setting circle time may be after free play time, but circle time may be about fruit one day and about safety the next day. Also, schedules and routines can be changed, but providing notice and talking about the change will make transitions easier on younger children and, therefore, on the early childhood professional.
To follow the above example, when circle time begins, a short review of what was talked about during “social talk” at free play time will bring everyone to the topic for circle time. Repeat the same closing announcements for circle time to move into the next activity (e.g., lunch, toileting, music time, and so on). After doing this a few times, it will come naturally; it will be routine for the children, and if it doesn’t happen as scheduled, the children will remind the early childhood specialist by asking questions such as “tell us what the circle time topic is today!”
Early Childhood Specialist’s Response to Child Behavior
The early childhood specialist’s reaction to a child can make or break the day in terms of the tone in the center and the behavior of the child. There are key adult caregiver behaviors that make this difference. Caregiver behaviors are defined as the physical response to a behavior of a child. This reaction may be as subtle as a roll of the eyes or not so subtle, like a yell.
The following list provides an insight into the predominant adult behaviors influencing children.
• Educator affect: The apparent mood of the early childhood specialist influences children’s behavior. Affect is how moods are demonstrated, including voice tones, smiles, grimaces, no or inappropriate change in facial features, gestures, and other mannerisms.
• Responsiveness to children: Child-directed activities have the best effect on learn- ing. Let children be creative; respond to their leads. If they use a toy in a nontraditional manner, take the opportunity to ask about it, try it out, enjoy.
• Following child cues: Watch children—their actions tell what they need and what they want to do—and follow their cues. For example, if they head for the quiet book corner, they may be tired or overwhelmed.
• Observation skills: Being a good “watcher” takes work; the early childhood special- ist should look for children’s facial changes, movement, and lack of movement (arms up: “I want to be picked up;” head turned away: “leave me alone,” etc.).
Working with Parents Chapter 1
1.9 Working with Parents All parents want their children to be healthy and to succeed in school and, ultimately, in life. This is a given and should be the fundamental belief where early childhood educators start their home–program relationships (Moore, Perez-Mendez, & Kaczmarek, 2011). In addition, all parents and families have strengths. Finally, all parents and early childhood providers want the children in their care to be happy, to learn, to feel safe, and to feel good about themselves.
Research has shown that when parents are engaged in their children’s programs, the benefits to all are greater than when they are not involved (Cheatham & Santos, 2011). Benefits include children’s more positive attitudes, better academic achievement, better behavior, and eventu- ally higher grades and test scores (NAEYC, n.d.). To be effectively engaged, parents and edu- cators must be true partners. This happens only when the partners have trust in each other, demonstrated by an open relationship in which communication flows comfortably and natu-
rally between caregivers and parents, with both working toward the same goal. This goal, in general terms, is the highest possible achievement for each child. Caregivers should not expect bidirectional communication to occur naturally in each case; care- givers may need to work intention- ally toward this type of partnership with some parents, whereas with other parents it may develop more organically.
There are several recommendations on how building effective relation- ships and working with parents can be accomplished (National Association of School Psychologists, n.d.):
• Start early, as soon as a child is enrolled in your program.
• Report positive news frequently about the child’s day or behavior.
• Encourage an open door policy so parents can come and go easily.
• Let parents make decisions in the program and for their child.
• Ask for suggestions for activities, themes, trips, etc.
• Use technology such as email, Facebook, and others to make communication more convenient (but check what is available to the parents).
• Invite parents into the program at a variety of times, not just for parties.
© Mike Twohy/The New Yorker Collection/www.cartoonbank.com
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Summary Chapter 1
Summary • Health is unique to each person but there are several factors to consider when assess-
ing a child’s state of health.
– Hereditary characteristics are those that a child receives from the parents.
– Environmental factors include the physical surroundings of home and community, type of health care received, hygiene, nutrition provided, and safety measures used.
• Early childhood professionals have the opportunity to create a foundation of wellness in the learning environment.
– The professional must protect children from danger, risks, accidents, and injuries by monitoring the condition of all equipment, supplies, play objects, and furniture, and also by enforcing rules for effective classroom management.
– Healthy nutritional habits must be taught, including balanced meals and an appro- priate amount of intake.
– Developmentally appropriate practices include knowing a child’s learning style, assisting in transitions between activities, using teachable moments, and being intentional about what is being taught.
• When thinking about integrating nutrition, health, and safety into an early childhood curriculum, it is a good idea to use a systems model approach.
– Systems models take an ecological approach, in which the child is a part of various, nested systems that interact to influence child outcomes.
– Major ecological systems include the microsystem (containing the child and family), the exosystem (containing the community and school), and the macrosystem (con- taining the culture, nationality, and society).
– The family and the early child care facility staff can work together and support each other within and across these systems to implement nutrition, health, and safety practices to increase the likelihood of beneficial child outcomes.
• There is a long history of government involvement in supporting positive childhood outcomes related to nutrition, health, and safety.
– There are many federal agencies (the EPA, Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Health and Human Services) that provide guidelines and programs specifically geared toward improving childhood health and safety outcomes.
– In addition to federal agency programs, the First Lady has initiated programs (Let’s Move and We Can!) to fight childhood obesity and improve the health of children across the country.
– The U. S. government has also instituted various standards in child care to guide caregivers and protect children.
• There are many resources available to assist caregivers in incorporating health, nutri- tion, and safety into their curriculum, with some available online.
– Various children’s books have fruits and vegetables as their theme and can be used as a starting point for a lesson on the value of healthy nutrition.
– Many lessons regarding health, nutrition, and safety can be combined and inte- grated into existing curricula, allowing caregivers to achieve a number of goals through one activity.
Case Study Chapter 1
– Being creative and making games out of the lessons can make learning fun and expand children’s nutritional choices and help them to make more nutritious choices in the future.
• The culture, ethnicity, and race of young children in the United States are changing. These changes bring with them opportunities and challenges for the early childhood educator.
– Culturally appropriate practices include attitudes and manner of approach that are respectful, effective, and compatible with the beliefs, values, and practices of the cultures of the families of the children served.
– Early care professionals must be familiar with the different cultures of the children in their care so that they can respond in sensitive and flexible ways.
• The early childhood educator’s behaviors and responses to children and how engaged parents are in the program have a tremendous influence on the children in their care.
– The predominant adult behaviors that affect children in their care include the adult’s affect, responsiveness, ability to follow child cues, and observation skills.
– Research has shown that when parents are engaged in their children’s programs in meaningful ways, benefits to children increase.
Chapter Review 1. Describe the meaning of each of the key�terms.
2. Name and explain three key national initiatives that affect children’s health, nutrition, or safety.
3. Discuss how young children learn.
4. Explain what can be done to improve brain development in the early years.
5. Create a parent meeting agenda with ideas for their meaningful participation in the pro- gram during the year.
6. Design a safe outdoor playground with details of equipment, surfaces, and other needed safety items.
7. Name three main systems in which children interact with others.
8. List at least one group in each ecological system that contains the child system.
9. Create three scenarios in which parents and caregivers can work together to support the health, nutrition, and safety of young children.
Case Study Mrs. Favors, a teacher of the toddler (2- and 3-year-olds) child care class in the Celebration School District, is taking her class of 24 children on a field trip. This trip includes snack time on the bus and a stop at Holiday State Park for a picnic lunch. The district kitchen personnel will pack snacks and lunches for the children but the food cannot be refrigerated for nearly three hours. The group includes several children who are not self-feeders yet. She will have four volunteer mothers with her and one aide. Mrs. Favors must work with the nutritionist on the menu.
1. What issues are there with this mode of transportation?
Concept Check Chapter 1
2. What are the challenges of snack time and lunch time and what foods would you suggest for each?
3. How should Mrs. Favors use the other adult help she will have?
4. How can the children be involved in planning for this trip? Remember to think of nutrition, health, and safety.
5. Being at the park for a field trip brings other safety and health concerns. What are they and what preventive measures should Mrs. Favors take?
Activity Cultural Awareness Family Night is one week away at Sunshine Academy. The kindergarten class is responsible for planning, making, and serving snacks to the visitors. Brainstorm a list of developmentally appropriate activities the children can participate in to provide culturally diverse and nutritious treats. What are the treats they will serve?
Concept Check 1. Which of the following factors affect a child’s health?
a. heredity only
b. environment only
c. both heredity and environment
d. the presence of illness or injury only
2. Which of the following is an example of how 4-year-old Lisa’s macrosystem has an effect on her safety (the effect can be positive or negative)?
a. Lisa’s father always requires her to use sunscreen when she plays outside.
b. Lisa often plays out in her front yard. She lives on a very busy street, with cars con- stantly zooming by.
c. Lisa’s child care facility provides age-appropriate playground equipment on which Lisa and her classmates can play.
d. State laws require that all children under the age of 13 must wear a helmet while riding a bike, tricycle, or scooter.
3. Which of the following is NOT a symptom of lead poisoning?
a. weight loss
b. hyperactivity
c. abdominal pain
d. irritability
4. Through years of research, scientists have come to the conclusion that, in general, brain development .
a. relies mostly on the experiences a person has as a young child
b. is controlled tightly by genes and heredity
c. is affected mostly by a child’s environment
d. depends on a mixture of genetics and experiences
Key Terms Chapter 1
5. Which of the following is NOT one of the key caregiver behaviors?
a. responsiveness
b. use of observation skills
c. affect
d. adult directedness
Answers:�1.�c;�2.�d;�3.�b;�4.�d;�5.�d
Key Terms affect How a person’s moods are demonstrated, including voice tones, smiles, grimaces, no or inappropriate change in facial features, gestures, and other mannerisms.
caregiver behavior The physical response to a behavior of a child.
child cues A child's behavior or action to which the caregiver responds based on what the child needs or wants to do.
child development The continuous process of growth of a child from birth until adulthood.
culturally appropriate Refers to programs and activities that are respectful and effective, and are provided in a way that is compatible with the beliefs, values, and practices of the diverse cultures served.
culture A transference over generations of ideas, values, practices, and behaviors including religion, language, diet, dress, and child rearing styles.
developmentally appropriate Knowledge of age-related characteristics that is used to predict what experiences are likely to best promote children’s learning and development.
ecological systems theory A developmental theory that suggests children develop within diverse systems that interact differently with the child according to their age.
environment Includes the physical surroundings, economic resources, and cultural factors of the child and family.
exosystem Includes the neighborhood a child lives in, the larger center-based care facility, and the surrounding community.
health The condition of being in positive physical and emotional well-being.
heredity The characteristics a child inherits or receives from the parents at conception, including genetic makeup.
intentionality Making deliberate decisions based on previously established goals and plans.
learning style A distinct method of learning that influences how a child learns.
macrosystem One’s culture, society practices, political system, and nationality.
Key Terms Chapter 1
microsystem The sphere closest to the child, which includes family, classroom, and peers.
nutrition The nutrients in food, such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; the amount of intake; and the processes by which a person takes in food.
obesity A condition of extreme overweightness that negatively affects a child’s physical and mental health.
observation skills The process of observing and identifying various behaviors.
plasticity The capacity to adapt to all kinds of situations.
responsiveness The process of responding to child-initiated behavior by letting the child take the lead in the interaction.
routines Structured schedules of activities.
safety The behaviors and practices that protect children from danger, risks, accidents, and injuries.
sensitive period A window of time when the brain is developing rapidly and needs forma- tive, positive experiences.
teachable moments Unplanned questions, events, and other educational opportunities that pop up during the course of the day.
transition times Those minutes when a child or a group of children are ending one activ- ity and starting a new one.
