Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-1 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1eSorte, Daeschel, Amador

1-1© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

All Rights Reserved.

Chapter One

The Interconnection of Nutrition, Health, and Safety




Wellness

How do you define Wellness?




Building Blocks of Wellness

Nutrition: Encompasses the relationship between the nutrients that are eaten, digested and absorbed and how they impact growth, development and health.

Health: Focuses on physical and mental well-being and the absence of disease.

Safety: Refers to keeping children from harm.




Examples of Wellness Practices in Classroom Settings

What are some:

Examples of nutritional practices and a healthy diet?

Examples of health practices? Examples of safe practices?




The Role of Early Childhood Teachers

Share an important responsibility with parents to provide the best nutrition possible for children.

Identify gaps in a child’s health services and provide information and referrals to parents to access care.

Ensure children’s safe experiences in the early childhood setting.




Early Brain Development

Children’s ability to learn and ultimately to function in society depend on brain development during the early years.

Positive experiences create and reinforce positive and useful connections among brain regions.

Unique periods of development, or critical periods, may exist during which development is more likely to be influenced by dietary and other factors.




The Teacher’s Role in Brain Development

Brain development is guided by a rich interplay between the child’s genetic make-up and the quality of the child’s experience.

Early childhood teachers are involved in important work, at a time that is crucial for the developing child.




Examples of Teachers’ Support of Children’s Brain Development

Nurturing environments that inspire curiosity and exploration

Interesting toys and activities– Promote problem solving and invention

Introduce vocabulary, Ask open-ended questions

Teach children to interact with others positively




Ecological Systems Theory of Human Development (Bronfenbrenner)

Composed four types of environmental systems that surround the child.

Microsystem – environments that immediately surround the child, such as the home, the early childhood setting, and school.

Mesosystem – the connections and interactions that take place in the microsystem.

Exosystem – the people and places that provide indirect influences on the child’s development, such as extended family and neighborhood.

Macrosystem – includes the influences of the larger social, cultural, political and economic contexts.




National Initiatives Supporting Wellness

Healthy People 2010 National Call to Action to promote oral health Healthy Child Care America National Health & Safety Performance

Standards for Child Care National Children’s Study No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)




Partnership for 21st Century Skills

How does health and wellness awareness fit into the mission of the core elements of a 21st century education?




Influences on Children’s Development

Multicultural Early Childhood Classrooms Diverse Family Structures Poverty Living Conditions Food Insecurity Urban and Rural Considerations




What if…

One of your relatives asked you how early childhood teachers contribute to children’s health and well-being?

How would you explain it?




The Obesity Epidemic

Trends in nutrition and physical activity contributing to the epidemic:

Fewer infants being breastfed More snacking and eating meals away from home Larger portion sizes Increased consumption of sugars and fats Decreased consumption of vegetables and whole grains More television viewing Reduced activity levels Less time outdoors




Key Indicators of Well-Being

Health insurance: The numbers of children with health insurance coverage has been decreasing.

Access to a usual medical provider: Families without a usual medical provider are less likely to obtain the preventive and treatment services.

Oral health: Dental health care is related to overall health and children’s ability to learn.

Childhood immunizations: Prevent childhood diseases.




Children Experiencing Poverty

Have significantly less access to health insurance. Generally do not have a usual health care provider. Often suffer from disparities in health care services. Tend to suffer from oral health care problems. Are less likely to be immunized when compared to

children from affluent families. Have twice the risk for lead exposure.




Children’s Mental Health and Social-Emotional Well-being

As many as 10% of children have a serious mental health problem with another 10% suffering from mild to moderate concerns.

Teachers can foster healthy social-emotional wellbeing by providing positive early experiences, support and guidance.

Teachers can help children recognize and manage their emotions, and negotiate difficulties such as sharing and taking turns.




Safety: Planning for Disaster

Maintain needed supplies such as emergency food and water, blankets, and first aid supplies.

Create effective communication systems to ensure to community emergency responders and to alert families to the evacuation plan.

Practice a clear disaster management plan of evacuation or sheltering in place, follow the directions of emergency responders, and care for children’s needs until families arrive.




Developmentally Appropriate Practice

The guidelines of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (NAEYC, 2009) help teachers consider three areas as they plan a nutrition, health and safety curriculum including:

Age appropriateness of the experiences Individual appropriateness of the experiences Cultural context of the experiences




Evidence-Based Practitioner Qualities

Maintain flexibility – Be willing to adapt practices as research recommends.

Make a commitment – Use evidence-based approaches even during times of little support or feelings of uncertainty.

Make informed choices – Make wise research-based choices and avoid fads.




Professional Organizations

National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education

National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies

National Association for the Education of Young Children National Association for Family Child Care National After School Association




Committing to Professionalism

Teachers who make a commitment to professionalism practice the following:

They are intentional about the choices they make when planning and implementing activities for children.

They use evidence based practices and avoid doing things just because “this is the way it’s always been done.”

Documents

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-1 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved