ECED 1030 - Health Safety and Nutrition

1. PROMOTING WELLNESS:

· Demonstrate the importance of the early years

in children’s life-long nutritional status.

· Provide examples of nutritional issues and

challenges faced by young children in today’s

society.

· Describe how early childhood programs can

apply nutritional standards and guidelines.

· Explain how nutrients contribute to health and

how to include them in healthful meals and

snacks.

· Describe how teachers can collaborate with

families to meet children’s nutritional needs.

2. PROMOTING GOOD NUTRITION:

· Discuss the advantages of breast feeding and

ways that teachers can support it in early

childhood settings.

· Describe characteristics of developmentally

appropriate, positive mealtime experiences for

infants.

· Describe characteristics of developmentally

appropriate, positive mealtime experiences for

preschool and elementary children.

· Explain how culture influences children’s food

preferences and eating behaviors.

Outcome #2 - (continued)

· Plan meals and snacks that meet national

nutrition guidelines.

· Describe key considerations when developing

culturally relevant menus.

· Provide examples of menu planning strategies

to limit fat, introduce more fruits and

vegetables, and provide whole rather than

processed foods.

· Describe strategies for introducing children to

new foods.

· Discuss strategies for creating menus that meet

the needs of young children with special dietary

considerations.

· Describe health disparities and discuss

strategies that teachers can use to meet these

children’s needs.

· Describe the need for health policies in early

childhood programs and identify resources that

inform the development of these policies.

· Provide examples of health concepts and

activities that are appropriate for young

children.

3. PROMOTING HEALTHFUL PRACTICES

· Describe the relationship between health and

learning.

· Discuss the types and benefits of health

screenings for young children.

· Explain the purpose of immunizations for

children and adults in early childhood settings.

· Describe the components of a comprehensive

health history and why they are important.

· Explain the role of the teacher in monitoring

children’s health and tracking their health

status.

· Provide examples of special health care needs

and the impact on the child and family.

· Explain the benefits of inclusion.

· Describe ways in which teachers can foster

inclusive classrooms and insure that all

children’s needs are met.

· Explain ways teachers can partner with families

to support children, including those children

with special health care needs.

· Describe ways in which schools and early

childhood programs can ensure the safe storage

and administration of medication.

· Explain the causes of infectious diseases and

the ways in which they are spread.

· Discuss why young children are at increased

risk of contracting infectious diseases.

Outcome #3 - (continued)

· Describe common signs and symptoms of

illness in young children.

· Provide examples of classroom practices that

can prevent or reduce infectious diseases in

child care sites and in homes.

· Understand when children should be excluded

from school due to illness.

· Describe the most frequent causes of

unintentional injury and death in young

children and ways to reduce and prevent them.

· Describe ways of assessing and responding to

emergency and non-emergency injuries and

illness.

· Plan safety awareness activities for children.

· Describe how teachers can interact with

children and develop environments that support

children’s mental health.

· Discuss ways that teachers can support each

child’s uniqueness, which includes his or her

interests, ability levels, home language and

culture, and family composition.

· Provide examples of experiences that support

children’s competence and self-esteem.

· List signs and characteristics that indicate a

need to refer a child to a mental health

professional.

· Describe how safety needs change based on the

developmental level of the child.

· Recognize indoor safety hazards and describe

ways that early childhood programs create safe

indoor environments for children.

· Recognize outdoor safety hazards and describe

ways that early childhood programs make

outdoor environments safe for children.

· Explain how safety policies and procedures can

reduce accidents and injuries.

· Discuss the role of the teacher in protecting

children’s safety.

· Describe risk factors for child abuse and

neglect.

· Recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect.

· Describe early childhood professionals’ legal

responsibilities and reporting procedures for

suspected child abuse and neglect.

· Explain ways that teachers can aid in the

prevention of child abuse and neglect.

· Design developmentally appropriate schedules

and routines that encourage wellness.

Outcome #3 - (continued)

· Design developmentally appropriate

experiences and learning activities to support

children’s knowledge about wellness practices.

· Plan ways to partner with families to teach

wellness concepts.

· Describe classroom management practices that

contribute to children’s safety and well-being.