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

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-2 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wellness How do you define Wellness?

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-3 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-4 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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?

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-5 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-6 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-7 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-8 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-9 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-10 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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)

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-11 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Partnership for 21 st Century Skills How does health and wellness awareness fit into the mission of the core elements of a 21 st century education?

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-12 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Influences on Children’s Development Multicultural Early Childhood Classrooms Diverse Family Structures Poverty Living Conditions Food Insecurity Urban and Rural Considerations

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-13 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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?

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-14 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-15 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-16 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-17 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-18 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-19 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-20 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-21 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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

Nutrition, Health, and Safety for Young Children: Promoting Wellness, 1e Sorte, Daeschel, Amador 1-22 © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.”