Introduction to Fundamentals for Early Childhood Professionals
Health, Safety and Nutrition
Objectives 1, 3 & 4 / CDA subject area 1,6: Planning a safe, healthy, learning environment
Northern Lights (code: EOV) Core Knowledge areas:
Healthy and Safe: A. Healthy environments and Health Needs, B. Safe Environments, C. Nutrition, D. Physical Activity
Child development: A. How children develop / Reflection/writing
This class session will introduce the course requirements and forms (professional development documentation form, student contract and others). It will also introduce developmental milestones, Developmentally Appropriate Practice and important health and safety procedures in working with young children in group settings. Students will learn common causes of injuries and illness, be introduced to nutrition as it relates to child development and how to communicate this effectively with families.
NOTE:
In this session, course expectations and requirements are addressed, professional development documentation discussed, and learning contracts signed. Discuss ethics, confidentiality, and how to give and how to receive constructive feedback.
This session introduces Developmentally Appropriate Practice and health and safety and nutrition. The importance of nutrition beginning in infancy as it relates to cognitive function, behavior, and overall development is addressed.
Suggested learning activities:
Write your brief "life history" and what brought you to the early education field, including experience you've had working with children. (NOTE: CDA credential portfolio requires an autobiography.)
Take 10 minutes to survey your room. Is there space for children to work independently or in groups? Is there clutter that may be in the way of children as they move about the room? Are there ways to better organize the space to provide a safe environment? Please write your thoughts on a piece of paper and bring it to class.
Use a Learning Contract. A template is available in the section “for Instructors and planners” (column 2) on the Fundamentals Curricula page of the Northern Lights website.
Select one child and record what s/he eats over the course of at least one day (a food journal). Make special note of any behaviors that require special attention during this time. Indicate times these behaviors occurred in relation to the time foods were eaten.
Suggested resources:
§ NAEYC – Developmentally Appropriate Practice
§ Connect with Healthy Child Care Vermont to address common causes of injuries and illness in child care settings, their prevention and management through safe environments, and communicating with families. See Sample workshop agenda and toolkit contents from Healthy Child Care Vermont—see hard copy.
§ Child Development Associate credential article, see also on this website under “CREDENTIAL”
Suggested resources:
Books
§ Curtis, D. and Carter, M. (2003). Designs for Living and Learning: Transforming Early Childhood Environments. ISBN: 1-929610-29-7
§ Philosophies of early care and education, such as Theories of Childhood: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson, Piaget and Vygotsky by Carol Mooney
§ Freeman, N. and Feeney, S. (1999) Ethics and the Early Childhood
Educator: Using the NAEYC Code. ISBN: 0-935989-93-5
§ Moravcik, E., Freeman, N., and Feeney, S. (2000) Teaching the
NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct: Activity Sourcebook. ISBN: 0-935989-95-1
Articles
§ National Child Care Information Center (nutrition PowerPoint)
§ Child passenger safety
§ Exclusion guidelines for illness
§ Introduction: Nutrition
Websites
§ Back to Sleep Campaign: http://www.nichd.nih.gov
§ Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov/
§ Child Abuse Reporting:
§ Healthy Child Care America: http://www.healthychildcare.org § http://cyfernet.ces.ncsu.edu/cyfdb/browse_2.php?search=NNCC (articles and links available)
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/articlelibrary/index.asp
§ http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tips.htm#physical (articles available to download)
§ http://fcs.tamu.edu/families/child_care/connections_newsletters.php (newsletter articles)
§ The Child Care Nutrition Resource System: http://www.nal.usda.gov/childcare/index.html
§ http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/ (articles available)
§ California Childcare Health Program articles: http://www.ucsfchildcarehealth.org/
§ National Center for Injury Prevention and Control:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/playgr.htm
Agencies
§ NAEYC: http://www.naeyc.org
§ Family, Infant, and Toddler Program (Vermont): http://dcf.vermont.gov/cdd/cis
§ National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Developmentally
§ Born Learning: http://www.bornlearning.org
§ Zero to Three: http://www.zerotothree.org
§ Pertinent Preschool: http://www.ecewebguide.com/
§ National Center for Early Development & Learning:
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncedl/PAGES/products.cfm
§ Program for Infant/ Toddler Caregivers: http://www.pitc.org/pub/pitc_docs/resources.html (on-line resource library including training resources and activities)
tools
§ IPDP- short log available at end of this document in the tools section and longer ones available on the Northern Lights website (http://northernlightscdc.org)
§ Begin portfolio with binders or other organizing tool
RESOURCES SECTION on NL website:
§ Intro to Level I (Presentation notes on basic child development theory (courtesy of Lori Harris)- see also hard copy
§ Intro to observation (class 2) – articles on observing
§ Handwashing guidelines under Health and Safety