Physical Fitness

Section 5: Physical Fitness

As you have been learning, your knowledge about the nutritional and fitness needs of children will have the greatest impact when you can share this knowledge in order to help children and their families grow in awareness of and commitment to healthy behaviors and lifestyles. For your blog section this week, prepare a 2-page fact sheet to inform both early childhood professionals and families about the essential aspects of physical fitness for preschool-age children. Use the following guidelines:

Write an introductory paragraph or at least five bullet points that explain why physical fitness is so important for young children. Include at least three developmental skills that children are learning at this age, and describe how physical activities can help children toward mastery of these skills. Be sure to cite evidence from the learning resources or, if desired, use other resources to support your claims.

1. Explain what can happen when children do not engage in healthy fitness activities. Be sure to consider the impact on children of being overweight or obese, including implications for health and self-esteem.
2. Indicate how adults can help children develop good fitness habits. Describe at least two activities, such as specific games or movements, which are appropriate and enjoyable for children of this age. At least one of the activities should involve gross-motor (locomotor) skills, and another should involve fine-motor (manipulative) skills. Remember, the activities you recommend should be developmentally appropriate, which includes noncompetitive.
3. Based on your readings, include at least one inspirational, thought-provoking quote that captures your attitude and/or philosophy about fostering children's healthy growth and development.
4. For your fact sheet, draw on the information in the fitness articles from this week's Required Resources and your own research to provide evidence about the positive impact that physical activity has on children's health, both now and in the future. Be sure to cite your sources[MAV1] .

“Physical activity is an essential component for wellness.” (Robertson, page 272)  The health and wellness of our children should be one of the most important things parents should consider while raising them.  It is also important for educators to work physical activity into the regularly scheduled routine of the classroom to ensure health and wellness. 

Children at a preschool age are learning many different skills at a rather rapid pace.  They are using their bodies from their heads to their toes to accomplish different tasks.  “Running, hopping, walking, skipping, climbing, and jumping are motor activities that come naturally to young children.  They enjoy practicing these new abilities.” (Robertson, page 274)  Children are using their feet and legs to accomplish most of these tasks.  It is important for young children to practice these skills because these skills will be beneficial and useful to them during later years.  Preschoolers are also learning how to do several fine motor skills at this age like holding a pencil correctly and tying their shoes.  These fine motor skills are going to prove to be harder for the children to master, but they too are skills that are needed throughout life.

”Teachers may have to guide some children into participating in more physical activities.” (Robertson, page 276)  Some children can be hesitant to participate in physical activity because they are not exposed to physical activity at home or they may be concerned about failing.  It is important to present different physical activities so that children are learning and testing different skills, but also to give different children the opportunity to be better than other classmates. 

There are several different results from lack of physical activity in a child’s daily schedule.  They can be overweight or obese.  Children can also develop slower than others, or show a lack of bone growth or strength if they are not working their bones and muscles on a regular basis.  Lack of physical fitness can also lead to depression, low self-esteem and self-image or unhappiness in young children.  Children could have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, or other medical issues if their lifestyles lack in exercise. 

Adults can help children develop a good physical activity schedule by setting a positive example and modeling the lifestyle they wish for their children to have.  Children are more likely to participate in physical activity if a parent or close friend is involved in the activity with them.  (Robertson)  Adults can participate in activities like youth sports with the children by being a coach or team helper, or even by practicing with the child at home.  Adults can also demonstrate a healthy lifestyle to children if they eat right and share their healthy eating.  An adult who is eating their fruits and vegetables is a better role model then a parent or teacher eating potato chips while telling the child to eat fruits and veggies. 

There are a lot of fun activities that adults and children can do together to promote healthy living and physical fitness.  Playing a game of pick-up basketball or kickball is a fun gross motor activity that will also expose everyone to activity that maintains a healthy lifestyle.  Another activity that adults and children could do together would be relay races.  These are fun for children and they try to beat their parents and are active participants.  There are also fine motor activities that you can involve children in to help maintain physical activity.  Children love to do sorting activities with tiny objects.  Parents and children can also perform puppet shows or sing active songs for physical activity.  When a parent or adult is involved in an activity with a child, the child is more likely to participate and more excited about the activity.

“The United States is experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of children who are overweight and a significant decline in children’s overall physical activity” (Goran 2001).  This quote stuck out to me while reading one of our resources for the week.  I think it stuck in my brain because it relates directly to me in the education field, but also to me who one days hope to have a family of my own and wants to raise them properly but also healthy.  I know that changes need to be made in society in order for the obesity rate to go down and for our children’s physical activity level to go up.  As educators, we need to be making positive steps to changing children’s lives by implementing daily physical activity and routines to help them lead a healthy and successful life.

Sources:

Goodway, J. D., & Robinson, L. E. (2006, March). SKIPing toward an active start: Promoting physical activity in preschoolers. Beyond the Journal: Young Children on the Web. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200605/GoodwayBTJ.pdf

Robertson, Cathie. Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education (4th ed.) Pages 254-289.

Klein, Kathy.  Director of Fitness, Y of Central Maryland – Ellicott City Branch.

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 [MAV1]You have a good start to your blob here.  Are you going to add this last question for the final blog????

Healthy Food and Nutrition

Based on current trends and realities, it is clear that adults committed to children's healthy growth and development must advocate for high-quality nutrition, which begins with a strong foundational knowledge of children's nutritional needs, developmental stages, and dietary guidelines.  For your course project this week, you will create a fourth section that provies important information on nutrition and age-approporaite foods for infants, toddles, and preschooles and that will serve as an educational tool for adults who work with young children and  explain why eating habits are so important to children in each age group.  Cite evidence from Chapter 6 in your text and/or other resources to support your claims.   Refer to Chapter 8 in your course text and explain why adults should actively help children develop healthy eating habits and at least two ways this can be accomplished.  Provide three nutritious recipes that family members can prepare with preschoolers and explain the nutritional value of each. (To locate recipes, look through the various suggested Web sites or do research as needed.) Offer strategies and suggestions to make cooking together an enjoyable learning experience for children.

Good nutrition is an important thing to teach young children.  It is important to make sure children are consuming the right amounts of foods with enough vitamins, and minerals.  Children need the appropriate servings of fruits and vegetables to get these vital nutrients. (Robertson, 2010)  It is also important for children to limit the amount of sugars and carbohydrates that they consume.  Too much of either of these can cause a hype in sugar levels or a rise in blood pressure.  It is also important for children to have good healthy nutrition so that they maintain a good metabolism and adequate energy.  Health and nutrition are important to any person, but especially children.  In order for children to maintain a healthy lifestyle, they need to b consuin the right amounts of different foods, like four to six servings of fruit or vegetables a day.  Children, especially at a younger age, should be consuming very minimal salt and sugar, these are both considered unhealthy for the body and can cause long term side effects.

Children throughout the early stags of life are in need of different foods at different times.  While infants are relying mostly on breast milk or formula, a toddler is in need of more.  Toddlers have often started eating such foods as banans, cheerios, and crackers but are still not ready for more complicated foods like steak, rices, and apples.  Once a child grows and develops a little bit more, into a preschooler, the are ready to try more fods.  They are able to eat most everything now, it just has to be cut into smaller size or bite size pieces.  Preschoolers are also consuming more then a toddler would, portion wise because they are using these foods to grow and develop.  It is important to feed children who are in growth and development stags the right foods to help keep their growth on track. 

Adults are an important aspect when it comes to teaching children about health and nutrition.  Adults can set a positive role model for children about the foods that are healthy and nutritious to eat, such as grains, meats and fruits.  Adults can also show children who unhealthy sugary snacks like ice cream and cookies can be.  Adults can be an example of portion control as well as scheduled eating times.  Being able to show children what to eat and how much of it can be a key to teaching children about healthy eating.  (Robertson, 2010)

At the end of this assignment, I have enclosed three healthy children recipes.  Each of these is filled with healthy fruits or vegetables and very little extra ingredients.  These recipes are good to do with children because they are quick and simple recipes that the children can help with.  They give children a necessary serving of fruits or vegetables and allow the children to enjoy their foods.  Children can and will enjoy helping in the preparation of foods.  Whether it’s mixing foods together, pouring liquids, cleaning foods before cooking or cleaning up afterwards, children take pride in helping out and are happy to help. 

Three Healthy Recipes

Carrot Olive Kabobs

Supplies needed: 

carrots

string cheese

black olives

Directions:

Peel several carrots.

Cut off ends of carrots and then cut carrot in half.

Cut carrots into thin strips.

Cut a cheese stick into small pieces.  Cut a hole into the middle of each cheese piece.

Alternate stringing the cheese pieces and the black olives onto the think carrot strips

Banana Ghost Pops

Supplies needed:

bananas

plain yogurt

chocolate chips

shredded coconut

kabob sticks

Directions:

Peel bananas.  Cut bananas into 3 or four pieces (depending on size of banana).

Place banana on top of kabob stick, making sure the stick goes through approximately ¾ of the banana.

Roll yogurt lightly in yogurt, followed by shredded coconut.

Place two chocolate chips on as eyes.

Apple Chips

Supplies needed:

Apples

Directions:

First boil apple juice with either a cinnamon stick or cinnamon. 

Sliced apples as thinly as possible. (crosswise so the core was in the center.  No need to seed it, they just fall right out)

Boil the apples in the apple juice till they were somewhat transparent. 

Take the apple slices out of the boiling juice, and patted them dry.

Lay them on a cookie rack (the kind you cool cookies on) and placed the entire rack in the oven at 250 degrees.

Bake until they were dry and slightly browned.

*All of my recipes were found on the website “Super Healthy Kids: Making Fruits and Vegetables Simple, Fun and Delicious”*

CPR and Choking Emergencies

Section 3: CPR and Choking Emergencies

When a child has been burned, has ingested poison, or is choking on a piece of food, you may be the person who can save that child's life. The plans and preparation you and your colleagues have in place can make all the difference in a life-or-death situation. In fact, anyone who is licensed or trained to work with young children should have the knowledge and capabilities for providing emergency care at a moment's notice.

For this section of your course project:  Create two scenarios: one in which a child is choking and another in which a child needs CPR. In each of your scenarios, include who is involved and where it is occurring (for example, a 5-year-old in a preschool setting has stopped breathing and is apparently choking on a piece of food). Then outline the proper emergency procedures for dealing with each situation (see pages 179–180 in your text).  Next, summarize why advance planning is often the best way to respond to or prevent an emergency situation and the kinds of training (e.g., CPR or first aid training) you believe are needed in order to prevent or positively resolve such emergencies.  Finally, describe any other steps adults must take to ensure they are prepared to handle these kinds of crises, including such information as first aid supplies, family emergency contact information, and so on.

Scenario One: 

Create two scenarios: one in which a child is choking and another in which a child needs CPR. In each of your scenarios, include who is involved and where it is occurring (for example, a 5-year-old in a preschool setting has stopped breathing and is apparently choking on a piece of food).

A 2-year old young boy is playing with his classmates within their daycare classroom.  He has stopped breathing and is choking on a small toy he put into his mouth. 

Then outline the proper emergency procedures for dealing with each situation (see pages 179–180 in your text).  

1. Remain calm and attempt to keep the scene calm.  Stay with the child, do not leave them.  Assign the other teacher within the room to keep the other children clam and away from the choking child.
2.  Assess the child from head-to-toe.
3. Perform the Heimlich Maneuver as previously taught in your CPR and First Aid training.
4. Once item is dislodged, assess the child again.  If necessary, contact 911.
5. Notify parents and agree on a plan of action.
6. Stay with the child until the parents or emergency personal arrive.

Next, summarize why advance planning is often the best way to respond to or prevent an emergency situation and the kinds of training (e.g., CPR or first aid training) you believe are needed in order to prevent or positively resolve such emergencies.  

It is best to have a plan for emergency situations such as the one above.  All teachers within a childcare setting should be CPR and First Aide certified that way they can help the children immediately instead of waiting for help.  It is also a good idea to make sure there are no small pieces within hands reach of small children.  These pieces can be swallowed and lodged within the throat. 

Finally, describe any other steps adults must take to ensure they are prepared to handle these kinds of crises, including such information as first aid supplies, family emergency contact information, and so on.

In a childcare setting is it best to make sure you have a first aid kit readily available for us.  Emergency phone numbers should be listed next to the nearest phone.  Important phone numbers for the children need to be listed in a place which is easily accessible in an emergency. 

Scenario Two: 

Create two scenarios: one in which a child is choking and another in which a child needs CPR. In each of your scenarios, include who is involved and where it is occurring (for example, a 5-year-old in a preschool setting has stopped breathing and is apparently choking on a piece of food).

A four-year old little girl on a preschool playground slid off the end of the sliding board and hit the back of her head on the end of the slide and then the hard ground.  The little girl is laying on the ground unconscious and not breathing.

Then outline the proper emergency procedures for dealing with each situation (see pages 179–180 in your text).  

1. Remain calm and attempt to keep the scene calm.  Stay with the child, do not leave them.  Assign the other teacher within the room to keep the other children clam and away from the choking child.  Be sure that someone call’s 9-1-1.
2.  Assess the child from head-to-toe.
3. Perform CPR as previously taught in your CPR and First Aid training.
4. Stop CPR if emergency personal arrive if the child becomes conscious.
5. Notify parents and agree on a plan of action.
6. Stay with the child until the parents or emergency personal arrive.

Next, summarize why advance planning is often the best way to respond to or prevent an emergency situation and the kinds of training (e.g., CPR or first aid training) you believe are needed in order to prevent or positively resolve such emergencies.  

It is best to have a plan for emergency situations such as the one above.  All teachers within a childcare setting should be CPR and First Aide certified that way they can help the children immediately instead of waiting for help. 

During outside or playground time, it is a god idea to have staff keeping a close eye on the children while they are playing.    Some accidents happen but it will help if the teachers are always monitoring them.

Finally, describe any other steps adults must take to ensure they are prepared to handle these kinds of crises, including such information as first aid supplies, family emergency contact information, and so on.

In a childcare setting is it best to make sure you have a first aid kit readily available for us.  Emergency phone numbers should be listed next to the nearest phone.  Important phone numbers for the children need to be listed in a place which is easily accessible in an emergency.  An emergency action plan should be set up for scenarios like the one above, this way everyone knows their role in an emergency and nothing is forgotten. 

Emergency Prepardness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters

SECTION TWO: Emergency Prepardness!                                                                                         For this section of your course project, complete the following:

Describe each of the disaster scenarios you have chosen (such as a hurricane that has quickly developed in your area) and a real or hypothetical early childhood setting (such as a Head Start program housed on a university campus near the coast). What are the main dangers posed by these situations? Who is at risk?

Explain why you and your colleagues should be prepared. What are the consequences of not being prepared?

Summarize the appropriate steps you would take to develop a plan in advance for this disaster and how you would deal with it if it occurs.

Be sure to:

Explain how you would assess the risks.

Identify potential complications created by this disaster besides the main disaster/danger itself.

Describe any other steps you and/or your early childhood program should take to be prepared to handle this kind of crisis. What kinds of materials or documentation (e.g., first aid supplies, family emergency contact information, and so on) would be necessary and/or helpful?

Explain how you might involve the families of the children in your care.

This week, you will submit the second section of your course project for your Instructor to review.

Submit this assignment by Day 7 of this week.

For this assignment, I have chosen the early childhood setting as the childcare center I currently work at which cares for children ages infant to preschool (age 5).  Classrooms are set up so that the age groups are divided and staffed with the appropriate number per children. 

The first disaster scenario I choose would be an armed intruder in the building.  After the Sandy Hook event recently, schools all over the country began practicing the “armed intruder” drill which is why I choose it.  In this scenario, it is important to stay calm and quiet.  The best scenario is to get the children out of the building as safely as possible.  In the childcare center I work at, there are two exits from each classroom.  One is into the main hallway and the other door exits to the outside playground area.  If you can, children and teachers need to safely exit out of the outside doors and leave the premises.  When we have evacuation drills, we are to report to the fire station across the street.  If for some reason, exits are blocked, then everyone is to stay away from doors or windows, preferably hiding in a closet with a door. 

The second disaster scenario I choose for this assignment is an unexpected earthquake.  I choose this scenario because we actually encountered it a few years ago after never practicing for one.  It was the middle of nap time, all children sleeping, and the building began to shake.  I live in an area where we do not get earthquakes often, especially not ones in which cause any sort of impact.  For earthquake drills when children are awake, you are supposed to stand in door ways to protect yourself from falling debris.  It was hard for me to make the call n what to do when the children were sleeping, because waking them all to move them was going to cause even more commotion and chaos.  Luckily, the earthquake we encountered was not a big one which caused any danger. 

It is important to have a first aid kit as well as emergency contact numbers and information that can be easily grabbed during the departure of your classroom.  It is important that, if possible, you take necessary items with you so that you have them to contact parents or important personal.  Taking a first aide it along with any necessary medications is also important in case you need these supplies.

All disaster scenarios have their complications that may arise.  In either of these situations arise, it may be hard to evacuate the building or get to a secure area because of the situation.  Other complications that may arise include lack of children cooperation due to panicking or not listening. 

Involving the families in your disaster scenario plans is always a good idea.  It helps you as the educator to know what the children have encountered and what they practice at home.  It also is a god idea to let the parents know what your plans are in case the scenario does arise, the parents know their child(ren) is safe and taken care of, as well as know when and where they will be able to pick them up from. 

Although I hope to never have to encounter any sort of disaster scenarios, I know that it is not realistic to expect.  So I am glad that I am prepared and that I have been given the time to take classes to prepare me for any situation I may encounter.

Safety Policies and Procedures

Section One: Safety Polies aqnd Procedures

Identify at least five potentially hazardous situations/safety threats common to your age group.

For each of the hazardous situations or safety threats:

• Summarize specific safety policies that apply to these situations/threats.
  
• Describe measures that should be taken to prevent and/or deal with these situations/threats.
  
• Indicate what families can do to ensure the safety of the child at home.

For the project, I have decided to work with the age group of Infants and Toddlers, specifically focusing on children ages twelve to twenty-four months.  I have chosen this age group because it is a group that I have worked with previously and I feel as though I have the most knowledge about this particular age group as opposed to the others we had the option of picking.

There are lots of safety hazards that come along with working with children at such a young age.  Among them, the first that comes to mind is the idea of children choking on small objects.  This can be a hazard because it causes a choking concern.  We have to be careful and observant of the toys we give the children to play with as well as any little pieces that may be in arms reach on a shelf or the floor.  Choking hazards are something that all teachers, no matter the age, are to be mindful of in a classroom environment as well as in other environments that the children are I (outside, hallways, etc.)

Another dangerous situation would be the open outlet sockets, the ones that are not protected by outlet covers.  These can cause problems when children insert their tiny fingers or small objects into the holes, causing shock or fires.  It is important to cover these outlets up with furniture or outlet covers.  A third safety hazard that I may encounter during my work with young children can be the suffocation due to blankets.  This, seen most often during a child’s time sleeping, can be a very dangerous thing that a teacher may not be able to prevent.  Children at a young age can become entangled in their sleeping garments, causing problems to their airways.  We need to be continuously checking on children who are sleeping to make sure this does not occur.

Working with children, you become aware of some less noticeable safety threats as well.  We need to make sure that all dangerous chemicals are locked up and out of reach.  It is very hazardous for a child to come in contact with certain chemicals, especially if they swallow or ingest these dangerous chemicals.  All chemicals should be kept away, no left out on a table for a child to touch, and we need to make sure we are not using the chemicals around the children so that they are in no way exposed while unprotected.  The fifth safety threat that I see within a classroom of infants and toddlers would be little fingers getting caught in small spaces, doors as they are closing, or slid between a table and a chair.  Their tiny fingers can be caught in a number of tight or small spaces that, as adults, we would not get ur fingers into due to size.  It is important to always be aware of where a child has their small fingers so as not to get them caught anywhere that may cause pain. 

In order to ensure that these safety situations are addressed at home or in a classroom, simply follow the ideas that I have listed above.  Hide chemicals, cover electric outlets, and clean floors regularly.  There are safety hazards everywhere for children at this young age.  It is important for adults to be aware of the surroundings and constantly re-evaluating the situation with the safety and best interest of the children in mind.

 

Hello everyone!

The point of creating this blog was for a school assignment.

I am an education major, Early Childhood Development to be exact, with an expected graduation date of December 2013.  I am enjoying every moment of the classes I have been taking throughout my educational career.  Currently I am enrolled in a class where I have been doing work on the health, safety, and. nutrition of young children.

I hope to be able to use this blog even after the assignment is complete to share education news, my plans for employment in the future, and to look into other people's ideas on similar topics.

Good luck to all those in my class doing the same assignment as me.  As well as anyone embarking into the education field.