The preschool learning foundations for safety, health, and nutrition are organized into three broad categories, or strands:
Health Habits
Safety
Nutrition
Refer to the Physical Health and Development content area in the Kansas Early Learning Standards for specific indicators of how children of various ages meet the benchmarks and standards. The structure of the KELS for the area of physical health and development is as follows:
Gross Motor Skills
Fine Motor Skills
Physical Fitness
Nutrition and Health Eating
Self-Care
Safety (Kansas State Department of Education, 2024)
These describe the health knowledge, skills, and behaviors that preschool children typically develop in a quality preschool environment. Through supportive communication and participation in everyday routines and activities, children begin to develop behaviors such as making food choices, engaging in physical activity, and maintaining personal safety and oral health. These skills and behaviors set young children on the path toward health and healthy lifestyle choices. The specific foundations are included later in the chapter as each strand is explored.
They represent a vision of young children’s developmental process, not an expectation. Each child enters preschool with a genetic background, developmental characteristics, an individual level of knowledge and skills, and understanding of everyday routines. The differences are based not only on the child’s age, but also on the child’s developmental level, prior experiences, and special needs. It is the responsibility of adults to help each child to develop the knowledge, skills, and behavior that promote healthy development.[1]
Supporting Health Habits
Teachers can help children establish positive health habits. This learning is progressive, and preschool teaching often focuses on scripts and routines for prevention of disease and injury. Later, as children grow and develop knowledge and skills, they begin to believe and understand that they are responsible for their own health.
Figure 14.4: Learning to brush your teeth well is an important lifelong skill to protect dental health.[2]
Health Habits includes basic hygiene, oral health, wellness knowledge, and sun safety.
Teacher-guided activities on health habits may be used to introduce or focus attention on a specific topic or concept. However, learning is primarily achieved through children’s daily routines (e.g., washing hands at certain times, brushing teeth after meals) and verbal or nonverbal scripts that illustrate the desired lifelong behavior (e.g., using a tissue when blowing the nose, coughing into the elbow). Children demonstrate knowledge of body parts, disease prevention, and wellness as they practice routines and develop descriptive scripts (e.g., “We wash our hands, fingers, and wrists”; “I’m going to brush my teeth and tongue”); they begin to understand more difficult concepts through scaffolding.
Teachers can support children’s development of the health habits foundations with the following:
Teach children how to wash their hands.
Practice toothbrushing skills.
Model basic hygiene and disease prevention actions throughout the day (including using tissues to blow their nose, sneezing and coughing into their elbows, using napkins, brushing their teeth, using utensils to serve food, etc.).
Remind children about health practices throughout the day. Include strategically placed visual reminders throughout the environment.
Incorporate handwashing, toothbrushing, sun safety, and other health practices in the daily routine.
Use visual aids to demonstrate invisible germs.
Reinforce learning with stories and music.
Observe individual children attentively. Learn what experiences, knowledge, skills, and abilities each child has to determine where they are at in the learning process.
Build communication and vocabulary skills. Use children’s home languages. Tell them stories and have them draw stories about health routines (such as visiting the dentist). Introduce words that apply to different safety topics (such as 'protect').
Encourage pretend play, especially to work through their fears. Provide special-interest areas (doctor’s office, dentist's office, eye doctor’s office, etc.) with props for role-playing.
Provide hats and look at how each might protect children from the sun. Encourage children to dramatize protecting baby dolls from the sun.
Encourage children to explore and accept differences. Children recognize physical differences and the different health practices, meal setups, food choices, and safety considerations.
Use correct terminology for body parts in both English and children’s home languages.
Figure 14.5: Proper handwashing is one of the most effective ways of staying healthy.[3]
Familiarize children with health helpers (lab technicians, nutritionists, dentists, eye doctors) and include others that may be utilized by their families (chiropractors, acupuncturists, midwives, etc.).
Consider offering health screenings for children to help them become familiar with health helpers.
Integrate health promotion and sun safety with other topics and domains.
Provide visual representations of health helpers (ensure that you show both males and females, various ethnicities, and various ages of people).
Enhance children’s knowledge and understanding through problem-solving (which health helper would provide assistance in different situations).
Model and share information each day about practices (such as applying first aid for an injury) that support health.
Integrate sun safety with emergency preparedness and safety.
Encourage decision-making. Have children protect themselves from the sun.
Promote sun safety everywhere, every day, all year long for each and every child.
Ensure that children have access to appropriate sun safety items.[4]
Vignettes
The children are playing indoors when Miss Marie reminds them that it is time to prepare for lunch. She begins to sing a handwashing song as children leave their interest areas. Some of the children begin singing as they wash their hands. The song follows the familiar “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” tune, and the children enjoy singing it in both English and Spanish.
English:
Wash, wash, wash my hands
Make them nice and clean
Rub the bottoms and the tops
And fingers in between
Spanish:
Lava, Lava, Lava mis manos
Lavalas muy limpias
Lavalas de arriba y abajo y
Entre mis dedos de las manos
The children have learned that if they sing the song two times while washing their hands, then their hands should be clean! Miss Marie sings along with the children as she observes the handwashing process. She helps Tonya, who has a hearing impairment, by clapping along with the song; Tonya can look in the mirror above the sink to see when the song (clapping) ends. The younger children sometimes need help in dispensing the soap and turning the water on and off; the older children enjoy helping the younger ones and like to model their handwashing skills.
Mr. Jeff is putting sunscreen on four preschoolers. “Mr. Jeff, why do we have to put this sticky stuff on every day?” asks Mary. As he removes his gloves and puts away the sunscreen bottle, he explains, “The sun is good for us. It gives us light and warmth. But too much sun is not good for your skin. We put on the sunscreen to protect our skin from too much sun.” Javier says, “I don’t burn. I don’t need this.” Mr. Jeff replies, “Everyone needs to be sun-safe.” Mr. Jeff encourages the children to run, jump, and try new activities as they play outdoors.[5]
Pause to Reflect
What do you remember from your own childhood about learning how to take care of your health (handwashing, tooth brushing, first aid, sun safety, etc.)? What roles did the adults in your life play in those experiences?
Supporting Safety
Preschool children deserve to live and play in safe environments. It is the adult’s responsibility to keep children safe; children should not be expected to actively protect themselves. Preschool safety education helps children develop safety awareness and the realization that they can control some aspects of their safety through certain actions.
The earlier children learn about safety, the more naturally they will develop the attitudes and respect that lead to lifelong patterns of safe behavior. Safety education involves teaching safe actions while helping children understand the possible consequences of unsafe behavior.
Figure 14.6: Children can be taught safety rules that give them an active role in keeping themselves safe.[6]
This section on safety addresses children’s ability to follow safety rules, emergency routines, and transportation and pedestrian safety rules.
Safety
Teachers can support children’s development of the safety foundations with the following:
Incorporate safety activities into the daily routine.
Involve children in creating rules. Limit the number of rules and keep them simple.
Provide coaching and gentle reminders to help children follow safety rules. Use visuals with pictures and simple words in English and home languages.
Promote independence while developing other skills.
Provide time for children to practice individual skills (rather than just telling them about them).
Introduce concepts and behaviors in simple steps. Build upon previous learning.
Role-play safety helpers. Recognize that levels of trust in emergency and safety workers will vary from child to child, based on their experiences and the environments they live in.
Take field trips and bring in safety helpers (police officers, firefighters, crossing guards, paramedics, and others).
Define emergency, and have children practice problem-solving with different emergency situations.
Introduce safety signs. Help children learn to recognize important symbols (and their corresponding printed words).
Incorporate music with safety songs. Children can learn to state their name and address with the help of a simple song.[7]
Figure 14:7: Explaining to children why it’s important to be buckled in helps them understand safety.[8]
Vignette
Ms. Linda is preparing her preschoolers for the first fire drill of the year. She has read several books about fire safety to the children. The class enjoyed a visit from Deloria’s mother, who is a firefighter. The children are excited about their first fire drill, but they are not sure what to expect. Ms. Linda plays a tape of the school fire alarm and explains that the real warning alarm will be very loud. The fire alarm means everyone must leave the building.
“Now we are going to practice listening and preparing to leave the classroom,” says Ms. Linda. “It will be like playing Follow the Leader, and I will be the leader.” The children are eager to try this new experience, and it is difficult for them to listen quietly. Several of the children are learning English so Ms. Linda uses words in the other languages of the children, as well as English, to focus their attention and explain the steps. Prior to this practice, Ms. Linda presented a list of key words and phrases to parents who speak languages other than English and obtained the relevant translations. She combines words and hand signals to direct the children. Ms. Linda explains that she will assist Juan, who is in a wheelchair, during the fire drill.
Ms. Linda demonstrates what to do when the alarm sounds (e.g., stand up, stay quiet) before the children practice. They practice this routine each day that week so they will be ready for the actual drill on Friday.[9]
Pause to Reflect
Some children find learning about safety to be frightening. What should you keep in mind to help children deal with their fears surrounding staying safe?
Supporting Nutrition
Lifelong eating habits are shaped during a child’s early years. Teachers of young children have a special opportunity to help children establish a healthy relationship with food and lay the foundation for sound eating habits. Nutrition education and activities help set children on the path to a healthy lifestyle. Providing nutritionally balanced meals and snacks and integrating nutrition education and healthy eating habits in the home and early childhood environment can help prevent health risks such as childhood obesity.
Nutrition education is integrated with the other domains of learning. Through food and cooking activities, children also develop skills in math, science, art, language and literacy, social science, health and self-care, and social skills. Nutrition education for preschoolers fosters children’s awareness of different types of foods and promotes exploration and inquiry of food choices. Lifelong food habits are developed during early childhood. Through nutrition education in preschool, teachers encourage children to include a wide variety of foods that provide adequate nutrients in their daily diet.
Figure 14.8: Providing nutrient-dense foods, such as fruit and milk, for children is important.[11]
Nutrition includes knowledge, choices, and self-regulation of eating. Through knowledge, children become aware of different foods and tastes, some familiar and others new. As they explore various foods and food preparations, they develop likes and dislikes and begin making choices based on their preferences. Both nutrition choices and self-regulationof eating—that is, eating when hungry, chewing food thoroughly, eating slowly, and stopping when full— involve decision-making skills.
Nutrition
Teachers can support children’s development of the nutrition foundations with the following:
Introduce many different foods. This can be done through books, meals, snacks, and cooking activities. Include familiar and novel foods and foods from the various cultural backgrounds of the children and their families.
Recognize and accommodate differences in eating habits and food choices. Provide explanations for differences (e.g., eating from communal dishes, feeding tubes, avoiding certain foods, etc.) by having a family member or specialist come in to explain.
Provide opportunities and encouragement in food exploration. Encourage children to explore with all five senses.
Integrate nutrition with the other areas of learning through cooking activities.
Show children where food is produced. Expand nutrition education through field trips to gardens, farms, orchards, local produce markets, kitchens, restaurants, grocery stores, etc., and bring in visiting experts (e.g., farmers, food co-op members, community gardeners).
Start a garden where the children can actively work. Allow them to plant, water, and care for the garden.
Help children experience gardening as they raise herbs, fruits, or vegetables.
Establish special-interest areas for children to engage in dramatic play (e.g., grocery stores, restaurants, picnics).
Encourage role playing by providing props, including place mats, tablecloths, table-setting items, pretend food items, cooking utensils, menus, and other items that represent the children’s families.
Integrate nutrition education with basic hygiene education (e.g., washing hands before and after preparing food) and other learning areas (e.g., singing songs and discussions).
Model and coach children’s behaviors. Each what the children are being served.
Encourage children to share information about family meals. Explore cultural diversity and how children’s families eat at home.
Figure 14.9: Healthy food, served family style, sets the stage for great nutrition.[12]
Serve snacks and meals family style. Adults and children eat together, share the same food, and talk informally.
Encourage tasting all foods, but don’t compel them to taste or eat certain foods.
Serve foods prepared in many ways (e.g., raw, grilled, steamed, cut into shapes, shredded).
Combine new foods with familiar ones.
Be aware of individual food restrictions and help children make appropriate choices.
Offer a variety of nutritious, appetizing foods in small portions.
Encourage children to chew their food well and eat slowly.
Teach children to recognize hunger cues. Encourage children to decide how much to eat and to stop when they feel full.
Discuss how the body uses food.
Reinforce learning throughout the day (not just at meal and snack times).[13]
Vignettes
Ms. Tsikudo has invited Ava’s mother, Zhiying, to tell the class about Taiwan. Zhiying was born and grew up in Taiwan. Zhiying has brought many family photos, as well as photos of Taiwan's beautiful scenery. After showing the photos and taking questions from the children, she shares with the children a large durian and a few star fruits, fruits that people in Taiwan like to eat. Ms. Tsikudo helps carry the durian on a plate and moves around the class, asking children to touch it. “How does the skin feel?” “Bumpy!” Children reply with excitement. Meanwhile, Zhiying has sliced the star fruit and is starting to pass them around. “What do the pieces look like?” she asks. “Stars!” the children reply. Ms. Tsikudo picks up one slice of star fruit, puts it into her mouth, and says “I have never had star fruit before. Yum! I like the taste of this fruit. Who wants to try?” Some children raise their hands to try the fruit.
“I don’t like that.” Every day at lunch for the past three weeks, Amy said the same thing. She would eat the meat and fruit but would not taste any vegetables or bread. Mr. Rios asked Mrs. Gardner, Amy’s grandmother, “What does Amy like to eat at home?” Mrs. Gardner replied, “She has never eaten very much at one time, and now all she wants is mashed potatoes. She looks healthy, but I’m worried about her.”
Mr. Rios continued to observe Amy’s eating habits and encouraged her to try other foods. As the children served their plates, he asked them about the different colors and smells. Using small serving utensils, he encouraged each child to take a small amount. If a child said he did not want it, Mr. Rios assured him that he did not have to eat it but gently encouraged him to put a tiny bit on his plate.
As Mr. Rios planned learning activities for the following weeks, he included a cooking activity along with snack time two days each week. He involved children’s families by asking them to send ideas or simple recipes for favorite snack foods. Through these activities, the children were introduced to different foods, some new and some familiar, and various methods of food preparation (e.g., cooked versus raw, single food versus combined foods).[14]
Research Highlight
Fear of new foods is common in children. It may take many tries before a child tastes a new food, and up to 20 exposures before he decides he likes or truly dislikes it. Food jags(when a child will eat only one food item meal after meal) are also common. Food jags rarely last long enough to cause harm. Children’s eating habits are a way for them to feel independent. They reflect typical development in children.
Some children have disabilities or other issues that affect their food choices. Children with autism often have very limited food preferences; some may have sensory issues and avoid specific textures or foods. Other children may not like it when different types of foods touch each other on the plate or may wish to eat foods in a particular order. Be aware of differences in children’s preferences and eating habits, and consult with the child’s family and specialist to ensure that needs are met.[15]
E. Satter, The Picky Eater. https:// ellynsatter.com/showArticle.jsp?id=265§ion=278 (accessed March 3, 2010).
American Academy of Pediatrics, Feeding Kids Right Isn’t Always Easy: Tips for Pre-venting Food Hassles, 2008. www. healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/pages/Hassle-Free-Meal- Time.aspx (accessed May 11, 2010).
University of Maryland Medical Center, Food Jags – Overview, 2007. www.umm.edu/ency/article/002425.htm (accessed March 3, 2010).
Pause to Reflect
How are your own eating habits and nutritional practices? Why is it important for you to reflect on this?
