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GHS 1013 HEALTH, SAFETY AND NUTRITION
1.0 INTRODUCTION
According to Morrison (2008), kindergarten children are like other children in
many ways. They have similar developmental, physical, and behavioral characteristics
that characterize them as kindergarteners, children age five to six. Yet, at the same time,
they have characteristics that make them unique individuals.
Picture 1: Kindergarten children with their teacher.
Kindergarten children are energetic. They have a lot of energy, and they want to
use it in physical activities such as running, climbing, and jumping. Their desire to be
involved in physical activity makes kindergarten an ideal time to involve children in
projects of building. For example, making learning centres to resemble a store, post
office, or veterinary office.During this stage kindergarten children are continuing to learn
to regulate their emotions and social interactions.
Some things we can do to promote kindergartener’s positive social and emotional
development are:
Provide opportunities for children to be physically and mentally involved in
activities involving problem solving and social activities with others;
Teach and role model how to make and keep friends;
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Model positive social and emotional responses. Read stories and discuss feelings
such as anger, happiness, guilt, and pride;
Give children opportunities to be leaders in projects and activities;
State our expectations for appropriate behavior and discuss them with our
children.
Most kindergarten children, especially those who have been to preschool, are very
confident, are eager to be involved, and want to and can accept a great deal of
responsibility. They like going places and doing things, such as working on projects,
experimenting, and working with others. Socially, kindergarten children are at the same
time solitary and independent workers and growing in their ability and desire to work
cooperatively with others. They want to be industrious and successful. Their combination
of a “can do” attitude and their cooperation and responsibility make them a delight to
teach and work with.
Morrison (2008) goes on to say that kindergarten children are in a period of rapid
intellectual and language growth. They have a tremendous capacity to learn words and
like the challenge of learning new words. This helps explain kindergarten children’s love
of big words and their ability to say and use them. This is nowhere more apparent than in
their fondness for dinosaurs and words such as brontosaur. Kindergarten children like and
need to be involved in many language activities.
Additionally, kindergarteners like to talk. Their desire to be verbal should be
encouraged and supported by allowing many opportunities to engage in various language
activities such as singing, telling stories, being involved in drama, and reciting poetry.
What children know when they enter kindergarten helps determine their success in school
and what and how they are taught.
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2.0 KNOWLEDGE ON PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT IN KINDERGARTEN
Research has found that day care in early childhood centres has a positive effect
on children’s development. It is generally understood and accepted, based on extensive
empirical evidence that formal child care contributes to cognitive development for
preschool children, especially for economically disadvantaged children, and leads to
greater intellectual competence and cognitive maturity for a broad range of middle-class
Western children.
Picture 2: An example of a kindergarten.
According to TKCalifornia.org (2011),they can support student’s social,
emotional, physical and cognitive development by creating a classroom environment that
is engaging, promotes movement, is responsive to the diverse backgrounds and
experiences of our transitional kindergarteners and is accessible to students with
disabilities or special needs.
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Young learners need engagement in play-based projects that are connected to
theme-based integrated curriculum throughout the day. When carefully designed, the
classroom environment can extend and reinforce key curricular goals and concepts that
students are learning and support healthy brain development. The classroom space they
create, individualized to the needs and experiences of the students, will be crucial in
helping them get the most out of the school years to come.
Every classroom area and center can include literacy opportunities for students. Strategies
can include:
Stocking all areas of the classroom with writing tools and materials to encourage
children to write and explore reading during play;
Placing books outdoors to encourage students to read everywhere;
Including writing in various places such as well-labeled bins, names on items
around the classroom, lists and children’s names in a pocket chart (this provides
an organizational structure and student accessibility, and promote an environment
rich in print); and
Creating word walls, dictation and observational drawing to support systematic
introduction of new vocabulary and comprehension of content and new ideas.
Young learners need plenty of space and opportunity for cooperative learning
experiences that support their social, emotional, linguistic, physical and cognitive
development, and also supports their emerging cultural identities. These experiences help
children process new information and enables them to makes more substantive
connections in their learning. The level of interaction provides children ample
opportunity to speak with their peers and builds their language and speaking skills, which
is particularly helpful for English learners.
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It’s important to incorporate time into the daily routine for students to freely
choose their learning experiences. Creating a welcome environment that children can
connect with makes for a more productive learning environment. Among the many
strategies to accomplish this, a recommended approach is to have the classroom
materials, including items from home or other “real-life” objects, and overall the learning
environment reflects the diverse cultures and assets children bring from home. In
addition, it can be helpful when areas are organized so students can readily access
learning materials throughout the classroom, particularly for students with disabilities.
Labeling areas and materials in the environment will assist students with making
choices and identify how specific areas and objects are organized. In addition, the room
should include quiet spaces that allow children to relax during stressful times. Resting
places should be comfortable, welcoming, and infused with fabrics and textures familiar
to children’s home lives.
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3.0 NUTRITION NEEDS
Picture 3: Healthy food for children.
Food and good nutrition is of utmost importance to young children. What they eat
impacts on their growth and development. Children’s eating habits are developed in the
early years, and many eating habits developed at this early age will be continued
throughout life. It is therefore important that, whilst in care, children consume foods that
are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents, promote the
development of healthy eating habits and meet children’s nutrition requirements for
optimum growth.
According to Kellows (2013), a dietician, nutrition guidelines recommended for
adults are inappropriate for most children under the age of five. This is because young
children only have small tummies and so need plenty of calories and nutrients in a small
amount of food to ensure they grow properly.
While low-fat diets are recommended for older children and adults, under-fives
need diets that contain good amounts of fat.This fat should come from foods that contain
plenty of other nutrients like meat, oily fishand full-fat milk, rather than from high-fat
foods that contain fewvitamins and minerals like cakes, biscuits and chocolate.
Meanwhile, young children shouldn’t eat too many fibre-rich foods, either, as
these may fill them up so much they can’t eat enough to provide them with adequate
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calories and nutrients.However, as kids approach school age, they should gradually move
towards a diet that’s lower in fat and higher in fibre. And by the age of five, their diet
should be low in fat, sugar and salt and high in fibre with five fruit and veg a day – just
like adults.
Fortunately, whatever their age, children can easily get a balanced diet, and lower their
risk of becoming overweight or obese, by eating a variety of foods from four main food
groups:
Bread, other cereals and potatoes – these starchy foods, which also include pasta
and rice, provide energy, fibre, vitamins and minerals;
Fruit and vegetables – these provide fibre, vitamins and minerals and are a source
of antioxidants.
Milk and dairy foods – these provide calcium for healthy bones and teeth, protein
for growth, plus vitamins and minerals.
Meat, fish and alternatives – these foods, which include eggs and pulses, provide
protein and vitamins and minerals, especially iron. Pulses also contain fibre.
In contrast, foods from a fifth food group that includes fatty and sugary foods like
biscuits, cakes, fizzy drinks, chocolate, sweets, crisps and pastries, that add little
nutritional value, should be limited.
Choosing foods from each of the four main food groups will help to ensure that
kids receive all the vitamins and minerals they need for good nutrition and
health.Worryingly, figures from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Young People
reveals that many children have inadequate intakes of many nutrients, including vitamin
A, riboflavin (vitamin B2), zinc, potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron, particularly
once they reach the teenage years and have more control over what they eat.
In contrast, the survey showed these poor intakes of vitamins and minerals were
combined with too much salt, sugar and saturated fat.It’s particularly important that
children and teenagers eat a diet that’s packed with vitamins and minerals. In fact, older
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children often have higher requirements for nutrients than even adults in order to support
growth – for example, 15 to 18 year old boys need more thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin
(vitamin B3), vitamin B6, calcium, phosphorus and iron that adult men! Similarly, 15 to
18 year old girls need more niacin, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium than adult
women.
Picture 4: Food pyramid guide.
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Although obesity is a major problem, children and teenagers still need enough
calories to grow and develop into healthy adults. This chart gives a rough guideline to the
daily calorie needs of boys and girls at different ages. Kids who are really active may
need more; those who are inactive may need less.
Age Calories per day
Boys Girls
1–3 1,230 1,165
4–6 1,715 1,545
7–10 1,970 1,740
11–14 2,220 1,845
15–18 2,755 2,110
Adults 2,550 1,940
Table 1: Calories intake per day.
It’s important to ensure that children don’t have too much salt. While adults
should have no more than 6g of salt a day, children need even less as they have smaller
bodies.So don’t add salt to cooking or meals and check information on labels when you
buy processed foods such as crisps, ready meals and sauces, even if they’re aimed at
children.
Opt for those with the least sodium because it’s the sodium in salt that’s linked to
health problems like high blood pressure. Bacon, ham, sausages and cheese are also high
in salt so limit these, too.
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The maximum amounts of salt children should have at different ages are as follows:
1–3 years – 2g a day (0.8g sodium)
4–6 years – 3g a day (1.2g sodium)
7–10 years – 5g a day (2g sodium)
11 years upward – 6g a day (2.5g sodium)
According to MayoClinic.com (2013), nutrition for kids is based on the same
principles as nutrition for adults. Everyone needs the same types of nutrients, such as
vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat. What's different about nutrition for
kids, however, is the amount of specific nutrients needed at different ages.
The American Heart Association (2013)recommends this eating pattern for
families. Energy or calories should be adequate to support growth and development and
to reach or maintain desirable body weight.Eat foods low in saturated fat, trans fat,
cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
Keep total fat intake between 30 to 35 percent of calories for children 2 to 3 years
of age and between 25 to 35 percent of calories for children and adolescents 4 to 18 years
of age, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty
acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.
Choose a variety of foods to get enough carbohydrates, protein and other
nutrients.Eat only enough calories to maintain a healthy weight for your height and build.
Be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.Serve whole-grain/high-fiber breads
and cereals rather than refined grain products. Look for “whole grain” as the first
ingredient on the food label and make at least half your grain servings whole grain.
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4.0 IMPORTANT MEASURES TAKEN IN PREVENTING EMERGENCY
SITUATION AND HOW TO RESPONSE
It is very important that the kindergarten is safe and secure for the children and
even for the teachers. Therefore, in this section, we will be discussing important measures
taken in preventing emergency situation and how to response. First, hire ample, qualified
staff members. We should have enough employees to supervise all of the children in our
preschool, and to ensure that all of the areas in the preschool where children congregate
are monitored at all times by staff members. Additionally, we should require that our staff
is trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and is certified in first aid.
Picture 6: A safe environment in a kindergarten.
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Second, check the play area regularly.Toys should be clean, and sanitized at the
end of every day.Make sure there are no broken toy pieces, which can be sharp and
dangerous.Keep high traffic areas clear of anything that may cause preschoolers to trip
and fall. For example, clean up spills as soon as they happen, and keep toys that aren't
being played with in designated toy bins.
Next, arrange the classroom in a way that allows us to see all of the children, at all
times. Make sure there are no blind spots where children can get lost from our sight.If we
use cubicles or partition walls, configure them in a way that allows us to see around them
from as many angles as possible. For example, it is better to put a partition wall at a right
angle to a perimeter wall than it is to put 2 partitions walls at right angles to each other in
the center of the room.Set up play areas in the center of the room.Arrange chairs, desks
and worktables in circles.
Fourth, adhere to food safety guidelines. When it comes to preparing, storing and
serving food, there are a number of precautions we should take to ensure daycare safety.
Our government's daycare facility regulatory agency can provide us with a
comprehensive manual of food safety guidelines.
Fifth, safeguard the outdoor play area.Ground covering must be soft to cushion
falls.The height of swings, slides and other playground equipment must be a safe distance
from the ground.There should be no bolts, nuts, screws or other fasteners protruding from
the playground equipment in a way that could potentially harm children.
Openings must be large enough to ensure that body parts cannot get trapped. A
standard rule is to make sure there are no openings between 3.5 inches (8.4 cm) and 9
inches (21.6 cm) wide.Space play equipment at least 12 feet (3.7 m) apart.Clear traffic
areas of tripping hazards. Examples of tripping hazards include tree branches, boulders,
and sudden shifts in elevation and tree stumps.
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Check playground equipment regularly for ease of operation and structural
integrity.Elevated platforms should have guardrails.Encircle the playground with a tall
safety fence, and make sure any gates leading to the outside are locked.
Sixth, keep chemicals locked away from children. In a preschool environment,
cleaners, insecticides, first aid solutions, medications and all other toxic substances
should be kept in a high, flame-resistant and safety-locked cabinet.
Seventh, inspect for environmental hazards regularly. Common environmental
safety issues include water impurities, lead-based paint, mercury, asbestos, waste
management and indoor air pollutants like mold/mildew, carbon monoxide, tobacco
smoke, allergens and dust. Call the appropriate authorities to the premises to test for
environmental hazards before allowing children to enter the preschool environment, and
place applicable electronic detectors throughout the facility.
Eighth, have emergency plans in place. Conduct fire and natural disaster drills on
a regular basis to ensure that everyone at the preschool is familiar with the proper
procedures for handling emergency situations.
And finally, create rules. Rule lists can be used in a variety of ways to promote a
safe environment at preschool.Post school rules clearly where are preschoolers can see
them, and be sure to address them on a regular basis so that the children are familiar with
them. For example, rules like "keep your hands to yourself" and "tell the teacher if you
have a problem with another student" can help prevent physically harmful arguments in
the preschool environment, and rules about washing hands and covering sneezes can help
prevent the spread of illness.
Establish a set of rules for picking up and dropping off preschoolers. For example,
we may require parents to provide photo IDs, fill out forms for other parties they wish to
pick up their children, sign in and out, stay inside a pickup zone during pickup time
and/or call ahead of time if the pickup method is to temporarily change.
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5.0 CONCLUSION
For many children, a kindergarten class marks their first experience with formal,
structured schooling. Children usually begin kindergarten at the age of 4 or 5. Attending
kindergarten represents an important milestone and offers several advantages to
children.Attending school gives children the opportunity to interact with their peers in a
fun, creative environment.
According to Scholastic.com (2013), kindergarten students learn and practice
basic social development and interpersonal skills, such as cooperation with others,
conflict resolution, sharing and taking turns. Students also begin developing friendships
with their peers and with adults, such as teachers and other school personnel.
Kindergarteners begin to understand that they are part of a larger community made up of
all types of people with different points of view.
Attending kindergarten socially and academically prepares students for more
structured schooling. According to Great Schools (2013), an organization that tracks
school performance information, by the end of Kindergarten, students should know how
to stand in line, follow directions, pay attention and feel more comfortable apart from
their parents or caregivers. The academic skills they learned will better prepare them for
the transition to first grade. Students who attend full-time kindergarten typically also
have better school attendance through the primary grades.
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6.0 REFERENCES
1. G. R. Morrison; (2008); Fundamentals of Early Chilhood Education; Pearson
Education Inc.
2. Juliette Kellows; 2013; Good Nutrition for Children;
http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/
3. http://www.mayoclinic.com/; 2013
4. http://www.heart.org/; 2013
5. http://www.tkcalifornia.org/ 2011
6. http://www.scholastic.com/ 2013
7. http://www.greatschools.org/ 2013
(Number of words: 3,002)
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