Learning Resources

Required Resources

Course Text:

• Robertson, C. (2013). Safety, nutrition, and health in early education (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

• • Chapter 2, “Creating Safe Environments” (pp. 45–48 and 64–81)
  • Chapter 3, “Indoor Safety” (pp. 86–130)
  • Chapter 4, “Outdoor Safety” (pp. 134–154)
  • Chapter 1, “A Holistic Approach to Wellness in Early Childhood Education” (pp. 24–38)

Web Site:

• National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education
  http://nrckids.org

Optional Resources

Articles:

• Glassy, D., Romano, J., & Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption, and Dependent Care. (2003). Selecting appropriate toys for young children: The pediatrician?s role. Pediatrics, 111(4), 911?913. Retrieved from http://auth.waldenulibrary.org/ezpws.exe?url=http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&hid=112&sid=24418d9c-0816-4acf-a261-6c2444a8dc1d%40sessionmgr114

• National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2008). Good toys for young children. Retrieved November 18, 2008, from http://www.naeyc.org/ecp/resources/goodtoys

• Smith, C. A. (1987). Toy safety. Retrieved from National Network for Child Care: http://www.nncc.org/Health/toy.safety.html

• Goodson, B., & Bronson, M. (1993). Which toy for which child: A consumer’s guide for selecting suitable toys (ages birth through five) [Pamphlet]. Retrieved from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/285.pdf

Web Sites:

• About Anaphylaxis
  http://www.epipen.com/allergicemergencies/allergic-emergency
• American Academy of Pediatrics: Parenting Corner Q & A: Anaphylaxis
  http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/Anaphylaxis.aspx
• National Program for Playground Safety
  http://playgroundsafety.org/
• Playground Safety
  http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/playground.html
• Safe Kids Worldwide
• http://www.safekids.org/

 

Throughout this course, you will be learning about many of the factors that go into establishing and maintaining safe and healthy environments for young children as they grow, develop, and learn. Your applications will take the form of a course project covering some of the important topics you will be studying and culminating in the creation of your own Child Health, Safety, and Nutrition blog.

 

Your course project assignment for Weeks 1–5 will involve writing a paper each week that you will submit to your Instructor for review and feedback. After you have revised each of your weekly papers based on your Instructor’s guidance and recommendations, you will use your time in Week 6 to go online; set up your Child Health, Safety, and Nutrition blog; and create blog entries using your revised assignments. In order to keep up with your workload, it is strongly recommended that you revise each of your papers weekly.

 

Note: You are not required to purchase any additional software for this project. You only need to create a free account with the blog hosting service by going to https://www.blogger.com/start. This service offers an easy-to-use format that will allow you to edit text on the Web site and post your entries in minutes. Please go to Tech Resources for additional assistance and information on using blogs.

 

Following is a general overview of the focus of each week:

 

• Section 1: Safety Practices and Policies
• Section 2: Emergency Preparedness: Natural and Human-Generated Disasters
• Section 3: CPR and Choking Emergencies
• Section 4: Healthy Food and Nutrition
• Section 5:Physical Fitness

 

This week, you will begin developing your blog by creating the first section of your course project.

 

Section 1: Safety Practices and Policies

 

Children are by nature curious and active, eager to test their environment and their own abilities. Professionals who work with young children and their families must be aware that early childhood environments should always have a clear set of policies and practices to ensure the safety of all children. When adults who work with young children in these environments share these policies and practices with families, they can accomplish at least two positive goals: (1) communicating the safety measures, and (2) heightening families’ awareness of safety practices that can and should be in place in their homes.

 

Begin Section 1 of your course project (which will become your first blog entry) by choosing whether you are going to focus on infants/toddlers or preschoolers. In your entry you must demonstrate an understanding of the risks for injuries associated with the developmental level of your selected age group. If you are currently working with children, you may use your program’s safety policies as one of your resources. Also, draw on Chapters 2, 3, and 4 in your course text for recommended safety policies and specific safety issues associated with your selected age group.

 

For this section of your blog, complete the following:

 

• 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.

 

Note: Your aim should be not only to encourage families to practice better safety practices in their homes, but also to build a spirit of partnership.

 

Assignment length: 1­­–2 pages

 

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

 

Submit this assignment by Day 7 of this week