Foundations and Current Issues of Early Childhood Education/Chapter 8/8.1

School Role in Early Childhood Health
Students suffering from an economic disadvantage (i.e. homelessness, family suffering from financial difficulty, low-income housing riddled with environmental health hazards, etc.), schools have the power to play a crucial role in helping to meet the needs of these children. To create a learning environment that is safe, happy, and healthy for all school age children, schools must implement policies and/or programs to address the following issues: medical and preventative healthcare, mental healthcare, nutrition and food services, and physical education.

Medical and Mental Preventative Healthcare

Many children suffer from ailments and emotional distress as a result of their immediate home environment. “Homeless children are at much greater risk of illness, injury, malnourishment, abuse, neglect, violence, separation from family, delays in cognitive and language development, and impaired academic functioning than housed children” (Crowley, pg 23). As a result of inadequate medical care many children frequently come to school sick or are absent, with the most common ailment being dental disease. According to a recent article on oral health in America, more than 51 million school hours are lost each year due to dental related illnesses (Available Online at http://www.oralhealthamerica.org/news/022207.htm). The most common dental health problem among school children is tooth decay, which can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort, thus inhibiting concentration in the classroom and leading to possible absence from school. Free oral health screening and other preventative programs could be instituted in the schools to aid in the prevention of dental disease. Perhaps the schools could recruit local dentistry practitioners to come into the schools to implement oral health screening and educate the children on the importance of tooth brushing. As an added bonus each child could go home with a toothbrush and one of those miniature sized tubes of toothpaste. To further improve oral health schools could institute other programs such as fluoride rinses, a type of solution to rinse away bacteria from the mouth. “To be effective, interventions should be tailored to children's stages of dental development” (Available Online at www.nationalguidelines.org).

“Early identification, assessment, and management of health problems” and potential problems “that affect a student's safety are necessary to limit more serious consequences and to prevent ill health from affecting the child's emotional well-being and ability to learn” (Available Online at www.nationalguidelines.org). Free screenings for diseases and free vaccinations are also ways in which schools can take preventative measures to ensure the health and wellness of their children. When I was in elementary and middle school, for example, my school did free screenings for vision, hearing, scoliosis, tuberculosis, and lice and offered free vaccinations for the measles, mumps, and rubella, as well as tetanus. In recent years this list includes screening for mental health problems, substance abuse, asthma, type II diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and a host of other health issues (Available Online at www.nationalguidelines.org). Parental consent was required to participate in all free health screenings, except when screening for lice, and all students not participating had to submit a form from their physicians as proof of having received the appropriate medical care required by the schools. The school nurse and a member of the administration administered the vaccinations and screenings for all students allowed to participate.

Nutrition and Food Services

It is also important that schools provide good nutrition and food services to students. “School food services are designed to supplement families' efforts” (Available Online at www.nationalguidelines.org). Families should also be made aware that food programs provided by the school offer financial assistance to low-income families. They may receive information on these programs through school bulletins, the mail, open-houses, and parent-teacher associations. A common problem that many students face in regards to receiving early morning breakfast; however, is the bus schedule. One way to resolve the bus schedule conflict is to rearrange the bus schedule so students may participate in the breakfast program. Buses could be scheduled for earlier pick-ups for those students participating in the program. If rearranging the schedule is not feasible with the school system perhaps breakfast could be made available for students after the beginning of the school day. In any case, teachers could provide nutritious snacks, such as apples or bananas, for those students who are in need.

The introduction of vending machines in the schools, which supply a sugary array of snack foods and drinks, has created a nutritional problem in schools. More than half the food service workers surveyed by the American Federation of Teachers stated that students prefer foods high in fats and sugars over nutritional lunches. Vending machines are not present in all schools; however, children can still obtain drinks and foods high in sugars in the dessert lines. Not to mention, many students bringing their lunches and afternoon snacks with them are also packed with sodas and other sugary foods. While schools cannot prevent what parents pack in lunches, they should be able to provide a healthy alternative for snacks. When I was in Kindergarten, the school had a program which supplied all of our snack foods. Instead of cookies, chips, and sodas we were given air-popped popcorn, raisins, apples, bananas, real fruit juices, and other nutritious foods. More nutritious snack foods would help combat the growing problem of obesity, as would increased physical education.

Physical Education

It is important for schools to maintain a physical education program for students. Current research points out that physical activity reduces the occurrence of anxiety, depression and behavioral problems among young children. It also reduces the likelihood of children becoming obese (Stegelin, pg 101). Physical activity is extremely important as it leads to healthy hearts and bodies and helps fight obesity, which seems to be a growing problem in our nation. In recent studies obesity has been linked to other serious diseases and emotional disorders such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and fear of rejection (Stegelin, pg 101).

For many children, television, video games, and a parents’ general fear of the outside world inhibit physical activity outside of the school environment. For smaller children it would perhaps be a better idea to make physical education part of the curriculum every other day. Having a recess program and sports programs such as t-ball and soccer every afternoon would also help children burn off energy gained at lunchtime. Physical activity allows children to develop stronger muscles, fine tune their motor skills, and helps them increase their social and emotional confidence.

References 

School Health Resources. Site maintained by CYKE, (2005). Available online at: www.schoolhealth.org.

Action for Healthy Kids. Available online at: www.actionforhealthykids.com

Taras, Howard. (2004) National Guidelines. Site maintained by CYKE. Available online at: www.nationalguidelines.org

Rogers, Elizabeth. (Feb. 2007) Oral Health America. Available online at: www.oralhealthamerica.org

Julainelle, Patricia F. and Maria Foscarinis. (2003) Responding to the School Mobility of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness:  The McKinney-Vento Act and Beyond. Journal of Negro Education, Volume 72, No. 1, pgs 39-54.

Crowley, Sheila. (2003) The Affordable Housing Crisis:  Residential Mobility of Poor Families and School Mobility of Poor Children. Journal of Negro Education, Volume 72, No. 1, pgs 22-38.

Stegelin, Dolores A. (2005)  Making the Case for Play Policy:  Research-Based Reasons to Support Play-Based Environments. Annual Editions, pg 99-106.

Questions

1. How many school hours are lost each year due to dental illness?

a. 23

b. 51

c. 32

d. 90

2. What is the number one illness among school children?

a. Obesity

b. Diabetes

c. Dental disease

d. Asthma

3. Physical activity helps prevent _____________ .

a. Dental Disease

b. Obesity

c. Heart Disease

d. Diabetes

4. Financial assistance is offered to low-income families for school food programs.

a. T

b. F

5. ___________ children are at a higher risk for illness and/or injury.

a. African American

b. Hispanic

c. Homeless

d. Middle class

Essay

1. How can communities mobilize to help and promote school health?