CHILD GUIDANCE & ORGANIZATION OF APPROPRIATE ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN

The purpose of this activity is to assess the health and safety characteristics in two early childhood classrooms. Locate a copy of your local guidelines for child care programs (county, state) and the health and safety guidelines from the Aronson textbook. Use these to conduct your observations. You will need to do the following:

1. Begin by reviewing the position statement from NAEYC about developmentally appropriate practices regarding supporting children’s health and safety as well as the guidelines and regulations from your local County or state. Summarize the main tenets of the position statement on these aspects
2. In consultation with your course instructor, identify three classrooms (age groups (infants and toddlers; 3-4; kindergarteners, primary-age) where you can conduct your observations. You can also consult with the Placement Office to locate suitable settings. Schedule and conduct the visits to each classroom: age groups (infants and toddlers; 3-4; kindergarteners, primary-age).
3. Conduct the observations (minimum of 30 minutes each). Use the form in this section to conduct your observations. Interview the teachers at each setting. Find out how they plan for the integration of health, nutrition, and safety into the curriculum. Ask teachers about the following:
   • practices followed to safeguard confidential health information
   • strategies to access health information so as to monitor children’s medical needs
   • Inquire about how the program responds to health and nutrition practices followed by culturally diverse families.
4. Report your findings in writing and include the following:

• Description of the settings visited (age groups; type of program)
• Observations about health and safety practices in the physical environment (materials, classroom arrangement, equipment, outdoor space)
• Materials that support the integration of health and safety topics in the curriculum
• Use of materials that support the children’s cultural backgrounds including materials in other languages (ESOL)
• Aspects that may present ethical issues regarding health and safety of the young child
• Results from the observations (observed, not observed)
• Age-appropriate suggestions and recommendations for improvement (based on the observations)