BECED 2

1. Evaluating Children’s Health and Development.

A.) Health Screening and Assessment

- Screening and assessment are two vital components of high-quality early childhood
programs. Sometimes the words are used interchangeably to describe the method for
collecting data about a child’s development. They are two very different, though connected,
activities.  Both are integral to quality early childhood and public education systems. Both
provide adults with important data that can be used to improve the learning environment
for children. But they are different activities that serve different purposes.

Screening quickly captures a glimpse of a child’s health and developmental status via the
use of standardized screening instruments. Assessment is a continual process that occurs
throughout a child’s enrollment. That tracks the child’s developmental progress.

Though screening and assessment are distinct and separate activities, they are linked. 
Both activities are needed to understand and support young children’s development.
Screening and assessment can also be used to document and evaluate program
effectiveness.  Both activities provide vital data to policy makers, administrators, teachers
and parents.  Teachers and parents need consistent, reliable information so they can
ensure that the curriculum is designed to best achieve specific learning goals and
outcomes for each child.

B.) Health Condition that Affect Children

Sore Throat
Sore throats are common in children and can be painful. However, a sore throat
that is caused by a virus does not need antibiotics. In those cases, no specific
medicine is required, and your child should get better in seven to ten days. In other
cases, a sore throat could be caused by an infection called streptococcal (strep
throat).

Ear Pain
Ear pain is common in children and can have many causes—including ear infection
(otitis media), swimmer's ear (infection of the skin in the ear canal), pressure from a
cold or sinus infection, teeth pain radiating up the jaw to the ear, and others. 

Urinary Tract Infection

 Bladder infections, also called urinary tract infections or UTIs, occur when bacteria
build up in the urinary tract. A UTI can be found in children from infancy through the
teen years and into adulthood. Symptoms of a UTI include pain or burning during
urination, the need to urinate frequently or urgently, bedwetting or accidents by a
child who knows to use the toilet, abdominal pain, or side or back pain.

Skin Infection
In most children with skin infections, a skin test (culture or swab) may be needed to
determine the most-appropriate treatment.

Bronchiolitis
Bronchiolitis is common in infants and young children during the cold and flu
season. most treatment recommendations are geared toward making your child
comfortable with close monitoring for any difficulty in breathing, eating, or signs of
dehydration

Pain
The best medicines for pain relief for children are acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Talk
to your pediatrician about how much to give your child, as it should be based on
your child's weight.

Common Cold
Colds are caused by viruses in the upper respiratory tract. Symptoms of a cold
(including runny nose, congestion, and cough) may last for up to ten days.

Bacterial Sinusitis
Bacterial sinusitis is caused by bacteria trapped in the sinuses. Sinusitis is suspected
when cold-like symptoms such as nasal discharge, daytime cough, or both last over
ten days without improvement.

Cough
Coughs are usually caused by viruses and do not often require antibiotics.

2. Parents and community Partnership to promote children wellness

A.) Importance of partnerships with families to meet children’s nutritional needs

- Schools play an important role in the promotion and maintenance of their students'
health. Healthy students are better learners. But schools can't do it alone. Parents are the
other crucial half of the equation to provide the healthy start that kids need to thrive in the
classroom and in life. Research clearly shows that good nutrition and plenty of physical
activity are vital to children's academic success. That's why it's so important for schools to
engage parents in school health and wellness efforts and provide parents with the
knowledge, skills, and support they'll need to maintain their children on the path of health,
wellness, and academic success. parents are recognized as a child’s first teacher and that
parents receive the support that they need to fill that role; that all children receive the
health, mental health, and nutrition they need to be healthy and alert;

B.) Educational Opportunities for families to meet children’s in the areas of health,
safety and nutrition.

- Families are children’s first and most important teachers. They shape children’s early
attitudes and health/safety practices through an ongoing combination of direct instruction,
incidental learning, and modeling of adult behaviors. Daily activities often become
important teachable moments. For example, a parent may discuss the benefits of eating
fruits and vegetables while the child washes (and samples) the broccoli for tonight’s dinner
or helps to plant tomatoes in a vegetable garden. Successful health and safety education
programs are built on a strong foundation of family involvement. When teachers
collaborate with children’s families, they are able to discover their goals and priorities, and
thus design instruction that is responsive to children’s needs.

There are many resourceful ways that teachers can involve families in children’s
health/safety education, including inviting them to:

 Accompany children on field trips

 Share special talents, skills, or cultural traditions
 Serve as a guest speaker
 Help with class projects, demonstrations, films, discussions
 Assist with health assessments and policy development

Family involvement also provides unique opportunities for sharing health information and
improving the likelihood that learning experiences will be reinforced in the child’s home. It
also reduces the potential frustration that children may sense if they receive information at
school that is inconsistent with family values and practices. Family members may also
benefit indirectly by learning how to make positive changes in their own health practices.
Additional advantages of family involvement include:

 Better understanding of children’s developmental needs

 Improved parental esteem
 Increased ability to foster and reinforce children’s learning
 Enhanced parenting skills
 Improved communication between home and school
The combined resources and efforts of families, children, and teachers can bring about
meaningful improvements in health and safety behaviors for everyone.

C.) Ways that Culture can play a role in Children’s wellness.

- the importance of all children developing secure emotional connections with the adults
who care for them. However, the ways that parents and carers go about developing these
connections vary based on cultural beliefs about parenting and child development, as well
as individual preferences and capacities. For example, in some cultures children are
expected to always listen and respect their elders, while in other cultures children are
taught from an early age to speak up for themselves.

Children’s connection to their culture develops through their experiences. Having a strong
sense of their own cultural history and traditions helps children build a positive cultural
identity for themselves. This also supports children’s sense of belonging and self-esteem.

To be able to get on well in another culture, children need to understand and respond to
different expectations (eg school versus home). It can be complex, and sometimes
confusing, for children from diverse cultural backgrounds to fi t within two cultures and
make sense of the different expectations. In some cases children may experience ‘cultural
confl ict’ and feel that they have to choose one culture or the other, even though they have
to live in both.

This can be stressful for children and have negative impacts on their mental health and
wellbeing. However, when children have a positive sense of belonging to both cultures,
their mental health and wellbeing is supported and so is their learning.

In order to meet the learning, social and wellbeing needs of students and their families
from diverse backgrounds, it is important for schools to understand their particular
circumstances

They also have a significant responsibility to promote values of mutual respect and
understanding, and to effectively address problems of discrimination when they occur in
the school setting