14.4: Conclusion

The early years of children’s lives are crucial to the development of behaviors that contribute to good health, and early childhood teachers can significantly enhance opportunities for young children to learn about health by providing appropriate experiences. Many adult chronic diseases and conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, are related to lifestyle choices about nutrition and fitness and often begin in childhood.

A respectful and integrated approach that meshes home and preschool environments and involves responsible adults can help children initiate a lifelong process of learning about themselves, their relationships to others, and the world around them. Health education is an essential part of the curriculum for young children. The topic of health is incorporated into daily routines and the environment; it is also the focus of planned learning activities. Early child-hood educators have the challenge of modeling a healthy lifestyle for the children they teach—one that will benefit both themselves and the children.^[1]