Daily Living Skills Standard 1 Children develop an understanding of health, nutrition, and safety Practices by: 1a. Demonstrating healthy behaviors that contribute to lifelong well-being through physical activity. 1b. Demonstrating personal health and hygiene skills and practicing self-care routines.
1c. Exploring and enjoying a variety of nutritional foods and developing healthy eating practices. 1d. Developing knowledge and skills that help promote nutritious food choices and eating habits. 1e. Developing an awareness and understanding of safety rules and routines while learning to make safe and appropriate choices. 1f. Assessing situations and taking appropriate risks.
Puppet Helpers In Jessie’s kindergarten classroom, she uses puppets named Fred and Alice to help the children work through some of the stresses of kindergarten. These include planning for upcoming events, resolving conflicts, and taking care of their belongings. Fred and Alice recently demonstrated how to prepare to go outside during cold Wyoming winters. During meeting time, Fred and Alice discussed proper clothing for cold weather and demonstrated how to put on gloves, hats, coats, snow pants, and snow boots. They walked the class through when, how, and whom to ask for help as they get ready to go outside. After the puppet demonstration, the children had the opportunity to practice putting on each item and asking for help when they needed it. The kindergartners love learning from Fred and Alice and greatly benefit from an intentional opportunity to plan and practice daily living skills in a less stressful and rushed environment.
Examples of Proficiency
Standard 1d Emergence
Tolerates or explores nutritious foods when offered.
Acquisition
Understands and follows healthy mealtime routines with adult guidance.
Generalization
Shares knowledge about nutritious foods and eating habits with others.
Fluency
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Developing knowledge and skills that help promote nutritious food choices and eating habits.
Independently makes healthy food choices and follows healthy eating habits.
Equity Connection: Trauma Informed Practice Jessie uses puppets to help reduce children’s anxiety about new experiences at school. Fred and Alice also demonstrate executive function skills such as self-regulation and inhibitory control as they act out different scenarios, and encourage children to be less reactive and more intentional in their responses to daily challenges. Jessie also provides opportunities for children to practice new skills before they are asked to perform them independently or within a specific time frame. She helps children identify individuals who can assist them and ways to ask for help, both of which are key tools to decrease their stress response. This provides a safe learning space for children to gain new skills.
