Early Childhood - Connecticut State Department of Education

Nutrition And Health Chapter 11
Health
• Improves motor skills, coordination and
muscle tone
• Grows and develops at an appropriate rate
• Maintains good health
From Bright Futures In Practice: Nutrition, by Story, Holt and Stofka.
Used with permission from National Center for Education in Maternal
and Child Health and Georgetown University, 2002.
148
DEVELOPMENTAL APPROPRIATENESS
Nutrition education experiences should be fun, taking into
consideration children’s developmental abilities in motor
and language skills. Children reach predictable milestones
throughout their early development. These milestones can
help teachers plan experiences that meet children’s needs and
stimulate learning in all developmental areas. The following
chart highlights specific milestones and characteristic
behaviors related to food and nutrition activities.
Developmental Milestones Related To Food And Nutrition
3- to 4-Year-Olds
• Eat without help. Prefer eating finger foods.
Drink from cup. (Note: spills are normal.)
• Select foods from limited choices.
• Begin to share and take turns.
• Help other children in need, e.g., passing food at
mealtime.
• Explore and experiment with new ways to do
things.
• Play is dramatic, solitary and models grown-up
activities (play house, grocery shopping).
• Describe color, shape and texture of food, if
present.
• Imitate adults and other children, e.g., mealtime
behavior.
• Name, identify and sort foods.
• Learn by doing; need concrete experiences;
understand only what they can see, smell, taste
and touch or do.
• Hesitate to try new foods.
• Verbalize food preferences.
• Eat independently with some help.
• Easily distracted in groups.
• Ask adults for more helpings of food and drink
when desired.
4- to 5-Year-Olds
• Eat with less mess and spills. Use fork and spoon.
• Manipulate packages and containers.
• Use self-help skills to take care of needs.
• Describe color, shape and texture of food in greater
detail.
• Speak clearly and express themselves to others
about experiences, interests and needs.
• Learn by doing and applying new information to
new experiences.
• Follow more complex directions, e.g., cooking
activities.
• Begin to experiment with new foods. Take more
than they can eat.
• Initiate new food selections.
• Require less help at the table.
• Eat more comfortably in groups. Able to
concentrate.
• Use fork and spoon. Pour own juice.
Adapted from: Tickle Your Appetite: Team Nutrition’s Education Kit for Child Care. United States Department of
Agriculture, 1998.