HLTH06061 2022 Promoting Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity in ELC Settings

Explore the key principles of health promotion including current national and international policy.

Understand health promotion theory and the 'settings-based' approach to promote health and wellbeing in the early years.

Describe the nutritional requirements of children aged birth-6 years and devise nutritionally appropriate menus informed by relevant guidelines and regulatory frameworks.

Examine the importance of regular participation in physical activity in ELC settings.

Prepare age appropriate physical activity programmes to promote child health and wellbeing in ELC settings.

The module will be underpinned by knowledge and application of relevant legislation and frameworks such as the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, Siolta The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education (CECDE, 2017) and Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009).

Students will attend 2 hours of lectures and a 1 hour tutorial each week. The lectures will introduce students to the relevant knowledge and theory necessary to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity for children birth-6 years. The weekly tutorials will be participatory and will focus on skill development and interactive activities where trial and error will be encouraged to promote self-development.

A variety of teaching and learning approaches will be incorporated including but not limited to, active learning, brainstorming, small group work, peer learning, case studies, problem-based learning, guest lecturers and visits to ELC sites where suitable, to present examples of evidence- based practice. This will be reviewed annually with the support of student evaluations.

Directed study will include reading and learning that underpins the module objectives. The teaching-learning strategies will provide students with the opportunities to reflect on and meet their own specific learning needs related to positive nutrition and physical activity in the early years. The VLE will be used to provide access to online resources, lecture notes and external links to websites of interest.

This module will be assessed through 100% continuous assessment. The continuous assessment will be made up of two parts:

Assessment One: (Essay 40%, LO 1, 2) this will include a written critical analysis focusing on the theory covered in the module.

Assessment Two: (Group Project 60%, LO 3,4,5) apply the knowledge and theory of nutritional requirements of children birth-6 years to create nutritionally appropriate food plans. Construct appropriate physical activities for a range of age groups birth-6 years.

Students will be actively engaged in formative feedback for learning and will be provided with clear and timely notification of assessment requirements. Criteria for success will be shared when the assessment brief is published for CA. 

Repeat requirement will be determined based on failed components and will be recorded at Progression and Award Boards.

LO1) Explore the key principles of health promotion including current national and international policy.

Defining health promotion, scope of health promotion, health education versus health promotion, health promotion policy from an International and Irish context, current health and wellbeing initiatives in the ELC sector. 

LO2) Understand health promotion theory and the 'settings-based' approach to promote health and wellbeing in the early years. 

Health promotion theory and models, what is the 'setting-based' approach for health promotion?, overview of key settings to promote health and wellbeing in the early years such as family, preschools, schools and communities, what are the values, models/approaches, barriers and challenges to promoting health in the early years sector?, explore the importance of the role of the Early Childhood Educator in promoting healthy nutrition and physical activity in ELC settings whilst working in partnership with parents/guardians and key stakeholders.

This learning outcome will be underpinned by knowledge and application of relevant legislation and frameworks such as the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, Siolta The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education (CECDE, 2017) and Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009).

LO3) Describe the nutritional requirements of children aged birth-6 years and devise nutritionally appropriate menus informed by relevant guidelines and regulatory frameworks.

The process of digestion and understanding different food groups, the food pyramid, nutritional needs of babies and young children (birth-6 years), devising nutritionally balanced menus for children of various age groups informed by national guidelines, recognising the importance of meals as a form of social interaction, multicultural provision and dietary implications, nutritional disorders and food allergies, identifying the cause and effects of obesity for young children and considering practical strategies to address obesity in practice, nutritional policies and procedures in the ELC setting informed by national legislation and regulatory frameworks such as the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, Siolta Standard 9.4 (CECDE, 2017), A Healthy Weight for Ireland, Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016–2025 and Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009).

LO4) Examine the importance of regular participation in physical activity in ELC settings.

Current physical activity initiatives from international and national perspectives; the benefits of physical activity for the health and wellbeing of young children-physical, psychological, social and intellectual; national physical activity recommendations for young children; encouraging physical literacy in children, inclusive physical activity for young children, the importance of outdoor physical activity including outdoor play for the health and wellbeing of the child.

This learning outcome will be underpinned by knowledge and application of relevant legislation and frameworks such as the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, Siolta The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education (CECDE, 2017) and Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009).

LO5) Prepare age appropriate physical activity programmes to promote child health and wellbeing in ELC settings.

Recommended equipment to facilitate physical activity in ELC settings; physical activity in the context of Aistear, the methods and practices of physical education from pedagogical perspectives, constructing age appropriate physical activity programmes (a range of activities to develop fundamental movement) and the health and safety considerations. 

This learning outcome will be underpinned by knowledge and application of relevant legislation and frameworks such as the Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016, Siolta The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education (CECDE, 2017) and Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009).