Page 147 - Petelin Ana. Ur. 2022. Zdravje otrok in mladostnikov / Health of children and adolescents. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 147
Lahe (2011) explains that the pedagogical work in kindergartens is based health education work in kindergartens 147
on the kindergarten curriculum, which is a national document. This curriculum
is used in all state kindergartens in Slovenia. The content and scope of health
education is to some extent at the discretion of the educator and the kindergar-
ten, which is not necessarily positive. These decisions can be influenced by the
educator‘s lifestyle. To the extent that the educator advocates a healthy lifestyle,
active participation in sports activities, healthy eating, etc., he or she will try to
pass this on to a greater extent to the children in the kindergarten. Wirth et al.
(2016) claim that the health behaviors of kindergarten teachers are of concern
because they do not eat enough, do not exercise enough, and smoke. It would be
useful to create a uniform program at the national level to ensure that all chil-
dren receive the same amount and content of health and educational treatment.
We have found that you have to make the content understandable and inter-
esting to children so that they remember it. You have to know how to motivate
children. The study participants said that children can be attracted to the con-
tent being taught through cartoons, the use of various props, stories about the
topic being covered, the active participation of children in the presentation of
the content, etc. The content is useful for the children even before the lectures
or to briefly introduce the workshops and prepare them for the training. In this
way, they pay more attention later in the lectures, can follow more easily and
remember the presented topic better. Children are an investment in the future
and it is our responsibility to guide them to a healthy lifestyle that will pay off
later in various areas.
Conclusion
In Slovenian kindergartens, sufficient attention is paid to the health education
of children, but the extent and content of the teaching depend on the particu-
lar kindergarten or educator. It would be useful to standardize this at the na-
tional level and, as in many other countries, to appoint so-called “school nurs-
es” to take care of this content. During the period of primary socialization, the
child adopts behaviors and events from their immediate environment, and this
is where kindergarten plays a very important role in shaping the child’s person-
ality. Therefore, it is crucial to introduce healthy habits already in childhood.
Children are an investment in the future and it is our responsibility to guide
them to a healthy lifestyle that will pay off later in various areas. Of course, the
state, with the appropriate institutions, must provide adequate living condi-
tions that enable us to live, or try to live, as healthy as possible.
References
BIEZEN, R., GRANDO, D., MAZZA, D. and BRIJNATH, B., 2019. Visibili-
ty and transmission: complexities around promoting hand hygiene in
young children - a qualitative study. BMC public health, vol. 19, no. 1, pp.
398. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6729-x
on the kindergarten curriculum, which is a national document. This curriculum
is used in all state kindergartens in Slovenia. The content and scope of health
education is to some extent at the discretion of the educator and the kindergar-
ten, which is not necessarily positive. These decisions can be influenced by the
educator‘s lifestyle. To the extent that the educator advocates a healthy lifestyle,
active participation in sports activities, healthy eating, etc., he or she will try to
pass this on to a greater extent to the children in the kindergarten. Wirth et al.
(2016) claim that the health behaviors of kindergarten teachers are of concern
because they do not eat enough, do not exercise enough, and smoke. It would be
useful to create a uniform program at the national level to ensure that all chil-
dren receive the same amount and content of health and educational treatment.
We have found that you have to make the content understandable and inter-
esting to children so that they remember it. You have to know how to motivate
children. The study participants said that children can be attracted to the con-
tent being taught through cartoons, the use of various props, stories about the
topic being covered, the active participation of children in the presentation of
the content, etc. The content is useful for the children even before the lectures
or to briefly introduce the workshops and prepare them for the training. In this
way, they pay more attention later in the lectures, can follow more easily and
remember the presented topic better. Children are an investment in the future
and it is our responsibility to guide them to a healthy lifestyle that will pay off
later in various areas.
Conclusion
In Slovenian kindergartens, sufficient attention is paid to the health education
of children, but the extent and content of the teaching depend on the particu-
lar kindergarten or educator. It would be useful to standardize this at the na-
tional level and, as in many other countries, to appoint so-called “school nurs-
es” to take care of this content. During the period of primary socialization, the
child adopts behaviors and events from their immediate environment, and this
is where kindergarten plays a very important role in shaping the child’s person-
ality. Therefore, it is crucial to introduce healthy habits already in childhood.
Children are an investment in the future and it is our responsibility to guide
them to a healthy lifestyle that will pay off later in various areas. Of course, the
state, with the appropriate institutions, must provide adequate living condi-
tions that enable us to live, or try to live, as healthy as possible.
References
BIEZEN, R., GRANDO, D., MAZZA, D. and BRIJNATH, B., 2019. Visibili-
ty and transmission: complexities around promoting hand hygiene in
young children - a qualitative study. BMC public health, vol. 19, no. 1, pp.
398. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6729-x
