Unit One The Children and You 32 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Health All children who attend a Head Start program are given a total health plan. Dental, medical, and mental health services are provided. Prior to enrollment, many of these children have never visited a dentist. Children who have not already received childhood immunizations are given them while they are enrolled. Parental Involvement Head Start recognizes the parent as the child’s fi rst teacher. Supporting parental involvement is vital to the program’s success. Parents are encouraged to help recruit new children, assist in the center, and take part in policy meetings. Thus, Head Start parents are able to infl uence administrative decisions. Kindergarten In 1837, the fi rst kindergarten was opened in Germany by Frederick Froebel. The kindergarten curriculum stressed play. Froebel believed that self-development took place through creative activities such as play. The children in this kindergarten, like many today, engaged in painting, stringing beads, blockbuilding, and clay modeling. The children also cared for pets, sang songs, and gardened. The fi rst American kindergarten was opened in Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1856. It was held in the home of Margerenthia Schurz. This mother and teacher had studied under Froebel. Mrs. Schurz fi rst opened the kindergarten for her own children and four of their cousins. Today, kindergartens are part of most public and many private school systems. Attendance policies vary throughout the United States. Kindergartens are usually restricted to children who are at least four years old. The purpose of kindergartens is to prepare children for primary school. Schedules There are two basic scheduling patterns in kindergarten: half-day and full-day sessions. The half-day session usually runs from two and one-half to three and one-half hours per day. Full-day sessions run from six to eight hours per day, which provides children more time in a structured setting. Studies show that children attending full-day developmentally appropriate kindergarten programs are better prepared for primary-grade learning. They are equipped with stronger learning skills and understand appropriate behavior. They learned more in mathematics, literacy, and language skills than those children attending half-day programs. Goals Goals for a kindergarten program vary from state to state. During the past decade, these programs have become more academic and focus on areas such as math, literacy, and science. Goals may include developing the following: FOCUS ON HEALTH FOCUS ON HEALTH Conducting Daily Health Checks As children arrive at the early childhood facility, a trained staff member should conduct a daily health check. This helps reduce transmission of communica- ble disease. Through observation, talking with parents or legal guardians, and talking with children, the staff member will look for changes in behavior or appear- ance from the previous day that indicate illness or injuries of children or family members. Since the date of last attendance, a staff member will look for such signs of illness as eye drainage, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, itchy skin or scalp, or nits (with a lice out- break) and will check for elevated body temperature if symptoms warrant it. If a child becomes sick during the day, a facility must provide a separate place for the child to rest in comfort with supervision. Parents or guardians should be called and asked to take the child home. Written records about daily health checks are a requirement for all facilities.