Suggested Program For Teaching Health In The First Grade At Orange, Texas

Health is primarily a matter of education and essentially a function of school education. The progress of the child in school depends directly upon his physical condition. The child who is undernourished, or who does not observe the practices of exercise, sleep, rest, cleanliness, and other personal habits essential to physical vigor lags in his mental progress and repeats his grades. Not only does he suffer individually, but he becomes an increased economic burden to the community School administrators, then, even if they were interested to the intellectual progress of their pupils, would be deeply concerned with pupils\u27 physical health and welfare. The problem of the teacher in health education is comparable to no other which confronts her. What shall be expected of the child as to health standards? Which things produce satisfying results and cause an act, however good or bad, to be repeated and become a habit? What constitute the health and hygiene habits which must be set up to insure good health? What measures must be taken to determine and correct physical defects? What co-operation must be expected from the child? What resources are necessary if health and mental hygiene standards are to be such that the number of problem children shall be reduced to a minimum and the number of adequately adjusted individuals increased in proportion? The above questions indicate some of the specific difficulties which must be met and solved. They indicate, as well, the number of fields in which problems present themselves. Teaching the simple health laws that the children should know is not difficult at Orange Texas, as children are naturally interested in anything that is connected with their own lives. Much more difficult is the carryover into their lives of these principles so that they will function frequently enough to become habituated. Getting principles of health to function in the lives of these children requires habit formation. In the first place, the teacher must enlist the wholehearted interest of the pupils. This she can do by appealing to their desires and needs. Having initiated a habit, she must insure repetition. This is not easy because the practice must be carried on outside the classroom. If the motivation is very strong, however, and the check-up in the class is made very impressive and important, pupils will put into actual practice the health laws which they are learning. This can be achieved by an interested,earnest,persevering teacher