Just read an article in Education Week that summarized the findings of a study that looked at environmental factors that influence children’s weight. The researchers studied 20 child-care centers across North Carolina and drew the following conclusions about preschoolers and activity:
- Pre-K kids are more active for longer periods of time when they have access to portable play items like jump ropes balls and riding toys.
- Slides and climbing equipment-permanent-structure type things-results in less intense physical activity.
- Pre-K kids are less sedentary when teachers and other adults have been trained on how to encourage exercise.
- Computers and televisions were linked to HIGHER activity-most likely because the child-care centers that could provide these kinds of electronic equipment were also likely to have money for training and portable equipment as well.
Linda Jacobson’s article-”Simple Is Best in Promoting Pre-K Activity, Study Finds-can be found in the January 30th issue of Education Week. The actual study can be found in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Just one more thing to consider when it comes to child care…
J.J.: “Why are we going this way, Mommy”?
Me: “Because this is the path we need to take to get home.”
J.J.: “Why are we going home”?
Me: “Because that’s where we go after your school day is over.”
And thus today began my journey into the “why” stage of child development. Just like that, my inquisitive pre-schooler moved from “what’s that called?” to “why does milk make me big and strong?”
I’ve often heard other parents talk about this era, when every observation requires a detailed explanation until ultimately they resort to the old reliable: “Because I said so!” And now I have entered the why zone, too.
Actually, I’m thrilled, because it’s a sign that he’s genuinely fascinated by how the world works. Here’s what renowned pediatrician Dr. Greene has to say about it:
We’ve misunderstood their language and think that when they ask “why?” they mean the same thing we mean when we ask why. After conversing with thousands of children, I’ve decided that what they really mean is, “That’s interesting to me. Let’s talk about that together. Tell me more, please.”
Now I just have to figure out how the heck I’m going to answer the questions as they get more complicated.
Why is the sky blue? (No, really, I wanna know, so when J.J. asks I’ll be ready.)
Worried that your preschooler isn’t learning at the same pace as her peers? Perhaps a vision test is in order. Check out the results of this “eye-opening” study:
Preschoolers with poor vision have lower scores in developmental testing indicative of success in school performance, but those scores improve significantly within six weeks when the children are given prescription glasses, according to a new study by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. The study appears in the February issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.
“Amazingly, this is the first controlled study of preschool children to show the cognitive disadvantage preschool children have when they are far sighted and/or have astigmatism, as well as to show the benefit of early intervention with glasses,” said study co-author Barbara Brody, M.P.H., director of the Center for Community Ophthalmology at the UC San Diego Shiley Eye Center, and clinical professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Community and Preventive Medicine.
Here are some warning signs that your preschooler may have a vision problem, courtesy of AllAboutVision.com:
- Consistently sitting too close to the TV or holding a book too close
- Squinting
- Tilting the head to see better
- Frequent eye rubbing when your child is not sleepy
- Sensitivity to light
- Excessive tearing
- Closing one eye to read, watch TV or see better
- Avoiding activities which require near vision, such as coloring or reading, or distance vision, such as playing ball or tag
- Complaining of headaches or tired eyes
Whether you notice these signs or not (what kid doesn’t sit too close to the TV?), it might be a good idea to get your little one’s precious peepers checked out to address any possible vision problems ASAP anyway. Guess I should make an appointment, huh?
How old was your child when he or she first had an eye check-up?
