First 5 Association of California

Strengths:

• Well integrated and aligned to state and federal nutrition guidelines
• Physical activity and nutrition components can be implemented independently or together
• Supports a variety of movement, thinking and problem solving skills
• The nutrition curriculum provides a curriculum “framework link” that helps the teacher link the activity to other learning concepts including a strong literacy component
• Each lesson addresses outcomes for Head Start Nutrition Competencies for California Students and California's Desired Results for Children and Families
• Well-organized and user-friendly with clear explanations about the reason and context for each lesson with specific goals and objectives with simple recipes
• Interesting and engaging physical activities
• Easy for parents to use-Will be available in Spanish (some materials already are)

Limitations:

• Caregivers or teachers with less education or experience might benefit from a more straightforward explanation of why the particular approaches are used
• No suggestions for tailoring to meet specific cultural or special needs
• Preparation time needed for each activity, despite availability of handouts or picture cards in digital form
• All activities ask teachers to read an age-appropriate nutrition book, but teachers need to select and purchase them on their own
• Illustrations and graphics may be stereotypical

Implementation:

• Curriculum could be used by individuals with wide ranging educational and professional backgrounds
• Simple to use
• Can be implemented with little or no formal training
• This curriculum would be easy to implement in many settings such as classrooms, child care centers, or homes
• Few additional resources are necessary, and these would generally be available in child care settings

Contact Information:

www.optforfitkids.org