Kindergarten Health Maryland Standards

Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health, including:

Mental and Emotional Health

Identify appropriate ways to express emotions.

Identify big or strong emotions and safe and unsafe ways of expressing one’s emotions.

Demonstrate awareness of personal emotions and how they may be the same or different from others.

Recognize the feelings of another child and how to respond in a healthy way.

Identify personal strengths.

Identify a variety of relationships.

Identify the benefits of people’s uniqueness.

Identify the importance of talking with parents and other trusted adults about emotions.

Substance Abuse Prevention

Define medicine.

Identify school rules about use of medicine.

Recognize that medicine can be harmful if used incorrectly.

Identify products that can be harmful if inhaled, absorbed, or ingested.

Family Life and Human Sexuality

Identify that family is a group of people that support each other.

Identify different types of families (e.g., single-parent, same-gender, intergenerational, cohabitating, adoptive, foster, etc.).

Recognize pro-social behaviors (e.g., helping others, being respectful of others, cooperation, and consideration).

Recognize that individuals have personal boundaries and bodily autonomy.

Recognize a range of ways people identify and express their gender.

Recognize it is important to treat people of all gender identities and expressions with dignity and respect.

Safety and Violence Prevention

Explain what to do if someone is injured or suddenly ill and how to call 911.

Identify personal information and when to share it with other people.

Identify age-appropriate privacy as well as setting and respecting healthy boundaries.

Identify parts of the body that are private of self or others.

Identify proper safety for activities including biking, skateboarding, and riding in a car.

Identify escape routes at home and school.

Identify ways to stay safe when riding in a vehicle or bus.

Explain actions that help one to stay safe around strangers.

Identify appropriate displays of affection between people and in a variety of situations, including physical touch and verbal interactions.

Identify how to respond when asked to keep an uncomfortable secret.

Demonstrate the ability to seek help from trusted adults.

Practice talking to adults about personal safety and feelings.

Healthy Eating

Identify the benefits of drinking water.

Identify the benefits of trying new foods.

Identify a variety of nutritious foods and beverages and recognize that foods are categorized into groups.

Describe body signals that a person is hungry and full.

Explain how food affects the body.

Recognize that eating in regular increments helps a person’s body.

Disease Prevention and Control

Identify potential food and non-food triggers that are common causes of allergic reactions.

Identify the steps for proper handwashing.

Identify personal health care practices.

Identify food can contain germs that can cause illness.

Identify the proper steps for daily brushing and flossing teeth.

Identify why sleep and rest are important for proper growth and good health.

Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.

Identify how the family influences personal health practices and behaviors.

Identify what the school can do to support personal health practices and behaviors.

Describe how the media can influence health behaviors.

Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information, products, and services to enhance health.

Identify trusted adults and professionals who can help promote health.

Identify ways to locate school and community health helpers.

Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.

Demonstrate healthy ways to express needs, wants and feelings.

Demonstrate listening skills to enhance health.

Demonstrate ways to respond when in an unwanted, threatening or dangerous situation.

Demonstrate ways to tell a trusted adult if one is threatened or harmed.

Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.

Identify situations when a health-related decision is needed.

Differentiate between situations when a health-related decision can be made individually and when assistance is needed.

Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health.

Identify a short-term personal health goal and take action toward achieving the goal.

Identify who can help when assistance is needed to achieve a personal health goal.

Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.

Demonstrate healthy practices and behaviors to maintain or improve personal health.

Demonstrate behaviors that avoid or reduce health risks.

Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.

Make requests to promote personal health.

Encourage peers to make positive health choices.

Trusted adults

Boundaries and consent

Relationships

Disease prevention

Private parts

Moderation and “all foods fit.”

Emotions

Household products

Trusted adult

Eating patterns

Food and illness

Disease

Safety around people

Alcohol and nicotine

Medicine

Self and social awareness

Compassion for victims

Physical safety

Hygiene

Sun

Relationships

Sleep

Technology safety

Teasing, bullying, and harassment

Teeth

Nutritious foods and beverages

Gender identity and expression

Healthy relationships and consent