Lesson Plans For more information call 1-800-367-2229 is for Asthma For children 4-5 years of age North Carolina Child Care Health & Safety Resource Center Providing Training, Consultation & Resources for North Carolina’s Child Care Community January 1999 Dear Early Childhood Professional: Thank you for your interest in the “A is for Asthma” training module, a component of the ABC’s of Safe and Healthy Child Care Curriculum, produced by the NC Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center. Asthma is the most common chronic disease of children. It affects 1 in every 14 children in the United States and the numbers are increasing. Families need your help to make child care a safe and healthy place for children with asthma. When children with asthma receive appropriate medical management, they can participate in all of the activities that they enjoy! We hope that you find “A is for Asthma” useful and welcome your comments about the training materials. If you would like more information about how to make your child care program asthma-friendly, please contact the North Carolina Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center at 1-800-367-2229. Sincerely, Linda Raker Rogers, R.N., M.S.N., F.N.P. Child Care Health Consultant Kathryn Brownfield, R.N., M.Ed. Director 1100 Wake Forest Rd. • Raleigh, NC 27604 • Fax 919.834.5068 • www.healthychildcarenc.org • 1-800-367-2229 A Guide to Using “A is for Asthma” Contents of Module: ❏ Lesson Plans ❏ Black Gloves ❏ Velcro Dots ❏ Caregiver’s Guide ❏ Ping-Pong Balls ❏ Sample Parent Letter ❏ Elmo Stuffed Toy ❏ Drinking Straws ❏ Asthma Profile Sheet from the Children’s Television Workshop, Inc. Module Outline Lesson One: Everyone Breathes Lesson Two: Sometimes My Friend Has Trouble Breathing Lesson Three: A Visit From Elmo Instructions for the Child Care Provider The “A is for Asthma” module is intended for use with four and five year olds. Lessons are designed to help children develop concepts of normal breathing and troubled breathing. Children learn that everyone breathes and that there are lots of fun ways to use your breath! In Lesson Two children learn ways to help friends who have trouble breathing. The third lesson helps children recognize potential asthma triggers. The content and activities of each lesson are fun, not frightening. Children who witness or experience an asthma attack can be understandably frightened. The goal of this training is to make child care a safer place for children (and adults) with asthma. The success of this unit will be enhanced by participation of parents and health professionals from your community. Notify parents in advance that you will be talking about asthma. A sample parent letter is included for copying. Contact a physician, nurse, or child care health consultant to help you develop a health policy related to caring for children with asthma in your program. Dear Families, On ___________________________________________ (fill in the date), I will be showing your child an entertaining video called Sesame Street A Is for Asthma. The video features a Muppet named Dani, an active and fun-loving child who has asthma. Dani and his friends explain what asthma is and how Dani keeps it under control by taking medicine and visiting the doctor. The Sesame Street Muppets sing, dance, and talk about asthma in a way that children can understand and enjoy. You may wonder why I plan to show the children a video about this topic. The fact is that asthma is on the rise nationwide. And with one child in 14 now having asthma, there’s a good chance that one of your children or one of their friends may have it. The video is designed to reduce children’s fears and tell them how they might be able to help someone with asthma. What Your Child Will Learn Dani and his friends will teach your child that: • All people breathe, even when they’re not thinking about it. • People with asthma sometimes have trouble breathing. • Though children with asthma sometimes have trouble with physical activities, they can run and play just like other kids if they take their medicine and see their doctor regularly. • Children who don’t have asthma can help their friends who do. Your child will also learn to follow this three-part Asthma Action Plan when he or a friend has trouble breathing: 1. Sit down. 2. Stay calm. 3. Get help. What Is Asthma? Asthma is a serious condition. Left untreated, children can die from it. But when asthma is treated properly, youngsters who have it can lead as active a life as those who don’t. Although the exact causes of asthma are not known, it’s definitely not contagious. Asthma occurs when the airways in a child’s lungs become supersensitive to something that irritates them. This “something,” which is called a trigger, leaves the airways swollen and blocked. Then it becomes hard for air to go in and out, which is why children with asthma sometimes have trouble breathing. Each child has his own set of asthma triggers. On the video, Dani’s triggers were furry animals and dust. Other children may be sensitive to mold or mildew, grass or tree pollen, temperature changes, perfumes, cockroaches, household chemicals, or cigarette smoke. Children with asthma are healthier when they reduce their exposure to their particular triggers. Warning Signs And Symptoms Asthma is difficult to diagnose, because sometimes its symptoms are just like those of the common cold. You should check with your doctor if what seems like a cold lasts more than two weeks, or your child exhibits any of these symptoms: • Coughing that persists at night or for more than a week, or during or after exercise • Shortness of breath • Tightness in the chest • Wheezing Please Work With Me Asthma is an illness that doesn’t go away, even when symptoms are absent. That means it requires continuous care, including preventive medicines – those given on a regular basis to prevent symptoms from occurring. Although it’s a serious condition, asthma is treatable, and episodes can be prevented or reduced in number and severity. You can help by providing me with important information. If your child has asthma, please come in and fill out your child’s Asthma Profile so we can work together to manage the condition. In the coming days, ask your child about Dani and the video to see what he or she has learned. Consider adding the information you’ve learned about asthma with your friends and relatives. And if you want to know more about asthma, please contact me for additional information, or get in touch with one of the groups below. Sincerely, Your Child’s Caregiver For More Information About Asthma Contact the following organizations for additional information and resources about asthma: American Lung Association 800-LUNGUSA www.lungusa.org Calling this number will connect you to the ALA office in your community. Allergy and Asthma Network/ Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc. 800-878-4403 www.aanma.org The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Child Care Aware 800-424-2246 Call to find the number of the CCR&R in your area. Spanish language callers are welcome. www.naccrra.net Lesson Plan 1 • A is for Asthma Series Tip: Send parent letters home with children before Lesson One. For children 4 - 5 years of age Lesson One: Everyone Breathes Objective To help children understand the important role that breathing plays. Introduction Tell the children that today they are going to learn how to use their breath to do lots of fun things. Remind them that they breathe without even thinking about it! Activity Suggestion (10 minutes each) Tummy Breathing, Blow Painting, and Ping Pong Ball Races Tummy Breathing Notes: Tummy Breathing can be used by anyone to stay calm during an asthma attack. It’s a great relaxation tool! Here’s How 1. Demonstrate: “Breathe in together through our noses and blow the air slowly out of our mouths using pursed lips.” 2. Demonstrate: “Place your hands on your tummy. When you breathe in, your tummy should get big like a balloon.When you breathe out, your tummy should get small like a balloon that’s lost its air.” 3. “Now let’s put the first two steps together. Air in through your nose, out through your mouth. Tummy big, tummy small.” (Repeat 5 times) For more information call 1-800-367-2229 Blow Painting You can use your breath to paint a picture. Materials Needed Washable tempera paint, water, straw, paper, newspaper Here’s How 1. Cover your work area with newspaper. 2. Dilute the tempera paint with water until it is the consistency of salad dressing. 3. Give each child a sheet of paper. 4. Put a quarter-sized dab of the diluted tempera paint on the paper for each child. (You may use more than one color.) 5. Give each child a drinking straw and have him practice blowing air out of the straw. 6. Show the child how to blow the paint around the paper without the straw touching the paper to “paint” his picture. Tip: It’s fun to decorate the ping-pong balls with colored markers. Ping-Pong Races Materials needed: Ping-Pong Balls and masking tape. Notes: Here’s How: 1. Clear an area of floor space. 2. Mark the floor off with 6-foot lengths of masking tape. Have at least 2 lanes — 4 are even better. Put a piece of masking tape at both ends of the 6-foot strips to mark a star and a finish line. 3. Place a Ping-Pong ball at the starting line in each lane. 4. Have a child get down on the floor on his hands and knees behind each ball. 5. When you say “go,” each child will blow the Ping-Pong ball down his lane without touching the ball, trying to stay in the lane. 6. The first child to blow his ball over the finish line is the winner. Review Remind the children that they now know three different things that they can do with their breath. For more information call 1-800-367-2229 Lesson Plan 2 • A is for Asthma Series For children 4 - 5 years of age Lesson Two: Sometimes My Friend Has Trouble Breathing Objective: To reduce children’s fears about asthma and show them how they might be able to help someone with asthma. Tip: Invite family members of children with asthma in your care to join the group. Introduction: Let the children know that they will be watching a video about a new Muppet friend, Dani, who has asthma. Tell them that they will learn that asthma means having trouble breathing. Challenge them to watch closely and they will learn how to help when someone has trouble breathing. Activity Suggestion (15 - 20 minutes) Show “A is for Asthma” video. Materials needed: VCR and video tape Notes: Here’s How: 1. Watch the videotape together. Children will benefit more from the video if you help them understand it. 2. Pause the tape occasionally to discuss what’s going on. 3. Sing along with the songs. Review Review the main message points: • All of us breathe, but children with asthma sometimes have trouble breathing. • When children with asthma have trouble breathing their friends can help by following the Asthma Action Plan. For more information call 1-800-367-2229 Please fill out this form to share information with your child’s caregiver. My Asthma Profile For ____________________________________________________________ (Write your child’s name here) I may be having an asthma episode when (describe behaviors, such as ”I am coughing and can’t catch my breath,” “I complain that my chest hurts,” “I am wheezing”) ________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ My asthma can get worse when I’m near (list things that can set off the child’s asthma, such as dust or cold air) ____________________________________________________________ You can help me feel better by (list helpful interventions here such as “sitting me down,” “rubbing my back,” “helping me stay calm”) ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ If my episode gets worse, please do the following: 1 ______________________________________________________________________________ 2 ______________________________________________________________________________ 3 ______________________________________________________________________________ If you need to call my family or my doctor, here are the names and phone numbers: Family member __________________________________________________________________ Doctor ________________________________________________________________________ The nearest emergency room address and phone number:________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Name of Medication When I Take It Who Can Give It To Me? I also take the following home remedies: ______________________________________________ *Important: state regulations differ on the question of whether child care providers are allowed to administer medication. Be sure to check with your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency, the department of health, or the nearest office of the American Lung Association. Caregiver: Post in the room where the child spends the most time Lesson Plan 3 • A is for Asthma Series For children 4 - 5 years of age Lesson Three A Visit From Elmo Objective: To reinforce the messages from the videotape “A is for Asthma.” Tip: It is best to try on the gloves before you apply the Velcro. Introduction: Tell the children that at circle time a special visitor will be coming to talk to them about the video they saw yesterday. Activity Suggestion (10 minutes) Elmo puppet play. Preparation (10 - 15 minutes) Follow directions for completing Elmo puppet and trigger glove. Complete this before you begin your time with the children. Materials needed: Elmo stuffed toy, black gloves, Velcro dots, bag of triggers (cat, dog, roach, flower, pom-pom, perfume bottle, and glue stick cigarette), thin black permanent marker, red permanent marker, little poster. Making a Pretend Cigarette Out of a Glue Stick a) Draw a thin black line with a permanent marker 1-inch from one end of the glue stick completely around the glue stick. b) Color the opposite end of the glue stick red. Here’s How: Left glove: 1. Attach Elmo doll to glove using Velcro dots. Right glove: 2. Attach triggers to glove using Velcro dots. Refer to pictures at left. You are now ready to begin the Elmo Puppet Play. For more information call 1-800-367-2229 Assemble class for circle time and sit in a chair facing them with the puppet gloves and script in your lap until the class is ready. Put the Elmo puppet on your left hand and begin. Read the script from your lap. Puppet Play Script (10 minutes) ELMO: ”Hi boys and girls! I’m Elmo. I hope you enjoyed watching the video about my friend Dani. “You know, all of us breathe, even when we’re not thinking about it. Let’s all take a deep breath. [Elmo and children all take a deep breath.] Good! “Sometimes children with asthma have trouble breathing, like my friend Dani. He needed some help when he had trouble breathing, didn’t he? Do you remember when he had trouble breathing? How did you feel when he had trouble? I used to feel scared but now I know what I can do to help. Let’s see if you remember what to do. [Use the poster to remind the children] “Look at this poster; it tells us everything we need to do. 1. Sit down. 2. Stay calm. 3. Get help. Now repeat after me… [repeat steps from poster] “Very good! Let’s practice helping a friend if he has trouble breathing. I’m going to choose a helper. [Select a child.] Lucy (insert child’s name), please come up here. Lucy, I’m going to pretend that I’m having trouble breathing because of my asthma. Would you please show us what you would do? [Elmo wheezes, puts hand up to throat. Lucy helps.] Thank you, Lucy. Very good. Lucy remembered to tell me to sit down, stay calm, and then went to get an adult to help. I’ll choose another helper now and we’ll do it again. [Continue choosing helpers and repeating role-play as long as you wish.] “That’s great, children! I feel very good knowing that you all could help me if I have trouble breathing. Thank you. “Let’s see if we can remember another thing that we learned about asthma from the video. “There were two things that made Dani have trouble breathing. Can you remember what they were? [Put on glove with triggers.] Do you see anything here that made Dani have trouble breathing? That’s right. Furry animals (cat and dog) and dust (pom-pom). Very good. “Children with asthma who have trouble breathing may have other things that they need to stay away from. Like flowers, cockroaches, or perfumes. [Point to each one on glove.] They don’t bother me. [Hold each one up to Elmo.] Only children with asthma need to stay away from these things, NOT all children. Everyone needs to stay away from this [point to cigarette]. “Well, I’ve had fun being with your class today. Thank you for watching the video and talking with me. I’ll tell my friend Dani that if he comes to your class, there will be lots of helpers to help him if he has trouble breathing. Good-bye! And thank you!” Tip: Let another caregiver help you get the trigger glove on. Review When a child with asthma is not feeling well, other children can help by following the Asthma Action Plan. For more information call 1-800-367-2229 State of North Carolina James B. Hunt, Jr., Governor Division of Women’s and Children’s Health Children and Youth Section With support from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Healthy Child Care North Carolina Campaign 1-800-367-2229 1000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $3.305 per copy. (1/99)