What does health class actually cover in the early grades?

Students learn basic habits that keep them healthy and safe. That includes washing hands, brushing teeth, eating a mix of foods, getting enough sleep, naming feelings, and knowing what to do if they get hurt or feel unsafe.

How can families help at home in just a few minutes a day?

Talk through small choices out loud. At breakfast, ask why fruit is a good pick. At bedtime, ask what made them feel happy or upset that day. These short chats build the same thinking skills that show up in class.

How should the year be sequenced across the eight skills?

Start with personal habits and safety in the fall, then move into feelings and friendships, and end with decision-making and goal-setting in the spring. The eight skills repeat across topics like nutrition, safety, and mental health, so plan in short units rather than teaching each skill alone.

What should students be able to do by the end of second grade?

Students should name basic ways to stay healthy, ask a trusted adult when something feels wrong, use kind words to solve a small problem with a friend, and set a simple goal like drinking more water for a week.

How do parents talk about strangers and safety without scaring students?

Use the phrase trusted adult instead of stranger. Make a short list together of three or four adults a student can go to for help, such as a parent, a teacher, and a relative. Practice what to say if they feel scared or lost.

Which parts of health usually need the most reteaching?

Decision-making and goal-setting take the longest because students are still learning to think a step ahead. Plan to revisit them in every unit with a quick prompt, such as picking a snack or choosing how to handle a disagreement at recess.

What does asking for help look like at this age?

Students should be able to name a trusted adult and use a simple sentence like I need help or I do not feel safe. Practice this at home and in class so the words come out easily when it matters.

How are feelings and friendships fit into health class?

Naming feelings and getting along with others count as health. Students learn words for emotions like worried or frustrated, and they practice taking turns, listening, and using kind words when they disagree.

How is progress checked without formal tests?

Most checks happen through short conversations, drawings, role-plays, and quick observations during the day. Watch for whether students can name a healthy habit, point to a trusted adult, and walk through a simple choice out loud.

What does a student learn in ?

These are the years students learn that their daily choices shape how they feel. Students start to name healthy habits like washing hands, eating real food, moving their bodies, and asking a trusted adult when something feels wrong. They practice talking through small problems with friends and family instead of pushing through alone. By spring, students can describe a healthy choice they made and who they would go to for help.

Healthy habits
Trusted adults
Feelings and emotions
Safety basics
Asking for help

Source: Maryland Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards

Year at a glance

How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.

1
Healthy habits at home and school
Students learn the basics of taking care of their bodies. They practice washing hands, brushing teeth, eating a mix of foods, and getting enough sleep.
2
Feelings and getting along
Students put words to big feelings like happy, sad, angry, and worried. They practice kind ways to talk to classmates and ask a trusted adult for help.
3
Safety at home, school, and play
Students learn what to do in everyday safety moments, like crossing the street, riding in a car, and saying no to unsafe touch. They practice who to tell when something feels wrong.
4
Making choices and small goals
Students start to notice that their choices affect how they feel. They walk through simple decisions, set a small health goal like drinking more water, and check how it went.
5
Speaking up for a healthy classroom
Students use what they have learned to encourage healthy habits in the people around them. They share a kind reminder, like covering a cough or being a good friend, with classmates and family.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Kindergarten.

Health Education

Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of…

MD-HE.1.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn basic facts about health, like why sleep and handwashing matter, and practice applying those facts to take care of themselves and the people around them.
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others

MD-HE.2.k-2

Grades K-2

Students look at what shapes their health choices, like family habits, friends, ads, and what they see around them. They start to notice which influences help them stay healthy and which ones don't.
Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self…

MD-HE.3.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to find trustworthy sources of health information, like a doctor, a parent, or a school nurse. They practice knowing who to ask when they have a question about staying safe or feeling well.
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self…

MD-HE.4.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice saying how they feel, asking for help, and listening when someone else needs support. These everyday conversation skills help kids stay well and look out for each other.
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and…

MD-HE.5.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice a simple step-by-step process for making choices that are good for their health and the health of people around them.
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others

MD-HE.6.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to set a simple health goal, like drinking more water or getting to bed earlier, and take steps to reach it.
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self…

MD-HE.7.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice everyday habits that keep themselves and the people around them healthy, like washing hands, getting enough sleep, and staying active.
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others

MD-HE.8.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice speaking up for healthy choices, like asking for a piece of fruit instead of a snack they know isn't good for them, or encouraging a friend to wash their hands.

Standard	Definition	Code
Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of… Grades K-2	Students learn basic facts about health, like why sleep and handwashing matter, and practice applying those facts to take care of themselves and the people around them.	MD-HE.1.k-2
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others Grades K-2	Students look at what shapes their health choices, like family habits, friends, ads, and what they see around them. They start to notice which influences help them stay healthy and which ones don't.	MD-HE.2.k-2
Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self… Grades K-2	Students learn to find trustworthy sources of health information, like a doctor, a parent, or a school nurse. They practice knowing who to ask when they have a question about staying safe or feeling well.	MD-HE.3.k-2
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self… Grades K-2	Students practice saying how they feel, asking for help, and listening when someone else needs support. These everyday conversation skills help kids stay well and look out for each other.	MD-HE.4.k-2
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and… Grades K-2	Students practice a simple step-by-step process for making choices that are good for their health and the health of people around them.	MD-HE.5.k-2
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others Grades K-2	Students learn to set a simple health goal, like drinking more water or getting to bed earlier, and take steps to reach it.	MD-HE.6.k-2
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self… Grades K-2	Students practice everyday habits that keep themselves and the people around them healthy, like washing hands, getting enough sleep, and staying active.	MD-HE.7.k-2
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others Grades K-2	Students practice speaking up for healthy choices, like asking for a piece of fruit instead of a snack they know isn't good for them, or encouraging a friend to wash their hands.	MD-HE.8.k-2

Health Education

Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of…

MD-HE.1.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn basic facts about health, like why sleep and handwashing matter, and practice applying those facts to take care of themselves and the people around them.
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others

MD-HE.2.k-2

Grades K-2

Students look at what shapes their health choices, like family habits, friends, ads, and what they see around them. They start to notice which influences help them stay healthy and which ones don't.
Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self…

MD-HE.3.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to find trustworthy sources of health information, like a doctor, a parent, or a school nurse. They practice knowing who to ask when they have a question about staying safe or feeling well.
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self…

MD-HE.4.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice saying how they feel, asking for help, and listening when someone else needs support. These everyday conversation skills help kids stay well and look out for each other.
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and…

MD-HE.5.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice a simple step-by-step process for making choices that are good for their health and the health of people around them.
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others

MD-HE.6.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to set a simple health goal, like drinking more water or getting to bed earlier, and take steps to reach it.
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self…

MD-HE.7.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice everyday habits that keep themselves and the people around them healthy, like washing hands, getting enough sleep, and staying active.
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others

MD-HE.8.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice speaking up for healthy choices, like asking for a piece of fruit instead of a snack they know isn't good for them, or encouraging a friend to wash their hands.

Standard	Definition	Code
Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of… Grades K-2	Students learn basic facts about health, like why sleep and handwashing matter, and practice applying those facts to take care of themselves and the people around them.	MD-HE.1.k-2
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others Grades K-2	Students look at what shapes their health choices, like family habits, friends, ads, and what they see around them. They start to notice which influences help them stay healthy and which ones don't.	MD-HE.2.k-2
Access valid and reliable resources to support health and well-being of self… Grades K-2	Students learn to find trustworthy sources of health information, like a doctor, a parent, or a school nurse. They practice knowing who to ask when they have a question about staying safe or feeling well.	MD-HE.3.k-2
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self… Grades K-2	Students practice saying how they feel, asking for help, and listening when someone else needs support. These everyday conversation skills help kids stay well and look out for each other.	MD-HE.4.k-2
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and… Grades K-2	Students practice a simple step-by-step process for making choices that are good for their health and the health of people around them.	MD-HE.5.k-2
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others Grades K-2	Students learn to set a simple health goal, like drinking more water or getting to bed earlier, and take steps to reach it.	MD-HE.6.k-2
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self… Grades K-2	Students practice everyday habits that keep themselves and the people around them healthy, like washing hands, getting enough sleep, and staying active.	MD-HE.7.k-2
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others Grades K-2	Students practice speaking up for healthy choices, like asking for a piece of fruit instead of a snack they know isn't good for them, or encouraging a friend to wash their hands.	MD-HE.8.k-2

Common Questions

What does health class actually cover in the early grades?
Students learn basic habits that keep them healthy and safe. That includes washing hands, brushing teeth, eating a mix of foods, getting enough sleep, naming feelings, and knowing what to do if they get hurt or feel unsafe.
How can families help at home in just a few minutes a day?
Talk through small choices out loud. At breakfast, ask why fruit is a good pick. At bedtime, ask what made them feel happy or upset that day. These short chats build the same thinking skills that show up in class.
How should the year be sequenced across the eight skills?
Start with personal habits and safety in the fall, then move into feelings and friendships, and end with decision-making and goal-setting in the spring. The eight skills repeat across topics like nutrition, safety, and mental health, so plan in short units rather than teaching each skill alone.
What should students be able to do by the end of second grade?
Students should name basic ways to stay healthy, ask a trusted adult when something feels wrong, use kind words to solve a small problem with a friend, and set a simple goal like drinking more water for a week.
How do parents talk about strangers and safety without scaring students?
Use the phrase trusted adult instead of stranger. Make a short list together of three or four adults a student can go to for help, such as a parent, a teacher, and a relative. Practice what to say if they feel scared or lost.
Which parts of health usually need the most reteaching?
Decision-making and goal-setting take the longest because students are still learning to think a step ahead. Plan to revisit them in every unit with a quick prompt, such as picking a snack or choosing how to handle a disagreement at recess.
What does asking for help look like at this age?
Students should be able to name a trusted adult and use a simple sentence like I need help or I do not feel safe. Practice this at home and in class so the words come out easily when it matters.
How are feelings and friendships fit into health class?
Naming feelings and getting along with others count as health. Students learn words for emotions like worried or frustrated, and they practice taking turns, listening, and using kind words when they disagree.
How is progress checked without formal tests?
Most checks happen through short conversations, drawings, role-plays, and quick observations during the day. Watch for whether students can name a healthy habit, point to a trusted adult, and walk through a simple choice out loud.