What does health class actually cover in these early grades?

Students learn the basics of taking care of their bodies and feelings. That includes washing hands, eating different foods, sleeping enough, naming emotions, and asking a trusted adult for help. It is less about facts and more about building daily habits.

How can families support this at home?

Talk about everyday choices as they come up. At breakfast, ask why fruit is on the plate. At bedtime, ask how the day felt. Five minutes of real conversation builds the same skills students practice at school.

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

Students should name healthy habits, describe feelings with real words, know which adults to ask for help, and make small decisions like choosing water or wearing a helmet. They should also set a simple goal, such as brushing teeth every night.

How should health topics be sequenced across the year?

Start with personal care and feelings in the fall, since those routines anchor everything else. Move into food, movement, and sleep in the winter. Save safety, friendship, and asking for help for later units, once students can talk about their own choices with more words.

Which skills usually need the most reteaching?

Naming feelings beyond happy, sad, and mad takes the most repetition. So does the difference between a safe secret and an unsafe one. Plan to revisit both several times across the year using picture books and short role-plays.

My child is shy about talking about feelings. Is that a problem?

It is very common at this age. Drawing a feelings face, pointing to a picture in a book, or naming a character's feeling in a show all count. Practice in small, low-pressure moments works better than a sit-down conversation.

How is this different from a science lesson on the body?

Science explains how the body works. Health asks what students will do about it. A science lesson might cover what teeth are made of. A health lesson asks when students brush, who helps, and what to do if a tooth hurts.

How do I know students are ready for third grade health?

Look for students who can describe a healthy habit, name a trusted adult for different kinds of problems, and walk through a simple choice out loud. If they can set a goal and check on it a few days later, they are ready for the next level of work.

What does a student learn in ?

These are the years students learn that small daily choices add up to feeling good. Students name the basics of taking care of a body, like washing hands, eating a range of foods, moving around, and getting enough sleep. They also practice asking a trusted adult for help and noticing how friends and family shape what they do. By spring, students can explain a simple healthy habit and tell a grown-up when something feels wrong.

Healthy habits
Asking for help
Feelings and friends
Safe choices
Setting small goals

Source: New Jersey New Jersey Student Learning 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 daily basics that keep their bodies feeling good. They practice washing hands, brushing teeth, eating a mix of foods, sleeping enough, and moving their bodies every day.
2
Feelings, friends, and kind words
Students name what they feel and learn ways to talk about it. They practice listening, taking turns, asking for help, and using words that work better than yelling or grabbing.
3
Safety at home, school, and play
Students learn how to stay safe in everyday places. They practice safe choices around streets, strangers, water, and medicine, and they know which adults to find when something feels wrong.
4
Making good choices
Students start thinking before they act. They walk through small decisions, set simple goals like trying a new food or being a kind friend, and notice what helps them and the people around them.

Mastery Learning Standards

The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.

Health Education

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

NJ-HE.1.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn basic health facts, like how germs spread or why sleep matters, and use that knowledge to make simple choices that keep themselves and the people around them healthier.
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others

NJ-HE.2.k-2

Grades K-2

Students look at what shapes their health choices, like family habits, friends, ads, or advice from a doctor. 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…

NJ-HE.3.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to find trustworthy sources of health information, like a doctor, a school nurse, or a reliable website. They practice knowing where to go when they or someone they care about needs help.
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self…

NJ-HE.4.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice asking for help, saying how they feel, and listening to others. These everyday conversation skills help them stay safe and treat people around them well.
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and…

NJ-HE.5.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice a simple step-by-step thinking process to make choices that keep themselves and others safe and healthy, like deciding what to do when a friend gets hurt or when someone offers them something they're unsure about.
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others

NJ-HE.6.k-2

Grades K-2

Students pick a simple health goal, like drinking more water or getting to bed on time, and practice the steps to reach it. They also think about how good habits help the people around them.
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self…

NJ-HE.7.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice simple habits like washing hands, drinking water, and getting enough sleep. They learn how those same habits help the people around them stay healthy too.
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others

NJ-HE.8.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice speaking up for healthy choices, like asking for help when something hurts or telling a friend why hand-washing matters. They learn that looking out for their own health also means looking out for others.

Standard	Definition	Code
Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of… Grades K-2	Students learn basic health facts, like how germs spread or why sleep matters, and use that knowledge to make simple choices that keep themselves and the people around them healthier.	NJ-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, or advice from a doctor. They start to notice which influences help them stay healthy and which ones don't.	NJ-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 school nurse, or a reliable website. They practice knowing where to go when they or someone they care about needs help.	NJ-HE.3.k-2
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self… Grades K-2	Students practice asking for help, saying how they feel, and listening to others. These everyday conversation skills help them stay safe and treat people around them well.	NJ-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 thinking process to make choices that keep themselves and others safe and healthy, like deciding what to do when a friend gets hurt or when someone offers them something they're unsure about.	NJ-HE.5.k-2
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others Grades K-2	Students pick a simple health goal, like drinking more water or getting to bed on time, and practice the steps to reach it. They also think about how good habits help the people around them.	NJ-HE.6.k-2
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self… Grades K-2	Students practice simple habits like washing hands, drinking water, and getting enough sleep. They learn how those same habits help the people around them stay healthy too.	NJ-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 help when something hurts or telling a friend why hand-washing matters. They learn that looking out for their own health also means looking out for others.	NJ-HE.8.k-2

Health Education

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

NJ-HE.1.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn basic health facts, like how germs spread or why sleep matters, and use that knowledge to make simple choices that keep themselves and the people around them healthier.
Analyze influences that affect health and well-being of self and others

NJ-HE.2.k-2

Grades K-2

Students look at what shapes their health choices, like family habits, friends, ads, or advice from a doctor. 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…

NJ-HE.3.k-2

Grades K-2

Students learn to find trustworthy sources of health information, like a doctor, a school nurse, or a reliable website. They practice knowing where to go when they or someone they care about needs help.
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self…

NJ-HE.4.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice asking for help, saying how they feel, and listening to others. These everyday conversation skills help them stay safe and treat people around them well.
Use a decision-making process to support health and well-being of self and…

NJ-HE.5.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice a simple step-by-step thinking process to make choices that keep themselves and others safe and healthy, like deciding what to do when a friend gets hurt or when someone offers them something they're unsure about.
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others

NJ-HE.6.k-2

Grades K-2

Students pick a simple health goal, like drinking more water or getting to bed on time, and practice the steps to reach it. They also think about how good habits help the people around them.
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self…

NJ-HE.7.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice simple habits like washing hands, drinking water, and getting enough sleep. They learn how those same habits help the people around them stay healthy too.
Advocate to promote health and well-being of self and others

NJ-HE.8.k-2

Grades K-2

Students practice speaking up for healthy choices, like asking for help when something hurts or telling a friend why hand-washing matters. They learn that looking out for their own health also means looking out for others.

Standard	Definition	Code
Use functional knowledge of health concepts to support health and well-being of… Grades K-2	Students learn basic health facts, like how germs spread or why sleep matters, and use that knowledge to make simple choices that keep themselves and the people around them healthier.	NJ-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, or advice from a doctor. They start to notice which influences help them stay healthy and which ones don't.	NJ-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 school nurse, or a reliable website. They practice knowing where to go when they or someone they care about needs help.	NJ-HE.3.k-2
Use interpersonal communication skills to support health and well-being of self… Grades K-2	Students practice asking for help, saying how they feel, and listening to others. These everyday conversation skills help them stay safe and treat people around them well.	NJ-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 thinking process to make choices that keep themselves and others safe and healthy, like deciding what to do when a friend gets hurt or when someone offers them something they're unsure about.	NJ-HE.5.k-2
Use a goal-setting process to support health and well-being of self and others Grades K-2	Students pick a simple health goal, like drinking more water or getting to bed on time, and practice the steps to reach it. They also think about how good habits help the people around them.	NJ-HE.6.k-2
Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self… Grades K-2	Students practice simple habits like washing hands, drinking water, and getting enough sleep. They learn how those same habits help the people around them stay healthy too.	NJ-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 help when something hurts or telling a friend why hand-washing matters. They learn that looking out for their own health also means looking out for others.	NJ-HE.8.k-2

Common Questions

What does health class actually cover in these early grades?
Students learn the basics of taking care of their bodies and feelings. That includes washing hands, eating different foods, sleeping enough, naming emotions, and asking a trusted adult for help. It is less about facts and more about building daily habits.
How can families support this at home?
Talk about everyday choices as they come up. At breakfast, ask why fruit is on the plate. At bedtime, ask how the day felt. Five minutes of real conversation builds the same skills students practice at school.
What should students be able to do by the end of second grade?
Students should name healthy habits, describe feelings with real words, know which adults to ask for help, and make small decisions like choosing water or wearing a helmet. They should also set a simple goal, such as brushing teeth every night.
How should health topics be sequenced across the year?
Start with personal care and feelings in the fall, since those routines anchor everything else. Move into food, movement, and sleep in the winter. Save safety, friendship, and asking for help for later units, once students can talk about their own choices with more words.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Naming feelings beyond happy, sad, and mad takes the most repetition. So does the difference between a safe secret and an unsafe one. Plan to revisit both several times across the year using picture books and short role-plays.
My child is shy about talking about feelings. Is that a problem?
It is very common at this age. Drawing a feelings face, pointing to a picture in a book, or naming a character's feeling in a show all count. Practice in small, low-pressure moments works better than a sit-down conversation.
How is this different from a science lesson on the body?
Science explains how the body works. Health asks what students will do about it. A science lesson might cover what teeth are made of. A health lesson asks when students brush, who helps, and what to do if a tooth hurts.
How do I know students are ready for third grade health?
Look for students who can describe a healthy habit, name a trusted adult for different kinds of problems, and walk through a simple choice out loud. If they can set a goal and check on it a few days later, they are ready for the next level of work.