Conducting the Daily Health Check

Conducting the Daily Health Check Teachers should use all of their senses to check for signs of illness. This includes:

 Listening to what families tell you about how their child is feeling and what the child sounds like (hoarse voice, coughing, wheezing, etc.)

 Looking at the child from head to toe (with a quick scan) to see if the child looks flushed, pale, has a rash, has a runny nose or mucus in the eyes

 Feeling the child’s cheek or neck (as part of a greeting) for warmth or clamminess

 Smelling the child for unusual smelling breath or a bowel movement. Here are the signs to observe for:

 General mood and atypical behavior

 Fever (elevated temperature)

 Rashes or unusual spots, itching, swelling, and bruising

 Complaints of not feeling well

 Symptoms of illness (coughing, sneezing, runny nose, eye or ear discharge, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.)

 Reported illness in child or family members10,11