This paper discusses the importance of maternal and infant health for children's educational achievement. Education, health, and nutrition are so closely related that changes in one causes changes in the others. Improvement of maternal and preschooler health and nutrition is a precondition for improved educational achievement. Although parental education is often emphasized, for many women, responsibilities to the home and difficulties in obtaining transportation to school programs make it difficult for them to be involved in parental education. Educated siblings can contribute to younger siblings' health and nutritional status. In schools, teachers have difficulties finding time to teach health and nutrition as a separate subject, and qualified teachers for these subjects are lacking. Elderly people are important transmitters of health and nutritional behavior. In order for intervention to occur, assessments of beneficial food and health customs and of disease patterns should be made. A seven-step assessment procedure is suggested. (RJC)