ECE: Guiding Children Behaviors Guidance Tools ECE: Guiding Children Behaviors By: Kacey Soderberg

ACTIVE LISTENING Allows the child to be involved in solving the problem. Supporting the children with questions to allow them to use the “five finger formula” 1. Cool down 2. Identify the problem 3. Brainstorm solutions 4. Go for it 5. Follow-up. With support of the teacher.

Offer the child two acceptable choices Offer the child two acceptable choices. The child then must choose one of those choices. This allows the child to feel they have some control over the situation and allows them to succeed because both of the choices are acceptable. EX: do you want to tip toe? or sneak like a mouse? while needing to travel to a quiet place. OFFER CHOICES

ENVIRONMENT the physical environment includes the areas in which the children are a part of. The environment needs to be welcoming so children are able to identify positively with their surroundings. Environments should provide areas to: have quiet time, loud time, active time, a place to climb, hiding spaces, places to investigate, a place of their own. When challenging behaviors occur think of what in the environment may need to change.

BODY LANGUGE & ATTITUDE having open body language and a smiling face is important. Attitudes are sincere and upbeat. Children recognize frustration and irritability. Attitudes should be positive and encouraging which allows children to feel invited and accepted.

IGNORING Ignoring challenging behaviors is done to prevent the child from gaining the teachers attention for performing mistaken behaviors. When these behaviors are ignored the behavior is not reinforced by the teacher and therefore the child is more likely to stop the behavior.  

REDIRECTION & DISTRACTION Turning the child’s focus to an acceptable choice that allows them to forget about the mistaken behavior.

To repeat techniques dealing with situations so the child learns that when x happens, y will happen each time. Support then builds from consistency. REINFORCEMENT

ACTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING Allows the child to be involved in solving the problem. Supporting the children with questions to allow them to use the “five finger formula” 1. Cool down 2. Identify the problem 3. Brainstorm solutions 4. Go for it 5. Follow-up. With support of the teacher.  

NATURAL CONSEQUENCES A natural consequence is the expected outcome that occurs from not interfering but by “nature”. For example if the mistaken behavior is a child refusing to eat, the natural consequence is that he/she will feel hungry later.

LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES Consequences that occur due to the behavior that was performed. Example if a child out of frustration takes the whole bin of blocks and dumps them out all over the play rug, the logical consequence would be for him/her to pick them up.

“I” MESSAGES I messages are used to express one’s own feelings/thoughts without placing judgments or blame on other person involved in situation. Example would be having one child say to another: I feel sad when I am called names.