1. Building Social and Emotional Competence for All Children
How Early Learning and Development Standards can be Used to Prevent Challenging Behaviors
Michelle L. Levy, Ph.D.
Do we all define “challenging behavior” the same?
Who is it challenging for?
Why is it challenging for adults/teachers?
What is challenging for the child?
What is challenging for families?
Why is the child using this challenging behavior?

2. Can We Agree?
The issue isn’t motivation. -Kids with challenging behaviors ultimately want the same things that other kids want-love, safety, approval. Challenging behaviors serve (or are intended to serve) some purpose for the child. -The behaviors are there for a reason: communication, an attempt to escape a situation, a release of energy or emotion…… Children who engage in challenging behaviors lack the skills to achieve that purpose in ways that fit with expectations. -If a child generally wants to succeed but is exhibiting challenging behavior, then they must lack the skills to handle things in an appropriate manner.
Consequences and punitive measures are designed to address motivation. They generally don’t work because the issue isn’t about motivation
The behaviors aren’t working well for the child (even if they meet some immediate need) but they
Example of eating—I can be really motivated to eat healthy foods. When I eat foods that aren’t healthy it isn’t that I lack the motivation. I lack the self-regulation skills to think of my long term gains and not give into immediate gratification. Now, what if I had consequences inflicted because I didn’t follow through on what I was motivated to do?
With #3, there may be other issues standing in the way-mental health issues, health issues, etc. But in general, without other information, we would assume that a challenging behavior was the result of not having some particular skill.
Can we generally agree on these?
So if the

3. If the major reason for challenging behavior is a lack of social and/or emotional skills, WE CAN PREVENT CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR BY TEACHING SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS.

4. What kind of planning went into learning this new skill
What kind of planning went into learning this new skill? Was it something you chose and sought to learn or something you needed to quickly learn because of a crisis? Was it a showstopper that you had the opportunity to practice? Or was it a technical challenge where you just had to do your best?
Signature Challenge-Tried and True
Technical Challenge-Trying something new with minimal support or direction
Showstopper-Spreading your wings-challenging but time to practice

5. Think of a Recent Time you Tried to Do Something Challenging
Green=high
Yellow=medium
Pink=low
What kind of planning went into learning or perfecting this new skill?
What kind of support did you have from others?
How much time did you have to practice and refine this skill?

6. I felt successful at learning this new skill.
I managed to learn this new skill.
I did not feel successful at learning this new skill
We’re now going to group ourselves

7. What skills do we teach? State Documents
CT Early Learning and Development Standards
Components of Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Habits: Kindergarten through Grade3
National Documents
Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies
Remember the areas that Lise Fox addressed in the key note-regulation, emotional literacy, social problem solving, etc. These are all addressed in these sets of standards. Both the CT ELDS and the HSELOF have progressions of learning that can be very helpful in planning curriculum

8. Social and Emotional Support
FEW
CHILDREN
Targeted
Social and Emotional Support
SOME CHILDREN
Targeted
Social and Emotional Support
ALL CHILDREN
Support Social and Emotional Development

9. What’s Our Recipe for our Signature Bake
What’s Our Recipe for our Signature Bake? How do you teach social and emotional skills to all children?
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10. When and Where to We Teach Social and Emotional Skills
I always marvel at the conditions for the Great British Baking Show-in a tent often in the heat. When and where we choose to teach will impact how successful we are. It doesn’t mean we don’t use those teachable moments, but those can’t be it.
So I’m going to break down some different places and times we can think about building social and emotional competence.

11. Planned Activities/Curriculum
Refer to those who choose a particular curriculum.

12. Environment, Materials, and Scheduling

13. Teaching Behaviors
How do you plan teaching behaviors? Are they a part of what you plan during planned activities/curriculum? Are they things that you meet and discuss to ensure people are using some of the same teaching behaviors? Or do we assume that if people are in the field they have it? What often happens with SE skills? Often revert to parenting styles and methods-mirror how adults interacted with us.
Scaffolding, modeling, reinforcing can be intentionally implemented by adults across settings and across the day.
These can be very intentional.
Key of communication

14. Connecting with Families

15. How do we identify children who need more than the general curriculum?
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How are we identifying most children? How many children are we feeling need more than the general curriculum?
SRBI-theory of tiers—some, few?
Are we teaching enough?

16. Assessment-What Information Do We Need to Support Children?
Purpose
Ages and Stages Questionnaires-SE
CT Documentation and Observation for Teaching System (CT DOTS)
Method of Assessment

17. What strategies can we use for the Technical Challenge?
How do you support children who need more than the general curriculum?
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18. What do we do when a child hasn’t learned the skills and uses challenging behavior?
What function is this behavior serving?
What do we want children to do instead?
What skill is child lacking that impacts their ability to do something and how do we teach them that skill?
challenging-behavior-in-young-children/

19. Systems

20. Questions/Closing Thoughts