1. Promoting Social Emotional Competence
Promoting Children’s Success: Building Relationships and Creating Supportive Environments
Module 1 Handout

2. Agenda Introduction Examining attitudes
Relationship between challenging behavior and social emotional development
Creating environments
Building relationships
Designing the physical environment
Schedules, routines, & transitions
Activities that promote engagement
Giving directions
Teaching classroom rules
Ongoing monitoring and positive attention
Using positive feedback & encouragement
Pulling it all together

3. Learner Objectives
Participants will be able to describe the importance of building relationships with children, families, and colleagues.
Participants will be able to describe the relationship between children’s social emotional development and challenging behavior.
Participants will be able to describe how challenging behavior serves a function for children.
Participants will be able to describe the relationship between environmental variables, children’s challenging behaviors, and social emotional development
Participants will be able to identify strategies that can be used to (1) build positive relationships with children, families and colleagues; (2) design environments, schedules, and routines; (3) structure transitions; (4) help children learn rules and routines; and (5) plan activities that promote engagement.
Participants will be able to use descriptive acknowledgment and encouragement to support children’s positive social behaviors.
Participants will evaluate their work with children related to building relationships and the structure and design of their environment.

4. Examining Our Attitudes about Challenging Behaviors
What behaviors push your buttons?
How do these behaviors make you feel?
How does this impact your relationship with a child and his/her family?

5. Managing Personal Stress: Thought Control
Calming Thoughts
“This child is testing to see
where the limits are.
My job is to stay calm and help
him learn better ways to behave.”
“I can handle this. I am in control.
They have just learned some powerful
ways to get control. I will
teach them more appropriate
ways to behave.”
Upsetting Thoughts
“That child is a monster.
This is getting ridiculous.
He’ll never change.”
“I’m sick of putting out fires!”

6. Managing Personal Stress: Thought Control
Upsetting Thought
“I wonder if the corner grocery
is hiring?”
“He ruins everything!
This is going to be the worst
year of my career.”
Calming Thoughts
“I feel undervalued right now –
I need to seek support from
my peers and supervisor.”
“Having her in my class is going to
be a wonderful Professional
Development experience.”

7. Reframing Activity In pairs or in small groups:
See Handout 1.3 (Reframing Activity)
Read the four examples listed and generate two to three other challenging behaviors and how you might reframe each one.
In reframing the challenging behaviors, do not come up with solutions but rather restate the behaviors to make them more manageable.
Be prepared to share your ideas with the large group.

8. Mean Age Expectation in Months for Milestone Attainment
Caucasian Puerto Rican Filipino Eat Solid Food * Training Cup * Utensils * Finger Food Wean * Sleep by Self * Sleep all Night * Choose Clothes * Dress Self Play Alone * Toilet Trained-Day * Toilet Trained-Night Carlson & Harwood (2000)

9. Behavioral Expectations of Two Groups of Mothers
Korean-American Mothers
European-American Mothers
Believe parents and children should play together
54%
96%
Prefer children play with sex-typed toys (e.g., boys play with trucks)
71%
43%
Provide children with many chances to decide (e.g., give child choices)
11%
66%
(Farver & Lee-Shin, 2000)

10. Key Social Emotional Skills Children Need as They Enter School
Confidence
Capacity to develop good relationships with peers and adults
Concentration and persistence on challenging tasks
Ability to effectively communicate emotions
Ability to listen to instructions and be attentive
Ability to solve social problems
What do children do when they don’t have each of these skills?

11. When children do not have these skills, they often exhibit challenging behaviors
We must focus on TEACHING the skills!

12. “If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.
If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.
If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach.
If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.
If a child doesn’t know how to behave,
we…… …….teach? ……punish?
Why can’t we finish the last sentence as automatically as we do the others?”
Tom Herner (NASDE President ) Counterpoint 1998, p.2)

13. Some Basic Assumptions
Challenging behavior usually has a message- I am bored, I am sad, you hurt my feelings, I need some attention.
Children often use challenging behavior when they don’t have the social or communication skills they need to engage in more appropriate interactions.
Behavior that persists over time is usually working for the child.
We need to focus on teaching children what to do in place of the challenging behavior.

14. Promote Children’s Success
Create an environment where EVERY child feels good about coming to school.
Design an environment that promotes child engagement.
Focus on teaching children what To Do!
Teach expectations and routines.
Teach skills that children can use in place of challenging behaviors.

15. Building Positive Relationships
Individualized Intensive Interventions
Social Emotional Teaching Strategies
Designing Supportive Environments
Building Positive Relationships

16. Building Relationships
Helps each child feel accepted in the group
Assists children in learning to communicate and get along with others
Encourages feelings of empathy and mutual respect among children and adults
Provides a supportive environment in which children can learn and practice appropriate and acceptable behaviors as individuals and as a group

17. Building Relationships with
Children
Why is it important?
The relationships that we build with children, families, and colleagues are at the foundation of everything we do. It is important to build these relationships early on rather than waiting until there is a problem.
Children learn and develop in the context of relationships that are responsive, consistent, and nurturing.
Children with the most challenging behaviors especially need these relationships, and yet their behaviors often prevent them from benefiting from those relationships.
Adults’ time and attention are very important to children, and we need to be sure that we are giving them that time and attention at times other than when they are engaging in challenging behavior.
Parents and other colleagues (such as mental health providers and therapists) are critical partners in building children’s social emotional competence. We should all work together to ensure children’s success and prevent challenging behavior.

18. Video 1.1: Adult Child Conversations
What are some things that this teacher does to build positive relationships with children?

19. “Every child needs one person who is crazy about him.”
Uri Bronfenbrenner

20. Activity: Connections with Children
CONNECTED
DISCONNECTED

21. Activity: Connections with Adults
CONNECTED
DISCONNECTED

22. Building Positive Relationships
with Children
Happy
Grams
Play
Home
visits
Share
Empathy
Notes
home
Time &
Attention

23. Building Relationships

24. Building Relationships

25. Activity- Building Relationships
How do you build positive relationships with:
Children?
Families?
Colleagues?
Brainstorm a list of things you could do to build or strengthen relationships with children, families, or other colleagues
Share with the large group
Identify 2-3 things you are going to do to build stronger relationships with children, families, and colleagues. Note these on The Inventory of Practices (p. 16, Action Plan)

26. Ideas for Making Deposits
Greet every child at the door by name.
Post children’s work around the room.
Have a “star” of the week who brings in special things from home and gets to share them during circle time.
Call a child’s parent in front of them to say what a great day she is having or send home positive notes.
Call a child after a difficult day and say, “I’m sorry we had a tough day today. I know tomorrow is going to be better!”
Give hugs, high fives and thumbs up accomplishing tasks.

27. When a child misses school tell him how much he was missed.
Write on a t-shirt all the special things about a given child and let him/her wear it.
Find time to read to individual children or a few children at a time.
Acknowledge children’s efforts.
Find out what a child’s favorite book is and read it to the whole class.
Give compliments liberally.
Play with children, follow their lead.
Let children make “All About Me” books and share them at Circle Time.

28. Building Relationships

29. Building Positive Relationships
Individualized Intensive Interventions
Social Emotional Teaching Strategies
Designing Supportive Environments
Building Positive Relationships

30. Classroom Arrangement and Design: Traffic Patterns
Minimize large open spaces
Minimize obstacles and other hazards
Consider the needs of children with physical and sensory disabilities

32. Classroom Arrangement and Design: Learning Centers
Physical Design
Clear boundaries
Visibility
Visual prompts when centers are not an option
Adequate number of centers
Size and location of centers
Number of children in centers
Organization of materials
Preparation of centers

33. Classroom Arrangement and Design: Learning Centers
Create meaningful and engaging learning centers
Relevant to children’s needs, interests, and lives
Highly engaging and interesting
Variety of materials in each center
Changed and rotated on a regular
basis

34. Create Meaningful and Engaging Learning Areas
Stand in center of the room
Is there a clear entry to each center?
Is each center inviting?
Are there enough materials (3 units of play per child allowed in center)?
Is there a system in place for entering and exiting centers?
Are centers and materials/shelves labeled?
Is there a rotation of materials?
Are materials highly engaging?
Are the activities relevant to
children’s needs, interests and lives?

35. Physical Environment:
Discuss these two writing centers.
Strengths?
Concerns?

36. How Can This Circle Area Be Improved?

37. Circle Time

38. Classroom Arrangement and
Design Activity
With a partner, sketch a classroom.
Revise your sketch of the environment and then share major changes with other participants at the table.
Ask participants to think of one child who has more significant challenging behavior. What might need to be done to the environment to support that child?
For additional ideas, refer to the Inventory of Practices.

39. Schedules and Routines
Develop a schedule that promotes child engagement and success.
Balance activities:
active and quiet
small group and large group
teacher-directed and child-directed
Teach children the schedule.
Establish a routine and follow it consistently.
When changes are necessary, prepare children ahead of time.

40. Teach with Visual Schedules

41. Visual Object Schedule
Change Diaper Wash Breakfast Music
Use real objects.

42. Photograph Visual Schedule

43. Morning Meeting Mini-Schedule

45. 1. Turn on water.
2. Wet hands.
3. Get soap.
4. Rinse hands.

46. 5. Turn off water.
6. Dry hands.
7. Throw away towel.
8. Go play.

48. Activity Turn-Taking Cue

49. Activity Using Visual Schedules
You say it’s time for circle. One little boy roams away from circle. When you try to guide him to circle, he drops to the ground and will not budge.
How can you use your visual schedule to teach?

50. Activity Using Visual Schedules
You announce that it’s time for centers and a girl runs to go out the door yelling “No! Play out!”
How can you use your visual schedule to teach?
What else might you be able to use to teach?

51. Activity Using Visual Schedules
A child goes to play with her favorite train. When you go over to her and tell her it’s time for snack she starts screaming and throwing train pieces.
How can you use your visual schedule to teach?
What else might you be able to do/use to teach?

52. Activity Using Visual Schedules
A new little boy arrives in your classroom and he is very scared. When Mommy says bye, he screams, cries, pulls on her leg, and tries to climb up Mommy’s body.
How can you use your visual schedule to teach?

53. Activity Using Visual Schedules
Today you have scheduled water play outside. All of the children are excited and have been anticipating the outside fun all week. But we have been given a tornado warning and it’s raining, so there will be no outside fun today.
How will you teach using your visual schedule to prevent challenging behavior?

54. Transitions Plan for transitions
Minimize the number of transitions that children have during the day.
Minimize the length of time children spend waiting with nothing to do.
Prepare children for transitions by
providing a warning.
Structure the transitions so that children
have something to do while they wait.
Teach children the expectations related to transitions.
Individualize supports and cues.

55. Video 1.2: Transitions to Centers

56. Video 1.3: Providing Individualized Transition Cues to Gabby

57. Transition with Visual and Timer

58. Transition with Visual

59. Transition with Choice

60. Transition with Visual Choice

61. Transition with Center Necklaces

62. Teaching Children Expectations

63. Activity Analysis Using Clip Art
Washing Hands 1 2 3 4 5
Wet hands.
Get soap.
Wash hands.
Dry hands.
Throw away.

64. Individual Schedule
First
Then

65. Large Group Activities
Planning the activity
Consider the length
Be clear about the purpose and goals of the
activities
Use circle time to teach new things
Implementing the activity
Provide opportunities for all children to be actively involved
Assign jobs to children
Vary your speech and intonation patterns
Have children lead activities
Pay attention to children’s behavior

66. Video 1.4: Circle Activity

67. Guiding Questions for Video of Circle Activity
Are the children engaged in these two clips?
What tells you that the children are or are not engaged?
Describe the teacher’s behavior in these clips.
What is the teacher doing that engages the children?
What strategies can you suggest that would help the teacher engage the children even more?

68. Small Group Activities
Importance of small group activities
Skill building
Individualized attention
Planning and implementing
Be clear about the goal
Use peers as models
Ensure participation by all children
Make them fun
Provide feedback throughout

69. Schedule/Routine/Transition Activity
Divide into groups of people who currently
work together.
Write down a schedule from one of the
participant’s classrooms.
Consider the things we have just talked
about. What changes could you make in what you are currently doing that might increase engagement and prevent challenging behaviors?
Share your major changes with others at
your table and brainstorm possible solutions.

70. Giving Directions
Make sure you have the children’s attention before you give the direction.
Minimize the number of directions given to children.
Individualize the way directions are given.
Give clear directions.

71. Giving Directions Give directions that are positive.
Give children the opportunity to respond to a direction.
When appropriate, give the child choices and options for following directions.
Follow through with positive acknowledgment of children’s behavior.

72. General Guidelines About Rules
Have a few simple classroom rules.
Involve the children in developing the rules.
Post the rules visually.
Teach the rules systematically.
Reinforce the rules at high rates initially and at lower rates throughout the year.

73. Involving Children in Developing the Rules
Have children help generate the rules.
Name the rule and have a child
demonstrate the rule.
Name the rule and have the children
identify the visuals that might go on a
poster.
Have children help decorate a rules

74. Circle Time Rules

75. Program-wide Rules

77. Rules Should Address Noise level Movement inside
Interactions with property
Interactions with adults
Interactions with peers

78. Video 1.5: Stop/Go Teaching Rules

79. Rules Activity
Develop a list of 3-5 rules you use or would use in a classroom.
Discuss these rules with others at the table.
Brainstorm fun and creative ways for teaching the rules.

80. Fun Ways to Reinforce the Rules
Rules Bingo!
Make a big book about school rules
Homework– what are your rules at home?
Play “rule charades”

81. Video 1.6: Children Demonstrating Classroom Rules81

83. Ongoing Monitoring and Positive Attention
Give children attention when they
are engaging in appropriate behaviors.
Monitor our behavior to ensure that we are spending more time using positive descriptive language and less time giving directions or correcting inappropriate behavior.

84. Positive Attention Activity
Count the number of positive comments the teacher makes (and positive nonverbals).
Have a large group discussion about what types of comments and nonverbal behaviors the teacher exhibited.
Generate some ideas to help adults remain focused on the positive throughout the day.
Encourage participants to include some of these ideas on their Action Planning Form.

85. Video 1.7: Positive Attention

86. Using Positive Feedback and Encouragement: 4 Principles
Contingent on appropriate behavior
Descriptive
Conveyed with enthusiasm
Contingent on effort

87. Using Positive Feedback and Encouragement
Remember to use nonverbal forms of positive feedback and encouragement.
Individualize use of positive feedback and encouragement based on children’s needs and preferences.
Encourage other adults and peers to use positive feedback and encouragement.

88. Increasing Positive Behaviors: Activity
What are 3-5 behaviors you would like to see increase in your setting?
Review item 8 on the Inventory.
What changes might you make in your use of positive feedback and encouragement in order to increase the behaviors you just identified.
Add this to your Action Plan.

89. Sample Certificate SUPER FRIEND AWARD!!!
This certificate is to certify that Marleco is a SUPER FRIEND!!
Today, Marleco used his words to ask Malen nicely for a turn on the swing. When he was done swinging, he asked Malen if she wanted another turn and then helped to push her. At circle time, he gave his friend Cesar a compliment! YAY Marleco!! What a Super Friend you are!!
Give yourself a pat on the back!!
Signed by: Miss Gail & Mr. Jim
Date: January 7, 2006

90. If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves.
Carl Jung – psychiatrist

91. Major Messages
The first and most important thing that we can do is to build positive relationships with every child and family.
Focus on prevention and teaching appropriate skills.
Promoting social emotional development is not easy. There are no quick fixes to challenging behavior.
It requires a comprehensive approach that includes building relationships, evaluating our own classrooms and behaviors, and TEACHING.