Chapter 7 Guiding Children’s Behavior ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Understanding Children’s Behavior Understand children, then help them develop coping skills to deal with anger, frustration, fears, confusion, and other challenges they face while growing and developing A teacher must help children respect themselves and the rights of others ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Guidance Triangle Guidance is the ongoing process of: helping children learn to control their basic impulses, express their feelings, channel their frustrations, and solve their problems Positive guidance involves the child, the adult, and the situation (creating a triangle) ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Theories Nature: A child’s behavior is the result of heredity Nurture: The environment shapes behavior Stages: Children progress through stages Regardless of the theory, children need guidance in working through situations to develop holistically ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Factors that Affect Behavior Developmental factors Children need language and social skills to solve problems Expectations beyond developmental capabilities ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Factors that Affect Behavior (cont.) Environmental factors Physical environment needs to be arranged to promote development and include appropriate materials and culturally diverse materials Temporal (time) structure and schedule should be sequenced to meet children’s needs Interpersonal relationships must be trustful and accepting of all children “Does my classroom teaching style reflect all cultures?” ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Factors that Affect Behavior (cont.) Individual factors All children have individual styles that need to be accepted Children have unique temperaments: three general types The easy child The difficult child The slow-to-warm-up child ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Factors that Affect Behavior (cont.) Emotional and Social Factors Attempts to express emotional and social needs Need to feel loved and cared for Need to be included Desire to be considered important and valued Desire to have friends Need to feel safe from harm ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Factors that Affect Behavior (cont.) Emotional and Social Factors (cont.) Young children are still working out ways to express needs Use nonverbal or indirect actions to communicate problems Adults must provide models of language for resolving problems Weather, family situations may also contribute to behavior problems ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Factors that Affect Behavior (cont.) Cultural Factors Discipline and guidance embedded within the values and beliefs of the family Family culture shapes how children are raised Conflict is inevitable between teaching strategies and parents’ perspective Teacher must gain insight into customs and traditions and support the children’s sense of security and identity ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Guidance, Discipline and Punishment: What works? What is guidance? Ongoing system by which adults help children learn the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior Teachers create a supportive atmosphere for children to explore alternative behaviors, develop social skills and learn to solve problems Teachers are guides in the process Active participation by child and adult ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Inductive Guidance Guidance is an interactive process that actively involves children as well as adults Children are increasingly held responsible for their actions as they begin to understand the impact of their behavior on others Inductive guidance helps a child learn thinking and reasoning skills, which fosters self-control and the development of a conscience Children learn to reflect on their feelings and their actions ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Discipline What is discipline? Part of the guidance strategy Stems from the word disciple, meaning pupil or learner Emphasizes what the child should do Nonpunitive ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What is Punishment? Consequence for inappropriate behavior and a power assertive technique which relies on children’s fears rather than the use of reason and understanding To be effective, punishment should be related to the behavior and help children learn from the situation Not the same as discipline ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

The Language of Guidance and Discipline Language may differ from culture to culture, and becomes interdependent Voice should use normal pitch and tones; lowering is sometimes wiser The fewer the words, the better; avoid lecturing Body language should be nonthreatening, and eye contact should be used Attitudes are derived from experiences ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Promoting a Caring Classroom Community Through Guidance Developmentally Appropriate Guidance Growth follows certain patterns All developmental stages have shared characteristics One must identify the behaviors typical to a specific age group and frame expectations typical of the age A child’s age does not automatically mean the child can or should be acting in a certain way; sometimes the stage of development is more meaningful ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Promoting a Caring Classroom Community Through Guidance (cont.) Culturally Appropriate Guidance Accept that both viewpoints are equally valid Work together to figure out solution Resist assigning meaning on basis of your own culture Remember your behavior doesn’t always convey your own values Educate yourself about different cultures Observe, ask, and talk about differences Maintain open attitude that promotes respect and appreciation of each other’s views ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Promoting a Caring Classroom Community Through Guidance (cont.) Teacher is a behavior model Must be consistent Have realistic expectations Be an active observer and prevent misbehavior Be positive to prevent misbehavior Teacher has direct and indirect influence on children’s behavior ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Ten Effective Strategies: The Guidance Continuum Ignoring behavior Active listening and I-messages Reinforcement Redirection and distraction Give children choices Set limits Active problem solving Natural and logical consequences Time-out Physical intervention ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Setting Limits Set a limit appropriate to the situation Match the limit to the child’s age, history, and emotional development See that all adults apply limits consistently Reinforce the rules consistently Follow through and support your words with actions ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Setting Limits (cont.) State limits simply, clearly, and directly Respect and acknowledge the child’s feelings, Act with authority, purpose, and confidence Maintain the limit and accept the consequences Do not give in if the child threatens to fall apart or create a scene Involve children in creating the limits ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Active Problem Solving Engage children in confronting their problems by posing open-ended questions Have children come up with alternatives for their emotions or activities Conflict resolution should follow a six-step approach ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Natural and Logical Consequences Children learn to take responsibility Children learn from environment Result of child’s own actions Logical Adults impose Related to child’s behavior Must be respectful Must be reasonable ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Time-Out Time-out Removing the child when behavior is intense Use as a time to cool down, not as a punishment for misbehavior Help the child regain composure Avoid overusing ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Behavior that Is Challenging See and hear the uniqueness in each child What do you know? Build caring relationships with children and their families Respect Make Observations Collect information about what you see, when, where Modify the classroom and schedule Is it appropriate for age or stage? Is the environment clearly identified? Teacher attention and language Use short, direct sentences calmly Follow through and help the child ©2014 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.