GUIDANCE STRATEGIES

TERMS & DEFINITIONS

Guiding Child Behavior
By: Amy Kerr

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IGNORING BEHAVIORS

When a misbehavior is not harmful to the child or others it can be

ignored. When using the technique appropriately the adult chooses not to
acknowledge the child in any way, and devote their attention to another
child or task. In theory it will eventually cause the child to stop the
undesirable behavior. At first the behavior may become worse, but it will
be temporary. The child is just testing the water. When the child realizes
there is nothing to gain by the behavior they will stop.

ACTIVE LISTENING & I

MESSAGES
Active listening is when an adult listens carefully to what the child is
saying beyond their words, and repeats what they think the child has
said. This will give the child a chance to correct you on what they were
saying. Further conversation with the child will help paint a picture of
what the child may have been saying.
I messages are honest, non-judgmental, and place no blame on the child.
I messages state an observation of behavior and its result.

REINFORCEMENT

Positive reinforcements must be individualized to the childs needs and

the situation. The goal is that inner satisfaction will become its own
reward. Behavior modification helps correct the oversight of the positive
and desirable behaviors in children. It allows children to be a part of the
process, and helps them be active in their own behavior monitoring.

REDIRECTION & SATISFACTION

During redirection the adult needs to make an accurate assessment of
what the children really want to do. The redirection activity must be valid
to the adults, and fulfilling to the children. In most of the cases children
are not trying to be damaging things and destructive they are just being
curious, exploring, and using their imaginations. They are trying to meet
these needs and positive redirection helps them to do this.
It is very easy to distract a very young child from undesirable behaviors.
Distraction is averting the childs attention away from an activity. It may
or may not pertain to the previous behavior. Most distractions will have to
be well-timed interventions.

GIVING CHILDREN CHOICES

Giving a child a choice on what they are going to do will help with the
resistant child. Giving children choices will help them practice selfreliance, self-direction, and self-discipline. Give the child two choices that
are practical, because you will need to allow them to do either choice.
Giving them choices will help them develop responsibility, and
responsible choices. Make them aware of any consequences of choosing
one of the choices if there are any.

SETTING LIMITS

Limits are boundaries that help children know which behaviors are
appropriate. Teachers may set limits to prevent injuries, and destruction
of property. Well planned limits will allow children the ability to test the
waters. In doing so they can learn appropriate behaviors within the limits.
Allow children to help set up the limits. You must stay consistent for limits
to work effectively. Teachers words must support their actions and vice
versa.

ACTIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

When there is a conflict it is important to intervene as little as possible,

and let the children come up with a reasonable solution themselves.
Active problem solving can help children learn to work together to solve
solutions. It also helps children confront their differences. Adults only help
to guide the children with open-ended questions and helping them to
realize what consequences their choices have.

SIX STEP APPROACH TO

PROBLEM SOLVING
1. Approach & Initiate Mediation
2. Make a Statement (Non-Judgmental)
3. Ask Questions (Gather Data & Define the Problem)
4. Generate Alternative Solutions
5. Agree on a Solution
6. Follow Through

NATURAL & LOGICAL

CONSEQUENCES
. The natural consequence is letting children take responsibility for their
own actions. It allows the adult to define the situation without being
judgmental, and children know what to expect. The consequences are a
natural result of their own actions.
. Logical consequences are what an adult will impose. A commitment must
be followed through or the consequences will occur, and you must
enforce them. It gives children the option to do the action or not and deal
with the consequences. Logical consequences must be related to the
childs behavior, respectful, and reasonable.

TIME OUT

The adult will remove the child firmly, and quietly from the area of
intensity, and strong emotion. Its an opportunity for the child and adult
to talk about the incident, and regain self-control before resuming the
activity.
Be careful not to use the time out as a punishment. Use it as a way to
cool off, and let the child decide when to resume play. It should be use to
communicate the childs feelings and help the child understand what they
mean.

PHYSICAL INTERVENTION
There are times that an adult will need to intervene physically to stop a
child from injuring themselves, others, or destroying property. When a
conflict such as this occurs it maybe necessary to remove one child to
allow them to cool off, and assess the other child to make sure they are
okay. When the situation calms down it may be beneficial to have both
boys talk about the conflict and problem solve to figure out a solution.
If there is a history of aggression it is necessary to observe and collect
data to get an idea of why the behavior is occurring. If it persist it maybe
a good idea to seek professional help, and advice.