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Behaviour Management
It is important to know that behaviour is a tool for guiding and developing skills as well as a means to reduce behaviour. There are many different reasons why behaviours occur: Age and stages of development, short attention span, task to easy or difficult, activity areas too crowded, attention seeking, confusion regarding limits and consequences, fatigue, difficult sharing, possessiveness, communication, social interaction, loud voices/noises and reaction from adult/peers. Programming is a positive intervention for behaviour. When you look at programming in your center it means looking at a variety of elements: Room structure and set up, Materials/toys - age appropriateness, Variety-teacher and child directed activities, organization-planned, prepared, set out and motivating. Consistency is a key factor in changing and increasing behaviours. All behaviours have a "purpose or a function." You must determine what the function of the behaviour is before implementing a consequence. You can determine what a behaviour's function is through observation and data taking. You must guide and develop skills as well as have a consequence for inappropriate behaviours. Redirection is a positive way of dealing with inappropriate behaviour. Initially when using redirection adult/parent must take the child to a specific area, assist them in getting started in an activity and then fade away. Positive reinforcement is an effective tool. Giving positive reinforcers such as "good job", "I like the way you're sharing" will guide children in learning the appropriate skills and positive behaviours. General rules of thumb: Positive approach, model appropriate behaviour, be consistent, avoid giving in, follow through, avoid double standards, know the function of the behaviour before implementing a consequence and teach skills.
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