Desired Behaviors

Early childhood education presents an ideal opportunity not only to expand children's educational needs but also to engage them in ways that foster self determination and enjoyment. One primary aim towards fulfilling those needs and goals is to provide a positive climate. This final paper will focus on strategies for teaching behaviors to children and strategies for teaching parents how to reinforce behaviors at home. It will also consist of a combination of philosophies, theories, local resources and concepts learned and how they will apply towards inclusive settings. It will also provide one's answer to the question "How do educators/parents encourage desired behaviors from pre-school aged children in both the child care and home setting?" which was asked. Finally it will consist of five to seven behaviors that need to be encouraged in the pre-school setting and at home. Using the Family-Centered Program as a model for pre-school, a list and explain strategies for teaching these behaviors to children and strategies for teaching parents how to reinforce these behaviors at home.

It is vital that a parent reinforce like behaviors at home as their children do at school. By implementing fairly simple accommodations in the classroom and at home, teachers and parents can become accustomed to the strengths and weaknesses of the child. Small changes can create success for the children. The Family-Centered Program model for pre-school suggest seven behaviors, attachment, exploration, self-help skills, empowerment, problem-solving skills, pro-social skills, decision making skills, building relationships, self-esteem that need to be encouraged in the pre-school setting and at home. This list is for teaching these behaviors to children and strategies for teaching parents how to reinforce these behaviors at home.

The first behavior that I would like to discuss is attachment. Some children never experience separation anxiety, but for many children, being taken to a new educational setting (e.g., preschool or kindergarten) may be the trigger for their first real sensation of being separated from their parents. The degree of anxiety felt by the young child depends on many factors. Some children are more attached to their parents and have had few experiences being separated from them. Some children have learned that being separated from their parents is not a permanent situation. Thus, the child's previous experiences play a significant role in how a child will deal with separation from his parents. In rare cases, separation anxiety can last for many years and may be a sign of other problems at home. In other cases, when separation anxiety appears out of the blue, after months of attending school without any problems, the child may be telling his parents and teachers that there is a problem at school and this should be investigated.

The best advice for the parent is to have a set good-bye routine and leave. Teachers on the other hand should help determine the place and time for the routine. For example, some schools have a rule that parents must say good-bye to their children within the school foyer. Parents are not allowed to walk their child down the hallway and into their classroom. At the end of the school foyer and before the school hallway, a sign reads "Hugging Zone." The hugging zone is where parents say good-bye to the children, give them a hug, tell them that Dad or Mom will pick them up after school, and leave. By providing parents and children with a place and routine, teachers can help parents learn how to help their children overcome separation anxiety. Once the parent has left, Harkness (2005) recommends that teachers try to distract crying students with activities, songs, or any activity that will redirect the student's attention

"How do educators/parents encourage desired behaviors from pre-school aged children in both the child care and home setting?" Speaking from a parent's and educator's point of view, because one cannot be with their children at all times. Therefore one would say model gentle behavior for your child, and reinforce the rules early and often ("No hitting. Hitting hurts. Our hands are not for hitting"). From and educator's standpoint one should notice and praise good behavior when you see it. Help your child understand his feelings and find safe outlets for them -- send the message that it's okay to be mad when another child takes your crayons, but it's not okay to bite or hit in response. If one kid takes a swipe at another, step in to stop the behavior, spending most of your time and energy comforting the victim (and briefly reminding the person responsible for the incident that what he did isn't allowed because it hurts others). Then distract everyone with a snack or a new activity to reset the mood.

Another important strategy for teaching parents is self help skills. This is very important. You do not have to be in a class room long before you hear the words, "I can do it myself." Whether it is buttoning their own pants, or trying to open to open their own milk. This is a healthy part of a normal child's development and should be encouraged. As they grow they learn to do more and more tasks. Although sometimes it may be easier for us to do it but they learn so much by doing it themselves. They develop new skills, gain confidence in trying new things and build self esteem. As a childcare provider one can foster these self help skills by encouraging parents to also allow their children to independently feed themselves, do choirs like picking up toys, and independently dressing, grooming and caring for their toileting needs.

The next strategy that I would like to focus on is the child's decision making skills. My oldest child knows about making wise choices. His everyday decision influences how he learns behave and get along with others. In this way his ability to make choices becomes one of the most important abilities that he can acquire. As for my two youngest children they have not reached that stage of