Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
Guidance for Early Years Settings
Encouraging Positive Behaviour
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Introduction
Essential Strategies for Promoting Positive Behaviour
Observing and Recording Behaviour
Possible “Triggers”
Supporting the Child Demonstrating “Challenging Behaviour”
Developing a Support Plan
Exploring Emotions and Conflict Resolution
Where to go for Help
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
1. Introduction
In the first five years of life children are…

Learning to get on with others

Learning about right and wrong

Beginning to express and understand feelings and attitudes

Developing personal independence
Social, emotional and behavioural skills underlie almost every aspect of each child’s
learning……..
Personal, social and emotional development. Personal, social and emotional development involves
helping children to develop a positive sense of themselves, and others; to form positive relationships
and develop respect for others; to develop social skills and learn how to manage their feelings; to
understand appropriate behaviour in groups; and to have confidence in their own abilities.
Self-confidence and self-awareness: children are confident to try new activities, and say why they
like some activities more than others. They are confident to speak in a familiar group, will talk about
their ideas, and will choose the resources they need for their chosen activities. They say when they do
or don’t need help.
Managing feelings and behaviour: children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about
their own and others’ behaviour, and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is
unacceptable. They work as part of a group or class, and understand and follow the rules. They adjust
their behaviour to different situations, and take changes of routine in their stride.
Making relationships: children play co-operatively, taking turns with others. They take account of one
another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. They show sensitivity to others’ needs and feelings,
and form positive relationships with adults and other children.
At this stage children are also learning skills such as waiting, listening, and expressing themselves.
They are also learning to be confident in:
• playing and exploring - children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’;
• active learning - children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy
achievements; and
• creating and thinking critically - children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas,
and develop strategies for doing things.
Children need to learn these skills from the adults around them – they do not automatically know
how to do these things.
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
Sometimes
find sharing
difficult
Need a lot of
adult support
Can need help
to express
feelings
Can usually only
concentrate on
one thing at a
time
Want to be
involved
Two, three and four
year olds……
Learn best
through
holistic
experiences
Test
boundaries
Need
attention
NOW!
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
2. Essential Strategies for Promoting Positive Behaviour
Always follow a positive approach.
 Be Clear: remember that everyone has the right to play and learn, to be safe, and to be
respected. Reflect this in your rules, and ensure the children know what the rules are.
Remind them frequently, twice a day if necessary. Ensure adults act as positive role models,
and display the behaviours you want to see from the children.
 Be Consistent: all staff must agree with and follow the same approach and know what
standard of behaviour to accept or not to accept, and how to respond to positive or negative
behaviours.
 Teach the children the skills they need to behave appropriately: We cannot assume
that all children will arrive at the setting knowing how to wait, share, take turns, get attention
appropriately, sit at the table to eat, and all the other social skills we want them to show. If
we don’t teach them the skills they need, we cannot expect them to show the behaviours we
want to see.
 Reward Good Behaviour: Children want attention, and will do what it takes to get it.
Reward and praise good behaviour and, if possible, and where it is appropriate and safe to
do so, do not give attention for inappropriate behaviour. Give lots of attention to those
children behaving appropriately.
 Be Prepared: understand why the child might be behaving as they are, plan in advance, use
preventative and proactive strategies to try to avoid unwanted behaviours occurring. Identify
‘trigger’ or ‘high-risk’ times and have staff available at these times to offer extra support to
the child.
 Use Clear Communication: ensure your facial expressions, body language and tone of
voice are positive. Do not give mixed messages – be consistent.
Use short, clear phrases, and back up verbal communication with visual cues (such as
picture cards, real objects, timers, symbols, signs) as much as possible to ensure that the
child understands the expectations.
Get the child’s full attention when talking to him/her.
 Give Notice of Changes: when routines or activities are going to change, give children lots
of notice, explain why and keep reminding them.
Use a visual timetable for children who find changes difficult.
Use a sand timer or similar strategy to help children know when activities are going to end.
Use a listening clue such as a musical instrument or taped music.
 Keep calm. You’re the adult, you need to be in charge, and the children look to you to show
them what to do and how to behave, so you need to be in control of yourself. If you are
feeling stressed or “wound up”, ask another adult to deal with the situation while you take
time to calm down.
Young children up to the age of eight use a very different system of logic from adults. They may not
be able to see things from an adult’s point of view, so you may need to be the one to compromise.
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
“Golden” Rules
Children need to feel safe and secure, and a predictable environment provides that safety.
Rules remind us of our rights and responsibilities, and provide the boundaries for our safe
environment.
1. All settings should have their “Golden” Rules.
2. These are decided upon as a result of discussion with all staff and children, and are
therefore ‘owned’ by the group.
3. No more than 5 should be chosen.
4. The Rules are worded positively.
5. The Rules are clearly displayed for all to see. They should be:
at the children’s level,
in all areas of the setting,
visual – use photos of the children following the rules in the displays.
6. The Rules should be referred to very regularly (at least once per session. Some children
will need reminders much more frequently).
All children and adults need to know what the rules are.
We share
We listen
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
Adults may also have their Golden Rules.
Examples of Golden Rules For Adults
 I will always greet each child individually, by name and with a smile.
 I will smile, wink or give ‘thumbs up’ or similar positive attention whenever I notice a child
trying hard, and tell the child which behaviour I am pleased with.
 I will say phrases such as ‘good sitting Michael’ to reinforce positive behaviour with each
child every day.
 I will always be a positive role model for the behaviour we want to see.
 I will find opportunities to teach the children specific skills eg turn taking, sharing,
understanding facial expressions and body language, and understanding how they and
other people feel.
 I will interact with the children, play with them, teach them skills, comment on what they say
and do, and acknowledge their feelings and achievements.
 I will make sure my expectations of the child are realistic, taking into account their
“emotional age” and development, their strengths, interests and needs.
 I will ensure that the child hears me communicating positively with his/her parent or carer.
 I will always give a child my full attention when listening to them.
 I will have a ready supply of stickers, patience and humour!
 I will focus on what I want the child to do, rather than what I want the child to stop doing.
 I will make sure each child has a fresh start every day.
 I will always remain calm, and recognise when I need support.
 I will share any concerns I have about a child with the SENCO/Manager.
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
Examples of Good Inclusive Practice …
Knowing the child




Identify, celebrate, and build on the child’s strengths.
Get to know the child well through careful observation, and reflecting on what went well/didn’t go
well and why.
Consider the child’s basic needs (environment, food, drink, toilet, sleep, medical etc.)
Pre-empt situations which individual children may find difficult – avoid problems happening.
Environment



Provide a quiet, calm, safe place to go to when needed.
Remove distractions (Sensory – lighting, temperature, noise, visual distractions – cluttered displays,
clutter. Social – people)
Be organised – have appropriate resources ready, (visual, kinaesthetic and auditory).
Routines



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

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Keep things predictable, have routines which don’t change too often.
Allow for “sensory breaks” between activities.
Provide transition activities to support the children to transfer their focus from one set of
expectations to another eg when coming into school/after play.
Visual, regularly referred to, reward systems – what would the children value as a reward?
Regular reminders of rules, rewards and consequences – have visual displays and refer to them
regularly.
Timers – give a countdown to changes of activities.
“Catch ‘em being good” – reward the positives. OFTEN.
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
Language

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Use visual cues to aid understanding.
Use a visual timetable so the children know what happens next.
Use photos, pictures, resources, signs, and short sentences, to help make instructions clear, then
ensure the children have understood what you have said.
When speaking to children say the child’s name first to get their attention.
Ensure the child processes the whole sentence, if not, find out whether they remember the first or
last thing heard, and ensure the most important instruction is put in the right part of the sentence
eg Chris, put coat on, time to play outside, or Chris, outside play, coat on.
Pre teach any new language which may be needed eg for a specific topic.
Listen to story
Hometime
Behaving appropriately requires a lot of skills which need to be taught to children, at
appropriate times, and in appropriate ways.
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
3. Observing and Recording Behaviour
Why we observe
Observations play an important part in helping parents, carers and practitioners to recognise children’s progress,
understand their needs, and to plan activities and support.
As soon as a child joins your setting you will be making assessments about his/her personal and social skills and their
learning. Your early observations will tell you a lot about each child’s skills, and their strengths and needs.
REMEMBER: Practitioners should address any learning and development needs in partnership with parents and/or
carers, and any relevant professionals. Always discuss your concerns with the child’s parents and let them know that
you are keeping a record of their child’s behaviour and why.
How do I observe behaviour?

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Observations can be focused (over a set time) or continuous (random at any time during the day)
Observations should not entail prolonged breaks from interaction with children, nor require excessive
paperwork. Paperwork should be limited to that which is absolutely necessary to promote children’s
successful learning and development.
Before you observe decide which aspect of the behaviour you are focusing on and only make notes which are
relevant to this.
Use a Behaviour Star Chart (in Senco Handbook 2014) to record details of the behaviour.
Using the star chart may help you identify any ‘triggers’ for the behaviour. For example, does the behaviour happen
at a certain time of the day or after a certain event?
You then need to identify what might be causing the behaviour.
The behaviour may well be a response to a particular need. It is therefore important to get a full picture of the child’s
strengths and needs in order to find out what is causing the behaviour.
What to look for
Does the child….

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



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Join in with group activities?
Sit and listen during stories and group sessions?
Respond appropriately when offered praise?
Relate well to other children?
Play independently for up to 5 minutes?
Ask for help when needed?
Persist in completing an activity?
Choose an activity when given a choice?
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
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
Take turns/co-operate with peers?
Communicate in an appropriate way?
Follow a simple request?
Explore new situations eagerly?
Follow simple rules of behaviour?
Show curiosity?
If you have any concerns about a child’s behaviour or development you should discuss them with the child’s parents
and the setting SENDCO.
4. Possible “Triggers”
Children’s behaviour may be influenced by many factors including:



Family circumstances
Factors within the child
Environmental influences and stresses
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Now consider the following:
Your Environment ….
 Resources
 Space
 Access
 Grouping
Are you organising these in a way which encourages positive behaviour in all children?
Your Planning….



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Are you providing appropriate, stimulating and interesting learning opportunities for all
children?
Do the resources and activities match the different developmental (including emotional
development) stages of the children?
Are children given sufficient time to complete activities?
Is the pace relevant to children’s learning needs?
Your Organisation and Management…




Do all staff follow a consistent approach to managing behaviour?
Do you have time to regularly discuss issues as a team?
Are all staff familiar with your policy and procedures?
Have you identified ways of supporting children with high levels of need?
Now evaluate your learning environment by using the ideas in this guide. What do you need
to change?
Some Common Examples of ‘triggers’ are:

When activities come to an end, or tidy- up time

Busy or noisy times, such as tidy-up time

Unexpected changes in routine

Waiting times, for example, queuing up to go to the toilet

Large group activities such as story or circle-time, or being expected to sit still

Personal space being invaded, maybe during group or physical activity

Frustrations stemming from inability to communicate needs

Being rushed

Large, open space, or cramped space

Having to share toys or equipment

Changes in staff

Being tired or hungry!

Unstructured times

Lack of understanding of what is expected
If any triggers are identified, you can then discuss as a staff team how you can support the
child during the difficult times, sharing your ideas with the parents, and develop a
behaviour support plan (in Senco Handbook 2014).
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
5. Supporting The Child Demonstrating “Challenging Behaviour” – strategies
to try.
 Avoid or manage trigger situations as much as possible
 Distract the child, or give the child a specific responsibility
 Encourage the child to develop a trusting relationship with one key member of staff
 Offer comfort and support as much as possible
 Give the child plenty of positive attention and praise
 Give the child opportunities to ‘let off steam’ in a safe place
 Let the child know that you like him or her
 Offer lots of opportunities for choice-making and independence
 Support the child during activities to develop sharing and turn taking skills
 Use visual cues as much as possible
 Use an appropriate reward system, for example, a favourite toy
 Share achievements with parents
 An adult to “meet and greet” the child at the beginning of the session and spend a few
minutes settling them in, reminding them of the routines and expectations, and supporting
them to become engaged in the first activity.
 A calm safe space to go to “chill out” and feel safe.
 Visual timers, and non-verbal warnings of changes of activity.
Remember that parents and carers are the key to developing children’s social, emotional and
behavioural skills. They are the experts on their own child, and their knowledge is invaluable. It is
therefore essential to involve parents when following behaviour support strategies and they should
be consulted at every step.
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Positive Reinforcement
If the child’s behaviour appears to be motivated by trying to gain the adult’s
attention, this strategy may be helpful.
o If possible the adult should pay little or no attention to any negative behaviour, and reward
and praise any appropriate or positive behaviour (please do not follow this for behaviours
which involve hurting others, or behaviours which put children or adults at risk, as
these behaviours cannot be ignored!).
o If you decide to ignore a behaviour, such as a child throwing toys on the floor at certain
times, all staff must agree to do the same or this strategy may not be effective. Only use
this strategy (tactical ignoring) when it is safe to do so.
o Make sure that the child and others around are not at risk and continue with what you
were doing, giving other children nearby lots of praise for appropriate behaviour (this
is known as proximity praise).
o Give the child lots of praise and encouragement as soon as he/she makes an attempt
to join in again or shows any appropriate behaviour.
o Try not to say ‘don’t’ to the child, but change this into positive comments when
possible. Say the behaviour you want to see, not what you don’t want to see.
Eg, rather than “Don’t run”, say “Walk”.
o Be specific about what you are praising them for eg “James, good sharing”.
o Some children prefer quiet praise, some like everyone to know about it! Some like
stickers, a pat on the shoulder, a word, or a “thumbs up”. Get to know the child’s
preferred method of receiving praise.
o By following this approach over time you are shaping and reinforcing the behaviour
you want and hopefully eliminating the behaviour you do not want, but it may take
time!
NOTE: Always give lots of praise and encouragement to the child whenever they “get something
right”.
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
6. Developing a Support Plan
If a behaviour is becoming disruptive you may need to develop a positive, systematic approach to
supporting the child, following a behaviour support plan.
You may also need to complete a risk assessment to safeguard all involved.
Before following such an approach you must discuss it with the child’s parents.
A stepped approach to developing a plan is essential:
Step 1: Identify The Child’s Strengths
Try not to just focus on the negative behaviour. Identify strengths, preferences, and positive
characteristics and share these with the parents. This information will also be useful when planning
strategies.
Step 2: Choose the Priority
Fill in a Child Centred Response Form and share STAR charts with parents. Agree with other staff
and parents which behaviour you would like to focus on.
Step 3: Collate your Information
Look at your observations, STAR charts and other evidence and try to identify any triggers or
factors which may be reinforcing or causing the behaviour. You may also have noticed what has
worked well with the child; has the child responded positively to any particular situation or support
strategy?
Step 4: Identify a Strategy (adult intervention)
You need to be clear on your approach to the behaviour, and all staff need to follow the same
approach in order to ensure consistency.
Do not expect the child to just change his/her behaviour because adults feel he/she should! The
adults will need to take responsibility for helping the child’s behaviour to change.
Step 5: Record and Evaluate Progress
It is very important that you keep records in order to establish whether the support strategies are
working!
REMEMBER: Give it time-you may need to follow a support programme for several weeks before
any changes happen! When recording, focus only on the behaviour you are trying to change and
do not get side tracked.
Always involve Parents at all stages of any intervention.
*A behaviour support plan form can be found in the Swindon SENCO handbook on schools
online at http://schoolsonline.swindon.gov.uk/res/ey-resources/Pages/Coursesglance.aspx
Risk assessments can be found at: http://schoolsonline.swindon.gov.uk/res/eyresources/Pages/Coursesglance.aspx?Section=Useful SEN forms.
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
7. Exploring Emotions and Conflict Resolution
Calming and Distraction Techniques
These can be used with children who have emotional outbursts or tantrums or have hurt others:
o Use an area of your room and develop it as a ‘quiet area’ where children learn they can go
to calm down.
o Do not label this area as the ‘naughty’ corner.
o Encourage children to go there independently.
o Help the child to calm down with some calming music or massage, cuddly toys or a favourite
story.
o It is important that the child calms down before you attempt to talk to him/her.
o Make sure the area is safe to leave an angry child alone in.
When the child is calm:
o Let the child know that you like him or her but that you do not like it when he/she hurts
others.
o Try to support the child in understanding why he/she got angry in the first place, perhaps
using puppets, stories and pictures.
o Encourage the child to go back to the activity he/she was part of and praise good behaviour.
o It is not enough to just say ‘sorry’. The child must be encouraged to put things right, play
together, make friends, and start to understand the impact of their behaviour on the
emotions of others – use visual cues such as emotions cards to support this learning.
Communication is an essential skill in conflict resolution-so that children can learn to say or
communicate to others what is making them feel angry or hurt, rather than using their fists or feet!
This is a skill which you can help the child to learn, but do not expect them to be able to give
immediate answers. Resources such as puppets or dolls, masks, books and pictures (such as the
SEAL photos) can all help to support children to begin to understand how they and others are
feeling.
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
Remember – label the behaviour, not the child.
Your quiet area and small group work can be used to support children in exploring emotions.
Here are some ideas…
 Use cushions or pictures of faces showing different emotions for the children to look at,
cuddle etc. when feeling angry or sad.
 Use large laminated pictures of young children showing different emotions in different play
situations.
 Use story books and pictures which explore emotions such as ‘No Matter What’ by Debi
Gliori, ‘The Sulky Vulture’ by Sally Grindley, and act out using puppets, or make up your own
stories.
 Encourage children to take visual cards to an adult when wanting to communicate a need.
 Use mirrors to explore facial expressions linked to emotions.
 Play circle-games e.g. pass the smile, pass the present.
 Use a special puppet or teddy and explain how he/she is feeling sad/happy/shy etc and why,
and ask the children for ideas to help.
 Tell a story about two characters using puppets. One has been hurt by the other, ask the
children to decide what they should do to be friends again.
 Take every opportunity to talk about how you feel and why, or use “I wonder whether you
are feeling….because…” to support children to label their own emotions.
These are just some ideas; you may be able to think of more. Use these ideas regularly in your
daily routines, such as circle-time and story-time, as well as giving individual support to children as
necessary.
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Encouraging Positive Behaviour 2015
8. Where To Go For Help

You can contact your Early Years Consultant for general advice, or advice relating to an
individual child (with parental permission).

You can contact your locality health visiting team for general advice or a family Health Visitor
for advice relating to an individual child (with parental permission).

You can request in-house support/training from the Nyland Campus Outreach Team (Early
Years Behaviour Support Team) via your Early Years Consultant.

You can signpost Parents and Carers to your local Family or Children’s Centre for support
for families.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service SENDIASS (formerly Swindon Parent Partnership Service) can be contacted by parents of
children with SEND for further support and advice
http://swindonparentpartnershipservice.moonfruit.com/
Useful Websites and Publications:
http://schoolsonline.swindon.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
www.circle-time.co.uk
www.ncb.org.uk
PSLA offer a variety of resources and training, including free training in Promoting positive
behaviour.
https://www.pre-school.org.uk/
‘Developing Individual Behaviour Plans in the Early Years (Nasen Publication) 2004 by H. Mortimer
is a very clear and easy to read guide to developing a behaviour support plan.
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