Child Management Training Guide
5-10-13
Guidance and Discipline Policy ................................................................................................... 2-3
Head Start Philosophy Regarding Guidance and Discipline
How Discipline Will Be Implemented By Staff
Teaching Pyramid for Under 24 Months Early Head Start ..................................................... 4-10
Understanding Children’s Behavior
Temperament
Guidance and Discipline
Challenging Behaviors
Teaching Pyramid for 2-5 Early Head Start & Head Start ................................................. 11-14
Fundamentals of Child Development
Building Positive Relationships
Designing Supportive Environments…………………………………………………………15-18
Creative Curriculum Implementation Checklist
Classroom Expectations
Making Transitions & Routines Work
Program-Wide Classroom Rules
Pictorial Schedule
Social Emotional Teaching Strategies ..................................................................................... 19-23
CSEFEL Teaching Strategies
Second Step Teaching Strategies
Intensive Individualized Instruction ........................................................................................ 24-25
Positive Behavior Support Plan Process .................................................................................. 26-28
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CHILD MANAGEMENT TRAINING GUIDE
Guidance and Discipline Policy - (DCFS 407.270)
The Guidance and Discipline Policy is written for both staff and parents. The Guidance and
Discipline Policy is located in the Parent Handbook and discussed with parents during the
enrollment visit. New staff signs the Standards of Conduct Policy during their administrative
training prior to employment. Substitutes, community volunteers, and parents also sign the
Standards of Conduct Policy, when they work or volunteer in the classroom.
Head Start Philosophy regarding Guidance and Discipline
The focus of Parent and Child Together (PACT) for West Central Illinois is on meeting the needs
of children and families in ways that reflect the principles of child and family development. This
focus is based on a belief that both the early childhood environment and the staff must provide and
reinforce limits and realistic expectations that are consistent, clear, and positively defined. The
philosophy for guidance and discipline in the agency is based on the belief that children develop
self- or inner-control by being given opportunities to learn, understand, and follow simple rules.
Children are most secure when they know what is expected of them and when the expectations
take into account each child’s needs and strengths. Just as children need the security of being
loved, they also need secure boundaries and limits that are geared toward the development of selfrespect, healthy interpersonal relationships, skills in problem solving and ultimately the ability to
make wise decisions for themselves.
The ultimate goal of PACT’s Guidance and Discipline Policy is to promote basic human values,
such as respect, trust, honesty, and caring for others. Every effort is made to provide the child with
the type of learning environment which leads to development of inner controls and positive selfdiscipline.
How discipline will be implemented by staff:
All teaching staff, including substitutes, entering our program will receive orientation to our “Child
Management Training Guide” in order to ensure consistency. Only staff members and those
trained may discipline children while participating in any Head Start activity/function. The mental
and physical well-being of every child enrolled in PACT will be the primary concern of the
organization. Staff will assist parents to set reasonable limits, guide, and teach them, and follow
through with dignity and respect.
PACT recognizes the importance of social-emotional development as a foundation to early they
become more focused and engaged in learning.
Children will have reasonable opportunities to resolve their own conflict. Discipline will be the
responsibility of the staff that has an on-going relationship with the child. When there is a specific
plan for responding to a child’s pattern of unacceptable behavior, all staff who affect the child will
be aware of the plan and cooperate in its implementation, which may include a consultation with
the Mental Health Professional in conjunction with parental and staff input and cooperation. Note:
A copy of this plan will be placed in the child’s DCFS file.
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When a challenging behavior occurs, the child will be disciplined appropriately, in a positive
manner, to ensure the safety of others. If an unruly child endangers others, the adult will make
accommodations for the child away from the group while the child works to regain their
composure. Teachers will document challenging behaviors to determine if there are any patterns or
daily triggers. In case of severe behavior, the child may be temporarily withdrawn from class until
a Positive Behavior Support meeting can be held with the parents in attendance. Severe behavior is
defined as behavior which injures the child, the teacher or classmates, or remains disruptive for an
extended amount of time. No child will be removed without joint agreement of the teacher, site
supervisor, and Education Operations Coordinator and in consultation with the Executive Director.
The parent/guardian must attend the PBS meeting before the child may return to class. During the
PBS meeting staff and the family will work together to plan techniques and strategies to implement
in the classroom and at home to teach the child self-regulation and problem solving.
When intervening in a situation that necessitates child management, the technique chosen will be
positive. Multiple approaches such as redirection, cool down, solution kit, breathing techniques,
restating behavior expectations, pictorial cues, buddy system, two choice strategy, when:then
strategy and social stories are addressed in the Child Management Training Guide. Only a trained
staff member can use restraint and holding.
NOTE: The following behaviors are prohibited:
a.
Corporal punishment -includes hitting, spanking, swatting, beating, shaking, pinching, and
other measures intended to induce physical pain or fear.
b.
Threatened or actual withdrawal of food, rest, outdoor play, or use of the bathroom.
c.
Abusive or profane language.
d.
Any form of public or private humiliation, including threats of physical punishment.
e.
Any form of emotional abuse, including shaming, rejecting, terrorizing, or isolating a child.
Any staff or volunteer involved in any of the behaviors listed above will be subject to suspension
or termination pending investigation.
Effective discipline begins long before disruptive behaviors that require child management
responses ever occur. The teacher’s primary role in terms of child management is prevention.
DCFS Question: How will parents be involved in the guidance and discipline process?
The PACT Guidance and Discipline Policy is located in the Parent Handbook. The classroom
teacher or (assistant site supervisor for childcare) will discuss guidance and discipline policy with
parents during their enrollment visit.
DCFS Question: What is the written procedure for termination of a child’s enrollment because of
disciplinary issues?
PACT will not terminate a child from enrollment solely on the basis of disciplinary issues. See
parent handbook.
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Early Head Start
The Teaching Pyramid
(For children under 24 months)
Resource: Center on the Social & Emotional Foundation for Early Learning (CSEFEL)
The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos, 2 Ed.
Intensive Intervention
Individualized plans are developed based on a
comprehensive assessment process that includes
observation, interviews with family member,
teachers, & child’s records.
Targeted
Social Emotional Supports
Routines, such as feeding and diapering to provide each child with
one-on-one time for interacting, bonding, and engaging in
relationships. Sitting with toddlers during meal service and
encouraging conversations about the food. Encouraging turn taking,
getting along with others, etc.
High Quality Supportive Environments
Safe and free from hazards. Inviting, interesting, and aesthetically pleasing,
clean and free of clutter, quiet, soft spaces for children, etc.
Nurturing and Responsive Relationships
Continuity of Care, Primary Caregiving, Small Group Care, and using every day
experiences and routines to guide the curriculum.
EHS - Infants and toddlers under two years of age (Resource: The Center on the Social and Emotional
Foundations for Early Learning for Head Start. www.csefel.uiuc.edu)
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CSEFEL – Center on the Social Emotional Foundation of Early Learning
The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is a federally
funded national resource center developed to support early care and education. Resent research
has found that an extraordinarily high number of young children are being asked to leave early
childhood settings because of their behavior.
The CSEFEL Pyramid is a framework of recommended practices to support the social-emotional
competence of young children birth to 2 years old. The Teaching Pyramid provides a framework
describing the four interrelated levels of practice that address the social and emotional
development.
This is our comprehensive approach to child management, which is designed to teach, nurture, and
encourage self regulation and positive social behaviors.
The CSEFEL approach to understanding and addressing challenging behavior in young children is
designed to build the capacity of teachers and parents to support the social-emotional development
of all young children.
EHS Teaching Pyramid
The first two levels of the Teaching Pyramid are the foundations our classrooms are built upon.
This foundation consists of building positive relationships and designing supportive environments.
The next level (third level) consists of the social emotional teaching strategies the classroom staff
uses to build upon the relationships and environment.
Examples of nurturing and responsive practices for promoting social-emotional development.
Organizational practices such as continuity of care, primary caregiving, small group care, using
every day experiences and routines to guide the curriculum.
Examples of high quality environments that facilitate positive interactions
Safe and free from hazards. Inviting, interesting, and aesthetically pleasing, clean and free of
clutter, quiet, soft spaces for children, etc.
Examples of targeted social-emotional supports
Routines such as feeding and diapering to provide each child with one-on-one time for interacting,
bonding, and engaging in relationships. Sitting with toddlers during meal service and encouraging
conversations about the food. Encouraging turn taking, getting along with others, etc.
(Additional Resource: DVD - Space to Grow: Creating a Child Care Environments for Infants
and Toddlers
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Understanding Children’s Behavior
Children’s social-emotional development involves the way children feel about themselves, their
understanding of feelings, their ability to regulate emotions and express them appropriately, and
their capacity for building relationships with others. In group care, it is the responsibility of the
teachers to provide healthy emotional experiences when the parent is absent.
The social skills children gain as infants and toddlers are a foundation for their success in school.
When we ask kindergarten teachers to identify the characteristics of children who they think are
ready for school, kindergarten teachers put social skills, such as taking turns, following direction,
sharing, and getting along with others, at the top of their list. Responsive and caring teachers can
help infants and toddlers to begin to learn these skills.
Dr. Stanley Greenspan charted six milestones in young children’s emotional growth. See page 5 in
Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers. He believed that children need supportive, trusting
relationships with the important adults in their lives. He believes when children have such
relationships as their foundation, they grow socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Teachers can
help infants and toddlers develop healthy emotional behavior when they have a solid
understanding of the stages of children’s emotional development.
The goal of socialization and guidance is to help children learn appropriate social behavior, not
just to stop undesirable behavior. Self-discipline, not just compliance to social rules, is the goal of
socialization and guidance.
Temperament: A Practical Approach to Meeting Individual Needs
Key Points:
• Researchers have identified 9 temperamental traits.
• Most US children fit into 1 of 3 combinations of traits or “styles.”
• Adults need to handle each child in ways in which child can meet demands. This is called
“goodness of fit.”
• “Poorness of fit” is when the adult expects a child to adjust too quickly or at a level that the
child is unable to meet.
Children are born with behavioral styles called temperaments. Some children approach new
situations cautiously, without a fuss, and adapt slowly. Others have an immediate positive
response to new situations and are generally cheerful. Still others withdraw or cry in new
situations. When teachers are aware of a child’s temperament, they can sometimes predict how
that child will behave in certain types of situations. Thinking about temperaments may help
teachers to understand and interpret children’s behaviors.
Differences in temperament, even at the extremes, are differences in the normal range of behavior.
All too often a child whose behavior is different from the average is labeled as having a behavior
problems when, the child is showing only his or her normal temperament. For example, some
children are temperamentally inclined to move around a lot.
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Key Points:
1. Understanding temperament helps maintain our own patience and positive attitudes.
2. Understanding temperament leads us to find the best ways to deal with behavior that is
exasperating.
3. Knowing the temperamental differences helps teachers to develop ways of relating to
children through their temperament traits that are best for them.
4. Understanding temperaments helps teachers to understand each child.
5. Understanding teacher’s own temperament traits helps teachers to be flexible.
6. Try not to change the child, learn how to create conditions that support who child is.
7. Caution not to use the temperament categories to label children.
8. Many children have traits from two or even all three temperament types.
The first infant researchers to identify the three types of temperaments: easy, slow to warm, and
difficult were Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess. The three temperament types are:
a. The Easy or Flexible Child - 40%
b. The Difficult or Feisty Child – 10%
c. The Slow to Warm Up or Fearful Child – 15 %
Behaviors of a child with easy temperament:
• Regular feeding & napping routines
• Adapts to new situations and activities quickly
• Toilet train easily
• Cheerful
• They express themselves in quiet ways
• The need to check-In, make eye-contact
Behaviors of a child with cautious temperament:
• Often shy, timid.
• They need more time to warm-up to new people.
• Attaches quickly to caregiver.
Behaviors of a child with feisty/difficult temperament:
• Difficult to transition.
• Aggressive towards others.
• They let you know when they are pleased or displeased.
• Important to set up areas in classroom for vigorous play.
By being aware of some of the characteristics of temperament, we can better understand our
children, appreciate their uniqueness, and deal with problems of poor "fit" that may lead to
misunderstandings and conflicts. The teacher’s ability to adapt to the child’s behavior rather than
being surprised by a temperamental reaction is a goodness of fit.
(Additional Resource: DVD – Flexible, Fearful, or Feisty: The Different Temperaments of Infants
and Toddlers)
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Guidance & Discipline
Discipline is a positive, constructive way of teaching. True discipline is not punishment.
Discipline teaches compliance by affirming the child’s dignity. Discipline focused on the rule to
be learned and the good reasons for the rule, not on the child’s “wrongdoing.” The aim is to build
the child’s inner controls, to develop in the child lifelong habits of governing his or her own
behavior.
Understanding positive relationships and responsive care are essential in laying the foundation for
toddlers towards self-control.
The stage of the child’s development, including temperament, will determine how to guide
behavior.
• In non-mobile infants, learning basic trust lays the groundwork for developing selfdiscipline.
• In mobile infants, they begin to understand that their actions affect other people.
Teacher’s guidance can encourage positive behaviors and discourage unsafe or unwanted
behaviors.
• In toddlers, setting limits gives them freedom to explore and to gain self-control.
Teachers can use a wide variety of positive guidance techniques to prevent, minimize, or respond
to unwanted behaviors. But it depends, because no single approach works for every child, at every
age, and in every situation. Teachers must consider all factors that influence behavior before
identifying an intervention, because inappropriate or unacceptable behaviors may be age and
development related.
Questions teachers must consider when developing an appropriate positive guidance strategy.
• What happened?
• What behavior is typical for a child of this age?
• How could this child’s temperament affect behavior?
• What was happening in the environment?
• Why do you think the behavior occurred?
There is not a method for child rearing but a method for a particular child at this particular stage in
his development. A method that is indicated for one stage of development may be completely
unsuited for another stage of development. We need to look for readiness skills of the
infant/toddler.
• Non-mobile Infants (birth to nine months) begin to adapt their rhythms of eating, sleeping
to the expectations of their social environment through the gentle guidance of sensitive
caregivers who meet their needs.
• Mobile Infants (six to eighteen months) want to do everything, but they have little
understanding about what is permissible and cannot remember rules.
• Toddlers (sixteen to thirty-six months), who move through recurring phases of extreme
dependence and independence, gain new skills and awareness.
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Magda Gerber, a nationally recognized leader in infant care believes children needs to know house
rules at a very early age. The how and the way we talk to the child depend on the age and stage of
development. With toddlers, be direct and use “I” statements to stop a behavior that hurts.
There are four key roots of socialization (how children learn socially acceptable behavior).
• The first is the establishment of a trusting relationship between the child and teacher.
• The second is the prevention of discipline problems in advance.
• The third is allowing infants/toddlers time to incorporate the information you are sharing.
o For children under three, you may need to repeat the same information many times.
• The fourth is using strategies that are appropriate to the child’s developmental stage.
(Additional Resource: DVD Getting in Tune: Creating Nurturing Relationships with Infants and
Toddlers)
Challenging Behaviors
Challenging behaviors may be defined as behaviors that interfere with the development and
maintenance of reciprocal, positive, and nurturing relationships with the parent or teacher.
Challenging behavior, as a pattern of behavior, is noted by considering the relationship of the child
and teacher and the difficulties that are manifested in their relationship. These behaviors may be
the result of biological or environment factor that affect infant development and, as a consequence,
the infant’s relationship with a teacher or they may be related to the challenges that affect the
ability of the teacher in establishing a nurturing and responsive relationship.
EHS: - Responding to Challenging Behavior in Infants and Toddlers
Here are ways to plan ahead to help prevent temper tantrums:
▪
minimize frustrations by setting up an interesting, safe space that children can explore freely;
▪
give toddlers plenty of opportunities to feel competent by offering them many opportunities
throughout the day.
▪
anticipate children’s physical needs by serving lunch before children get too hungry and
helping children take naps before they start falling apart. Give the children the chance to
play outdoors when they are ready for active play.
What to do when a child under two bites:
▪
Respond to the situation promptly;
-comfort the child who was bitten
-wash the wound
-state clearly that biting is not alright
-invite the child who did the biting to help you care for the bitten child
▪
Document the incident to look for a pattern
▪
Hold onto your positive vision of the child who did the biting
▪
Help parents understand the situation; and
▪
Seek help if biting continues or grows more vicious.
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How to respond to a child with a feisty temperament.
1. Redirection of attention.
2. Regularity of habits.
3. Be flexible.
4. Provide opportunities for activity and vigorous play.
Additional Resources: The Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers
• Promoting Children’s Self-Regulation 146-149
• Responding to Challenging Behavior 153-155
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Head Start and Early Head Start
The Teaching Pyramid
A Model for Supporting Social Competence
And
Preventing Challenging Behavior in Young Children
(For children two through five years of age)
Intensive Intervention
Behavior Support Plan
Targeted
Social & Emotional Supports
Teaching Social Skills
High Quality Supportive Environments
Classroom Rules, Nurturing Environment
Predictable Schedule, Routine, Transitions, & Expectations
Nurturing and Responsive Relationships
with Children, Families, and Colleagues
Resource: The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning for Head Start.
www.csefel.uiuc.edu
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Teaching Pyramid - CSEFEL
The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is a federally
funded national resource center developed to support early care and education. Resent research
has found that an extraordinarily high number of young children are being asked to leave early
childhood settings because of their behavior.
The CSEFEL Pyramid is a framework of recommended practices to support the social-emotional
competence of young children 2 - 5 years old. The Teaching Pyramid provides a framework
describing the four interrelated levels of practice that address the social and emotional
development.
This is our comprehensive approach to child management, which is designed to teach, nurture, and
encourage self regulation and positive social behaviors.
Fundamentals of Child Development
The Creative Curriculum is a resource used by classroom teachers to understand the fundamental
beliefs, theory and research of child development, classroom community, and self-regulation.
The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, 4th Ed. (p. 1-14; 102-122)
The Creative Curriculum for Infants-Toddlers 2nd Ed. (p. xiv; 137-167)
Teachers must have knowledge of children’s learning ability and style. Teacher must understand
the difference of concrete learner vs. abstract learners. Intervention must be concrete.
The daily on-going assessment will identify children who do not have the social emotional
development and foundation needed to be successful in school. The social-emotional foundation
includes the ability to solve problems, communicate emotions appropriately and effectively, and
build friendships.
The CSEFEL approach to understanding and addressing challenging behavior in young children is
designed to build the capacity of teachers and parents to support the social-emotional development
of all young children.
Building Positive Relationships is the first level of the Teaching Pyramid
The foundation for supporting social competence begins with nurturing and responsive staff that
supports children in developing a positive sense of self and in engaging in relationships with
others. At this level, teachers focus on their relationships with children, families, and colleagues.
Relationships are the key to a productive learning environment and positive behavioral support.
Research shows the quality of a teacher’s relationship with the children in his or her care has been
found to predict children’s social relationship with their peers, their behavior problems, and their
school achievement when they are older. In other words, the more positive the teacher-child
relationships, the better children do with peers, their behavior and their academic skills.
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Reinforce with Your Attention & Words
Teachers need to catch children being “good” rather than noticing them only when they are being
“bad.” Children want and need attention from adults. They need to feel connected and important.
Let them know you have noticed (verbally or nonverbally). You could briefly catch their eye, you
could smile at them, you could give them a thumbs up, or you could stand close to them and let
them know by your presence that you have noticed.
Adults should monitor their behavior and ensure that they are giving more positive feedback than
negative feedback (i.e. giving directions, correcting negative behavior). For every negative
correction, teachers should have a feedback ratio of 3-5 positive reinforcement statements (3:15:1). Research shows this can decrease challenging behaviors as much as 80%.
How do I strengthen relationships with children?
Greet every child at the door by name (not nicknames).
Post children’s work in the room at their eye level.
Give individual attention to each, even small increments make a difference.
Acknowledge the child’s effort rather than praise.
Here are some sentence starters you can try to use for Positive Reinforcement:
• “You solved that problem, how did you do that…”
• “You really have learned how to…”
• “You must feel proud of yourself for…”
• “You have worked so hard…”
• “That’s a resourceful way of…”
• “Wow! You figured out…”
• “That’s a cool way to…”
• “I appreciate you taking the time to…”
• “You put a lot of work in to make that picture the way you wanted…”
• “Tell me what you like about your creation…”
Follow the child’s lead, engage in their play.
Joke and laugh with the children. Smile at the children often.
Ask the children about their feelings and respect those feelings.
Show the children you are happy they are there.
Learn personal information about the child and use the information in your conversations
with them.
Give children acceptable choices and give them the assistance they may need to follow
through with the choice.
Listen to children when they speak to you and respond appropriately to their questions.
Respond to children consistently.
Treat mistakes in a matter of fact manner and view them as learning opportunities: “Oops,
you spilled your juice. Accidents happen, I’ll give you a cloth & you can wipe it up.”
How do I strengthen relationships with families?
• Have a designated place to post parent information.
• Greet parents by name when they arrive at school.
• Keep lines of communication open between programs and families (e.g. notes, phone calls,
white board, emails, weekly news, etc)
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Support and encourage parent involvement. Help the family to find a way that they can
participate within the schedule they have available.
Learn from the families about their children, home and family. Use that information to
build upon the child’s learning.
Share resources with the parent about their child’s development, especially when the parent
is having concerns.
Share positive things the child is doing in the program.
Conduct meetings with the family in an environment and time that is convenient for them.
Assure parents about confidentiality and rights.
Show respect to parents by acknowledging the good things that they are doing with their
child.
Ask parents to share their unique resources (e.g. talents, skills, access to resources).
How do I strengthen relationships with colleagues?
Encourage teamwork.
Provide support by sharing ideas and resources.
Greet colleagues every day.
Be honest and kind to one another.
Respect co-workers talents and abilities.
Acknowledge colleagues accomplishments.
Understand and respect each other’s beliefs.
Be the person you want others to become.
Develop a shared vision or goals.
Have a sense of humor and have fun.
Build cooperation by listening to one another.
Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach, offers the following insights on the
image of the child is his article, "Your Image of the Child: Where Teaching Begins
"There are hundreds of different images of the child. Each one of you has inside yourself an image
of the child that directs you as you begin to relate to a child. This theory within you pushes you to
behave in certain ways; it orients you as you talk to the child, listen to the child, observe the
child. It is very difficult for you to act contrary to this internal image. For example, if your image
is that boys and girls are very different from one another, you will behave differently in
your interactions with each of them.
"The environment you construct around you and the children also reflects this image you have
about the child. There's a difference between the environment that you are able to build based on a
preconceived image of the child and the environment that you can build that is based on the child
you see in front of you — the relationship you build with the child, the games you play. An
environment that grows out of your relationship with the child is unique and fluid.
"The quality and quantity of relationships among you as adults and educators also reflects your
image of the child. Children are very sensitive and can see and sense very quickly the spirit of
what is going on among the adults in their world. They understand whether the adults are working
together in a truly collaborative way or if they are separated in some way from each other, living
their experience as if it were private with little interaction."
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Designing Supportive Environments – Second level of the Teaching Pyramid
The classroom practices include developmentally appropriate, child-centered classroom
environments that promote children’s developing independence, successful interactions, and
engagement in learning. The teacher plans and set-up a safe and nurturing environment. The daily
routine is predictable with structured schedules, transitions, and routine.
The Curriculum Implementation Checklist is used by teachers at the beginning of the year to set
up their classroom. This tool will help teachers to self-reflect and assess their knowledge of
developmentally appropriate, child-centered classroom environments that promote children’s
developing independence, successful interaction, and engagement in learning.
This tool is used to identify teacher’s level of curriculum implementation, areas of strength, and
areas for growth.
The Creative Curriculum is not a prepackaged scripted curriculum. Teachers are encouraged to be
creative, make decisions, and set up the indoor and outdoor environment based on the needs of the
children in the classroom. The Creative Curriculum will support teachers in their daily interactions
with children and families.
The Curriculum Implementation Checklist is used to ensure knowledge and understanding of the
Creative Curriculum and that every teacher receives the training and support they need to
implement the curriculum and developmentally appropriate practices to enhance child outcomes.
The Education Coordinators monitors the implementation of the curriculum and best practices by
visiting classrooms, outcomes data aggregation, training, purchasing equipment and materials, etc.
Classroom Expectation Plan - Before the first day of class, the classroom teaching team will meet
and discuss Classroom Schedule, Routine, Transitions, Classroom Expectations, and enrolled
children. The teaching team will observe planned transitions throughout the year and modify the
Classroom Expectation Plan to meet the individual needs of the children. Every effort is made to
provide children with a type of learning environment that leads to development of inner controls
and positive self-regulation.
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Making Transitions and Routines Work
Schedules, Routines and Transitions are to be designed with the thought of promoting engagement
between the child and adults in the room. Schedule activities so there is a balance of child-directed
and adult-directed activities, small and large group activities and quiet and active activities.
Large group activities can often be difficult for teachers due to behavior issues, so during large
group activities make sure to:
Consider the length.
Provide opportunities for all children to be actively engaged.
Don’t do everything the same way every day-present things in a
variety of ways.
Use this a time to teach new concepts.
Assign roles to children.
Vary your speech and intonation.
Have children lead activities.
Pay attention to children’s behavior-be proactive.
Small group activities are used to individualize with the children and increase skill building, so
during small group activities make sure to:
Be clear about the goal.
Use peers as models.
Ensure participation by all children
Make them fun
Provide feedback throughout
What Are Transitions between Activities?
For some young children, moving from one activity to another (e.g., bus to classroom, cubbies to
book reading, art time to lunch) or one caregiver to another (family to teacher at drop off, from
PACT teacher to Speech Therapist, etc.) results in confusion, frustration, and challenging
behaviors.
Transitions can become a challenging part of your day because of the behaviors that may erupt
from them. Often these behaviors are caused by children having to “wait their turn” during this
time. So our goal should be to :
-Minimize the number of transitions throughout the day.
-Minimize the length of time children spend waiting with nothing to do. Adults let children
move individually from one area to another area when they are ready to avoid making
children wait for the entire group to get ready. For example, as children finish hanging up
their backpacks, Ms. Ellie encourages them to go to the carpet and choose a book.
-Give warnings before transitions (e.g., "5 minutes before snack time," "it's almost time to
clean up").
-Give children something to do while they wait.
-Teach children the expectations related to transitions.
-Individualize with supports and cues (e.g., showing pictures of the next activity, ringing a
bell).
-Give positive feedback after transitions (e.g., "Nicholas and Jorge did a great job cleaning
up the block area and moving to the carpet.").
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Directions and Rules are an important part of classroom routines and transitions. Directions and
rules should be used in a positive manner to encourage positive social behavior.
Studies have shown that children have high rates of not following teacher direction. While this
may be attributed to individual children’s personalities, there may be other reasons for this such as:
directions are lengthy, unclear, stated negatively or confusing. Some strategies for directions are:
-Get the child’s attention before you give the direction.
-Minimize the number of directions you give the child.
-Individualize the way you give directions. Some children may do better with verbal
direction while others may prefer physical or pictorial prompts.
-Give clear directions. Tell the child exactly what you want them to do.
-Give positive directions. Focus on what you want them to do instead of what you
do not want them to do.
-Give the child enough time to respond to the direction. Adults often rush children
and do not give them enough time to respond before moving on or giving
assistance.
-When appropriate give the child choices or options for following directions. Offer
two positive choices that you can live with. “We need to walk down the hall to our
classroom. You may hold my hand or walk by yourself. Which is your choice?”
-Follow through with a positive acknowledgement of the good choice. “You chose
to hold my hand. That was nice”
Rules need to brief, meaningful, concrete statements that the children can remember easily. Rules
should be:
-stated positively.
-developmentally appropriate.
-posted visually.
-clear and concise.
-be generated with the children’s involvement to help them understand them better,
provide ownership and serve as a learning opportunity.
-taught during large and small group time. Children cannot be expected to follow
rules if they have not been taught them.
-Used as the base to make good choices or follow directions. (“We have to be safe;
we should stand on the floor instead of the chair.)
Pictorial Program -Wide Rules
A Pictorial Program-Wide Rules will be posted in the classroom. The Program Wide Rules will be
taught and reviewed with children daily.
Program-Wide Classroom Rules:
- We take care of our room.
- We keep our hands and feet to ourselves.
- We are nice to everyone.
- We keep each other safe and healthy.
When you create an environment in your classroom that is based on consistently and effectively
enforcing clear rules in a compassionate and respectful manner, you not only help build a positive,
warm relationship with your children, but they know they can count on you and count on what
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happens in the classroom. This kind of environment and discipline style also helps children
manage their behavior better.
Pictorial Schedule with words
The daily routine is the one of the most important aspects of the curriculum. It is what will help
the teacher to be the most organized for the children. The children need to know what is going to
happen next. A daily consistent routine gives children a sense of security and safety.
Studies have documented that schedules and routines influence children's emotional, cognitive,
and social development. Schedules and routines help children understand the expectations of the
environment and reduce the frequency of behavior problems, such as tantrums and acts of
aggression.
When planning the classroom routine, remember to consider:
▸
Arrive early & prepare the classroom. The classroom needs to be safe, secure, and inviting.
▸
Children’s Arrival - Help each child feel welcome when entering the classroom. When the
children arrive each day, they are greeted to insure they are physically and emotionally
ready for the day. Review Pictorial Schedule with children weekly, after a holiday, or
when a new child attends. A predictable environment will help children manage their day.
▸
Attendance Chart – Children move their name card (literacy activity) from Home to
School.
▸
Name tags and Sign-In Sheets- used daily for literacy and independence
▸
At the beginning circle provide stimulating & inviting activities (music, songs, action,
along with attendance, weather, message board, new word, rules, etc.).
▸
Hand washing & bathroom breaks are planned with additional bathroom breaks scheduled,
as needed.
▸
▸
▸
Meal service - allow time for everyone to be seated before passing & serving. Children
open their own milk carton as they wait on others to join. Family Style is a curriculum.
Food is passed when everyone is seated. Meal Attendance is completed during meal
service. Teacher models table manners, models passing, serving, talking quietly, etc
Tooth brushing activity - prepare tooth brushing mini-cups with “pea” size toothpaste for
each child. The Teacher will supervise and limit the number of children tooth brushing at
the sink.
Individual Planning. Use play buddies to limit number of children per learning center.
Provide opportunities for children to plan, to make decisions, and follow through with their
plan.
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▸
▸
▸
▸
▸
▸
Center Time - Allow 45 - 60 minutes for children to explore and experiment with
equipment and materials in the classroom. During center time, the teaching staff will
interact, read aloud to children, observe, and remind children to check the center
management chart, for problem solving skills.
Clean up - Use the Helper Chart to assign classroom duties.
Small group activities are planned daily. The activities will be process vs. product based.
Developmentally appropriate (hands on) learning by doing activities with low and high
activity levels.
Language Circle - Large group time for stories, singing, dancing, marching etc. A planned
activity should include vocabulary words, props, gestures, surprises, etc. Large group
activities should be limited to 15-20 minutes.
Outdoors/Gross Motor - Children go outside daily, when weather permits. A planned
organized structured activity may include exercise, games, movement, music, etc. This is
also the time to allow children to run and shout.
Departure - Plan a routine closure at the end of each day.
Social & Emotional Teaching Strategies – the third level of the Teaching Pyramid
The third level of the Teaching Pyramid consists of the social emotional teaching strategies the
classroom staff uses to build upon the relationships and environment. Through the effective use of
resources, strategies and ideas the classroom staff will guide the children to learn social emotional
skills (friendship skills, emotional literacy, development of empathy, impulse control, and problem
solving). It is important for adults to remember that children are not born with these abilities and
therefore they must be taught. There are many factors in a child’s life that determine how
proficient they are with each of the social emotional skills and it is important to be considerate of
their previous experiences and family culture. The goal of guidance is to help children build their
own self-control, not to have them behave through adult imposed control.
Adults also need to be purposeful in the implementation of teaching social emotional skills. There
are good moments in the day to teach these skills and there times when the teaching strategies will
not be as effective. Note the diagram below. The red arrow represents the peak of a difficult
situation. It could be two children fighting over a toy. This would not be the most effective time to
teach the children social emotional strategies. Both children would most likely be upset during this
time and may not want to listen to what the adult is trying to say. The green arrow represents the
best time for an adult to step in and use a possible conflict as a teachable moment. The adult would
use a proactive approach to acknowledge a conflict could happen and help guide the children to an
acceptable solution for their problem.
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It is also important to embed social emotional teaching into all areas of the day (circle time, free
play, small group, playground, meal time, etc) when a crisis is not imminent to reinforce and teach
these skills to all children.
Below are the stages of learning that are best used to teach children new skills:
• Acquisition- Introduction and practicing the new skill or concept.
• Fluency- The ability to immediately use the skill or concept with a prompt or cue.
• Maintenance- Continue to use the skill over time without a prompt.
• Generalization- Applying the new skill or concept to new situations, people,
activities, ideas and settings.
The social emotional Skills that PACT staff will help children develop are:
Emotional Literacy - Emotional literacy is the ability to identify, understand, and express
emotions in a healthy way.
Development of Empathy- Empathy is the identification with and understanding of another’s
feelings and situation.
Impulse Control - For children to control anger and gain impulse control they must:
Problem Solving- The area of the brain that controls rational thinking is located in the frontal lobe
of our brain. A person’s frontal lobe does not fully form until they are 24-26 years old. Young
children under the age of six react to situations from the brain stem area which is where the fight or
flight responses are located. Young children can be taught effective problem solving skills but it
takes time, patience and perseverance from the adults around them. To support young children in
developing these skills the adults must anticipate problems, stay close to the children to intervene
if necessary, support the child while they learn to problem solve, encourage the children to keep
using the skills (especially if they did not work the way the child expected) and reinforce the effort
to problem solve by using positive feedback.
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CSEFEL Social Emotional Teaching Strategies
Techniques and Teaching Tools will be individualized by the EOC to help teachers manage
children’s classroom behavior, if applicable.
√
Teachable moments will not work when a child is screaming and upset. Allow child to
calm down. It is OK to observe and wait.
√
Effective guidance requires follow through. Idle or impossible threats encourage children
to test rules and push limits.
√
When any guidance technique is used, make sure the problem-solving solution works for
the child, or that a redirected child becomes involved with another activity, or that a child
in “cool down” has an adult with them to help if necessary.
Buddy System: A teacher may choose to pair a child who needs work in a certain area with a child
who is proficient with that skill. Be sure to mix up the pairing so you don’t overload the
children.
Visual Aides: The teacher will use visual aides to assist the child in managing throughout the day.
These aides may include stop signs to signal what is off limits, rule posters or books, visual
schedules, activity sequences, choice boards, if-then boards and feeling visuals.
Calming Techniques: The teacher will use techniques to teach children to stop and get their
emotions under control, before addressing problems. These techniques may be the “Turtle
Technique” (CSEFEL), the “Calm Down Technique” (Second Step) or the “STAR
Technique” (Conscious Discipline).
Scripted Stories: Scripted stories help the children understand a social situation by describing the
situation, what the child needs to do and how others feel when the child exhibits
appropriate and inappropriate behavior.
Solution Kit: The solution kit is a set of picture cards that assist children in learning problem
solving. The solutions depicted on the cards are: Get a teacher, Ask nicely, Ignore, Say
please, Play together, Say please stop, Share, Trade, Wait and take turns and get a timer.
Cozy Spot: A place where students can remove themselves from the group in order to become
calm, regain composure and maintain control when upset, angry or frustrated.
Ignoring Inappropriate Behavior:
Although not all inappropriate behavior can be ignored, many situations that are simply
annoying and not harmful can be ignored. Pick Your Battles. Children who receive
attention for annoying behaviors many times will continue the behavior for the attention
whether it's negative or positive. The frustrating part of ignoring inappropriate behavior is
that it usually takes a long time for it to be effective.
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Two Choice Strategy: The teacher will use this technique to avoid power struggles and allow
the child to make a choice between to appropriate alternatives to the challenging
behavior. For example: If a child is running around at morning circle the teacher will
say “Do you want to sit on your spot or sit here next to me? You choose.” If the child
does not choose the teacher will make the choice for him/her. The key element to this
strategy is that the teacher gives two acceptable choices…not one choice and a
punishment. For example the teacher would not say “Do you want to sit on your spot
or do you want to go to time out?” That is a punishment and the second choice isn’t
really a choice, no child is going to pick that. The choices need to be two positive
choices for the child that will meet the teacher’s expectation for the activity.
When:then Strategy: The teacher will use this strategy to ensure the child is clear about the
expectations for the given moment. The teacher may say When you wash your
hands:Then you may go play. Or, When you put your shoes on:Then we can go
outside. Once again you are giving the child the opportunity to make an autonomous
decision about their behavior and you are being clear about your expectations.
Second Step Curriculum - Ages 3 - 5 (The third level of the Teaching Pyramid)
Social and emotional skills are important to healthy child development. Skills such as empathy,
emotion management, and social problem solving contribute to children’s success in school and
later, to their success into the work place. Young children who show behavior problems such as
frequent aggression have about a 50% chance of developing more serious problems in later
childhood. A lack of social-emotional skills interferes with the development of children even
when they do not show significant behavior problem. (See pages 7-19 in the Second Step
Teacher’s Guide for detailed information)
Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum is designed to promote social competence and
reduce social and emotional problem by teaching children skills in the core areas of empathy,
emotion management, and social problem solving. It is a universal prevention program, which
means that it is taught to every child in a classroom rather than to selected children.
The Second Step program emphasizes understanding and dealing with emotions, expressing
emotions in socially acceptable ways, thinking about social situation in accurate and constructive
ways, and learning pro-social behaviors through practice. The program assumes that feelings,
thoughts, and behaviors affect one another. Using the Second Step program, children learn how to
identify and distinguish among their own feelings, using internal (muscle tension, heart beat,
breathing) and situational clues.
In response to research indicating the importance of emotion knowledge to the development of
young children, the Second Step program has a stronger focus on the first component (Empathy
Training). Using photo-lesson cards, children practice how to identify the nonverbal, verbal, and
situational clues related to seven common emotions and their feelings words: happy, sad, angry,
surprised, scared, disgusted, and worried. The first six emotions are included because they are
universally expressed by people from different countries and cultures. Since fears and worries are
common among young children, the feeling worry is also included in the empathy lessons. Using
the Second Step program, children learn how to identify and distinguish among their own feelings,
using internal (muscle tension, heartbeat, breathing) and situational clues.
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How to Use the Second Step Curriculum
Second Step curriculum not only teaches friendship skills, but complements skills and concepts
common to language development and emerging literacy. (See pages 37-53 in the Second Step
Teacher’s Guide for detailed information).
The Second-Step Curriculum provides instruction on key skills children need to learn to
understand their emotions and the emotions of others, handle conflicts, problem solve, and develop
relationships with their peers.
Second Step Curriculum teaches children:
1. Empathy - ability to perceive, predict, and identify with another’s feelings helps children
choose pro social behaviors and helps them develop and maintains friendships.
2. Emotion Management - to distinguish between the feeling of anger and angry, hurtful
behaviors. The feeling is okay, the behaviors are not. What to do when we have angry
feelings.
Ways to Calm Down - Children are taught to put their hands on their tummy to check in
with how they are feeling. They are then taught a menu of three calming down strategies:
Child first check in: Hand on Tummy
• Say “Calm down” to yourself
• Take deep belly breaths.
• Count out loud ….1…2…3..4…5…
3. Problem Solving - to solve problems logically rather than acting out of impulse is an
important part of social competence. Problem solving can be used for problems that a child
is struggling with internally or problems between people.
Second Step Teaching Strategies and Management Strategies
Circle Time Setup - The physical setup of the classroom will affect the involvement and
interaction of children during the lessons and have a direct bearing on the quality of their learning
experiences. Literacy lessons are most successful when they are presented at a circle time where
the children and teacher sit on the floor. Circle times in early childhood setting are often more than
a time to convey information. They signify a time for inclusion and sharing and an opportunity to
feel a part of the classroom community. When a group of children sit in a circle, it is easy for them
to see one another and to focus attention on the person speaking. This arrangement also naturally
provides a stage for Pretend and Practice maximizing children’s attention and participation.
Pace - As you work with your children, you will discover a natural pace, or speed of moving
through a lesson, which keeps it flowing smoothly but allows enough time for children to fully
participate in discussions and activities. The key will be to allow enough time for individuals to be
heard while not losing the interest and participation of the rest of the group. Teachers with large
class size may find this the most challenging aspect of the program. Keeping the discussions and
Pretend and Practice on topic helps ensure that lessons are completed within the recommended
time frame.
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Hearts - (From Second Step Curriculum) The purpose of the Heart is to provide children with a
concrete symbol of caring in addition to the specific information provided by the teacher. For
example, a teacher might recognize a child for helping a child who is new to the classroom by
saying, “You have been very helpful to Mark by showing him where the art supplies are kept.
Here’s a Heart to put into the classroom container for our class.”
Children’s newly acquired skills are maintained and further strengthened throughout the day when
teachers do the following:
a. model social emotional skills
b. provide children with opportunities to practice skills, in new, appropriate situations
c. positively reinforce children’s skill used
d. use incidental teaching or “teachable moments” as opportunities to provide coaching,
constructive feedback, and positive reinforcement to children to support skill used during
real life situations.
Intensive Individualized instruction
In the majority of children, using the teaching pyramid to build positive relationships, use of
classroom preventive practices and teaching social skills may be enough to promote the
development of social competence. For a very small number children there will be a need for
Intensive Individualized instruction which is at the top level of the Teaching Pyramid. These will
be children who are exhibiting challenging behaviors.
Definition of Challenging Behavior –
Any behaviors that bother adults and adults want to stop. This is determined by the adult’s
tolerance level.
-Challenging behavior usually has a message
-Children may use challenging behavior because they do not have the skills (social or
communication) that they need to solve their problems.
-If a behavior persists over time, that is because it is working for the child.
-We need to focus on what we want the child to do in place the challenging behavior.
Challenging behaviors are repeated patterns of behaviors that interfere with learning or
engagement of prosocial behavior and are not responsive to the classroom intervention already in
practice.
Restraint/Holding: At times a child becomes so upset and intense that they cannot control their
behavior. A child may kick, spit, throw toys, hit, push over shelving units, and thrash about. This
child and those around him need protection. To do so, staff must remain calm and in control.
Staff should not try to rationalize with the out-of control child until the child has calmed down.
To help the child regain self-control you may follow these guidelines:
▪
Remove a large, screaming, arm flailing child from an area of disturbance by picking the
child up around the waist, only. The lifting and carrying should be done firmly but gently;
there should be no hint of punishment.
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▪
Restraint/holding techniques should only be used by program staff members who have
been trained in these procedures. The Disabilities/Mental Health Coordinator is
responsible for obtaining training for staff in restraint/holding.
Children who may be considered at risk for challenging behavior are persistently noncompliant,
have difficulty regulating their emotions, do not easily form relationships with adults and other
children, and have difficulty engaging in learning.
When teachers notice challenging behavior in the classroom they need to consider the following;
• What is this behavior telling me?
• How can the environment be changed to reduce the likelihood that the challenging
behavior will occur?
• What can be done to make the challenging behavior irrelevant?
• What procedures or interventions can I select that will fit in with the natural
routines and structure of the classroom and family.
• How can I build on what works?
• What can be done to help the child not respond to the trigger of the challenging
behavior or change the trigger so it will not cause the challenging behavior?
Teachers that identify children who are exhibiting challenging behaviors need to start their
documentation immediately. Don’t put off documenting these behaviors because this may be a bad
week, or you think they’re going to grow out of it. This will only delay the Positive Behavioral
Support process and results in frustration for the child, teacher and family. See the Positive
Behavioral Support process below for documentation procedures
PBS Form Names and Code
Home Observation Cards or Tracking Grid-PBS
Parent Interview
Individual Child Summary
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Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Plan Process
Children who require Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) will receive an intervention plan that is:
• Matched to the purpose of the behavior
• Proactive
• Focuses on teaching new skills
• Long-term
PBS focuses on the message that the child’s behavior is conveying. Each challenging behavior
contains a form and a function. The form is what the behavior looks like (screaming, leaving the
room, throwing toys). The function is what message or purpose the child’s behavior is sending
(request for help, escape classroom-overstimulated, request a nap).
Forms of Children’s communication (behavior) can be:
• Words
• Pointing
• Drawing/writing
• Eye gaze
• Pulling adult
• Crying
• Biting
• Tantrums
• Many others
Function of Children’s Communication (behavior) can be to:
• Request an object, activity, person
• Request help
• Request social interaction
• Request information
• Request sensory stimulation
Or:
• Escape demands
• Escape activity
• Escape a person
• Escape sensory stimulation
• Many others
Step I:
The teacher will begin her documentation using the Observation Cards or the Tracking Grid-PBS.
Observation Cards: The teacher will record the child’s name, observer name, date and time. The
general context is the setting in which the behavior occurred (center time, circle time, lunch, etc).
The teacher will note the social context or what was happening socially when the behavior
occurred. For example, Hillary and Billy were playing separately (parallel play) in the block area
and when Hillary asked for Billy’s toy he hit her with it. The challenging behavior is recorded
next. In the previous example it would be: hitting. The social reaction would be noted, in this case
it may be: Hillary and Billy both began crying. The information collected on the observation cards
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will assist in determining the function of the child’s behavior. The possible function of this
behavior could be: to keep his toy.
Tracking Grid-PBS: The teacher will record the date and time the challenging behavior
occurred. In the Trigger column the teacher will record what happened directly before the
behavior (what may have caused the behavior). In the Behavior column the teacher will
record the form of the behavior (how the behavior was displayed, kicking, screaming,
running, etc) see p. 25. In the Result column the teacher will record what happened after the
child displayed the challenging behavior. Be sure to consider how the children reacted to the
child’s behavior (cried, hit the child back, etc) and how the adult reacted to the child
(scolded, took the child for a walk, etc). In the Function column the teacher will record what
the child obtained or escaped by engaging this behavior (escaped circle time, obtained a toy,
etc) see p. 25.
Once the teacher begins documenting classroom observations they will meet with the family (with
a face to face contact when possible) and explain the challenging behaviors that have been present
in class. The teacher and family will discuss any possible situations that may be causing the
behaviors. The teacher will complete the Parent Interview with the family at that time.
If the child attends Pre-K or Early Childhood the teacher will contact the teacher (be sure to
obtain proper releases- Release B) to inquire about any behavior observed or techniques
used. Note: The techniques used by other agencies are not always appropriate for young
children.
Step II:
The teacher will analyze the classroom documentation along with the information from the
Parent Interview to decide if there is a pattern to the child’s behavior. Once a pattern of
behaviors is established, the teacher will complete the Individual Child Summary. Copies of
the Observation Cards or Tracking Grid-PBS, Parent Interview and Individual Child Summary
will be given to the Site Supervisor.
Step III: The Site Supervisor will contact the Education Operations Coordinator (EOC) and
request a classroom observation. The EOC will meet with the teacher after the observation to
discuss teaching strategies, environment, routines, schedule, transitions and relationships. The
EOC, Teacher and/or other support staff will discuss the need for a Positive Behavioral Support
Plan.
StepIV: If a Positive Behavioral Support Plan is needed the EOC will forward a copy of the
Individual Child Summary and the classroom observation/consultation notes to the
Disabilities/Mental Health Coordinator. The teacher will contact the family and ask which
days/times they would be available to meet and will share that information with the
Disabilities Mental Health Coordinator as soon as possible. Be sure to request multiple
dates/times to account for everybody’s schedule.
StepV: The Disabilities/Mental Health Coordinator will communicate with the teacher and the
Mental Health/Special Services Consultant an observation/ meeting date and time will be
scheduled. The Disabilities/Mental Health Coordinator will contact the Site Supervisor,
Education Operations Coordinator and any other coordinators (Parent Involvement, Social
Services, Health, etc. who may need/want to attend) with the date and time. The site supervisor or
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teacher will notify the family advocate, parents/guardians, and DCFS caseworker if child is a
foster child, child of a ward, or an intact family receiving DCFS services.
Step VI: Following the observation, the Consultant will meet with the Teacher, the parents,
Family Advocate, Site Supervisor, Education Operations Coordinator, Disabilities/Mental Health
Coordinator and the DCFS caseworker (if applicable). The meeting will be held the day of the
observation if the parents are available or within the week, if possible.
At the meeting, observations made will be discussed along with possible changes and /or
interventions. The 1-2-3-4 Parents Lunch and Learn workshop will be provided to the family by
the Family Advocate. A PBS Plan will be written using the Family Support Plan. The
Disabilities/Mental Health Coordinator will set the date for the next meeting before everyone has
dismissed. Immediately following discussion of goals for the PBS Plan, staff may leave the
meeting to allow the parents a private consultation with the consultant if the parents desire.
During the private consultation the mental health/special services consultant may make referral(s)
to outside agencies, such as for mental health follow up. The information will be recorded on the
PBS Plan form. If the parents are not present, the teacher will share the plan with them
immediately for their input and signatures showing they have seen the plan.
The original copy of the PBS Plan will be kept by the Disabilities/Mental Health Coordinator, with
copies going to the parents, to the teacher (who will share it with her co-teacher and with her Oneon-One if applicable), to the family advocate if any follow up by the advocate is needed, to the site
supervisor for the child’s DCFS file, and to the Education Operations Coordinator. DCFS
caseworker, if present, may want a copy of the plan as well.
Interventions may include, but are not limited to:
·
Referral to the local school district
·
Offering a consultation with our Special Services/Mental Health Consultant
·
Referral to an outside agency
·
Home Option
·
Parent(s) picking up child or aiding in classroom
Step VII: The Positive Behavior Support Plan form will be reviewed at follow up meetings to
determine the effectiveness of the plan and discuss any possible changes/revisions.
The same group will schedule a follow-up meeting prior to the beginning of new program year to
provide a smooth transition from classroom to classroom, program to program, or to new program
year.
In case of severe behavior, the child may be temporarily withdrawn from class until a Behavioral
Conference can be held with the parents in attendance. Severe behavior is defined as behavior
which injures the child, the teacher or classmates, or remains disruptive for an extended amount of
time. No child will be removed without joint agreement of the teacher, site supervisor, and
Education Operations Coordinator and in consultation with the Executive Director.
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