Understanding and responding effectively toward preventing challenging behaviors

Teachers of young children are reporting that within the learning environment they are witnessing more challenging behaviors that must be addressed through providing strategies for bullying, fighting, inattentiveness and other behaviors.  On this topic the strategies that are presented by Dr. BKW Early Childhood Educational Services (http://bwilliamson2001.wix.com/Drbkw-Ece) are the latest research-based ones to help children develop more social competence and emotional control that will enhance their cognitive development as well.

According to Klass, Guskin, and Thomas (1995) has defined challenging behavior as any behavior that

1.       Interferes with children’s learning, development, and success at play,

2.       Is harmful to the child, other children, or adults, and

3.       Put a child at high risk for later social failure.

Children with behavior problems will often find themselves rejected by their peers in the learning environment.  From the experiences of disliked and ridiculed it will wound his/her self-esteem and self-confidence where may feel isolation and deprived the opportunities through developing and practicing the social and emotional skills. 

Here are some of the strategies discussed in the presentation.

1.       Start every day with a clean slate, smiling and listening carefully to provide positive feedback.

2.       Catch the child being good and when behaving appropriately, praise specific act in conjunction to giving extra time and attention.

3.       Create a special signal that is exclusive for you two that is used when appropriate behaviors are demonstrated.  Remember the secret sign, handshake or password will make this way of communicating FUN.

4.       Feelings beanbag toss – promote children’s ability to identify and name feelings based on facial expression in self and others.

5.       Act as a role model including emotions and actions for all to follow.

6.       Creating tattling jar or telephone where children will tell whatever actions that have happen.  NOTE:  The teacher must clearly define the different actions that need immediately attention for help and others that can be told to the jar and/or phone.

7.       Create an A-B-C analysis plan for child who needs specific behavior hierarchy of strategies (Kaiser & Rasminsky, 2003).

8.       Create space in classroom as a “peace table” or “peace rug” to discuss and resolve conflicts.  Also, can use the five problem solving steps (Committee for Children, 1992).

9.       Calming-Down-Steps that are (a) How do I feel?, (b) Take three deep breaths, (c) Count slowly to five, (d) Say, “calm down” to yourself, and (e) Talk to a grown up (Committee for Children, 1992).

Research shows that whatever strategies implemented toward prevention it is more likely to be effective when

ü  It starts early (Becker, Barham, Eron and Chen, 1994),

ü  It continues over a long period of time (Reiss and Roth, 1993),

ü  It is culturally developmentally age appropriate (Gagnon, 1991),

ü  It works on several fronts at the same time such as at school as well as at home (Reiss and Roth, 1993), and

ü  It takes place in real-life their natural settings (Guerra, 1997).

For more in-depth strategies and techniques presentation, I can be contact via email at drbrenwilliamson@gmail, #DRBKWEC or write comment here.  Let’s elevate the challenging behaviors and build a learning environment to expand their knowledge base through manipulating materials for application with other high level thinking skills.

Pictures taken in Susan Blanton's classroom.

 

References:
Becker, J. V., Barham, J., Eron, L.D., & Chen, S. A.  (1994).  In L. D. Eron, J. H. Gentry, & P. Schlegel (Eds.),
     Reason to hope:  A psychosocial perspective on violence and young, (pp. 435-446).  Washington, DC: 
    American Psychological Association.

Committee for Children (1992).  Second step:  A violence prevention curriculum for preschoolers and
     kindergartners (1^st Ed.).  Seattle, WA:  Committee for Children.

Gagnon, C.  (1991). Commentary:  School-based intervention for aggressive children:  Possibilities,
     limitations, and future directions.  In DJ. Pepler & K.H. Rubin (Eds.).  The development and treatment
     of childhood aggression, (pp. 449-455).  Hillsdale, NJ:  Erlbaum.

Guerra, N. G. (1997).  Violence in schools:  Interventions to reduce school-based violence.  Paper
     presented at the meeting of the Center for Studies of Children at Risk, Hamilton, ON.

Kaiser, S., & Rasimsky, J. S.  (2003).  Challenging behavior in your children.  Boston, MA:  Allyn and Bacon.

Klass, C.S., Guskin, K.A., & Thomas, M.  (1995). The early childhood program:  promoting children’s
     development through and within relationships.  Zero to Three, 16, 9-17.

Reiss, A.J., Jr., & Roth, J.A.  (Eds.).  (1993).  Understanding and preventing violence.  Washington, DC: 
     National Academy Press.

Become a literacy program volunteer for Durham Public Schools

On Saturday, December 3^rd I attended the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA):  Leading in Literacy in the Village where the training facilitator was Gloria Prout of eduConsulting Firm.  Volunteers will help students in kindergarten, first, second or third grade to improve their literacy skills.  During the training it was stated that 48% of incoming kindergarteners do not have the basic pre-literacy skills such as naming some letters of the alphabet (letter recognition), name recognition and so forth.  Therefore, these children enter the doors behind their age peers where volunteer tutors are so important to close this achievement gap in the early grades to foster their success into adulthood.

You can work with an individual students as a one-on-one Literacy Tutor or as a small group literacy volunteer.  You will read books with students, play literacy games like sight-word bingo, help students’ journal about what they are reading.  All literacy volunteers:

1.       Support students’ reading comprehension, letter/word recognition and overall confidence in reading ability, and

2.       Commit to volunteering one hour a day, one to two days per week for one school year.  Days and times are generally flexible but each school has identified some blocks of time that would allow for the greatest impact and ensure students are receiving a double-dose in one-on-one or small group literacy.

Here are some examples that were shared by Ms. Prout to assist with the assigned student(s) to assist them on the path of being at or above grade level in reading/literacy.

Ready to become a volunteer literacy tutor these are the steps:

1.        Go online and complete a background check (ww.dpsnc.net / go to Volunteering/register to volunteer/ complete the application, submit) the approval should take 10-15 work days.

2.       Attend a 90-120 minute training session (The training will prepare you to become a volunteer at your participating site).

3.       Contact your school volunteer – (Contacts will be shared at the training).

4.       Questions about the training or general, please contact Carol White (919) 560-2331

5.       Begin tutoring!

Ask Dr. Williamson – What are ways to be an active parent and/or family member in the child’s school?

After posting on Facebook where I presented on “Ways to increase parental/family involvement in programs” at Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start to administrators I had the questions posted, “What are ideas and/or activities parents can initiate toward being active participates in the school?”  It is always really refreshing when parents and/or family members are seeking out ways to let the child know they are interesting to engage in his/her through giving culturally developmental activities for age/grade level for a successful school year.

Here are some ways to build upon the parental/family members and teacher/school partnerships toward educating the child.

1.       Create a parent/family advisory committee,

2.       Establish a book or lending library room (e.g., DVDs, books, games and other resource materials),

3.       Assist in publishing school and/or classroom newsletter on regular basis (written in languages that represent home in class),

4.       Family ambassadors where current family members serve in the role to help new families join the class,

5.       Parent communication log by using Remind 101 (www.remind101.com),

6.       Create CLOSED Facebook class and/or school page (NOTE:  you do NOT have to Friend all people you can add by email address),

7.       Share with school topics of strength to assist program (e.g., reading stories, arts and crafts),

8.       Create parental/family blog to share information,

9.       Volunteer by copying, laminating, cut/paste, organizing class events, creating bulletin boards, work with small groups, work with individual child, at home projects and more, and

10.   Translate basic classroom words in different languages that represent families in the class.

There are many other ways to be actively be involved in your child’s classroom room and school building.  Please write your interactions in the COMMENT section so we can all share in the parental/family members for the better of educating children.  Let’s be empowered through parental/family involvement.