As I instructed
courses in early childhood education (birth to age 8) and on-site consultations
where one of the first areas of concern is “behavior
management” from biting to physical aggression (i.e., kicking,
hitting) on age mates and/or adults. The
main goal of early childhood educations is to promote overall school readiness
through domain areas (i.e., cognitive, social, emotional, physical) toward
becoming productive citizens of society.
During the
conversation with adult students enrolled in early childhood education courses,
it was shared for children exhibiting inappropriate challenging behaviors their
programs expelled the children whose parents/family members sought out other
programs not making new site aware of past experiences. Or, the children were suspended from three
(3) to ten (10) days of educational program.
Therefore, they have missed valuable instructional culturally
developmentally age appropriate materials that explore their knowledge through
challenging FUN activities.
All children age entitled to high quality educational
settings particularly when most research showed African American boys are
expelled and/or suspended compared to their age mates (US Department of
Education, 2014, 2016). Therefore, it is
crucial for educators, parents/family members and other stakeholders are working
toward the same common goal to close the achievement gap by incorporating
culturally developmentally age appropriated practices to eliminate or reduce
the average number of expulsions and/or suspensions of early childhood
children. The early expulsions and
suspensions are predictors where these children are ten times more likely to
drop out of high school, academic failure and grade retention, negative
attitudes toward school and incarceration (American Psychological Association,
2008 & Lamont et. at., 2013).
Here are
some of the techniques and/or strategies that are shared with education
students and/or on-site participants when discussing a specific child
exhibiting challenging behaviors.
1. Record time sampling of challenging
behaviors looking for patterns to adjust learning environment due to being
award of child’s trigger times, materials, age mates and so forth.
2. Record anecdotal notes ensuring they
are written in objective tone of what was observed. Look for patterns and note the challenges
that need to be modified ensuring child is using self-regulation to resolve
issues.
3. Review child’s file to see if there
are key eye-opening health issues that they also may be a reason for the
challenging behavior(s). Talk with
colleagues on how to design a culturally developmentally age ABC
(antecedent-behaviors-consequences) functional plan (O’Neil et., al., 1997) to
reduce and/or eliminate the behaviors.
NOTE: Research appropriate
techniques and professional experts in the field than once strategies are
recorded just remember change does not happen overnight. Educators and others must be consistent in
the hierarchical strategies written on the ABC functional plan.
4. Set up a meeting on-site and/or home
visit to discuss the challenging behaviors and best strategies in a partnership
toward elevating and/or reducing those behaviors. As you work in partnership as the parents/family
members to make positive statements about the child then educator continue to
share positive statements from the site point-of-view. The second level is to engage in conversation
of challenging behaviors with strategies/techniques both groups will implement
on consistent bases where the child receive the same message from home to
school and vice versa. Remember, to
contact parents/family members on progress of challenging behaviors. It is important that the educator remind
parents/family members that the act of challenging behaviors take time for
change but the key is to be consistent.
The last level of the conversation is to share positive outcomes from
the goals of the child. I recommend
educators practice and review points to be made prior to meeting not to
alienate parents/family members toward working together in partnership.
5. Based from data recorded,
conversations from parent/family members and other professional create the ABC
functional plan and review often to modify as needed. NOTE: If preschool age and older (3 to 8) engage
the child in conversation on the consequences for inappropriate actions. You are helping the child be accountable for
actions for self-regulation.
We as
educators and stakeholders must take an active role to elevate the high
percentage of children being expelled and/or suspended toward fulfilling their
dreams into adulthood. If you are
seeking more research-based hands on training contact DrBKW Early Childhood
Education Services via Facebook, email drbrenwilliamson@gmail.com or #DRBKWEC.
References:
Lamont,
J.H., Devore, C.D., Allison, M., Ancona, R., Barnett, S. E., Gunther, R., et.
al. (2013). Out-of-school suspension and expulsion.
Pediatrics, 131, e1000-e1007.
O’Neil, R.
E., Homer, R.H., Albin, R. W., Sprague, J. R., Story, K., & Newton, J.
S. (1997). Functional
assessment and program development for problem behavior: A practical handbook (2nd
ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
US
Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (2014, March). Civil rights data collection. Data snapshot: Early childhood education (Issue Brief #2). Washington, DC: Author.
Retrieved from http://www.2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/crdc-early-learning-snapshot.pdf.
US
Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (2016, June). 2013-2014 civil rights data collection: Key data high lights on equity and opportunity
gaps in our nation’s public schools.
Retrieved from http://www.2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/crdc-2013-14.html.
US
Department of Health and Human Services and US Department of Education (2014,
December). Policy statement on expulsion
and suspension policies in early childhood settings. Washington, DC: Authors.
Retrieved from http://ww.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/child-health-development/reducing-suspensions-and-expulsion-practices
