Behaviors and Strategies for the Home and School Setting - Term Paper Example

? Behaviors and Strategies for the Home and School Setting and Number Introduction: Techniques of positive behavior management in schools as well as in homes have been found to have significant influence on the growth, behavior and mental health of small children. These strategies also have an effect on the self esteem of the children, as revealed by different studies. If the behavior management techniques are effective, they are capable of enabling small children to develop strong social skills and competencies. Parents and adults have a significant role to play in this regard since they can learn these techniques and try to apply them in the daily routines of the children as they most of the time together. Studies have suggested that positive behavior management techniques need to apply over children by their parents that can lead to positive reinforcement in the children for positive behavior (Bowles, 2010). Through the behavior management techniques, the parents can clearly set their expectations in terms of maintaining the discipline and behavior. Redirection, time-outs, communication and expression are some of the tools that parents can make use of in order to initiate and effectively implement the behavior management techniques in the children (Bowles, 2010). The present study is focused on the behaviors and strategies of management behavior that can be used by parents for the development of their children, and discusses how the family centered approach support the early childhood classroom and the family of the child. It is believed that Family Centered Program theories and concepts support the early childhood classroom and the child’s family. Acknowledgement of Positive Behaviors in Children: In a classroom of small children of three or four years of ages, it has been obtained that the children have troubles with changeovers and evolutions. Often the irritated behaviors and attitudes of the teachers in a classroom tend to affect the behavior of the children more. The small children instead of being disciplined and normal reflect their agitated behavior that leads to disruption of the entire classroom. Acknowledgement of positive behaviors among the children is a method that allows teachers, elders and the parents of small children to understand the motives and psychology of the children in a better manner (Timm & Doubet, 2007, p.2). This particular strategy allows the educator and family members to give greater amount of time and attention to the children thereby trying to understand the behavior of individual child. The strategy had been obtained depending on certain major findings based on research. Firstly, nearly all child behavior is reinforced or undermined by the happenings following any particular behavior. “For example, a toddler who receives laughter and applause for making a funny face is likely to keep making funny faces” (Timm & Doubet, 2007, p.2). Secondly, in general the attention of the adults is captured when a child misbehaves. It can be said that teachers and parents tend to be put under by a child’s misbehavior, apparently not capable of attending to suitable behavior by other children. Thirdly, consideration from major caregivers is highly vital for young children. This leads to continuation of a behavior that creates negative reactions. “The result can be an increase in the very behavior that adults wish to discourage. For example, think about a child who continues to run toward the classroom door over and over again as the teacher shouts, “Don’t make me come over there; you know not to leave the classroom!” That kind of attention will reinforce and increase that behavior” (Timm & Doubet, 2007, p.2). Lastly, although any particular behavior of a child may be momentarily undermined by a unenthusiastic reaction from an adult, but it cannot be asserted that more attractive manners are being recognized and given confidence in the course. “For example, telling a child that she cannot go outside to play because she dumped her toys all over the floor does not teach the child how to put toys away. The “more desirable behavior” needs to be taught” (Timm & Doubet, 2007, p.2). Thus teachers can make use of this strategy by providing small children with positive responses when they behave in the desired manner and not respond when that behavior is not shown by the children. Such positive responses include communicating with the children through verbal and nonverbal means. Also, the numbers of positive or negative behavior among the children are recorded as a part of this process. A proper classroom plan enables the teachers to learn about the patterns of the behaviors in the children when they are asked for the desired behavior (Timm & Doubet, 2007, p.2). It has been obtained that acknowledging positive behaviors among small children can expect major behavioral changes in the children. This includes positive interactions among the peer groups, properly following the instructions of the teachers, proper communication, and independently performing self skills like dressing, and toileting. The aggressive and negative behaviors among the children are generally reduced through this process. The child behaviors are monitored more closely and are provided with the necessary reactions thereby allowing the children to learn differences between the right and the wrong. Although the changes in all the children may not occur at the same pace and some children might require a little more time than others, yet the results of this process have been found to have significantly positive effects on child behavior (Timm & Doubet, 2007, p.3). Families and Programs of Early Childhood: In the present times, early childhood programs of high quality are used for family centered practices involved with children for the proper development of children’s learning, development and behavior. The interest of the early childhood programs in parents is stranded in a number of influential thoughts about the influences and responsibilities of parents. Without a doubt the most significant idea that is capable of determining relations between early childhood programs and the families of the small children is that early childhood programs require the dynamic support of parents to make the most of the program having significant effects on the children. This concept has been time and again strengthened by theories and scientific substantiations targeting to the enduring impact of families on the development of children. “It has led to program efforts to encourage parental understanding and appreciation of program goals and curriculum, and to initiatives aimed at supporting family capacity to promote the healthy development of children, often through parenting education strategies” (Powell, n.d., pp.141-142). Another influential thought is that parents need to add to assessments about the character of education and experiences of care by their children. It is also taken into concern in this regard that early childhood programs, particularly which are full-day child care, might prove to be troublesome to child-rearing principles and wellbeing of the parents. Necessities for helping parents in this responsibility of decision-making comprise of supports from different necessary information for selection of the suitable program, continuing communication with the staff of the program in regard to the goals for a child and the experiences of the child, volunteering in the classroom with intentions to monitor and reinforce the operations of the program, as well as voice or vote concerning the decision of the governing program (Powell, n.d., p.142). A few other ideas are also associated with this program. One of these is that the development of children is implanted in an organized system of families and social communities. This thought is a sign of growing interest in how development in children makes interactions with different perspectives of the society and is supplemented by the efforts of developmental scientists who are investigating the natural balance of human development and parenting. The power of this idea has been highly developed by communal awareness in a social landscape that is altering rapidly and is distinguished by augmentation in single-parent households; mothers who are working and hence have to spend time outside of their homes; and the cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity within different families (Powell, n.d., p.142). Another concept that has significant influence is that the strengths of family need to be assembled in the direction of the best possible development of children and parents. This idea is held up by works of different scholars depending on the stream of communal support in ordinary systems of help, the flexibility of families in complex situations, and the advantages of depending on strengths in order to encourage well being of the individual and the family. These ideas are a source of an promising set of potentials of early childhood programs: “to be culturally and socially relevant to the families they serve, to foster mutually respectful and reciprocal relations between staff and families, to empower parents with information and social support that promotes optimal engagement of the child-rearing role, and to function as a bridge between families and other services in the community” (Powell, n.d., p.142). Family Centered Approach and the Desired Behaviors in Children: It has been obtained through research studies that involvement of parents in early intervention of children, early childhood, and in programs associated with elementary and secondary schooling, lead to better development and desired behaviors in the children (Dunst, 2002, p.139). There are five desired behaviors that are required to be discussed in this regard: attachment, self-help skills, empowerment, pro-social skills, and self-esteem. Attachment: Small children tend to have difficulties with attachment with their families. Family centered practices are associated with several social conditions and issues and hence follows social principles accordingly. It understands the theory of attachment that leads to better understanding of the issues in adoption and relationship between children and their families. It has been observed that the techniques that can overcome the problems of attachment are required to more developed and learnt by the parents. Proper assessments of the children’s behavior help in connecting the concept of attachment as believed or followed by a child with that believed by the parents. In this regard, the need for greater attention and the superiority of the technical and training support proves to be highly significant (Biegel & Blum, 1998, p.95). Self-help Skills: Early intervention of children through family centered practices includes services to the family, strategies to cultivate the development in children as well as techniques that influence the relationship and association between parents and child. While considering the development of children, there are several factors that are needed to be kept under focus. In a family centered approach the development of the self-help skills of the children are significantly considered. Cognition is measured and exhibited in the form of play. The growth of a child is monitored at every level and in terms of every basic skill that they are required to learn. In case of any problem encountered by the children in learning the self-help skills, the family centered program allows the parents to help the children in learning the different techniques. Communication in this regard is highly essential that is incorporated through the process of intervention. Basic skills like dressing and toileting are gradually learnt by the children in this manner (Madell & Flexer, 2008, pp.235-236). Empowerment: When significant amounts of time are spent between a small child and an early childhood professional, often a bond is created between the two parties. The family centered approaches enable families to get encouraged to be involved with the education and care of the children. This leads to improved learning among the children incorporating empowerment as well. Children tend to have improved attitudes and behaviors as a result of these processes. They prove to become more consistent as well. This is done with the help of the parents as well as educators and professionals. The cultural environment also plays a significant role in this regard influencing the positive effects of the learning and empowerment on the children. The positive relationships between the children and their families allow the educators to more effectively influence positive learning and empowerment on the behaviors of the children (Cohrssen, Church & Tayler, n.d., pp.5-13). Pro-social Skills: Educators for early childhood would like to help children to grow to be kind, liberal, and compassionate. It is important to start early in this regard since early pro-social inclinations over and over again continue in the later years of the child. Children who are more pro-social in their early ages when they start their school life persist to be more pro-social in their older ages. Even though research has acknowledged early symbols of compassion and pro-social behavior among newborns and children, there is a need for a responsive onlooker to become aware of these signs. Using different ways, adults may perhaps give confidence or dishearten the development in children concerning pro-social behavior. With the passing years of a child, including preschool, observations within the classroom expose how rarely children conduct themselves in pro-social ways and how hardly ever teachers clearly support, strengthen, or talk about potentials for pro-social behavior. Through build up of secure relationships of the children with their families as well as with their educators, classroom communities based on family centered approaches enable the development of pro-social skills in children (Hyson & Taylor, 2011, pp.75-77). Self Esteem: Involvement of families in child development and learning has been found to have significant influence on the development of self-esteem in a child. With providing greater attention and a sense of belonging to the children, the children feel more confident and secured in their behavior and attitude that naturally reflects positivity. In this regard, parents can be expected to take active part in the activities of the children in their schools and other extracurricular activities that are incorporated by the educators as part of the process as well (Family Involvement Building Community Partnerships, 2008, pp.1-16). Family Centeredness of Early Intervention and School Programs: Studies have revealed that programs of early intervention reflect more family centeredness than preschool learning. Existing verification about family–school relations has specified that family centered programs control the ways in which parents are concerned in the elementary education of their children. There are also cases of evidence where the use of family resource programs, services linked with schools and models of full service schools are associated in the family centered plans for the promotion and development of the children. Early intervention programs as well as preschool special education programs to some extents have been fashioned and prejudiced longer by the concept of family-centeredness than have been obtained in the elementary and secondary school programs. As a result, it can be expected that more is acknowledged about the distinctiveness and results of family-centeredness in the early childhood as against the school years. “The extent to which early intervention and preschool program practices used for improvising family–school relations can inform elementary and secondary school practices is still relatively uncharted” (Dunst, 2002, pp.141-145). Although a great deal is recognized about the uniqueness of different programs to functioning with families, there is a remarkable necessity for added information to notify strategy and practice. “There is a significant need to use similar conceptual frameworks, constructs, and measurement procedures in studies at all school levels to more accurately establish the similarities and differences suggested by the evidence presented in this review. Second, it would be of some value to conduct studies that relate family oriented process measures to variations in child, parent, and family functioning, broadly conceived” (Dunst, 2002, p.145). Conclusion: From the above study it can be concluded that the family centered approach of children development believes in the family being significantly involved in the development process of the child. This in turn enable an effective cognitive and social development of the child leading the child to be capable of overcoming the problems of attachment, learning the self-help skills and the pro-social skills, as well as learning about empowerment and developing self esteem. Greater attention and involvement of the parents along with the participation of the educators and professionals in school setting enable the successful development of small children. Studies have clearly revealed that the behavior and attitudes of small children largely depend on the behavior that they receive from their parents and educators. Hence the treatment of the parents and the classroom teachings by the teachers have significant influences on the mental status of the children that might either lead to positive or negative behavior. Thus learning about the family centered approaches, it can be said that families of small children and the professionals and educators need to make effective use of these programs towards successful development of children. Hence it can be said that family-centered program theories and concepts support the early childhood classroom and child’s family. References 1) Biegel, D.E. & A. Blum (1998). Innovations in Practice and Service Delivery across the Lifespan. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2) Bowles, C. (2010). Positive Behavior Management Techniques. livestrong, Retrieved on October 15, 2012 from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/220966-positive-behavior-management-techniques/ 3) Cohrssen, C., Church, A. & C. Tayler (n.d.). Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. Eduweb, Retrieved on October 18, 2012 from: http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/earlylearning/evi-familycentred.pdf 4) Dunst, C.J. (2002). Family-Centered Practices: Birth Through High School. CEHS, Retrieved on October 17, 2012 from: http://cehs.unl.edu/ecse/960/dunsths.pdf 5) Family Involvement Building Community Partnerships (2008). Parentsreachingout, Retrieved on October 18, 2012 from: http://parentsreachingout.org/pdfs/english/familyinvolvement/edufi.pdf 6) Hyson, M. & J.L. Taylor (2011). Caring about Caring: What Adults Can Do to Promote Young Children’s Prosocial Skills. NAEYC, Retrieved on October 18, 2012 from: http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/201107/CaringAboutCaring_Hyson_OnlineJuly2011.pdf 7) Madell, J. & C. Flexer (2008). Pediatric Audiology: Diagnosis, Technology, and Management, New York: Thieme 8) Powell, D.R. (n.d.). Relations Between Families and Early Childhood Programs. CEEP, Retrieved on October 17, 2012 from: http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/pubs/connecting/powell.pdf 9) Timm, M. & S. Doubet (2007). Acknowledging Children’s Positive Behaviors. CSEFEL, Retrieved on October 16, 2012 from: http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/briefs/wwb_22.pdf Read More