Chapter 10: Beyond Behaviors
Overview
This chapter provides insight into child behavior and what intentional and positive guidance is within a developmentally appropriate context. The content of this chapter is presented in a positive or strengths-based approach to support children as they grow, develop, and learn. This approach centers on our lens looking for and identifying a child’s strengths as a starting point for our work (Dweck, 2016).
The foundation begins with building a shared definition of whatguidance is, as well as why it is not. Throughout the chapter you will examine the basis of behaviors both seen and unseen. It is also important to delve into some background and information about neurodiversity and trauma, and how this relates to and impacts behavior. The chapter will also address how emotions, psychological state, and social relationships influence child behavior. The final focus area is communication with families along with mutual perspectives in guidance and the role of reflective practice.
Objectives
- Define behavior: what behavior is and is not.
- Explain the role of relationships in influencing a child’s behavior.
- Create a plan for communication with families- sharing and reflecting mutual perspectives.
- Describe the social and emotional connections to behavior, including:
- Social Emotional foundations of Early learning
- Classroom Climate
- Guiding Social Behaviors
- Trauma, and behavior: the role of neurodiversity in behavior and the relationship between trauma and behavior.
“Children need to know that we love and care for them regardless of what happens on a day to day basis”
Adam L. Holland & Kathryn A. Ohle (2020, para. 16)
Key Terms
- Affect
- Behavior
- Challenging Behavior
- Communication
- Compliance
- Effect
- Emotional Development
- Executive Function
- Guidance
- Intentional
- Interactions
- Outcome
- Planned Ignoring
- Relationship
- Self-regulation
- Social Development
- Strengths-Based Approach
“Adults who are respectful of children are not just modeling a skill or behavior, they are meeting the emotional needs of those children, thereby helping to create the psychological conditions for children to treat others respectfully.”
~Alfie Kohn (1997, para. 6)
Attributions
- Chapter opening image: Untitled by geralt is released under Pixabay License
To teach and to help children learn social skills that will support them to get along with other people
Begins with focus on a child’s (and family’s) positive attributes and seeing possibilities to build upon.
A core skill in a child’s development based on the ability to understand and to be understood,
