Guidance and

Discipline
• Guidance is the ongoing process of helping children learn to control
their basic impulses, express their feelings, channel their frustrations,
and solve their problems. There are no quick fixes or strategies that
apply to all circumstances. Positive guidance methods are created to fit
a child, an adult (parent, teacher), and a situation.
• There are several ways of explaining what people do and why. One idea
is that people’s behavior is mainly a result of heredity (nature). Another
is that experience and environment shape behavior (nurture). A third
theory suggests that children go through “stages” at certain times of
their lives, regardless of their genes or home background
• Teachers and parents
cannot ignore misbehavior
just because children are
the “right” age or because
of their home situations.
That attitude implies that
adults are powerless to
help children form new
behavior patterns. Not
true! Adults can do
something about
children’s behavior if they
understand what is
happening to the child
 (1) developmental,

Factors (2) environmental,

that (3) individual,

affect (4) emotional and social,

behavior and

(5) cultural.
Developmental factors. Adults should
be aware of developmental theory to
know what type of behavior to expect of
children at various ages.
Developmental theory helps teachers
anticipate what children will do so that
they can maintain reasonable
expectations
Environmental factors. Through the
intentional use of the environment, the
teacher indirectly influences behavior in
the classroom. The goals for positive
behavior should be reflected in the
classroom setting. The physical
environment should tell children clearly
how to act in that space (pg 226 has a
checklist)
Individual factors. Teachers of young children
soon learn the temperamental characteristics of
each child in the class. The consistent patterns of
temperament that emerge help define each
child’s individual style
Emotional and social factors. Some behavior
problems stem from the child’s attempt to
express social and emotional needs.

Their teachers understand their bids for attention

and weigh each child’s social and emotional
history as they guide them toward positive
behavior.
Cultural factors. Today’s children are growing up
in a country of unparalleled diversity. Many
different cultures are converging and creating a
nation of peoples, cultures, languages, and
attitudes
 Guidance is an ongoing system by
which adults help children learn to
manage their impulses, express
feelings, channel frustrations, solve
problems, and learn the difference
What Is between acceptable and unacceptable
beavior
Guidanc Until they learn to express themselves
e? vocally, they use a variety of behaviors
to communicate. Using words (for
instance, a resounding “No!” when
someone takes a toy away) is slowly
replacing biting, hitting, crying, and
throwing tantrums as a way to respond
to frustration.
Suggestions
• Tell children what it is you want them to do. Make directions and
suggestions in positive statements, not negative ones
• Reinforce what children do right, what you like, and what you
want to see repeated. This helps build the relationship on positive
grounds
• Give children indirect suggestions or reminders, emphasizing
what you want them to do. Help them refocus on the task without
nagging or confrontation
• Use positive redirection whenever possible
• Use encouragement appropriately, focusing on helping children
achieve success and understanding what you want them to learn
• Give reasons for your request. Let children know in simple,
straightforward statements the reasons behind it. Children are
more likely to cooperate when they can understand the reason
why
• The concept of a guide—one who leads,
explains, and supports—is important. A
guide points out directions, answers
questions, and helps you get where you
want to go. This is what teachers do as
they help children learn to balance
impulse and outer controls
Inductive guidance. The
key elements of
inductive guidance are:
• Guidance is an interactive process that actively involves
children as well as adults.
• Children are increasingly held responsible for their actions
as they begin to understand the impact of their behavior on
others.
• Inductive guidance helps a child learn thinking and
reasoning skills, which fosters self-control and the
development of a conscience.
• Children learn to reflect on their feelings and their actions.
• The inductive guidance principles are based on the theories
of Erikson and Jean Piaget but owe particular credit to
Vygostsky, who placed children’s learning in the context of
social interactions.
What Is
Discipline?
• Discipline is a part of the guidance strategies
adults use to help children become
responsible for their actions, learn self-control,
and behave appropriately. Discipline stems
from the word disciple; that is, a pupil, a
follower, and a learner. This suggests two
important concepts: that of following an
example versus following rules, and that of
positive discipline. Discipline and guidance are
similar in that effective discipline has the
same foundation of thoughtful, nonpunitive
methods that promote children’s empathy and
moral reasoning
What Is Punishment?
• Punishment is a consequence of inappropriate behavior and a power-
assertive technique that relies on children’s fears rather than the use of
reason and understanding. Punishment is too often a knee-jerk reaction
by an adult and may be based on negative strategies such as threats,
shaming, and spanking, which are damaging to children’s self-esteem.
To be effective, punishment should be related to the behavior and help
children learn from the situation
To maintain a positive approach to
guidance, always avoid:
• Methods that shame, frighten, or humiliate children.
• Physical punishment, especially abuse.
• Comparisons among children, which foster competitiveness and affect self-
esteem.
• Carryovers from the incident. Once it is over, leave it behind; do not keep
reminding children about it.
• Consequences that are too long, too punitive, or postponed. Children benefit
most from immediate, short, age-appropriate consequences.
• Making promises you cannot keep.
• Being overly helpful. Let children do as much as they can by themselves,
including solving their own conflicts.
• Threatening children with the loss of your affection.
• Children do not learn to handle freedom
by being told what to do all the time.
Only when they have an opportunity to
test themselves and make some
decisions on their own will they know
their capabilities. Young children must
learn this in safe places with adults who
allow them as much freedom as they can
responsibly handle
Think about your-
• Voice-Some adults think that when they are speaking to children, they
must assume a different voice from the one they normally use. Talk to
children in the same way you talk to other people.
• Words-The fewer the words, the better. Simple, clear statements,
spoken once, have more impact
• Body Language-When working with young children, the teacher must
be aware of body height and position. Sit, squat, or kneel— but one
way or another, get down to their level
• Attitude-Attitudes are derived from experience and are part of the
unspoken language of guidance.
Things to consider

Developmenta Culturally
Behavior
lly Appropriate Appropriate Consistency
Modeling
Guidance Guidance

Realistic Actively Preventing

Expectations Observe Misbehavior
The Guidance Ladder: Ten Effective
Strategies
• How do you decide which guidance strategy is
most appropriate for a situation? Direct guidance
methods involve a decision to interact with
children by applying one or more of the following
strategies. These techniques are along a
continuum that starts with the least intrusive,
hands-off approach and moves to those that
require greater intervention. They are valuable
tools to help children become increasingly self-
directed and self-reliant and to help teachers
choose the most appropriate methods for the
Summary
• Guidance and discipline have similar meanings and are used
interchangeably. Guidance is the ongoing system by which adults help
children learn to manage their impulses, express feelings, channel
frustration, solve problems, and learn the difference between
acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Positive discipline is based on
helpful, caring, and supportive relationships between adults and
children. Discipline is the action or strategy used to guide the child’s
behavior. Punishment is a consequence for behavior that an adult
thinks is inappropriate, and too often, it includes negative and harmful
methods.
• There are five different factors that influence children’s behavior: their
developmental maturity level, the environment, their individual
temperament and style, their social and emotional needs, and the
family and culture in which they are being raised. Each of these
influences shapes how a child behaves and reacts to guidance and
discipline.
• The Guidance Ladder defines effective guidance strategies that begin
with the least intrusive methods by an adult to those that require
greater adult intervention and involvement
 Creating
Environments
• Definition The environment is the sum total of the physical and human
qualities that combine to create a space in which children and adults
work and play together. Environment is the content teachers arrange,
an atmosphere they create, a feeling they communicate. Environment
is the total picture—from the traffic flow to the daily schedule, from the
numbers of chairs at a table to the placement of the guinea pig cage.
• The choices teachers make concerning the physical environment (the
equipment and materials, the room arrangement, the playground and
the facilities available), the temporal environment (timing for
transitions, routines, activities), and the interpersonal environment
(number and nature of teachers, ages and numbers of children, types
and style of interactions among them) combine to support the program
go
All high-quality, prepared
environments do all the following

1 2 3
Convey a welcoming Give clear cues about Provide varied spaces
feeling what can be done in that let children
each area concentrate, as well
as letting them
experience lively
group interactions and
vigorous physical
activity
At the same time, each educational setting should be a purposeful environment.
Wherever children and adults are working together, there are four major elements to
consider when creating such an environment
The well-being of those in the classroom (safety/regulations)

The perspectives of those who will use the environment (culture)

How the space accommodates appropriate activities (zoning)

How the materials present should encourage learning (setup)

Program Goals

The goals and objectives of the program are expressed

directly in the arrangement of the environment.

Three general goals in designing environments are:

• To have responsive settings that avoid unnecessary behavior problems
• To establish predictable environments that encourage independence and
collaboration
• To create stimulating spaces for active learning
The physical space and materials should tell the children
exactly what is going to happen and how they are to go
about their work
Goals into Action
• Creative teachers plan a program directed toward goals for
each major dimension of the environment (discussed more
later in this chapter):
Physical: The room and yard are arranged to give
maximum exposure to the materials and equipment they
want children to use. Temporal: The daily schedule is
carefully arranged in ways that provide the time blocks
needed to teach content when and how they want to teach it.
Interpersonal: Warm relationships exist among the
teachers, in teacher interactions with children and families,
and between children
• Children should receive clear messages about what they can and cannot
do there, as well as cues that tell them:
Where they are free to move to and where they cannot go
How they will be treated
Who will be there with them
What materials and equipment they can use
How long they have to play
That they are safe there
What is expected of them The teacher is the key element in creating
the environment
Developmentally Appropriate
Learning Environments
Create Create brain-compatible environments.

Build Build culturally responsive environments.

Incorporate play in the environment, the daily experiences, and the
Incorporate interactions
Consider Consider children’s developmental levels

Give Give families ways to identify their children’s space

Provide Provide access to enough toys and materials

Give Give opportunities for making choices.

See See that children are responsible for caring for the environment
Developmentally Appropriate
Learning Environments

Involve Provide Make Let Allow Accept Make Give Include

Involve Provide Make Let children Allow Accept Make it safe Give credit Include
children in children expectation teach one children to children’s to make a where it is beauty in
planning with s clear and another. solve their efforts mistake. due. your
and setting enough consistent. own planning.
up the time. problems The
environmen whenever environmen
t. possible. t in which
children
grow and
learn
should also
be visually
appealing
and
relaxing
Three Core Aspects of DAP
Environments
• The Anti-Bias Environment-One of our ethical responsibilities is to
create and maintain settings for children that respect their dignity and
their contributions. Children learn to value one another’s uniqueness,
the differences as well as the similarities when culturally relevant
experiences are embedded in the environment and curriculum
• Positive self-concept
• Awareness.
• Respect for diversity.
• Skills in communication and problem solving
• The Self-Help Environment-A self-help environment has as one of its
fundamental goals the development of children’s own skills—fostering
their mastery of basic abilities that allow them to become responsible
for their personal care, learning, emotional controls, problem solving,
and choices and decisions
• The Inclusive Environment- Children with diverse abilities need the
same things in their environment as their more typically developing
peers. They need an environment that is safe, secure, and predictable,
and one that provides a balance of the familiar and novel so that there
are materials and activities that provide for their development
Three key concepts are helpful to remember
—access, usability, and maximizing learning:

Can the child get where she or he needs to be in the classroom

to learn something?

Once the child is in that location, can he or she use the

materials and equipment and participate in the activity as
independently as possible to learn something?

Are the learning activities there arranged and scheduled to

meet the individual learning needs of all the children, including
the child with disabilities?
Materials and Equipment

Selection of materials and equipment is based on a number of criteria.

Program budgets are limited, so to make every dollar count, teachers select
materials that
• Are age and developmentally appropriate
• Are related to the program philosophy and curriculum
• Reflect quality design and workmanship
• Are durable
• Offer flexibility and versatility in their uses
• Have safety features (e.g., nontoxic paints, rounded corners)
• Are aesthetically attractive and appealing to children (and adults)
• Are easy to maintain and repair
• Reflect the cultural makeup of the group and the diversity of the culture overall
• Are nonsexist, nonstereotypical, and anti-bias
Toys and materials need to reflect the diversity
of the class, the families, and the community:
• From a DAP perspective, materials need to appeal to individual
interests and also respond to children’s cultural and linguistic strengths.
• Homemade materials and a variety of cultural artifacts help the
environment feel familiar.
• From a self-help viewpoint, dressing frames and plenty of workable doll
clothes help children learn those self-care tasks.
• From an anti-bias outlook, children’s books should demonstrate social
values and attitudes that expand gender roles and family lifestyles.
• An inclusive viewpoint includes materials to highlight tactile, auditory,
and olfactory experiences for children with visual impairments, and is
carefully planned to avoid overstimulating those with hyperactivity
disorders.
The Temporal Environment
Daily Schedule: Time to Learn The daily schedule defines the structure of
each program. It creates the format for how children experience the
events of the day—in what order and for what length of time.

Criteria for Scheduling Various criteria are used to see how the schedule
functions on a daily basis. Teachers first decide what is important for
children to learn, how that learning should take place, and how much
time should be allowed in the daily program
Expectations and Flexibility Setting expectations and having flexibility are
part of the golden rule for child care, which is to treat children as we
want them to treat us.
• Routines The regular or habitual performance of an established
procedure is a routine. Routines provide an important framework to a
program. Each day, some events are repeated, providing continuity
and a sense of order to the schedule.
• Sequence with a “Loose Grip” Keeping a “loose grip” on sequencing is
important because once the time sequence is clear to all, then
everyone can go about the business of learning and teaching.
• Transitions Humans are known as a species for their adaptability. And
yet we are resistant to change. For young children, too, change is
difficult. Teachers and caregivers can make the necessary changes
easier for children if they focus their attention on those times. Rather
than trying to rush through quickly to get to the next event, provide
enough transition time.
Developmentally Appropriate
Schedules
Include time for routines (to eat, rest, wash, toilet), as well as time for transitions
Include time for routines (to eat, rest, wash, toilet), as well as time for transitions
Provide opportunities for both inside and outside
Allow children to participate in structured activities, as well as those of their own
choosing.
Make it possible for children to work individually, in small groups, or in larger
ones.
Gear the time to the age and developmental levels of the group.
Provide for flexibility
Have a beginning and an end
Include time for cleanup and room restoration.
More choices are available to children as they grow.
Age-related differences also need to
be taken into consideration

More choices are available to children as they grow.

Transitions can be handled differently in the various
age groups.
The structure of the day changes with age.

The content of group activities changes with age

The Interpersonal Environment
Setting Setting the Tone

Including Including Family Contributions

Crafting Crafting the Teacher’s Role

Noting Noting Interpersonal Learning Moments

Defining Interpersonal Elements

Defining • Child–child relationships, teacher-child relationships, teacher-teacher relationships
Summary
The major characteristics of an environment are its physical
location, available resources, and program goals.
Developmentally appropriate learning environments must
adhere to several key principles that are expressed in the
core aspects of anti-bias, self-help, and inclusion.

Basic arrangements and materials for the environment

revolve around three components. The physical environment
addresses indoor and outdoor space, arrangement, and
materials. The temporal environment refers to all aspects of
time and schedule. The interpersonal aspects of the
environment pinpoint the relationships and the tone created.
Chapters
11,12,13,14
A quick glance at all the things
we need to look at in curriculum
Curriculum:
Creating a Context
for Learning

• A curriculum is the framework around which planned and

unplanned activities and lessons are created. Creating a good
curriculum for young children is not simply a matter of writing
lessons plans; it includes:

• Knowing what needs to be taught and what methods and

strategies are most appropriate for teaching it

• Understanding the process of how children interact with people

and materials to learn

• Having learning take place both in the planned curriculum and the
spontaneous detours that evolve from children’s needs and
interests

• The ability to know when to present appropriate concepts and

activities and to build on their current knowledge

• Story time, small- and large-group activities, daily transitions from

one activity to another

• Free play time and the value to learn through play

• Social interactions with teachers and other children that reflect

their current knowledge and understanding
Quality
Curriculum: Five
Basic Essentials

(1) Inclusive
(2) integrated
(3) emergent,
(4) based on multiple intelligences
(5) differences in learning styles
• Inclusive Curriculum An • Integrated Curriculum The
inclusive curriculum challenges whole child approach that you
teachers to provide learned about in Chapter 3
opportunities for all children, makes the point that
regardless of gender, abilities, interaction and relationship of
disabilities, language, culture, the developmental domains
ethnicity, and religion. The are interconnected and work
activities and materials are
chosen to enhance the potential
together to help children find
of each child and are reflective meaning in and mastery of
of the diversity and abilities their world.
within the class
• Emergent Curriculum -An emergent curriculum is just
what it says: a curriculum that comes from or slowly evolves
out of the child’s experiences and interests. The emphasis is
on children’s interests, their involvement in their learning,
and their ability to make constructive choices. For an
emergent curriculum to be successful, teachers listen and
observe carefully as children generate new ideas and then
respond to what they hear and see that children have
learned
• Multiple Intelligences • Learning Styles, we focus on
Children have varying multiple how basic learning styles affect
intelligences and learning and curriculum planning. The visual
sensory styles that are learner, The auditory learner,
important considerations when The tactile-kinesthetic learner,
planning and implementing an
individualized curriculum.
When assessing the
effectiveness of a curriculum,
the degree to which it is
individualized is an important
factor.
Cognitive Skills
Skills of Inquiry- Through exploration and examination

Knowledge of the Physical World- spending plenty of time exploring, manipulating

Knowledge of the Social World- Relationships are primary to development

Symbols- Pretend play is the hallmark of using symbols.

Spatial Relationships- As they experience one object’s position in relation to another, they begin to have a
mental picture of spatial relationships.
Time (How do we know a child understands time, what words would they use?)

Numbers

Classification-is the ability to group like objects in sets by a specific characteristic

Language and Literacy Skills
• Above and beyond the curriculum planning, pre reading skills are
needed to be part of the everyday class.
• We need to provide activities that promote left to right, as we read in
the English language
• Use magnetic letters, alphabet blocks and puzzles, alphabet charts, and
books.
• Encourage scribble writing and invented spelling; provide a well-
stocked writing center and play-related writing materials.
• Write the child's name in the top left corner of their pages/work
• Engage in conversation, use rare words, extend their comments.
• Read aloud multiple times a day
The Importance of Physical Activity
and Movement

Physical activity should be part of every child’s daily

life, in school and at home.

Teachers support positive self-concept through

physical and motor development in several ways.
They let children discover their physical limits rather
than warning or stopping them from trying an
activity:
Motor Development
• Motor development is a lifelong process of continuous change
based on the interaction of
• (1) maturation (i.e., the genetically controlled rate of growth);
• (2) prior experiences; and
• (3) new motor activities. Like physical growth, motor
development is a sequence of stages that is universal but still
allows individual differences.
• Fine-Motor Development Fine motor activity uses the small
muscles of the body and its extremities (the hands and feet)
• Perceptual-Motor Development Perceptual-motor development is
a process in which the child develops the skill and ability to take
in and interpret information from the environment and respond to
it with movement (spatial awareness)
• Temporal Awareness Temporal awareness is the
child’s inner clock, a time structure that lets the child
coordinate body parts. Dancing to a rhythmic beat,
speeding up, and slowing down develop this kind of
skill.
• Sensory Awareness Sensory awareness refers to use
of the senses. It is another way that the body gives the
mind information
Fostering Motor Skills in Young
Children
• Physical abilities and cognitive growth are intricately
connected. Children acquire motor skills by making
comparisons between their past experience and new
actions. Such comparisons use memory and experience.
Physical movement activities require full involvement of
the mind and body
Types of Movement
• 1. Locomotor abilities involve a change of location of the body
(up, down, and sideways) and include the skills of walking, running,
leaping, jumping, climbing, hopping, skipping, galloping, sliding,
and riding a tricycle.
• 2. Nonlocomotor abilities (sometimes referred to as balancing
or stabilizing) are any movements that require some degree of
balancing These skills are turning, twisting, pushing, bending,
stretching, pulling, swinging, rolling, dodging, and balancing.
• 3. Manipulative abilities include the operation and control of
limited and precise movements of the small muscles, especially
those in the hands and feet. Manipulative skills include throwing,
catching, reaching, bouncing, striking, kicking (gross motor
manipulation) and holding, grasping, cutting, and sewing
Focusing on Skills Development
• The physical/motor skills include those that use large
and small muscles and that coordinate perception and
motor response. Teachers planning activities for children
can focus on any one of the following skills as a basis
for curriculum planning.
• Eye–Hand Coordination
• Balance
Encouraging Physical Play
• Create time in the daily schedule
• Actively participate while supervising
• Set goals for children’s motor development
• Use a variety of activities
• Select age-appropriate equipment and materials
• Give children opportunities to repeat, practice, and
refine the skills they learn
Curriculum for Emotional Growth
• Children experience this constantly, and educators must
help children develop dimensions of emotional
intelligence self-awareness, handling emotions
generally, motivation, empathy, and social skills
• The emotional skills that children learn in their early
years are substantial. The basic emotions are present
within the first few weeks of life, the more complex
emotions of shame, guilt, envy, and pride emerge later,
once children have had the social experiences of
observing these emotions in others or have been in
situations that might evoke such feelings.
• Ability to Self-Regulate Self-regulation is an important skill
because it helps children to develop the executive
functioning that allows them to make decisions and figure
out what to do in new situations. Managing and
orchestrating these cognitive functions engages the whole
child.
• Resilience Resilience is the ability to bounce back or recover
from adversity. Resiliency is a kind of protective mechanism,
something that allows a child to “get back on the horse”
after failing at something the first time. Research indicates
that resilient children are more successful in dealing with
stressors th
• Curriculum for Social Growth Social development is the
process through which children learn what behavior is
acceptable and expected. A set of standards is imposed
on the child at birth that reflects the values of the family
and the society in which the child lives. Social growth
refers to what happens with the child and others.
• Social skills can be viewed in different ways.
• The Four How's is one set of categories for such a
complex array of skills:
• 1. How to approach. Getting and being included
• 2. How to interact. Sharing, cooperating
• 3. How to deal with difference. Including others, helping,
bullying, and teasing
• 4. How to manage conflict. Handling aggression,
problem solving