Developing Guidance Skill

1. Developing Guidance Skill Deborah Neill

2. The student will be able to … • Identify goals of effective guidance • List personality traits of effective early childhood teachers. • Describe principles of direct and indirect guidance. • Explain various techniques for effective guidance. • Summarize ways to promote a positive self-concept in each child.

3. Guidance The direct and indirect actions an adult uses to help children develop appropriate behavior patterns.

4. Prosocial behaviors The acts of kindness that benefit others. These behaviors demonstrate cooperation and helpfulness. Examples are: accepting other’s feelings or verbally and physically comforting others.

5. Teacher’s role in guidance Your personality will affect the behavior of the children in your care. Teachers should interact often with their children and ask open-ended questions. Teachers need to model prosocial behaviors. Aggressive and attention-seeking behavior on the part of the children is also influenced by the teacher.

6. General Guidelines for developing effective guidance skills Observe the children and watch and note how individual children behave in certain situations. Ask yourself how you respond teach of the children in your class. Plan with other teachers. Share observations, feelings, and suggestions will help you fully understand the children. Do not talk to other adults when you are teaching. The children’s needs should always come first. Sit with the children whenever possible. Be at children’s eye level. You will be easier to approach and gain attention.

7. Indirect Guidance This type of guidance involves outside factors that influence behavior. For instance, the layout of the center or room is a form of indirect guidance.

8. Direct Guidance Guidance that involves nonverbal and verbal actions. Facial expressions are a form of communication that can give children a variety of messages. Children gain much information from nonverbal actions. Nonverbal actions reinforce what you are communicating verbally.

9. Direct Guidance Principles • Use simple language. • Speak in a relaxed voice. • Be positive. • Offer choices with care. • Encourage independence and cooperation. • Be firm. • Be consistent. • Provide time for change. • Consider feelings. • Intervene when necessary.

10. Put a twist on the words you use. Negative Positive • “Do not put the puzzle on the floor.” • “Do not touch anything!” • “Do not run.” • “Quit screaming.” • “Do not get paint on your clothes.” • “Put the puzzle on the table.” • “Place your hands in your pockets.” • “Please walk.” • “Use your Indoor voice.” • “Put on a painting smock.”

11. Techniques for effective Guidance • Positive Reinforcement is a technique that is molded by rewarding positive behavior. • Warning is a reminder that is given for misbehaving and their behavior will have consequences. • Natural consequences are those experiences that follow naturally as a result of a behavior. They do not require anyone’s intervention. • Logical consequences are those that are deliberately set up by an adult to show what will happen if a limit is not followed.

12. Techniques for effective Guidance • Time Out is a guidance technique that involves moving a child away from others for a short period of time. Time out is used when a child’s disruptive behavior cannot be ignored. Time out should never be used as a form of punishment. • I-Messages is a way to communicate your feelings. An I-message tells the child how you feel about his or her behavior. It doesn’t place blame with the child, it helps the child learn how others view his actions.

13. Praise Ineffective Praise Effective Praise • “Good Job!” • “Beautiful work!” • “Wonderful!” • “I like the way you picked up the puzzle and returned it to the puzzle rack” • “You used the chalk to make bright and dark green colors.” • “I like the way you shared your blocks with Tommy. He is enjoying using them.”

14. Guidance Techniques Suggesting Prompting • Suggesting means placing thoughts for consideration in the children’s minds. For instance: During snack time, you may suggest for a child to try a new fruit. Simply state “This fruit is delicious.” • Effective teachers use suggestions many times each day. • Prompting differs from suggesting because a response is required of a prompt. An example maybe :”Glenda, what must we remember when riding bikes?” • Prompting can also be nonverbal. An example maybe a smile to show your approval.

15. Guidance Persuading Redirecting • When you persuade a child you are encouraging them to act or behave in a certain way by appealing to their basic wants and needs. • Redirection is diverting the child’s attention in a different direction. • Redirection encourages children to express themselves in more socially acceptable ways.

16. Guidance Modeling Listening • Modeling involves both verbal and nonverbal actions. • Much of what children learn is a result of watching others and imitating their behavior. • An effective tool which involves giving children your full attention. It is really effective when you are on the eye level with the child. • Active listening is listening first to the child and then you respond to the child by repeating what the child just said.

17. Guidance Ignoring Encouraging • This technique involves not acknowledging the child’s behavior. • If the child’s behavior is inappropriate and is dangerous, avoid giving the child attention but keep the child safe. • This technique helps the child believe in themselves. • You are recognizing the children efforts and improvements. • Some words to say are: “You can do it all by yourself! And “You must be pleased.”

18. Developing or Promoting a Positive Self-Concept • Observe children carefully before speaking • Be open-minded. • Recognize and value differences in children. • Strive to gain more knowledge about the world and share it with the children. • Provide the children with choices so that they may become independent decision makers. • Constantly try to increase human relation skills. • State directions in a positive manner. • Encourage parents tot share their attitudes. • Avoid showing favoritism. • Listen to the children.

19. Review and Reflect • What are prosocial behaviors? • Describe one of the general guidelines you should follow for effective guidance to occur. • Give three examples of actions useful in direct guidance. • Use positive guidance statements to rewrite the following: A. Do not scream! B. Do not get paint on your dress. C. Do not spill the milk. D. Quit running! • Explain the difference between natural consequences and artificial consequences. • True or False. Ignoring is an appropriate guidance technique when the child’s behavior is verbally harmful to other children. • List three ways that you can encourage the development of children’s positive self-concepts.

20. Resources • Working with Young Children Judy Herr; The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc. 2004 • www.google.com; basscoast.vic.gov.au, amonco.org, amonco.org, htcacademic.mnscu.ed, conwydaynursery.com, jupiterimages.com, blogschmog.net