Know the Policies and Procedures of the Setting for Promoting Children and Young People’s Positive Behaviour
Be able to support positive behaviour
Positive behaviour management is about using positive rather than negative approaches to encourage children and young people to behave appropriately. Promoting positive behaviour involves: Setting clear boundaries, which are applied in a calm and consistent way
Encouraging children and young people to make their own choices about behaviour – and to understand the negative consequences if they choose inappropriate behaviour
Setting ‘positive’ rules rather than ‘negative’ ones. Negative rules tend to begin with the word ‘Don’t’, and tell children and young people what they must not do, but do not guide them as to what they may or should do.
In trying to understand behaviour, it is helpful to note whether there are particular incidents or situations that seem to trigger inappropriate behaviour. Some of these can be avoided altogether by minor changes in routine or approach, but others, such as siblings teasing each other, will occur frequently, children and young people therefore need to be given strategies and support to be able to cope with them effectively. It is important never to reject the child but only what the child has done (for example, ‘That was an unkind thing to say’ rather than ‘You are unkind’).
Antecedent: what happens before, or leads up to, the observed behaviour
Behaviour: the observed behaviour – what the child says and how he or she acts (this is any behaviour, both positive and negative). Consequence: what happens following the observed behaviour.
Part of the role is to observe children and young people’s behaviour, whether or not you make a written record, so that you can contribute to discussions about a child’s behaviour and develop positive practice in managing inappropriate aspects. In your work setting you should try to see not only how other staff and parents deal with incidents, but also which methods seem to be effective with which children or young people.
Using rewards
There are
Positive behaviour management is about using positive rather than negative approaches to encourage children and young people to behave appropriately. Promoting positive behaviour involves: Setting clear boundaries, which are applied in a calm and consistent way
Encouraging children and young people to make their own choices about behaviour – and to understand the negative consequences if they choose inappropriate behaviour
Setting ‘positive’ rules rather than ‘negative’ ones. Negative rules tend to begin with the word ‘Don’t’, and tell children and young people what they must not do, but do not guide them as to what they may or should do.
In trying to understand behaviour, it is helpful to note whether there are particular incidents or situations that seem to trigger inappropriate behaviour. Some of these can be avoided altogether by minor changes in routine or approach, but others, such as siblings teasing each other, will occur frequently, children and young people therefore need to be given strategies and support to be able to cope with them effectively. It is important never to reject the child but only what the child has done (for example, ‘That was an unkind thing to say’ rather than ‘You are unkind’).
Antecedent: what happens before, or leads up to, the observed behaviour
Behaviour: the observed behaviour – what the child says and how he or she acts (this is any behaviour, both positive and negative). Consequence: what happens following the observed behaviour.
Part of the role is to observe children and young people’s behaviour, whether or not you make a written record, so that you can contribute to discussions about a child’s behaviour and develop positive practice in managing inappropriate aspects. In your work setting you should try to see not only how other staff and parents deal with incidents, but also which methods seem to be effective with which children or young people.
Using rewards
There are