Behaviour Technique Advice

[Guest]

Hi all

 

I'm working as a nursery SENCo and am trying to help some specific children to manage their behaviour.

 

Two of the boys in working with are very bright and intelligent, really ready for school and the extra stimulus that schools provide, but they have 'silly' times. It's almost as tthough they know how to be good, but they want to push their luck without really realising! They can listen and follow instructions, but most of the time this seems to be struggle as they roll around smiling and laughing.

 

The pre-school room now has a good routine, the structured activities are broken up each session to prevent boredem, we have a time line up in the room, use stickers and have normal stickers for good work/listening/being helpful and super special stickers and a star tree where their picture is moved up the tree if they are really good.

 

I'm a big fan of Super Nanny, and was watching the 'House of tiny tearaways (I think) last night and they were using a jar and marbles. each time the child was good they got a marble and each time the misbehaved a marble was taken away.

 

I was thinking of having a jar for each of these boys that i could put mini eggs into, so that when they listen, are helpful or do as they are asked they get a mini egg added. As they misbehave one gets taken away. They then get to take the mini eggs that they have earned home to eat at the end of the session.

 

Does anyone else use a system like this or have any veiws on this idea before i put it to my manager?

 

Lu

[Rea]

I have never been a fan of rewards such as that. What about the children who always listen ad are helpful? I appricaite these children need something but if they are as clever as you think then wont they work the system to get the rewards? I havent any positive comments to make right now because I've got 3 minutes to get back to work. It does seem they need something though.

[Guest]

Thanks Rea,

 

I posted this as i wanted some other peoples veiws before i put it forward to the manager.

 

I agree about not forgetting the children who are always good and who listen and are helpful, and for them the stickers and star tree and general praise work and support their behaviour, but these two children just need something extra to support them and their behaviour. I'm hoping to be able to use it as a vairly short term thing to boost and encourage their behaviour.

 

Lu

[bubblejack]

I would never give sweets as a reward. I try not to give stickers to children who have achieved what they should of been doing in the first place.When children achieve something I would rather praise them and make a comment in their news book for their parents to see.

Do the two children play together if so maybe they should be given seperate things to do when they misbehave. Have you had a word with their parents. If they are bored give them more challenging things to do then praise them for attempting it. Good Luck because I know how a few children can change the mood of the whole session.

[Guest]

I agree with Rea I wouldn't give sweets, but have you tried the star chart that gives them a chance to do something that they want to do rather than a actual reward. I always feel that the good children miss out by being good

[Guest]

In our setting we also have a very similar situation. Twin boys, who have improved greatly since starting with us with the help of the area senco. They both push the boudaries at times and we give verbal praise whereever we can and have been advised by the area senco to use 'time out' when their behaviour is challenging. I'm not sure what sort of 'silly times' your two children have, but these two children, paint their hair, have painted the toilets, run around screaming during story time/circle time, they both also lick anything and everything etc etc.

 

The advice given for times when they are reluctant to sit and listen to a story etc, was to give them something tactile to hold.....this does seem to do the trick.

 

We use certificates in our setting too! And praise pads, they say 'Dear Parent, Child A has done really well today' or 'has been really helpful today' The children are really proud of these and cant wait to show their parents.

 

Jenni

[Smiles]

If you use this reward system for these two boys you may get the other children starting to misbehaving so they get to take part in this reward system. This happened with my son at primary school - children who were very slow with their work or misbehaved got to choose first which toy they could play with if they improved - a small amount. The other children including my son cottoned on to this and in turn copied the behaviour of the other children in order to get the reward for a slight improvement in their behaviour.

 

Sue

[Guest]

How about giving a great big hug? Might work for some, not others. I have also used those blank playing cards, put a child's name at the top and let them look after it. Every time I see them being kind, helpful etc I give them a sticker to put on it and make sure that they understand that the stickers can also be taken away - but very rarely have I had to take any away. There seems to be some bonus in having something small and personal that they can carry around with them as a reminder....

At the beginning of each half term I also give each child in my keyworker group a smiley sheet which I will try to remember to attach. I think there are 12 smileys and the idea is that over the course of the 1/2 term smileys can be coloured in for good work in keyworker time (work with a small 'w' of course), they can also colour them in for being helpful, tidying up well etc. Once all smileys are coloured in the child gets a present or reward, this 1/2 term its some lovely crayons I picked up for next to nothing at our local scrapstore.

Good luck! Remember what works one day may well not work the next - have plenty of ammo up your sleeve!

[Guest]

Ha! Knew I'd forget to post the Smiley Sheet. Sorry.....

Smiley_Sheet.doc

[Guest]

We have had the sticker discussion recently too!

We have a few children like this who do know the rules and expectations but choose to mess about instead

My personal opinion is that if the sticker tree in your setting is not having any effect then a jar of marbles won't either. I definitely don't think these boys should have chocolate when all the other children aren't! I would go the other way actually....

At then end of a session say OK I have some eggs here and I'm going to give them to X number of children that I've seen behaving really well today.

Obviously they won't get any. If they complain - well you didn't sit nicely at story time did you?

We find this (not choc but same technique) works as at snack time the children really want to be chosen to count the children and give out plates and cups. We always say 'child's name' you're sitting nicely and not calling out, would you like to count today?

 

Going back to our likely lads (and lasses) we have started reminding tehm once to stop/sit still etc then if they carry on they are taken away from the other children and sat down on a chair (never the same chair as we don't want a 'naughty chair'!). We have large timers and one is put where they can see it. if necessary we stay with them but give no attention. At the end of the time we ask if they are able to join the group and do whatever it was we were asking. So far they say yes!

This has had a great effect combined with praising every little bit of 'good' behaviour... nice sitting Paul, lovely singing John, oh Jenny that was really kind etc etc. All things we should be doing but often forget

[Rea]

One method I like to use is choice. You can sit here (mat time) quietly or sit over there on your own, you can wait for a go with that quietly or not have it. Not really choices but they do tend to work at least with some children. I have had a lad recently who chose to go and sit alone rather than sit quietly for a story though.

Bubblejack's comment about splitting them up is worth a try too, have you noticed when one is missing that the other is quieter? You can just never put your finger on who the instigator is can you? Try group jobs where these two are never together, 2 to get the plates for snack, 2 to fetch the broom and dust pan and brush, 2 to fetch the register etc. I know thats difficult to do for the whole session but worth a try I suppose.

[Guest]

Hi all

 

Thanks for all your replies

 

This is what i love about this site, you get really helpful advice and feedback, but you also are all so brilliant you give your own ideas to help those of us that are stuck on something.

 

Am going to leave my idea and try some of yours, I really liked the smileys sheet and the sticker cards that the children can carry around with them.

 

Thank you again

 

Lu

[Marion]

I usually use a combination of methods suggested here. I find rewarding and promotting good behaviour does encourage 'problem' children. Things like Ive picked 'x' to help me because they listened carefully / worked quietly / shared etc makes other children want to be chosen. I also send home a smilie each night to parents to keep them informed of behaviour in school and in some situations have a weekly meeting with parents to share information.

 

Should add our Y4 teacher uses the marble jar as a whole class incentive. When the jar is full the whole class can pick a reward. This may be an end of term video or an extra playtime or cooking pizza or cakes etc. It seems to work by peer pressure the children themselves policing bad bahaviour in order to achieve the reward.

Edited April 1, 2006 by Marion

[Guest]

I use the "choice" method like Rea described, especially with children who know but are testing the boundaries. Basically each choice offers the desired result ie: You can choose to sit on the red mat or the blue mat ( both used at story time) when the child makes the choice he/she still feels that he/she has some autonomy and control.

I will also offer choices describing consequences ie: you can choose which mat and enjoy the story time with your friends or you can choose to play on your own quietly then when I have finished the story you will have to come on the mat and listen to it with me whilst your friends are playing. They will mostly choose to be with their friends. Of course they will sometimes choose the latter, in which case I always carry out the chosen consequence.

I also find that "peer pressure" is very strong and therefore the children are asked to give out rewards to their peers, describing why. I find this stops the children telling/asking me for stickers " Peggy, I tidied up ....can I have a sticker" they will do this repeatedly to an adult because some children have learnt that if they keep asking they normally get

 

I also think that verbal praise is more beneficial, being non materialistic, and verbal praise is also more individual. Stickers, I have found in the past, lose their value very quickly, especially if given out for things such as tidying up. We try to promote self praise, sense of achievement and that the real value of tidying up is the basic consequence, that toys are maintained well and easier to find.

 

Peggy