Guiding Children's Behavior: Developmental Discipline in the Classroom (Early Childhood Education Series (Teachers College Pr))

129 Pages·2006·0.59 MB·English

by  Eileen S. Flicker

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERIES
Leslie R. Williams, Editor
ADVISORY BOARD: Barbara T. Bowman, Harriet K. Cuffaro, Stephanie Feeney,
Doris Pronin Fromberg, Celia Genishi, Stacie G. Goffin, Dominic F. Gullo,
Alice Sterling Honig, Elizabeth Jones, Gwen Morgan
Guiding Children's Behavior: Major Trends and Issues in Early Childhood
Developmental Discipline in the Classroom Education: Challenges, Controversies, and Insights,
EILEEN S. FLICKER & JANET ANDRON HOFFMAN 2nd Ed.
What If All the Kids Are White? JOAN PACKER ISENBERG &
Anti-Bias Multicultural Education with Young MARY RENCK JALONGO, EDS.
Children and Families The Power of Projects: Meeting Contemporary
LOIUSE DERMAN-SPARKS & PATRICIA G. RAMSEY Challenges in Early Childhood Classrooms—Strategies
The War Play Dilemma: What Every Parent and and Solutions
Teacher Needs to Know, 2nd Ed. JUDY HARRIS HELM & SALLEE BENEKE, EDS.
DIANE E. LEVIN & NANCY CARLSSON-PAIGE Bringing Learning to Life: The Reggio Approach to
Possible Schools: Early Childhood Education
The Reggio Approach to Urban Education LOUISE BOYD CADWELL
ANN LEWIN-BENHAM The Colors of Learning: Integrating the Visual Arts
Everyday Goodbyes: Starting School and Early Care— into the Early Childhood Curriculum
A Guide to the Separation Process ROSEMARY ALTHOUSE, MARGARET H. JOHNSON,
NANCY BALABAN & SHARON T. MITCHELL
Playing to Get Smart A Matter of Trust: Connecting Teachers and Learners
ELIZABETH JONES & RENATTA M. COOPER in the Early Childhood Classroom
How to Work with Standards in the CAROLLEE HOWES & SHARON RITCHIE
Early Childhood Classroom Widening the Circle: Including Children with
CAROL SEEFELDT Disabilities in Preschool Programs
In the Spirit of the Studio: SAMUEL L. ODOM, ED.
Learning from the Atelier of Reggio Emilia Children with Special Needs:
LELLA GANDINI, LYNN T. HILL, Lessons for Early Childhood Professionals
LOUISE BOYD CADWELL, & CHARLES SCHWALL, EDS. MARJORIE J. KOSTELNIK, ESTHER ETSUKO ONAGA,
Understanding Assessment and Evaluation in Early BARBARA ROHDE, & ALICE PHIPPS WHIREN
Childhood Education, 2nd Ed. Developing Constructivist Early Childhood
DOMINIC F. GULLO Curriculum: Practical Principles and Activities
Negotiating Standards in the Primary Classroom: The RHETA DEVRIES, BETTY ZAN, CAROLYN HILDEBRANDT,
Teacher’s Dilemma REBECCA EDMIASTON, & CHRISTINA SALES
CAROL ANNE WIEN Outdoor Play: Teaching Strategies with Young Children
Teaching and Learning in a Diverse World: JANE PERRY
Multicultural Education for Young Children, 3rd Ed. Embracing Identities in Early Childhood Education:
PATRICIA G. RAMSEY Diversity and Possibilities
The Emotional Development of Young Children: SUSAN GRIESHABER & GAILE S. CANNELLA, EDS.
Building an Emotion-Centered Curriculum, 2nd Ed. Bambini: The Italian Approach to Infant/Toddler Care
MARILOU HYSON LELLA GANDINI & CAROLYN POPE EDWARDS, EDS.
Effective Partnering for School Change: Improving Educating and Caring for Very Young Children:
Early Childhood Education in Urban Classrooms The Infant/Toddler Curriculum
JIE-QI CHEN & PATRICIA HORSCH DORIS BERGEN, REBECCA REID, & LOUIS TORELLI
WITH KAREN DEMOSS & SUZANNE L. WAGNER Young Investigators:
Let’s Be Friends: Peer Competence and Social The Project Approach in the Early Years
Inclusion in Early Childhood Programs JUDY HARRIS HELM & LILIAN G. KATZ
KRISTEN MARY KEMPLE Serious Players in the Primary Classroom:
Young Children Continue to Reinvent Arithmetic— Empowering Children Through Active Learning
2nd Grade, 2nd Ed. Experiences, 2nd Ed.
CONSTANCE KAMII SELMA WASSERMANN
(continued)
Early Childhood Education Series titles, continued
Telling a Different Story: The Full-Day Kindergarten:
Teaching and Literacy in an Urban Preschool A Dynamic Themes Curriculum, 2nd Ed.
CATHERINE WILSON DORIS PRONIN FROMBERG
Young Children Reinvent Arithmetic: Assessment Methods for Infants and Toddlers:
Implications of Piaget’s Theory, 2nd Ed. Transdisciplinary Team Approaches
CONSTANCE KAMII DORIS BERGEN
Managing Quality in Young Children’s Programs: Young Children Continue to Reinvent Arithmetic—
The Leader’s Role 3rd Grade: Implications of Piaget’s Theory
MARY L. CULKIN, ED. CONSTANCE KAMIIWITH SALLY JONES LIVINGSTON
Supervision in Early Childhood Education: Moral Classrooms, Moral Children: Creating a
A Developmental Perspective, 2nd Ed. Constructivist Atmosphere in Early Education
JOSEPH J. CARUSO & M. TEMPLE FAWCETT RHETA DEVRIES & BETTY ZAN
The Early Childhood Curriculum: Diversity and Developmentally Appropriate Practices
A Review of Current Research, 3rd Ed. BRUCE L. MALLORY & REBECCA S. NEW, EDS.
CAROL SEEFELDT, ED. Changing Teaching, Changing Schools:
Leadership in Early Childhood: Bringing Early Childhood Practice into Public
The Pathway to Professionalism, 2nd Ed. Education–Case Studies from the Kindergarten
JILLIAN RODD FRANCES O’CONNELL RUST
Inside a Head Start Center: Physical Knowledge in Preschool Education:
Developing Policies from Practice Implications of Piaget’s Theory
DEBORAH CEGLOWSKI CONSTANCE KAMII & RHETA DEVRIES
Windows on Learning: Ways of Assessing Children and Curriculum:
Documenting Young Children’s Work Stories of Early Childhood Practice
JUDY HARRIS HELM, SALLEE BENEKE, CELIA GENISHI, ED.
& KATHY STEINHEIMER The Play’s the Thing: Teachers’ Roles in Children’s Play
Bringing Reggio Emilia Home: An Innovative ELIZABETH JONES &
Approach to Early Childhood Education GRETCHEN REYNOLDS
LOUISE BOYD CADWELL Scenes from Day Care
Master Players: Learning from Children at Play ELIZABETH BALLIETT PLATT
GRETCHEN REYNOLDS & ELIZABETH JONES Making Friends in School:
Understanding Young Children’s Behavior: Promoting Peer Relationships in Early Childhood
A Guide for Early Childhood Professionals PATRICIA G. RAMSEY
JILLIAN RODD The Whole Language Kindergarten
Understanding Quantitative and Qualitative Research SHIRLEY RAINES &
in Early Childhood Education ROBERT CANADY
WILLIAM L. GOODWIN & LAURA D. GOODWIN Multiple Worlds of Child Writers:
Diversity in the Classroom: New Approaches to the Friends Learning to Write
Education of Young Children, 2nd Ed. ANNE HAAS DYSON
FRANCES E. KENDALL The Good Preschool Teacher
Developmentally Appropriate Practice in “Real Life” WILLIAM AYERS
CAROL ANNE WIEN The Piaget Handbook for Teachers and Parents
Experimenting with the World: ROSEMARY PETERSON &
John Dewey and the Early Childhood Classroom VICTORIA FELTON-COLLINS
HARRIET K. CUFFARO Visions of Childhood
Quality in Family Child Care and Relative Care JOHN CLEVERLEY & D. C. PHILLIPS
SUSAN KONTOS, CAROLLEE HOWES, Starting School
MARYBETH SHINN, & ELLEN GALINSKY NANCY BALABAN
Using the Supportive Play Model: Individualized Ideas Influencing Early Childhood Education
Intervention in Early Childhood Practice EVELYN WEBER
MARGARET K. SHERIDAN, GILBERT M. FOLEY, The Joy of Movement in Early Childhood
& SARA H. RADLINSKI SANDRA R. CURTIS
Guiding
Children’s Behavior
DEVELOPMENTAL DISCIPLINE
IN THE CLASSROOM
E S. F
ILEEN LICKER
J A H
ANET NDRON OFFMAN
Foreword by Leslie R. Williams
Teachers College, Columbia University
New York and London
Published by Teachers College Press, 1234 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
Copyright © 2006 by Teachers College, Columbia University
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission from the publisher, with the exception of the Appendices,
which may be photocopied for classroom use.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Flicker, Eileen S.
Guiding children’s behavior : developmental discipline in the classroom / Eileen S. Flicker,
Janet Andron Hoffman.
p. cm.—(Early childhood education series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8077-4713-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8077-4713-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. School discipline—United States. 2. Behavior modification. I. Hoffman, Janet Andron.
II. Title. III. Series: Early childhood education series (Teachers College Press)
LB3012.2.F55 2006
371.5—dc22 2006010061
ISBN-13: 978-0-8077-4713-1 (paper) ISBN-10: 0-8077-4713-0 (paper)
Printed on acid-free paper
Manufactured in the United States of America
13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To our children,
Marti, Max, Sam, Hannah, Yardena, Dave, Ilan, Ariel, and Zorro,
who supplied us with endless opportunities to practice developmental discipline.
v

Contents
Foreword by Leslie R. Williams ix Class and Community Meetings 21
Contracts 23
Acknowledgments xi
Home–School Connections 25
Introduction 1
Conclusion 25
Historical Perspectives 2
3. Building Observational Skills 26
Current Trends 3
The Observation Process 27
Social Changes 4
Observational Methods 32
Goals of Developmental Discipline 5
Observational Errors 34
Overview of this Book 5
Supervisory Issues 35
1. What Is Developmental Discipline? 7
Self-Assessment 36
Observations—The Key to
Conclusion 37
Understanding Behavior 8
Theoretical Foundations 8 4. Challenges in the First 3 Years 39
The Distracted Child 9 Routines 39
Unkind Behavior 11 The Child Who Bites 41
Factors Leading to Misbehavior 12 Tantrums 43
The Unprepared Child 13 Sharing and Turn Taking 43
Summary 14 Sleeping Issues 44
Typical and Atypical Behavior 46
2. The Relationship Between
Discipline and Curriculum 15 Conclusion 48
Curriculum Defined 16
5. The Preschooler and
The Physical Environment 17 Kindergartner 50
Observation 18 Beginning School 50
Transitions 19 Selective Mutism 55
vii
viii Contents
Overprogramming 57 APPENDIX A: Observation Training
Form 95
Preschool Aggression 60
Dysfunctional Families 62
APPENDIX B: Guidelines for Narrative
Heart Start Principles 64 Observation 96
Conclusion 65
APPENDIX C: Peer Interaction
6. School-Ager Issues 66 Checklist 98
Homework Battles 66
APPENDIX D: Teacher Self-Reflection
Atypical Social Skills 68
Inventory 99
Anxiety and Depression in Children 71
Racial Issues 73 APPENDIX E: Student Self-Reflection
Inventory 100
Gifted Children 76
Conclusion 80 APPENDIX F: Parent Observation
Form 101
7. Commonly Used Disciplinary
Practices: How Effective
APPENDIX G: Observation of Teacher’s
Are They? 81
Disciplinary Practice 102
Teacher Interventions 81
Time-Out 83 APPENDIX H: Assessment of
Bullying in the School
Bullies and Bullying 84
Classroom 104
Class Disruptions 87
Coerced Apologies 89 APPENDIX I: Developmental Discipline
Strategies 105
Conclusion 90
8. Pulling It All Together 91
References 107
Training Faculty 92
Teacher Characteristics 93
Index 112
Reaching Out to Families 93
Conclusion 94 About the Authors 116
Contents ix
Foreword
Few aspects of teaching are as worrisome to nov- years, the authors illustrate many of the ways that
ice teachers as that of children’s “behavior.” children from infancy through the elementary
Haunted by memories of the substitute teacher school years may challenge their teachers’ expec-
who struggled in vain to control the rowdy and tations for constructive and productive classroom
unsympathetic 4th graders who were torturing behavior. Their first premise is a straightforward
her, these teachers-to-be remember that even they one—behaviors of all varieties are learned in the
(the “good” children in the class) had not rescued context of the sociocultural environments in which
her. Surely their time of retribution is coming as children are embedded. To each encounter, chil-
they enter their first year of full-time teaching. And dren bring with them their past observations and
contrary to their expectations, their ongoing teacher experiences and are sensitive to the responses
preparation has not magically resolved their fears. modeled by those in authority around them. In
Few of their courses or field experiences have di- order for children to develop positive and affirm-
rectly addressed their concerns about losing control ing ways of treating themselves and others, their
of the classroom. teachers must think through and anticipate the con-
Nor is it novice teachers alone who are con- sequences of their own actions. All such reflection
sumed with such doubts. Even highly experienced must be built conscientiously on their observations
teachers are aware that working with children en- of children’s behaviors, knowledge of child devel-
tails a continual balancing act between the aims of opment, and awareness of the children’s (and their
children and their own aims as teachers, as each own) cultural patterns of initiation and response in
attempts to use the power of the moment to best situations of stressful exchange.
advantage. Children wish to satisfy their urge to To maintain this high level of awareness on
learn and to grow beyond present capability. which to base effective action, teachers must value
Teachers wish to have the satisfaction of success and invite interaction with families, to learn from
in their teaching, to know that they have made a them at the same time as they share their perspec-
difference in the development of the children in tives as educators. They must develop links with
their care. What resources might teachers find to the ethos of the communities within which they
strengthen their intent and hone the skills needed work in order to understand the meanings of par-
to channel the energies of learning to best effect for ticular behaviors and the power those behaviors
all involved? hold for the children themselves. Nothing about
Happily for both groups of teachers and all those this approach to classroom behavior is formulaic.
in between, Eileen Flicker and Janet Hoffman’s It is envisioned as an active response to a highly
Guiding Children’s Behavior:Developmental Discipline dynamic situation—the condition of living fully in
in the Classroom offers both the theory and the prac- each moment of exchange with children, engaging
tice to yield such results. Strongly rooted in recog- with the present while recognizing its connection
nition of the importance of the early childhood to both the past and the future.
ix