Promoting Positive Behaviors in Children and Gathering Information from Them

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Early Childhood Education and Care
Questions
1. Positive behaviors among children can be promoted by having a constructive or positive
approach when dealing with the children. This refers to encouraging or congratulating the
children on successful things that he or she does but not just concentrating on the
negative things that the children do.
Examples of things that one can do to promote a positive attitude among children are
A. Be a role model or an example to that child
Most children will learn from what their elders do than what they say. So to promote
positive behavior, you must ensure that everything that you are doing is appropriate for
your child because he or she will be watching.
B. Keep things simple for your child and positive
Give your child clear instructions which he or she can understand easily, and this will
enable a child to understand what he or she is supposed to do.
C. Delegate responsibilities and consequences to your child
Giving your child tasks to do will help you analyze the behavior and attitude towards
specific tasks. This will help you control some poor behavior among your child as he or
she grows up.
D. Keep the promises you give to your child
Keeping promises helps your child to learn on trusting and respectful. This helps the
child always to be assured and not to doubt what promises you give either good or bad.
2. You can gather information from the child in several ways such as;

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Interacting or being more close to the child such as playing with her will help get more
relevant information.
You can as well ask the child some questions which you think he or she can answer and if
the child is interactive, then you will be able to get more reliable answers. According to
(Peterson, Luze, Eshbaugh, Jeon & Kantz, 2007) families can be the primary source on
more information about the child since the spend most of the time with the child and can
learn more about the child behavior and attitudes.
You can also observe how the child is doing things and you will find some something
about the child either he or she is social or anti-social. What he or she likes can be
learned through observation.
You can also learn about the children’s likes and dislikes by asking the guardian or the
parent this information. He or she will tell you more about his or her child because they
interact more and he can know on more aspects of what the child loves most and what
he doesn’t like.
3. On consulting children and how you can consult them;
When dealing with young children, it’s always good to make sure that their parents are
aware that you want to ask their children about certain things. This request has to be
made either through a written note, or you can consult on face to face request. If the
application is accepted, take the children to an environment where they will feel free and
can express themselves freely without fear. Ensure that there is a lot of fun in the
background of your choice. Make the children feel that they are more valued and then
present your concern a simple way, fun way and easy to be understood.

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SCENARIO/DISCUSSIONS
Scenario 1
You should not let Darcy gag on Abby as this will affect Abby's psychologically and will make
her feel like she is not as good as other children. You should stop Darcy immediately from this
behavior so that Abby can also feel as important as other children and also not to make other
children doubt Abby that she smells. Wolery, M, (2005) stated early interventions focused on
shaping children behavior are important in all children care institutions.
Abby will feel inferior at the first time when Darcy shouted that she smells but when you take an
initiative of stopping this and make them understand that they are all equal she will feel great and
happy again.
Since Darcy is an attention seeker, stopping her from what she wanted to happen will make her
feel like she has not achieved what she wanted and caution will help her not to do the same thing
again.
The other children should be told that what Darcy has done is not right and no one should try to
undermine anyone in public like that and it should be a caution to everyone.
I would not say anything to their parents as long as I feel the matter is settled and both children
are happy and engaging with each other well.
Scenario 2
You let the children come up with their idea first as this will help you understand what they
know first. In case they miss out something on their design, you can help them in adding
something you feel should be included in the plan.