Managing behaviour

“Explore definitions of good behaviour and gain an understanding of how broad a spectrum this definition might be, and how dependent it is upon the age of the child, cultural situation, and tolerance levels of staff. Look at reasons for poor behaviour and explore strategies for improving behaviour. Evaluate the benefits of working with outside agencies and identify which agencies may be most appropriate.

This course is appropriate for childcare practitioners working in a range of settings.

Learning outcomes

• You will learn that all settings are required to have a positive behaviour policy
• You will acknowledge the important role that parents/carers play in helping children to behave appropriately and be emotionally stable
• You will understand that helping children to interact appropriately with others is a vital role for practitioners
• You will be able to help children to develop their understanding of meeting others’ needs by encouraging them to do things for others

Advantages of this course

• This course identifies that most children, on most occasions, want to behave in a way that is reasonable and acceptable. However, there are always occasions when children may lack the emotional, social, or behaviour skills to cope with conflict and challenging situations. Occasionally, if a child has not had the opportunity to form an attachment to a parent/carer or has experienced harsh or neglectful parenting, the child might display anti-social behaviour. Behaviour can also be affected by diet, tiredness, and illness.
• The learning in this course emphasises that positive behaviour should be encouraged, and defines inappropriate behaviour as that which affects others in a negative way. However, expectations of behaviour should be realistic. Age and stage of development should be taken into account, as should social and cultural background.
• The course recommends that positive attention should be the reward for positive behaviour
• Additional activities encourage you to reflect on your learning
• There is also suggested extended reading that gives both practical information and links to websites to expand knowledge”