|
Babies |
Toddlers |
3 to 5 year olds |
6 to 12 year olds |
Methods to promote positive behaviour |
- Smiles
- Attention
- Distraction |
- Choice of favourite activity
- Praise, encouragement
- Anticipating trouble and redirecting or distracting child |
- Choice of favourite activity
- Praise, encouragement
- Anticipating trouble and redirecting or distracting child |
- Non-verbal communication appropriate to age and peer group
- Talking about feelings
- Modelling |
Ways of applying guidelines and limits to behaviour |
- Saying 'no' and using the child's name e.g. 'James, no' with use of appropriate facial expressions and tone of voice
- Remove child from problem/ trouble
- Distract to another activity |
- Patiently respond, provide a consistent message
- Acknowledge feelings
- Provide appropriate activities to release feelings
- Explain reason for limit to child in simple terms |
- Communicate the guidelines of the service clearly
- Provide a consistent message
- Acknowledge feelings
- Provide appropriate activities to release feelings |
- Discuss with children e.g. About the reason the guideline is required
- Involve children in establishing guidelines
- Give written guidelines to children
- Periodically review guidelines |
Positive communication with children |
- Worker responds to non-verbal cues and decides whether a response is required
- Initiation or reflection of babbling and cooing
- Responds to crying in ways that meets the babies need |
- Worker responds to non-verbal cues and decides whether a response is required
- Initiation or reflection of babbling and cooing
- Responds to crying in ways that meets the babies need |
- Conversations during routines and experiences |
- Interactions are more reciprocal
- Communication focuses on events that are important
- Interactions are often informal in nature |
The way to demonstrate positive and realistic expectations of children's behaviour |
- Smiling
- Clapping verbal and non-verbal approval |
- Modelling
- Repetition of guidance for appropriate behaviour e.g. 'we walk inside'
- Talking about appropriate behaviour |
Explain the reasons for guidelines |
Involve children in establishing guidelines
Communicate guidelines
to:
- Children, especially those new to the service
- Parents
- Potential users of the service
- Relief or other staff |
Ways of fostering the development of self-help skills |
- Encourage responding to matching while dressing/undressing e.g. arm to sleeve
- Through care routines and daily experiences |
- Provide enough time e.g. Undressing before rest
- Encourage efforts
- Children may choose from a range of clothes
- Give support when necessary
- Encourage all attempts at self help |
- Give children opportunities to learn to fasten their shoes
- Store clothes so that they are accessible to children
- Store personal belongings accessibly |
- Explanation
- Demonstration
- Debate and discussion
- Participate jointly in task
- Use written instructions |
Ways of facilitating play |
- Flexible routines to allow for the needs of individuals to be met
- Gentle handling, eye contact and appropriate sensory experiences to develop security and trust
- Safe environment to explore |
- The day is structured and routines are established
- Blocks of time are available for exploring and experimenting with the materials
- Caregivers introduce new and different experiences to children
- Extend play by introducing new materials or resources or suggesting alternative ways to use the materials
- Caregivers give children time to develop their ideas
- Transition from one activity to another is smooth
- Worker modelling play and use of equipment |
- Care giver's interactions provide a positive role model for children
- An environment is maintained that respects individual and group needs
- Children are aware of the limits that are applied consistently
- Children's feelings are acknowledged and respected by caregivers and children |
- Participation with children
- Materials are suggested or alternatives uses of equipment/materials are suggested
- Cycling
- A variety of indoor and outdoor activities for all ages |
Creative and challenging experiences |
- Selection of toys, different textures, colours and size are selected
- Toys are large (cannot be swallowed) and have no sharp edges, and easily washed/cleaned
- Different types of experiences are used e.g. Water play, sand play, outdoors time |
- Experiences can include indoor and outdoor experiences
- Experiences reflect a toddler's interest in the world around them, and the desire to explore it, feel it, see it and touch it e.g. Nature walk to look at leaves, collect them
- Experiences reflect a toddler's growing mastery of their own body e.g. Small slippery dips are used, outdoor area can be a little more involved |
- Experiences can include cooking, sewing, carpentry, washing
- Experiences can be more varied and complicated, and reflect a child's developing cognitive and physical abilities
- Choice not to participate is respected and alternative activity is negotiated |
- Experience planned may include specific suggestions of children themselves
- Development of hobbies
- Self selected peer groups
- Individual, small group and larger group experiences
- Choice not to participate is respected and alternative activity is negotiated |
Relevant life skills related to their physical vary with the child's age/stage of development
