Fostering Positive Behaviour in the Early Years: Rethinking Our Approach

As providers of early years education, one of our primary responsibilities is to facilitate the development of self-regulation in children. This not only contributes to their personal, social, and emotional growth, but also prepares them for success as they transition to formal schooling. The EYFS framework mandates that we support the holistic development and care of children, which involves teaching them skills such as turn-taking, emotional regulation, and coping with frustration. However, the question remains: How can we foster positive behaviour in our children? What is our role in this process? and, How should we respond to extreme behaviour? This guide seeks to answer these questions and provide guidance on promoting better behaviour in our settings.

What is Self-Regulation and Why is it Important?

When it comes to behaviour, self-regulation is an essential starting point. But what exactly does self-regulation mean, and how can we encourage it? Simply put, self-regulation refers to the ability to manage our own behaviours, such as understanding how to handle anger, coping with disappointment, and behaving in a way that keeps us safe. The pilot of the revised EYFS early learning goals includes new goals related to self-regulation that could impact the work of settings.

Encouraging Self-Regulation

Encouraging children to reflect on their behaviour and how it affects others can help build their sense of empathy, which supports the development of self-regulation. Acknowledging children's emotions and helping them regulate their emotional responses can also be helpful.

It's better to encourage them to manage their own behaviour rather than controlling it with external rewards and consequences, which can interfere with children's intrinsic motivation to learn. Instead, we talk to children about their behaviour to develop their understanding of it, and we maintain a high staff-to-child ratio to allow time for these conversations.

Encouraging children to reflect on their behaviour and how it affects others can help build their sense of empathy, which supports the development of self-regulation. Acknowledging children's emotions and helping them regulate their emotional responses can also be helpful. So:

• Talk to children about their behaviour to develop their understanding of it.

• Acknowledge children's emotions and help them regulate their emotional responses.

• Encourage children to reflect on their behaviour and how it affects others to build their sense of empathy.

Establishing Clear Boundaries for Behaviour

To establish clear boundaries for behaviour, share and discuss a set of agreed-upon rules with children, keeping them short and simple. Creating a display to refer to regularly can also help reinforce the rules.

Non-verbal communication can be especially useful with pre-verbal children or those with English as an additional language. Frowning at a child about to misbehave or smiling at a child who is behaving well can be sufficient to reinforce desired behaviours.

Focusing on positive behaviours rather than negative ones can have a greater impact. Talk frequently about the good behaviours you see to demonstrate that behaving well is the best way to get attention. When dealing with misbehaving children, take a moment to pause, look at others near the child, and praise them or highlight their positive behaviour before intervening.

Finally, building better behaviour in the early years is about understanding the "why" behind the rules. Talk to children about why they need to listen carefully during show-and-tell or use "kind hands." Discuss the impact of not following the rules on others and the benefits of following them for the group as a whole. So:

• Focus on one rule per week and model the rule while highlighting examples of good behaviour.

• Use non-verbal communication to reinforce desired behaviours with pre-verbal children or those with English as an additional language.

• Focus on positive behaviours rather than negative ones to demonstrate that behaving well is the best way to get attention.

Reflecting on Behaviour

In order to reflect on a child's behaviour, it is common to think that it has nothing to do with the adult and everything to do with the child. However, it is important to consider the role that adults may have played in the situation. It is not necessarily that they are being blamed, but rather that it is important to reflect on how they might have contributed to the situation. By doing so, one can focus on changing how they react in the future. Adults are role models for children, and their behaviour affects how children behave. Children who come from supportive homes are usually better at regulating their behaviour than those who come from confrontational and inconsistent homes.

When children are young, they learn from the behaviour of adults around them. One way to help children develop the skill of self-regulation is to use activities that require patience and turn-taking. It is important to reflect on the layout of the space, as this is often the root cause of issues. Colleagues can observe and provide feedback, and it is important to take their advice into account. When planning areas of provision, it is important to think about how children will react and whether there is enough space for them to let off steam or take time out. To become a more self-reflective practitioner, it is important to think about what might have caused an incident and how it can be prevented from happening again. So:

• Use activities that require patience and turn-taking to help children develop the skill of self-regulation.

• Think about the layout of the space and whether there is enough space for children to let off steam or take time out.

• Take feedback from colleagues into account and think about what might have caused an incident and how it can be prevented from happening again.

Responding to Extreme Behaviour

When confronted with extreme behaviour from a child, it can be alarming and difficult not to take it personally. However, it's crucial to remember that the behaviour is not a reflection of you as an educator. The behaviour may be related to the child's home life, early childhood experiences, or specific triggers related to their development or special educational needs. Prioritising the safety of all children and staff is paramount. You may need to assign one-to-one supervision to the child and create a plan for responding to their outbursts, with the child's key person taking the lead role. In cases where extreme behaviour is a recurring pattern, it may be an indicator of a special educational need. Using an ABC chart to track antecedents, behaviours, and consequences can help identify patterns and potential triggers. For example, identifying sensory processing issues or peer relationship issues can help in finding solutions to prevent the behaviour from happening. So:

• Prioritise the safety of all children and staff.

• Assign one-to-one supervision to the child and create a plan for responding to their outbursts.

• Use an ABC chart to track antecedents, behaviours, and consequences to identify patterns and potential triggers.

Building better behaviour in the early years is about understanding the "why" behind the rules. By promoting self-regulation, establishing clear boundaries for behaviour, reflecting on behaviour, and responding to extreme behaviour effectively, we can create a positive learning environment that sets children up for success. As educators, we have the power to make a lasting impact on the lives of our children.