highscope problem solving steps

The HighScope Approach: A Comprehensive Guide

• October 2, 2023

Understanding the HighScope Approach

What is the HighScope Approach? This educational philosophy, rich in its emphasis on active participatory learning, has been moulding young minds for almost six decades. It centers around the belief that children learn best when they’re fully engaged and self-directed in their learning process. The HighScope Approach, just like paint on an artist’s easel, integrates teaching and learning into a kaleidoscope of intermingled strategies.

This approach encompasses a wide range of key elements, including active learning, a supportive learning environment, daily routines that are child-led, a structured curriculum, and the indispensable role of the educator. But it’s not just about what happens within pre-school walls; the HighScope Approach ensures strong involvement from parents and caregivers, framing them as partners in their child’s educational journey.

Unlike traditional education models, the HighScope method allows children to learn through experiences, bringing their unique perspectives, curiosity, and direct interaction to the educational setting. This approach is flexible enough to be tailored to each child’s individual needs, fostering their individual strengths, interests and developmental needs. It’s an educational philosophy that is spontaneity-oriented yet structured, where active experimentation and intentional teaching go hand in hand. The HighScope Approach is a roadmap to holistic, engaged, and meaningful early learning.

Now that you have a general understanding of the HighScope Approach, let’s look at it’s key principles and how they can be implemented in your pre-school or childcare setting.

Key Principles of the HighScope Approach

Recognising the HighScope approach’s unique nature requires a deep understanding of its core principles. These principles, grounded in decades of educational research and child psychology, define the essence of the HighScope method.

1. Active Participatory Learning

The HighScope method places an emphasis on active participatory learning . The philosophy believes that children flourish when they’re ‘doers’, engaged in hands-on experiences. There are five ingredients of active learning that the HighScope approach advocates: i) materials ii) manipulation iii) choice iv) child language and thought, and v) support from adults.

2. Learning Environment

The second indispensable principle is the planning of a supportive learning environment . HighScope classrooms are divided into areas intended for distinct types of play. The setup encourages independence, allowing children to explore and learn through interactions with their surroundings.

3. Consistent Daily Routines

A significant aspect of HighScope methodology is the implementation of consistent daily routines . This revolving series of routines, developed by educators and children, gives structure to the day and allows children to anticipate what’s coming next, fostering feelings of security.

4. Adult-Child Interaction

The fourth principle, adult-child interaction , is all about forming meaningful relationships. This foundation is built on shared control, in which educators act as partners in learning, assisting children instead of directing them.

5. Assessment and Planning

The last principle is assessment and planning . HighScope promotes a cycle of observation, documentation, and planning around individual children’s interests and abilities. These assessment strategies aid in tracking and supporting individual developmental progress, enhancing each child’s learning trajectory. We’ll discuss this in more depth as we go. The main thing to remember, is that all of these principles are interconnected and work synergistically do support children’s development in the most thoughtful way. Watch our comprehensive masterclass for childcare professionals on observing, reflecting and documenting in a meaningul way, with an optional e-certificate. Click here to watch for free.

The Importance of Active Learning in HighScope

Central to the HighScope educational approach is the concept of active learning. This is not merely a theoretical concept, but rather a practical strategy focused on enabling children to learn through direct, hands-on experiences with people, objects, events and ideas. The belief is that children engage in learning with their whole beings; their arms and legs, hearts and minds, senses and emotions, are all involved in the process of discovery.

Active learning in HighScope implicates five key ingredients: materials, manipulation, choice, child language and thought, and support from adults. Let’s break these down. Materials refer to the learning aids used in the HighScope setting, ranging from playthings, puzzles, books, art supplies to natural objects, which encourage exploration and inquisition. Manipulation is the physical interaction by the child with these materials which enhances their sensory experience. Choice determines the child’s autonomy in selecting the activities, enabling them to drive their own learning process. Child language and thought comes into play when children articulate their experiences, promoting cognitive development. Lastly, the role of adults is crucial in providing a stimulating and supportive environment, fostering the child’s growth and sparking their interest.inherent curiosity. They act as guides, introducing new ideas and concepts, helping solve problems and facilitating social interaction. By knowing when to step in and when to let children discover on their own, adults play an instrumental role in the successful implementation of the HighScope Approach. This delicate balance ensures that children are motivated, confident, and fully engaged in their own education. The role of the educator is crucial in providing an optimum learning environment where child-driven learning thrives. It is the educator’s role to prepare children for the future by honing their problem-solving skills, nurturing their creativity, and building their social and emotional intelligence.

The Importance of Planning and Reflection in HighScope: The Role of the Educator in HighScope

In the HighScope approach, planning and reflection hold paramount importance. Not only do these aspects foster children’s cognitive development, but they also shape the role of the educator, making it highly distinctive and multidimensional.

As an educator in a HighScope setting, you are a facilitator, observer, evaluator, and a co-learner. Planning and reflection stand at the core of these roles, allowing you to offer meaningful learning experiences to children.

Facilitator

Initial planning begins as you design an enriching environment, with materials and activities that stimulate curiosity and promote active, hands-on learning. However, your responsibility doesn’t end there; it extends to observing how children interact with the environment and then planning further to support their interests and needs.

Being an effective observer is critically important. Observing children’s actions, conversations, choices, and interactions will provide you with valuable insights. These observations can inform your planning, helping you to provide tailor-made experiences that can enhance their learning and development. Watch our comprehensive masterclass for childcare professionals on observing, reflecting and documenting in a meaningul way, with an optional e-certificate.  Click here to watch for free.

As an evaluator, you’ll reflect on the observations you’ve made, scrutinising them deeper to understand the progress and needs of the children. This process allows you to evaluate whether your educational approach aligns with the children’s learning trajectory, and what could be improved or modified for better outcomes.

One of the key aspects of the HighScope approach is that you are not just an instructor but a co-learner. This perspective puts you in a position where your planning and reflection evolve along with the learning process of the children. By asking open-ended questions, engaging in shared discoveries, and reflecting on the experiences, you foster a rich, reciprocal learning environment.

The cyclical process of planning activities, implementing them, observing children’s responses, and reflecting on these observations plays a crucial role in driving children’s learning in HighScope settings. By performing these roles effectively, you contribute to a consistent, organised, and supportive environment that nurtures children’s growth and promotes their independence.

In essence, the effectiveness of a HighScope program rests significantly on your shoulders as an educator. It is through your thoughtful planning and critical reflection that children are guided and encouraged to become active participants in their learning. By embodying these roles, you truly become an impetus in shaping confident, capable, and curious learners.

Collaborating with Parents in HighScope

An integral aspect of the HighScope approach is strong, effective collaboration with parents. Although you’re the educator, in HighScope, parents are seen as partners and are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s learning journey. Strong relationships with parents foster a more enriching environment and stimulate a child’s development. This mutual cooperation ensures continuity in learning both at school and home. So, how do you achieve this collaboration effectively?

Promoting open communication

Regularly sharing updates about a child’s progress and behaviour is essential. This can take the form of informal discussions during drop-off and pick-up times or more formal meetings like parent-teacher consultations. Clear and open communication helps to reassure parents that their child is thriving and valued. It’s also an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about the child’s family life, interests, and routines at home.

Involving parents in the learning process

Beyond just sharing updates, you should encourage parents to be actively involved. Invite parents to classroom activities or special events. These hands-on experiences not only stimulate a child’s learning but also provide parents with a deeper insight into their child’s development and the effectiveness of the HighScope approach.

Providing resources for at-home learning

Extend learning beyond the walls of your childcare setting. Sharing resources for at-home learning helps families play an active role in the child’s development. This could be books, games, or activity suggestions that align with what the child is currently learning. It maintains continuity in the child’s learning and provides a shared context for future discussions with parents.

Respecting and integrating diverse family cultures

Every child and their family come with their own unique backgrounds and cultures. Recognise these differences and incorporate elements of each child’s culture into the learning environment. From celebrating different festivals to encouraging parents to share about their heritage or traditions, embracing diversity enhances cultural sensitivity and helps children feel known and celebrated. Using modern apps like TeachKloud, can enable educators to share observations and linkages to the HighScope curriculum in seconds.

A solid parent-educator partnership not only enriches a child’s learning experience, but it also cultivates a sense of community and trust. The HighScope approach acknowledges this, viewing parents as essential partners in the educational journey.

Observing and Documenting Children’s Learning with Teachkloud

Observation and documentation are cornerstones of the HighScope approach. There’s a significant emphasis on recognising and recording the unique progress of each child, which is where Teachkloud comes in.

Teachkloud is a childcare management app that makes this key aspect of the HighScope approach easier, more efficient and highly effective. With Teachkloud, you can continually observe children in their natural learning environments, capture their learning processes, and document their progression towards developmental and learning goals.

Teachkloud’s user-friendly interface makes it simple to record observations regardless of your comfort level with technology. Through its built-in features, you can sort and categorise observations, align them with the HighScope key development indicators (KDIs), as well as create individual child profiles. This allows you to track where each child is thriving and where more support might be needed.

More than just a tool for observation, Teachkloud provides a holistic and comprehensive view of the child’s development. This includes cognitive, physical, emotional and social aspects. It also helps identify patterns and trends in individual children’s behaviours, interests, and abilities over time. Watch our comprehensive masterclass for childcare professionals on observing, reflecting and documenting in a meaningul way, with an optional e-certificate.  Click here to watch for free.

Creating a Complete Learning Story

With Teachkloud, documenting a child’s ‘ learning story ‘ becomes a seamless process. A learning story is a narrative, centred around individual or group experiences, achievements and breakthroughs. They spotlight the child’s development and learning journey, offering a chronological view of their progress. By capturing moments of play, exploration, creativity and interaction, you thread together a detailed narrative that tells the dynamic and individual stories of each child’s growth and development.

Observation and documentation with Teachkloud not only provide valuable insights into children’s learning but also help inform future planning and instruction. Additionally, these records become an invaluable resource for involving parents in their child’s educational journey – sharing milestones as well as discussing ways to support ongoing progress. In HighScope, each child is seen as an active, capable learner, and Teachkloud equips you to capture this powerful perspective.

In conclusion, the HighScope approach offers a comprehensive educational framework aimed at fostering children’s intellectual, social, and emotional growth. By encouraging active learning, promoting consistent daily routines, and fostering strong adult-child interactions, the HighScope approach assists children in becoming independent, competent individuals.

As an educator, your role extends beyond simply teaching. You become a facilitator, observer, evaluator, and co-learner, shaping the learning experiences of the children in your care. Strong collaboration with parents is equally important, ensuring a holistic approach to the child’s learning, development, and well-being.

Processing the abundance of observations and assessments can be overwhelming. This is where a modern childcare management app like Teachkloud can reduce paperwork and enrich learning opportunities. It simplifies documenting children’s learning and sharing those successes with parents, making it easier than ever to implement the HighScope approach effectively.

Remember, the goal is not just to educate, but to inspire a love of learning that lasts a lifetime. Here’s to your success in implementing the HighScope approach in your teaching journey.

Understanding Socio-Emotional Development: A Comprehensive Guide

• 1st March, 2024

Pedagogy in Early Childhood Education: A Comprehensive Guide

• 21st January, 2024

Emotional Development in Early Childhood Education: A Practical Guide

• 7th January, 2024

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Conflict Resolution Steps

Play Date Problem Solving – 6 Steps To Conflict Resolution

• February 20, 2020

Sometimes the hardest thing about having a play date is managing the, “it’s mine!” and the “no it’s mine!”. It can be hard to navigate who really had “it” first, or who really hit who. Sometimes you may find yourself saying, “you guys need to share” or “say you’re sorry”. But does that really solve the problem??? Have no fear, these 6 steps to problem solving can help you on your next play date.

Next time you come across a conflict, try out these 6 steps and watch the magic happen.

• Feelings:  Acknowledge the children’s feelings. If they are fighting over a toy, then hold let them know that you are going to hold on to that toy while you guys solve the problem together. This will put some of their emotions at ease.
• Intel:  Find out what happened, ask BOTH of them to tell you what they think the problem is. Listen carefully as each will give their own details.

• Solution Negotiation:  Let the children come up with their own solutions, ask them, “what do you think would solve this problem?” If they don’t have any ideas yet say, “do you want to hear my idea?” Negotiate the solution until BOTH parties agree! Clarify details. The children in my classroom love negotiating by setting sand timers.
• Follow-Up:  Let the children know what they just did, “you just solved the problem!” Stay near to help them follow through with their solutions. The children are more apt to follow through with the solutions because it was their solution. They helped come up with it and agreed to it.

The children start getting the hang of the 6 steps and soon start to solving their own problems It’s a beautiful thing! Any questions about conflict resolution or have a scenario you’d like feedback on comment below!

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Segments in this Video

Introduction: supporting children in resolving problems and conflicts (04:36).

Children learn problem solving skills in play, stories, and through real conflicts. This helps them develop important communication, empathy, and negotiating skills. This program features comments by program directors, childhood consultants, an early childhood therapist, and teachers.

Creating an Environment that Encourages Problem Solving (00:44)

Strategies include providing a consistent, predictable daily routine, encouraging children's language development, and playing in partnership with children.

Providing a Consistent, Predictable Daily Routine (03:53)

HighScope's plan-do-review process helps children learn how to make constructive choices, supporting their emerging self-identity and social skills. Knowing the routine helps children feel secure and in control; participating builds community. Adults can plan activities around social learning.

Encourage Children's Language Development (06:24)

Vocabulary is essential for building positive relationships. Be warm and positive in conversations; describe and imitate children's actions; read books about feelings; and talk with children about feelings. Descriptive language is important for bilingual learners. Adults should acknowledge feelings when they occur.

Play in Partnership with Children (05:35)

Strategies include encouraging learning about feelings and helping children resolve problems arising during play. Letting go control of the situation facilitates learning about each child. See examples where adults encourage clear communication, problem solving, and social success.

HighScope's Six Steps to Conflict Resolution (03:35)

Teachers should approach calmly, acknowledge the children's feelings, hold any object in question, gather information, restate the problem, ask for ideas for solutions and choose one together, and give follow-up support. A teacher uses this model to help resolve a fire truck conflict.

Neutral Adult Problem-Solving Approach (05:48)

Gillen Brewer School Head Donna Kennedy discusses the importance of listening to children's perspectives and allowing children to express themselves and release emotion. She walks through HighScope's six conflict resolution steps during a fire truck conflict.

Problem-Solving with Limited Verbal Skills (02:42)

Gillen Brewer School head teacher Tamar Gressel discusses supporting non-verbal students to communicate during problem solving. See a conflict where an adult "interprets" student needs and helps negotiate sharing toys.

Examples of Each Conflict Resolution Step (08:00)

View scenes in which adults approach calmly, acknowledge the children's feelings, hold objects in question, gather information, restate the problem, ask for solution ideas and choose one together, and give follow-up support.

Train Track Conflict (04:44)

Gressel uses HighScope's six step problem solving approach to negotiate multiple solutions with children with limited verbal skills. Bloomingdale Family Program head teacher Joyce Dye discusses the process of making problem solving a classroom routine.

Strategies to Use Now to Prevent Bullying Later (04:17)

Young children are physically and verbally aggressive when frustrated or angry. Teachers should engage in problem solving every day and avoid labeling children. Instead of punishing, give children time and support to develop conflict resolution skills.

Developing Problem-Solving Solutions (06:34)

Early in the school year, most children react to conflicts with shoving and shrieking. As they experience daily problem solving, new verbal skills gradually replace physical reactions. Compare negotiations from early and later in the school year.

Additional Skills Mastered through Problem Solving (05:17)

Teachers should recognize that children are developing creativity and critical thinking. When adults ask children to generate solutions, children stay calmer and become more skilled at generating collaborative and inclusive solutions. They also become more independent while carrying out solutions.

Help Children Learn how to Be Friends (05:59)

Child psychologist Cathy Kaufman Iger discusses including feelings in play and naming feelings to help children understand the emotional lives of others and read social cues. Teachers can also help distinguish between classmates and friends while promoting respect.

Balance Limit-Setting Interactions by Following Up with Positive Interactions (07:56)

Educators should provide positive experiences after telling children "no" to avoid a negative cycle and prevent bullying behaviors. See examples of adults setting limits clearly and positively, followed by positive interactions.

Be a Positive Role Model (03:05)

Adults should use calm voices to create positive environments and use "I" statements when upset to model constructive expression of feelings. See examples.

Be Proactive (05:40)

Adults should read and discuss books about problem solving and feelings, use the message board to talk about problems and solutions, use the word "problem" often, and perform puppet shows about problems and feelings. See examples.

Supporting Children in Resolving Problems and Conflicts: Summary (04:15)

HighScope's conflict resolution approach strengthens children's emotional-social growth by paying attention to their feelings and social problems. Adults provide support for developing courage and confidence to try new activities and make new friends, cooperate with others, and be motivated learners.

Credits: I Want All The Turns! Supporting Children in Resolving Problems and Conflicts (00:55)

Credits: I Want All The Turns! Supporting Children in Resolving Problems and Conflicts

For additional digital leasing and purchase options contact a media consultant at 800-257-5126 (press option 3) or [email protected] .

I Want All The Turns! Supporting Children in Resolving Problems and Conflicts

Description.

Children, fight, argue, and throw tantrums — it's a preschool teacher’s job to help them find effective ways to resolve their problems. This program shows authentic problem solving and conflict resolution in HighScope classrooms, giving you a chance to see HighScope techniques in action. As children learn how to find constructive solutions (with teachers' help), they're developing essential communication, empathy, and negotiating skills for use throughout their lives. This program includes a special section on preventing bullying.

Length: 91 minutes

Item#: BVL167491

Copyright date: © 2013

Performance Rights

Prices include public performance rights.

Not available to Home Video and Publisher customers.

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National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations

Practical Strategies

• Infant-Toddler Classrooms
• Family Child Care Home
• Children’s Books

The Pyramid Model is comprised of practices that are implemented by teachers and families.  Below are ideas, resources, and illustrations of strategies that might be used to implement Pyramid Model practices and promote young children’s social and emotional competence in a classroom setting.

Teaching Social-Emotional Skills

S ocial-emotional skills can be categorized into four types: behavior regulation, friendship skills, emotional literacy, and problem-solving skills.

Behavior Regulation

Link to this accordion

Try these strategies with your child! The more you use a calming strategy and practice the strategy with your child, the more likely they are to use the strategy when experiencing anger, stress, sadness, or frustration.

Practical strategies article

Letter addressed to families announcing the use of the the Turtle Technique at the program.

Child is coloring a picture of a turtle and the teacher takes the opportunity to teach an impromptu lesson on Tucker the Turtle.

Use these strategies and visual to teach children self-regulation through controlled breathing and belly breathing.

Use this visual and strategies to teach children how to calm down.

Use this visual and strategies to teach children how to calm down. This version allows for the user to customize with their own photos and choice of feelings.

Turtle technique cards for teaching

(Técnica de la tortuga) Turtle technique cards for teaching in Spanish

Caregivers can use the strategies in the infographic to provide infants with predictability in their day, and safety in relationships- all to support healthy attachment. Infants rely on the adults in their lives to read their cues, and help them to regulate as they adapt to their world. Responsive and positive interactions between infants and their caregivers help to build a strong attachment relationship. Positive attachment relationships support healthy brain development, and set babies up for success to learn about their emotions and build relationships as they grow into toddlers and preschoolers.

Toddlers experience big emotions as they learn to make meaning of their world and communicate their needs. Toddlers look to their primary caregivers to let them what they are experiencing is okay. Caregivers can use the strategies included in this infographic to provide toddlers with predictability in their day, safety in relationships, meaning to their experiences and emotions, and begin to build their problem-solving skills.

The translation of this document was performed by a third party. NCPMI makes no guarantees as to the accuracy of the translation.

Song and finger play to reinforce teaching the Turtle Technique to children.

Tucker the Turtle provides a scripted story to teach young children how to calm down when they have strong feelings by tucking into their shell and taking deep breaths. The story also includes visuals to help children learn how to use the strategy.?

(La tortuga Tucker toma tiempo para detenerse y pensar) Tucker the Turtle provides a scripted story to teach young children how to calm down when they have strong feelings by tucking into their shell and taking deep breaths. The story also includes visuals to help children learn how to use the strategy.

Pattern to use for Turtle craft project

Friendship Skills

Use this schedule template to assist with planning opportunities for children to engage in social interaction.

Use this visual choice board to help young children select and use a classroom greeting. Options include contact and contactless greetings. Includes a blank space for teachers to insert their language translations as needed.

Use this visual choice board to help young children select and use a classroom greeting. Options include contact and contactless greetings.

Use this visual choice board to help young children select and use a classroom greeting while maintaining social distancing. Includes a blank space for teachers to insert their language translations as needed.

Use this visual choice board to help young children select and use a classroom greeting while maintaining social distancing.

Scripted Stories for Social Situations help children understand social interactions, situations, expectations, social cues, the script of unfamiliar activities, and/or social rules.

This resource helps adults teach peer buddies the steps in Stay-Play-Talk, a peer-mediated intervention for increasing social interactions.

Social Skills posters to 1) display when giving descriptions of the skill and 2) serve as a reminders to children when they are involved in a play activity. By referencing the posters and giving verbal reminders, you can prompt children to use the skills they have learned.

Teacher asks children to share how they were a super friend today.

Use this certificate to acknowledge children’s friendship skills and communicate with families regarding friendship skills in the classroom.

Teaching friendship skill article

Emotional Literacy

Teacher reads a story and talks about emotions with the children.

The Feeling Faces assist children with understanding their feelings and the feelings of others. It is important to teach children words to use to express feelings in replace of the use of challenging behavior. The feeling faces that follow can be used in a variety of ways to help children learn social emotional skills around use of emotional literacy and vocabulary.

Print and laminate these placemats for a fun way to embed emotional literacy practice at home or at school. Each mat provides a blank face paired with a feeling word and emoticon that children can use to model the feeling faces. Use the mats to make feeling faces out of play dough or other sand/clay material. Laminated mats can also be used with dry erase markers for easy wipe off when play is done.

The Feeling Faces assist children with understanding their feelings and the feelings of others. It is important to teach children words to use to express feelings in replace of the use of challenging behavior. The feeling faces that follow can be used in a variety of ways to help children learn social emotional skills around use of emotional literacy and vocabulary. Includes introduction in Spanish and visual in English and Spanish.

Here are tips and ideas for helping children identify emotions when your face, your most expressive feature, is covered by a mask. Use these strategies to let children know that behind the mask, a kind and warm expression is still there!

Handout with ideas for teaching emotional literacy at home.

Teacher asks open ended questions about how the characters in the book are feeling. Children think, pair, share to brainstorm responses.

Problem-Solving Skills

This resource provides common challenges children experience when learning the problem solving process along with implementation strategies for improving the problem solving process and supporting children through the problem solving challenges.

Teacher notices children needed support to problem solve and the solution they choose is a calm down strategy. Includes modeling, guided practice, and visuals.

Letter addressed to families announcing the use of the solution kit at the program.

This handout walks preschool practitioners through the steps to teaching problem solving, along with clearly defining the teacher’s role and example language.

Teacher guides children having a disagreement through the problem-solving steps and celebrates when they select and use a solution.

Positive notes home to acknowledge children’s problem solving skills and keep families informed of problem solving skills at school.

Problem solving steps strategies and poster. Includes boy and girl versions.

Make these wrist cards with the Problem-Solving Steps and keep within reach to review with children as needed.

Use the solution kit cards as prompts to assist in problem-solving.

Large solution kit cards for teaching

Use this scripted story to help children find a solution to her problem.

Use this scripted story to help children find a solution to her problem.

Scripted story to help children understand the steps to problem solving. Includes problem scenario cards to help children practice finding a solution to common social problems.

Social-Emotional Skills – General

In this article we look at the secondary level of the teaching pyramid, which emphasizes planned instruction on specific social and emotional skills for children at risk for developing more challenging behavior, such as severe aggression, property destruction, noncompliance, or withdrawal. Children who may be considered at risk for challenging behavior are persistently noncompliant, have difficulty regulating their emotions, do not easily form relationships with adults and other children, have difficulty engaging in learning activities, and are perceived by teachers as being likely to develop more intractable behavior problems. (Published in Young Children, November 2006)

These colorful posters serve as a great visual reminder to teach social and emotional skills All Day, Every Day.

Children benefit from organized classroom environments in which the guidelines are clearly and simply stated. A set of positive expectations can help guide all interactions in the classroom. Use these strategies and sample visual to teach children behavior expectations, what to do, how to do it, and what is expected.

This handout contains materials for completing a stop and go activity to teach classroom rules and expectations.

Handout with questions helping practitioners plan for using literature to teach social and emotional skills.

Scripted Stories for Social Situations

Scripted Stories for Social Situations help children understand social interactions, situations, expectations, social cues, the script of unfamiliar activities, and/or social rules. As the title implies, they are brief descriptive stories that provide information regarding a social situation. When children are given information that helps them understand the expectations of a situation, their problem behavior within that situation is reduced or minimized.

Use this scripted story to teach a child about the expectations and rules associated with going to school.

This tipsheet contains suggestions on how to develop and use scripted stories at home.

This tipsheet contains suggestions on how to develop and use scripted stories.

Tips for developing scripted stories

Use this sample scripted story to help support children when the day at school is different, specifically when children are temporarily in a different classroom with a new teacher.

This scripted story helps to explain to children the how, why, and when of wearing face masks.

Use this sample scripted story to support children in the classroom when the teacher is away.

These easy-to-use guides were created especially for teachers/caregivers and parents to provide hands-on ways to embed social emotional skill building activities into everyday routines. Each book nook is comprised of ideas and activities designed around popular children’s books such as Big Al, Hands are Not for Hitting, On Monday When it Rained and My Many Colored Days. Examples of suggested activities include using rhymes to talk about being friends, making emotion masks to help children identify and talk about different feelings, playing games around what to do with hands instead of hitting and fun music and movement activities to express emotions.

These easy-to-use guides were created especially for teachers/caregivers and parents to provide hands-on ways to embed social emotional skill building activities into everyday routines. Each book nook is comprised of ideas and activities designed around popular children?s books

These easy-to-use guides provide teachers, caregivers, and families ways to embed social-emotional skill-building activities into everyday routines. Each Book Nook is comprised of ideas and activities designed around popular children’s books.

Building Relationships

Teacher-child relationship.

This document is designed to be used to gather information about the children in your classrooms. It will provide teachers with important information to help them build a relationship with each and every child and family.

This handout describes the importance of building relationships with young children and contains practical strategies for for building positive relationships with children in the early childhood education setting.

Guide for how to give directions

Think of all the ways you make connections with children as deposits into their “emotional piggy bank.” Playing, giving time and attention, and showing warmth and affection are just a few ways we can make deposits. Fill in the coins on the worksheet with ideas of how you will build responsive relationships with children.? Being purposeful and consistent in the way we create nurturing and responsive relationships with children is the foundation for social-emotional learning.

Para favorecer la participación, la independencia y el aprendizaje durante las actividades diarias, los maestros pueden usar una práctica llamada “dejar que el niño dirija”. Las interacciones iniciadas por los niños son la principal característica de esta práctica. Para seguir la dirección del niño es necesario planificar y adaptar a los intereses del niño las actividades del aula, facilitar las interacciones de los niños con el entorno social y no social y apoyar sus decisiones a la hora de pasar de una actividad a otra.

Teachers can support children’s participation, independence, and learning in everyday classroom activities by using a practice called “following the child’s lead.” Child-initiated interactions are a key characteristic of this practice. Following a child’s lead involves planning and adjusting classroom activities based on children’s interests, facilitating children’s interactions with the social and nonsocial environment, and supporting children’s choices to transition from one activity to another.

This handout helps practitioners examine how challenging behavior impacts adult-child relationships.

Use this data tracking sheet to assess the positive to negative ratio of attention in a classroom. For example, a teacher or a coach can use the form to write down the examples of positive and negative attention observed during a specified routine or activity.

Providing positive encouragement is a powerful practice for helping children meet behavior expectations. This fact sheet provides ideas for how caregivers can deliver positive encouragement.

Use this tip sheet to help practitioners of infants and toddlers intentionally plan and think about how to reconnect, help children transition back to the classroom, and support children’s social and emotional development after being away from the program.

Rebuilding the Pyramid: Reconnecting After a Break is a one page tip sheet to help preschool practitioners intentionally plan and think about how to support children’s use of social and emotional skills that are important to re-teach or remind children after being away from a classroom. Areas to focus on include: schedules and routines, supportive conversations, expectations and rules, positive descriptive feedback and emotional support.

Positive descriptive feedback is a powerful strategy for teaching new skills and maintaining learned skills. By providing information about the child’s behavior as part of the feedback, the teacher helps the child understand what they have done and why it is being acknowledged.

Tips for descriptive feedback

Tips for giving directions

Teacher-Family Relationships

This resource provides three steps for teachers to follow when they have a challenging encounter with a family to get things back on track in order to provide the best care for the child and the family.

Programs can use this form to gather information from families as to the impact from the pandemic and best ways to support the child and family.

This brief provides practitioners with practical strategies for building relationships and collaborating with families from racially and ethnically diverse cultural backgrounds. It identifies common challenges and offers strategies for addressing them.

This fact sheet provides guidance for supporting children and families during difficult circumstances (e.g., national protests, community violence).

As early childhood programs work on re-opening after a long closure, they can use these online communication and phone scripts to help guide your conversations with families.

Related Resources

Schedules, routines, and transitions.

This handout helps preschool teachers to develop balanced daily schedules including considerations such as Activity Level, Child/Adult Directedness, and Group Size throughout the day.

This handout helps preschool teachers to identify routines for activities occurring in the classroom. The template is designed so teachers can think through each step of the routine, how to teach the steps, and how to individualize them. Use the example for guidance.

Teachers and parents can use these strategies and visual cards to help young children transition smoothly between activities.

Videos & Webinars

Brief video (9 min) that describes the strategies that might be used by early childhood programs and educators to promote social and emotional skills and prevent challenging behavior. The video provides information on universal and targeted practices and materials that might be used.

This 28-minute video highlights strategies and approaches that early childhood personnel and families can use to systematically target social-emotional supports that build young children?s skills in a variety of areas including making friends, problem solving, asking an adult for help, talking about feelings, and managing their emotions. The strategies rely on a 3-stage approach to supporting young children’s social-emotional development by (1) introducing and practicing a skill, (2) building fluency and competency with a skill, and (3) ensuring there is maintenance of a skill. The video provides multiple examples of early childhood personnel demonstrating how to introduce a skill using a variety of tools, practice a skill through planned and unscripted activities, and maintain the skill by recognizing children for using the skill on their own.?

This 28-minute video highlights strategies and approaches that early childhood personnel and families can use to systematically target social-emotional supports that build young children’s skills in a variety of areas including making friends, problem solving, asking an adult for help, talking about feelings, and managing their emotions. The strategies rely on a 3-stage approach to supporting young children’s social-emotional development by (1) introducing and practicing a skill, (2) building fluency and competency with a skill, and (3) ensuring there is maintenance of a skill. The video provides multiple examples of early childhood personnel demonstrating how to introduce a skill using a variety of tools, practice a skill through planned and unscripted activities, and maintain the skill by recognizing children for using the skill on their own.

This video was designed to provide a foundation for understanding the Pyramid Model as a framework for promoting young children?s social and emotional development and preventing and addressing challenging behavior. This video is a perfect way to be introduced to and become familiar with the Pyramid Model framework and is available with both English and Spanish open captioning. (26 min)

Brief video (9 minutes) that describes the impact of COVID-19 and potential impact on children’s social-emotional wellness. The video provides guidance on pivotal practices that can promote social-emotional skill development and how programs can use a trauma -informed care approach.

Brief video (9 minutes) that describes the impact of COVID-19 and potential impact on children’s social-emotional wellness. The video provides guidance on pivotal practices that can promote social-emotional skill development and how programs can use a trauma-informed care approach.

General Resources

The Children’s Book List includes diverse examples of books that can be used to promote social-emotional skills such as feelings and emotions, friendships, kindness, and problem solving.

A printable version of the online children’s book list with book titles only. For complete list with descriptions, see Children’s Book List  page.

Guidance on how adults can use neutralizing routines to stay calm when guiding a child whose behavior is challenging.

This data collection form can be used to collect data on child’s progress in targeted skill development. This form can hold up to one month of data, can track more than one goal, and is scored on the level of help most often used for the child to successfully complete the skill or behavior.

When children engage in behavior that pushes your buttons, it is important to be intentional in how you respond. This resource provides strategies that you might use when a child’s behavior pushes your buttons to help you respond in a way that is supportive of the child.

Tips for how to respond to challenging behavior when it occurs in the classroom.

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