Encouraging Positive Behaviour in the Early Years: A Practical Guide

Answers to Positive Behaviour Policy Quiz Time (Page 31)

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Encouraging Positive Behaviour in the Early Years © Collette Drifte 2008

Can You Tell Which is Which – The Medical or the Social Model?

Have a look at these scenarios and decide whether the practice reflects the medical or social model.

• 1.
  Jason finds it hard to wait for his turn to play with a toy and usually snatches it away from the child who's playing with it. Each time this happens, Jenny, his practitioner, takes the toy from him, telling him to leave the play area and that until he learns to play properly he won't be allowed there again.
• 2.
  Annan has difficulty with sessions in the Large Hall and usually runs around screaming and jostling the other children. His practitioners have rescheduled the sessions to take place when the trainee childcare practitioner is with them and she stays with Annan to support him. If he begins to behave inappropriately, the trainee takes him aside to share a story until he settles again and can rejoin the other children.
• 3.
  Ned's setting follows the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and takes the early learning goals very seriously. He's still working at the stepping stones level, mainly because the area of personal, emotional and social development is where he's having difficulties. His maths abilities are very good but the practitioners in the setting feel he should be following the curriculum at the same level across all areas.
• 4.
  At ‘Let's Talk’ time, Minnie isn't asked to make a contribution to group discussions because Lily, her practitioner, knows that she will disrupt the session. There isn't any point in depriving the other children of a good discussion, so Minnie can just listen. Because Minnie doesn't join in, her ability level in this area of learning is difficult to gauge.
• 5.
  Hugh sometimes behaves inappropriately when he's out with his group at the shops or in the park. One of his practitioners, Margery, feels he should be left at the setting because he's a danger and takes too much of her time and attention from the other children. Pauline, Hugh's other practitioner, rearranges the weekly outing to take place first thing in the morning, and persuades Hugh's grandma, who drops him off each day, to join the group and support Hugh while they're all out on the trip.

Answers to ‘Can You Tell Which is Which – The Medical or the Social Model?’

• 1.
  Jason: the medical model. Jenny's strategy of making him leave the play area until he learns to play properly reflects her perception that Jason is a ‘naughty boy’ and somehow deprivation of the toys will help him to learn appropriate play and social skills. She needs to plan a positive and practical step-by-step programme that will help Jason to develop these skills.
• 2.
  Annan: the social model. His practitioners have recognised that the sessions in the Large Hall cause problems and have taken steps to make sure Annan can join in and enjoy the activities for as long as he is able. The strategy of using the student to support him helps to reduce his stress and anxiety and therefore the inappropriate behaviour.
• 3.
  Ned: the medical model. The practitioners are totally focused on the age-related Foundation Stage targets and if Ned fails to achieve some of them, he has to work below his age-related level until he does. It would be more appropriate to recognise and celebrate each of Ned's skills at his level of achievement and encourage him to develop them still further, even if this means working at different levels in the different areas of the curriculum.
• 4.
  Minnie: the medical model. Lily feels that the problem is within Minnie and so is failing Minnie by depriving her of the opportunity to join in the discussions. Minnie is also deprived of the chance to learn speaking and listening skills. An uninterrupted session seems to be more of a priority than helping Minnie to develop.
• 5.
  Hugh: the social model. Hugh's practitioners recognise that the activity causes him problems and they devise a strategy that will enable him to join in the outings with support.

Inclusive Practice Quiz Time

Are the following scenarios examples of inclusive practice? If not, what strategies might the practitioners use to make sure the child is included?

• 1.
  Fergus, who is 4, has regular seizures and takes the anti-epilepsy drug Epilim. He attends his local pre-school group and often displays aggressive behaviour towards the other children. Some of the parents have complained and the practitioners have asked Fergus's parents to withdraw him from the group.
• 2.
  Mary-Clare is 3 and attends nursery full time, being dropped off by her mother on the way to work. Towards the end of the morning, Mary-Clare usually becomes tearful and finds it difficult to maintain concentration for a reasonable length of time. She will sometimes be quarrelsome with the other children or uncooperative with the adults. The practitioners discussed the problem with Mary-Clare's Mum and decided to give Mary-Clare a small snack mid-morning, as she has breakfast very early at home. (The setting's practice for full-time children is to give their snack mid-afternoon, as many of them have their evening meal quite late at home.) This should keep Mary-Clare going until lunchtime. She eats her snack with the morning-session-only children, so she is not being isolated in any way.
• 3.
  Beth is 4 and goes to playschool. She sometimes, but not always, finds difficulty in working in small groups, spoiling the other children's work or disrupting the activity. One of the practitioners usually removes Beth from the situation, chastises her and makes her get on with another activity on her own. This means the rest of the activity isn't spoilt for the other children.
• 4.
  Lee Wei, who is 4, usually behaves inappropriately during the midday meal. He pushes the food around the plate with his fingers and refuses to hold his knife and fork correctly, sometimes ending up throwing them across the table in temper. The practitioners speak with Lee Wei's Mum and discover that at home he eats with chopsticks. They agree that Lee Wei can bring some chopsticks from home and that they will cut larger pieces of food into bite-size pieces. Lee Wei's Mum has also offered to come to the setting and cook some Chinese dishes for all the children to try.

Answers to Inclusive Practice Quiz Time

• 1.
  Fergus: this is not inclusion. The setting needs to show both the parents and the other children that there is nothing to fear from Fergus's difficulties. The practitioners need to encourage an ethos of welcoming all children, regardless of their difficulties, and to arrange the activities to enable Fergus to take part without provoking bouts of inappropriate behaviour. They need to establish a consistent approach to Fergus's behaviour, letting him know exactly what is and is not tolerated within the setting. There should be close liaison with Fergus's parents and the relevant medical professionals to enable effective planning. There may be a connection between Fergus's medication, in terms of the actual drug and/or the dosage, and his behaviour. This should be explored by the medical professionals and any changes in regime should be shared with the setting's staff.
• 2.
  Mary-Clare: this is inclusion. Mary-Clare's practitioners have realised there's a pattern to her inappropriate behaviour – in the late morning, probably because she's hungry after an early breakfast. By giving Mary-Clare a snack mid-morning (i.e. differentiating), the practitioners have ensured that she's feeling comfortable physically and is therefore able to join in happily for the rest of the morning.
• 3.
  Beth: this is not inclusion. Beth is being deprived of an activity that is on offer to the other children, and also of the chance to develop her speaking, listening, turn-taking and social skills. Because Beth behaves like this only occasionally, the practitioners should try to discover why this is so. There may be clashes of personality, perhaps with the adult working with the group or with another child; the activity on offer may be inappropriate for Beth, being either too difficult or too easy; maybe the session is held at a difficult time of the day for Beth. Careful observation can help here, since a pattern may emerge that the practitioners can use when addressing the problem.
• 4.
  Lee Wei: this is inclusion. The practitioners realise that Lee Wei has difficulty in managing the cutlery. By discussing the situation with Mum and allowing him to use chopsticks, they ensure that Lee Wei is included in lunch time without the previous stresses. Also, by having the Chinese cooking sessions in the setting, the practitioners enable Lee Wei to share something of his cultural background with his peers, who clearly also benefit from this experience.

• Have you looked at your working areas from the point of view of a child with behavioural difficulties? They may find things that are confusing, overwhelming, too challenging, too easy, lacking in excitement or stimulation or even boring. Any of these could be the cause of the child behaving inappropriately.
• Have you looked at the physical layout of your room(s) and changed it around if necessary to enable the children with behavioural difficulties to access the resources and equipment?
• Have you displayed pictures, labels and captions at a child-friendly height? Frustration at not being able to see pictures properly or take out equipment easily could result in some undesirable behaviour.
• Have you reassessed the furniture, making sure that chairs and tables are the right height for comfortable working? If the child is uncomfortable they will soon begin to lose concentration, fidget about and eventually end up in bother. If they're spending quite a bit of their time in discomfort, it's hardly surprising if they become tetchy with the people around them.
• Have you made sure there is space between larger pieces of furniture? If the child is prone to be a bit ‘physically extrovert’, they're less likely to hurt themselves if there is plenty of room between tables and cupboards.
• Have you made sure the floor is not polished, to give a more secure foothold? If the child tends to zoom around when they're behaving inappropriately, they'll be less likely to slip.
• Do you keep the floor clear of small items such as pencils or Lego?
• Do you keep furniture and designated areas in the same place and keep the layout of apparatus the same, especially if it's used in another room or hall? Most children with behavioural difficulties need stability and consistency of routine, and this can include the physical aspects of the setting. If you change things around, some children simply can't handle the disruption, and the only way they know of responding is to behave inappropriately.
• If you do need to have a change around, do you prepare the child beforehand, warning them what's going to happen? Can you involve them by encouraging them to give you a hand? Do this with safety in mind, though, making sure any jobs you give them are simple and appropriate.
• Do you have your timetable or timeline in symbolic or pictorial form, as well as written? If the child's literacy skills are at a level that prevents them from reading your timetable, they need to be able to interpret it another way, and pictures or symbols are ideal for this.
• Have you chosen books that are appropriate for the children in terms of age, interests and achievement level? Do you select literature that appeals to the children, that interests and excites them, and makes them want to read the book over and over again?
• Do you make the books available to everybody and use them together, regularly? Do you share the books with the children, read them to the little ones, put on funny voices, encourage the children to join in where there are refrains or obvious phrases? Do you leave out a newly introduced book for the children to explore in their own time?
• Do you have a quiet area available where the child can go for pleasant ‘time out’ and to relax a little?
• Do you have some persona dolls or puppets to help the child explore their feelings?
• Do you use dolls or puppets as part of story time, circle time or group discussions to support the child who has difficulties managing themselves in this kind of situation?

• Ask the parents or carers whether the child's behavioural difficulties occur at home as well. Always remember to respect their confidentiality (except in cases where you may suspect abuse of some kind).
• Decide together as a staff and with the child's parents what will be the most effective strategies for dealing with their inappropriate and/or unacceptable behaviour. Observe the child and decide what their personal learning style is. Make sure you adopt a teaching approach that is in sympathy with the child's learning style.
• Find out whether anything specific triggers an outburst of inappropriate behaviour in the child. If you can put your finger on something, take action to avoid or prevent the child being placed in that position.
• If the child has Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), ask for advice from the child's parents. If you feel you'd like more specialised advice from a medical professional, ask the parents' permission to approach the relevant professional. Exploit the many good, readable books that are available, and the many websites where you can obtain advice, support and information.
• Give the physically aggressive child plenty of learning activities. Try to make sure every bit of ‘dead time’ can be used positively and effectively. Avoid setting the child senseless tasks such as colouring in or completing photocopiable sheets. Give them something practical, meaningful and with something positive to show for it on completion.
• Never accept aggressive behaviour and always reward positive behaviour. Let them know that you won't tolerate aggression under any circumstances. Watch for any positive behaviour by the child and immediately praise them for it, making them feel good about what they've done.
• Establish a few essential ground rules to be followed consistently by everyone. These should be simple, meaningful, positive and consistently followed by everybody, adults as well as children.
• If appropriate, withdraw the child from group situations for a while and encourage them to talk through their feelings with an adult.
• Watch for and support the introverted and withdrawn child, the one who is seriously a loner, and continues to be so when it's time they had settled and come out of their shell.
• For the child who finds groups hard to handle, work with them initially in a one-to-one situation using fun activities. As their confidence and positive behaviour increase, so you can make the size of the working group larger by gradually introducing more children, one at a time.
• Support the child in whole-class/group sessions. When you feel they're ready to work in the full group, be there to support them at first until they seem to be able to handle the situation with confidence. Knowing the child well will give you an indication of the best way of planning the support.
• Be ready with a fun activity when the child arrives at the start of the session. By having something exciting and meaningful for the child to do straight away, you may well be avoiding any difficult moments.
• Keep to the daily routine as much as possible. If there are going to be some changes to the day's routine, warn the child beforehand, using something concrete to show them, such as an egg-timer or an alarm.
• Make sure that even simple interactions and exchanges are inclusive. Peer example is a wonderful resource you can exploit to the full.
• Make sure that every member of the group and their contribution to the day's activities are valued. Public praise reinforces the child's achievements and motivates them to try the next challenge. The child's opinion must be heard and respected by everybody, even if it goes against that of the majority. You should acknowledge its validity and respect it.
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• Use your baseline assessments or the Early Years Foundation Stage profile to check the child's achievement level in the area of personal, emotional and social development and plan their next targets from that point.
• Make sure that the activities, work, curriculum, etc. you offer the child are appropriate. It's vital you match the level of the child's abilities to the level of work. In other words, when planning the child's programme, you must match the game to the aim.
• Involve the child's parents and, whenever you can, the child as well in planning their IEP or Play Plan.
• Observe the child at work and play. Find out what motivates, stimulates, excites and challenges them. Use this information to plan the rewards and sanctions that form an integral part of their IEP.
• When the child has behaved in a positive and desirable way, even if it was for a fleeting moment and even if it wasn't the final target of their IEP, give them lots of praise and some form of reward to motivate them to continue trying, and to show them exactly what it is you're expecting of them with regard to their behaviour.
• Involve the children in their own record keeping.
• If the child has communication difficulties, learn a signing system such as Makaton, which has symbols as well as text. You can liaise with your local speech and language therapy department to find out how to access a training course.
• If the child seems to be distressed on admission to your setting, it often helps if you allow them to bring a ‘comfort blanket’ or favourite toy from home until they settle.
• Allocate a key worker to the child wherever possible.
• Always speak to the child in a positive way. Simple as it may seem, practice like this contributes to creating a positive and pleasant atmosphere for everybody, not least the children with behavioural difficulties, who often seem to hear nothing but ‘don'ts’ all the time.
• Make sure you face the child when speaking and don't turn away until you've finished speaking. Keep bringing your eyes back to the child and maintain that contact with him.
• Make sure your facial expression is always relaxed and warm. Keep a smile and twinkling eyes for the child, even if you have to pretend at times.
• Watch for any personality clashes and change the routine to avoid difficult situations, if necessary. There could be relationship difficulties between the child and other children, or between the child and an adult in the setting.
• If the child has any equipment, communication systems or other special facilities to support them, take the time to learn how to use them properly.

Towards the children

• Try to behave at all times in an appropriate and professional way. We are the representatives of our setting and our conduct is on view to many people over the course of the day.
• Try to avoid letting a child ‘get to you’, i.e. try not to become irritated by a child, particularly one with whom you find it challenging to form a positive relationship.
• Try to see the positive points of a child. Everybody has something likeable about them. Identify what this is in each child you work with, and use it as the basis of establishing rapport.
• Find out about the child as a person: what they like to do, what makes them laugh, what they're good at, what they don't like, and so on.
• Always speak positively to a child, even when you feel they're behaving inappropriately.
• Before you address a child, pause for a moment and make sure you're not using names or labels, particularly any with a negative connotation.
• When speaking about a child, either to an adult or to another child, always refer to them in positive terms.

Towards other adults

• Try to get along with every adult involved with the setting, even those you find difficult to interact with.
• If you dislike a colleague, ask yourself honestly why, then decide how to approach it positively.
• Look at your own conduct towards them and decide whether there could be something about you that they dislike.
• Try to make a real effort to treat that person with respect. Don't ignore them, refuse to speak to them or turn away from them.
• Make an effort to speak politely and pleasantly to that person. Avoid speaking sharply to them, particularly in front of anybody else, most especially the children.
• Apart from appropriate professional discussions, avoid talking about that person with other adults in the setting. This is most important particularly in front of the children or the parents.
• Ask yourself whether there's some way that person may need support and you're failing to give it.
• Make a real effort not to show your negative feelings to that person. Go out of your way to behave positively towards them.

Positive Behaviour Policy Quiz Time

Tick the appropriate boxes. You may like to tick more than one box.

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Encouraging Positive Behaviour in the Early Years © Collette Drifte 2008

Answers Positive Behaviour Policy Quiz Time

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Encouraging Positive Behaviour in the Early Years © Collette Drifte 2008

High Fells Nursery Positive Behaviour Policy

We believe that all children, including those with behavioural difficulties, have the right to a broad, balanced and purposeful early years curriculum. Our intention is to ensure the inclusion of all the children in our nursery.

Our SENCO is Clare Hardy and she helps everybody involved with our nursery in all aspects of supporting children with behavioural difficulties and their families.

Clare has completed the LA's Accredited course in supporting children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Our aim is to:

• ensure a happy, caring and secure environment for everybody who works in or visits High Fells Nursery;
• ensure that everybody in our setting, their opinions and their talents are respected and valued;
• identify children's behavioural difficulties. and work together with their parents to support the children in managing their difficulties;
• differentiate, adapt and accommodate our curriculum, activities and materials when necessary, to ensure the inclusion of children with behavioural difficulties;
• ensure that our plans for each child with behavioural difficulties are appropriate;
• review at least once a month, with parents, their child's action plan(s) and make appropriate changes when necessary;
• emphasise and encourage positive behaviour by everybody in the setting;
• identify behaviours that are acceptable and agree on ways to encourage these within the setting;
• identify behaviours that are unacceptable and decide on ways of discouraging and/or managing these within the setting;
• acknowledge when we cannot meet the child's needs in High Fells Nursery and to discuss with their parents the request for support from outside professionals;
• work together with the outside professionals, the child and the parents to plan and use appropriately revised Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) and/or Play Plans to support the child;
• acknowledge when we continue to be unable to meet the child's needs in High Fells Nursery, and to discuss, with everybody involved, a request to the LA for a statutory assessment of the child;
• review this policy once each term and make any appropriate changes to ensure it is relevant to our setting and the children we care for.

High Fells Nursery Positive Behaviour Policy

We believe that all children, including those with behavioural difficulties, have the right to a broad, balanced and purposeful early years curriculum. Our intention is to ensure the inclusion of all the children in our nursery.

Our SENCO is Clare Hardy and she:

• helps us to identify children's behavioural difficulties;
• helps us with planning approaches to working with and supporting children with behavioural difficulties;
• updates the parents with their children's progress;
• makes sure the children's progress is regularly reviewed;
• makes sure the parents are fully involved with the planning for their child.

Clare has completed the LA's accredited course in supporting children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Our aim is to:

• ensure a happy, caring and secure environment for everybody who works in or visits High Fells Nursery;
• ensure that everybody in our setting, their opinions and their talents are respected and valued;
• admit children with behavioural difficulties after a familiarisation period which is appropriate to the child's needs; parents may stay with the child initially, according to the needs of the child;
• identify children's behavioural difficulties using a variety of observations, assessments and monitoring procedures, according to the child's needs; assessments and identification of behavioural difficulties will be done by the appropriate member(s) of staff; parents will be involved with and informed of each assessment;
• work together with parents to support the children in managing their difficulties, deciding on programmes or plans of action according to each child's needs;
• differentiate, adapt and accommodate our curriculum, activities and materials when necessary, to ensure the inclusion of children with behavioural difficulties; any adaptations will be made according to the needs of the child;
• ensure that our plans for each child with behavioural difficulties are appropriate, closely monitoring their progress to make sure that the plans remain appropriate and relevant;
• review at least once a month, with parents, their child's action plan(s) and make appropriate changes when necessary;
• emphasise and encourage positive behaviour by everybody in the setting; this includes adults as well as children;
• identify behaviours that are acceptable and agree on ways to encourage these within the setting, for example by drawing attention to and publicly praising children when they show positive behaviour; these ways should be appropriate and meaningful for each child;
• identify behaviour that is unacceptable, for example swearing, bullying or physical violence;
• decide on ways of discouraging and/or managing these unacceptable behaviours within the setting, for example by ignoring the undesired behaviour or by withholding ‘free choice’ activities; these ways should be appropriate and meaningful for each child;
• acknowledge when we cannot meet the child's needs in High Fells Nursery and to discuss with their parents the request for support from outside professionals;
• work together with the outside professionals, the child and the parents to plan and use appropriately revised Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) and/or Play Plans to support the child;
• regularly review the IEPs/Play Plans to ensure that they remain appropriate and effective for the child's progress;
• acknowledge when we continue to be unable to meet the child's needs in High Fells Nursery, and to discuss, with everybody involved, a request to the LA for a statutory assessment of the child;
• review this policy once each term and make any appropriate changes to ensure it is relevant to our setting and the children we care for.

(Numbers denote the length of time in minutes spent at each activity.) Buster Clayton: Observed 17.2.08; 9.15 – 9.30 a.m.

Buster Clayton: Observed 18.2.2008; 9.15 – 9.30 a.m.

Date and time of observation: 15.02.2008; 10.45 – 11.00 a.m.

Observer: Annie Davies

Buster alone at water play, pours water from cup into bowl; mumbling to himself. Goes to sink and fills cup with water, returns to water tray and pours water into watermill. Tries to stop water leaving watermill; gets frustrated (‘bloody toy’); leaves water play. Goes to model making (no place free); stands beside Susan, watches her making model. ‘Let me try’ – Susan refuses. Buster tries to snatch Susan's glue brush; they tussle and Buster slaps Susan's hand; Susan cries and goes to R.D. Buster sits on Susan's seat and smashes Susan's model. R.D. intervenes & asks why he hit Susan; Buster denies it; R.D. tells Buster to leave model making area. Buster goes to Home Corner and plays with doll. Asks to join other children's game; they refuse. Buster cuddles doll alone in corner.

Area of learning: Personal and Social Development

Learning targets:

• 1.
  Waiting to take turn if activities not yet available
• 2.
  Being gentle, i.e. controlling urge to hit etc.
• 3.

Strategies:

• 1.
  Agree system with Buster for rewards for each time he waits to take his turn.
• 2.
  Plan programme with rewards for specific time-spans spent with specified positive behaviour.
• 3.

• Celebrate the child's strengths. Identifying where the child requires support must not be a long list of what Buster can't do but a brief description of where he's having difficulties. For example, Buster has problems with working in small groups and also with sustaining attention for more than three minutes during structured sessions. It can be easy to focus on the things that Buster can't do, but he will have strengths, talents and skills. You must identify these and use them as the point from which to work.
• Work in small steps. This is for both the child and yourself. You should choose targets relevant to both the child's needs and achievement level, and where you can, link them in with the relevant curriculum goals. Small increments of success will have more long-term consolidation. If you aim too high at first, your plan will probably fail in the end. If the child struggles to achieve a target, then you have set it too high. In that case, reduce the steps to even smaller ones and help the child to gradually work towards the original aim with success and confidence. Try to select targets that take the child from the point that they have already reached and have success with.
• The IEP can be changed at any time, as long as you discuss any changes with everybody involved. IEPs are flexible, working documents and if any of the elements in it seem to be failing the child, you must review and alter them accordingly. You don't have to wait until the official review if you need to change something: you can bring the meeting forward. You need to do this because the child's time is precious and they can't afford to lose any.
• Watch for a pattern emerging in the results of the child's IEP. It could be in terms of person, time, place or any combination of these. For example, does Buster often or always fail to meet his targets in the same session? Have you checked whether there's a clash of personality between Buster and Mrs Smith, the practitioner who works with him? Is it because Buster does his IEP at 11.30 a.m. and he can smell lunch being made, which is hard on him if he hasn't had any breakfast? Is it because he works near the construction area and he's always being distracted by what is going on? If you do identify a problem, you must try to change whatever is the cause. So Buster could work with Mrs Jones instead, or at 9 a.m. after you've given him a drink and a couple of biscuits, or in the quiet corner rather than near the construction toys
• Review the teaching methods if the child seems to be struggling to achieve their targets. This could involve person, place or time, but it could also be the choice of resources and equipment, the strategies you use, or the reward system you've chosen, or any combination of these. You should always use positive teaching methods. A child's self-esteem is tightly bound in with positive and confident interactions. It's stating the obvious to say that an unhappy child cannot learn effectively, but it is true, and the child who is experiencing behavioural difficulties needs both positive support and active encouragement.
• Involve the child and their parents at every stage of the planning and operation of the IEP. They have an incentive to make it work if they've been involved, and it's also more likely to be meaningful to them. The child's age is not important since even very young children can be involved at an appropriate level, such as choosing from specific equipment or selecting an activity from several options.
• Review the child's progress at least every three months. This is the time span recommended by the SEN Code of Practice, but you should regard it as a minimum time span. As we have already seen, if the IEP seems to be failing the child for some reason, it is important to review it sooner rather than later.
• Check previous achievements regularly. You need to make sure that the child really has consolidated their earlier targets. It can easily happen in the ‘busyness’ of the setting for you to assume that Buster has retained a target he achieved three weeks ago, and that he can carry on to the next stages. The child can sometimes forget the skill or concept, and carrying on to the next stage will only end in failure. If Buster seems to have forgotten [Page A20]a skill he previously achieved, then teach it to him again. If he hasn't retained a skill, then it's possible that somehow the original teaching may have been ineffective, so you should review this too and change it.
• Give plenty of repetition. They will need lots of practice to learn and consolidate a skill or concept, and you needn't be afraid of ‘overkill’. As long as you put the concept across positively, in a fun way, with a variety of activities where appropriate, the child won't mind over-learning.
• Praise the child if they make a good effort. Success breeds success and praise for achievement goes towards striving for even more achievement. But it's important to consciously praise effort as well, even if a target wasn't achieved. If Buster tried really hard during the session then you should tell him how pleased you are with his efforts. You must always be truthful, however, because the child will know if they didn't really achieve a target or didn't really try, and if you praise them anyway, your praise will become valueless.
• Always refer to failure positively. If they haven't managed to achieve a target, they don't want to have their disappointment reinforced by hearing you say things like, ‘What a pity’ or ‘Oh dear, you didn't manage it today, did you, Buster?’ If your comments on an unsuccessful outcome are positive, the child is less likely to become disheartened and give up trying. For example, say something like ‘Buster, you tried really hard today and you've almost hit your target. I bet you'll manage it tomorrow when we have another go. Well done!’
• Be flexible. You might have to use lots of activities to put across a teaching point or to help the child to grasp a concept. This is where your imagination and ingenuity will come into its own. Some children can't generalise a point and you will have to re-teach it in other contexts. Doing this successfully means you need to be flexible in your approach.
• Be patient. Practitioners are human and have problems and worries in their personal lives. Sometimes even the most patient person will be irritated by the child. If they and/or the session are winding you up, then simply stop the session and take time out to get back on an even keel. Some children know exactly which buttons to press if you're having an ‘off day’. You won't gain anything by becoming stressed out, and neither will the child, so if it happens, it's best to leave things to calm down before trying again.
• Always be consistent. Children need stability and routine, and they're less likely to be confused if you provide a consistent approach. It's also useful if the child's main practitioner is absent and somebody else has to take over the programme, since they'll know what to do simply by following the notes on the IEP.
• Focus on a maximum of three or four targets, and you should focus on the area(s) causing most concern. For some children working on a behaviour IEP, even one target could be enough; if you do go for only one or two targets, make a note about this on the form as a record of your professional judgement.
• The targets you choose should be SMART, that is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-related.
• Ask the child's parents for their input since they are the experts on their own child.
• Write the targets concisely. Try to avoid jargon or flowery language, and write the targets in clear, specific terms that can be followed and understood by anybody reading the IEP.
• Together, agree on the criteria for success. Decide how everybody involved will know when the child has achieved the target. The criteria must be specific and clear, without any room for confusion
• Together, agree on methods you will use to acknowledge and celebrate the child's success. The reward must be meaningful for the child. Be very careful not to use a ‘play’ session as a reward, since you may create in the child's mind a distinction between ‘work’ and ‘play’.
• Keep detailed records since they provide vital evidence of the child's achievements particularly over a longer period of time. If the child is among the minority who have to go forward for statutory assessment, these records are crucial for the body of evidence which you will be asked for by the LA.
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• Be specific about the behaviour which you find unacceptable. Use precise language, i.e. ‘Buster pinches other children during circle time’ rather than ‘Buster's quite unkind to the other children’.
• Be specific about the positive behaviour you're aiming for. ‘Buster will sit in circle time and keep control of his hands’ is more focused than ‘Buster will develop more social behaviour during circle time’.
• Add a time element to your plan. For example, are you aiming for Buster to have positive circle time every day, three days a week or once every five days? Only you will know the parameters because it depends on the child and their needs, abilities and achievement level, and the seriousness of the difficulty.
• Be prepared for a worsening of the child's behaviour in the early stages of the IEP. Some children may find it difficult to handle the ‘regime’ imposed by the IEP and react in the only way they know.

Areas of strength: Buster enjoys the computer: he will work on it for up to 10 minutes; he's interested in construction toys.

Areas of concern:

• 1.
  Buster shouts out during group activities.
• 2.
  Buster runs around the room during structured activity time.

Targets and criteria for success:

• 1.
  Buster will wait quietly for his turn to speak during group activities of five minutes, initially for two mornings per week, increasing to five mornings per week.
• 2.
  Buster will concentrate on a structured activity, initially for two minutes, three days per week, rising to five minutes five days per week.

Targets to be reached by:

• 1.
  30.06.2008
• 2.
  30.06.2008

Strategies to be used:

• 1.
  Buster can put a sticker on his achievement chart each time he waits quietly during group activities. Five stickers will mean he can play with the construction toys for an extra session.
• 2.
  Buster will be allowed an extra five minutes on the computer each time he achieves his target for structured activities.

Adults involved: Mrs Jones will work with Buster in nursery; Buster's Mum will use a Play Plan at home.

Resources/equipment: Activities as appropriate; Buster's achievement chart and stickers; Play Plan for home.

Date of next review: 30.06.2008

Parent's/carer's comment: I'll do what I can to help Buster.

Practitioner's signature: Mary Bloggs (SENCO)

Play Plan for Buster Clayton and Buster's family.

Buster will play these games to help increase his concentration span and to take his turn:

• 1.
  Buster chooses a toy or game (not the computer) and plays positively with it together with brother Toby for five minutes, then increasing by a minute each time he reaches his target. When Buster reaches a target, he can play alone on the computer for the same length of time or more if he wants.
• 2.
  Buster, Toby, Mum and Dad takes turns to choose a board game. Buster takes his turns during the game. Let Buster keep the record of who chose the game by sticking the smiley faces on the chart next to each person's name, every night.

Begin by:

For target 1: giving Buster a maximum of two games to choose from. You can increase the number of games when he's ready for bigger choices. If five minutes is too long for Buster to play positively with Toby, reduce it to four or three. Let him have the session on the computer as soon as he reaches his target.

For target 2: giving free choice of game to whoever has the turn that night. Buster fills in the record chart. Have fun playing the game, encouraging Buster to take his turn properly. Stop the game straight away if Buster refuses to wait his turn, and explain why. (Don't let him play on the computer afterwards if this happens.)

If Buster's tired or fed up during any of the game sessions, finish them quickly on a happy and enjoyable note.

Here's what Buster did:

Monday, 7 January: Buster chose Connect Four and played with Toby for 4 minutes before having a wobbly. I stopped the game and he didn't have his Game Boy on. We played Happy Families in the evening (Dad's choice – I think he's trying to tell me something!) and Buster was great.

Tuesday, 8 January; Buster chose Connect Four again. He played well with Toby for five minutes and 35 seconds. He then played on the computer for about 10 minutes. I chose Ludo. Buster wouldn't wait for his turn so we packed up the game.

Wednesday, 9 January: Today was great. Buster and Toby played with their Lego for about ten minutes with no fights. I let him play on the computer till teatime. Buster chose snakes and ladders and he waited his turn every time. He didn't want the computer again, so he watched a bit of telly instead.

Thursday, 10 January: Buster was a bit narky today and only lasted seven minutes with Toby on the Jackstraws. But I let him go on the computer because he got more than his five minutes target. Toby chose Jackstraws again for the family game and Buster went ballistic so I put the game away and he didn't have computer. I think he was tired.

Friday, 11 January: Couldn't do the programme because we had to take the boys to swimming and football practice.

Saturday, 12 January: Buster was brilliant today. He played with Toby in the garden for about 15 minutes taking turns on the swing and climbing frame. He had about ten minutes on the computer. Dad chose Kerplonk and we had a great time. Buster took his turn and didn't lose his rag.

Sunday, 13 January: We went to Grandma's and Buster and Toby played with Grandad's old Meccano set. They were at it for about half an hour and no fights. (Heaven!) Buster didn't want the computer when we got home so we all played Jackstraws. I chose it to see what would happen after Thursday night, but it was great. We played for about 15 minutes.

Buster and Toby usually play their game while I cook the tea. We play the family games in the evening before bedtime. I think it's beginning to sink in with Buster.

Date when this Play Plan was finished at home: Sunday, 13 January 2008

07.01.08 – Buster Clayton's review due on 8.02.08 – request information and advice from:

18.01.08 – advice received so far from Mrs Jones and Mrs Bloggs

21.01.08 – has everybody sent advice? Chase missing documents

25.01.08 – send invitations and advice documentation for Buster Clayton's review

08.02.08 – get coffee, biscuits and flowers for Buster Clayton's review

08.02.08 – Buster Clayton's review: 10.00 a.m.

Present at review: Mrs Clayton (mother), Mrs Jones (EY teacher), Mrs Bloggs (SENCO)

Reports of child's progress/IEP:

Mrs Jones:

• 1.
  Buster has made progress and now waits quietly for his turn to speak during group activities. He's now up to four minutes, and sometimes longer every morning. I've found that giving the children a wooden egg to hold while it's their turn to speak helps Buster.
• 2.
  Buster's a bit slower with this target but he's coming on. He's managing about three minutes or so, most days. By always having the next activity ready, I'm able to forestall any bouts of inappropriate behaviour I see building up, by immediately distracting him.

Mrs Clayton:

We're still following Play Plans at home and Buster's doing well with them. We're all enjoying spending time together as a family and I'm sure it's helping Buster with his behaviour. He doesn't fight with Toby so much now. I'm pleased with what you're doing for him.

Additional comments/reports from people not present:

• a)
• b)
• c)

Further action:

Next review due: 8 May 2008

Areas of strength:

Areas of concern:

Targets and criteria for success:

Targets to be reached by:

Strategies to be used:

Adults involved:

Resources/equipment:

Date of next review:

Parent's/carer's comments:

Practitioner's signature:

Reports of child's progress/IEP:

Additional comments/reports from people not present:

• a)
• b)
• c)

Further action:

Next review due:

Child's name and date of birth: Buster Clayton: 13.02.2004

Observer's name: Anne Jones

Date and time of observation: 15.02.2008; 09.15 – 11.00 a.m.

Focus of observation/area of learning: Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Child's name and date of birth:

Observer's name:

Date and time of observation:

Focus of observation/area of learning:

Observation Quiz Time

Are the following statements, taken from observations, objective and factual?

• 1.
  Soozie ran up to Jason and slapped him across the face during free choice time.
• 2.
  Brandon tore Pritpal's painting off the easel and screwed it up, before throwing it into the bin.
• 3.
  Gita was misbehaving through the whole of story time.
• 4.
  Pasqual kicked over the tower of blocks that David had made.
• 5.
  Owen stayed in the home corner and disrupted the other children's play for five minutes.
• 6.
  Walter became very aggressive towards Mina and made her very upset.

Answers to Observation Quiz Time

• 1.
  Yes. The statement tells us exactly what Soozie did.
• 2.
  Yes. We know what Brandon's behaviour consisted of from the statement.
• 3.
  Mostly no. We have no idea what Gita was doing. ‘Misbehaving’ tells us nothing beyond the notion that the observer disapproved of Gita's behaviour. There is some factual information since we know when she was behaving inappropriately, but we don't know what she did.
• 4.
  Yes. Pasqual's actions are described factually.
• 5.
  Mostly no. We have the factual information that tells us where and for how long the inappropriate behaviour took place, but the term ‘disrupted’ doesn't give us any indication of what Owen was doing.
• 6.
  No. ‘Aggressive’ is a subjective word in this context and doesn't tell us what exactly Walter was doing to Mina. Neither do we know what Mina's reaction was, since ‘very upset’ is a vague description which gives little useful information.

• Acknowledge the child's home language and let them know that speaking it in the setting is valued.
• Celebrate the cultural differences brought by the child to the setting and use these as learning opportunities for everybody.
• Assess the abilities of the child relative to the Early Years Foundation Stage profile as early as possible after they join the setting.
• Allow the newly-arrived child time to absorb English by letting them have them a ‘silent period’ until their self-confidence increases.
• Never allow any racist comments or jokes within the setting, either by the children or any of the adults, at any time.
• Do all you can to boost the child's self-esteem.
• Encourage the child, when they are ready, to contribute more than one-word answers and so show you have high expectations of them.
• Ask for and encourage support from bilingual parents, volunteers or other professionals to develop the child's understanding and vocabulary.
• Use culturally relevant resources and learning materials so that the child's developing use of English and their home language support one another.
• Use ICT to enable the child to develop and expand all their language skills.
• Where possible, group together children who share the same home language.
• Provide a range of opportunities for the child to speak and listen in English during activities with both the other children and adults.
• Provide opportunities for the child to hear their home language as well as English through use of audio and visual/video materials.
• Analyse the language level of all activities in order to understand how they can promote language as well as content learning.

Dear

I am sorry that you were not able to come to see me about ____ on ____.

As you know, we have a few concerns about ____'s behaviour and we're now going to plan some activities here to help him/her develop as well as possible.

I'm enclosing a copy of ____'s Differentiated Behaviour Plan, which shows what we hope to do with ____ over the next few weeks.

I hope you'll be able to call in soon and talk about ____'s progress, and how you think we might be able to help him/her in other ways. Perhaps when you come to collect ____, you could have a short chat with me about the Behaviour Plan.

Best wishes

Dear

I am sorry that you weren't able to come to the meeting about ____'s progress on ____.

We are still concerned about his/her progress in developing positive behaviour and have decided to take Early Years Action. This means that we will plan his/her activities and work here, with targets for him/her to achieve over a few weeks.

If you'd like to talk to me about this, feel free to come and see me when you drop off or collect ____ any day. Or, if you'd like to arrange a meeting, just let me know and we can fix a time to suit you.

Best wishes

Dear

I am sorry that we haven't been able to get together to talk about ____'s progress.

As you know, we're still planning ____ work to help him/her to achieve his/her targets.

We hope very much that you'll be able to help us with the planning and so I'd like to ask you to call in to see me on ____ at ____. If this isn't convenient, let me know and we can agree a better time.

In the meantime I enclose a copy of ____'s latest Individual Behaviour Plan. You can see how well ____ is doing and how pleased we are with him/her.

If you'd like to talk to us about the Plan, I'll be delighted to go through it with you when you come on ____.

Best wishes

Dear

As you know, ____ has been following an Individual Behaviour Plan here for the last six weeks.

It's now time to have a look at ____'s progress and make sure that we're still helping him/her properly.

We're going to talk about the Plan on ____ at ____ to decide whether it's working and whether we need to change anything on it.

We hope very much that you'll be able to join us and help us to make the next decision about the best ways of helping ____.

If the time above isn't good for you, but you can manage to come to a meeting on another date, please let me know and we'll get together then.

Best wishes

Dear

I am sorry that you weren't able to join us when we met to discuss ____'s Individual Behaviour Plan. We would very much have liked you to tell us how you feel about ____'s progress.

I enclose a copy of the Review Form, which shows you what we decided. If you'd like to talk about this with me, feel free to call in at any time to suit you.

____ seems to be doing very well and we're pleased with his/her progress. We hope you'll be pleased too.

Best wishes

Case Study 2.1: Mrs Jones and Robert

Mrs Jones found it very difficult to tolerate Robert's behaviour as she felt he was a disruptive influence in her room. She was working with 25 four-to five-year-olds, with a Learning Support Assistant, Maria. She often told Maria in front of the other children she thought it wasn't fair that Robert took so much of their time from the others and also that Robert was just a naughty boy.

Some of the other children discovered that spoiling Robert's game on the computer usually caused him to lose his temper and one day Benjamin did it deliberately to provoke Robert. Maria saw what happened and also that this time Robert didn't retaliate but went to Mrs Jones to complain. Without listening to what Robert had to say, Mrs Jones immediately began to tell Robert off, ending with ‘You're just a nasty piece of work and always will be’. Robert's reaction was to throw himself on the floor, scream and kick his legs. Mrs Jones looked at Maria and said, ‘Well – what else do you expect?’

Case Study 2.2: Mrs Barrington and Mrs Smith

Mrs Barrington had been appointed nursery deputy manager in preference to Mrs Smith who had applied for the job from within the setting's staff. Mrs Smith was bitterly disappointed that she didn't get the job and took an instant dislike to Mrs Barrington. She was overheard telling another practitioner in the setting that she had no intention of ‘kowtowing to that woman’, even before Mrs Barrington took up her post.

As Mrs Barrington began to make changes and introduce innovations in the setting, with the support of the manager, Mrs Smith became uncooperative. Her attitude towards Mrs Barrington became disrespectful in staff meetings and hostile in their one-to-one interactions. She began to make complaints to the manager about Mrs Barrington, and encouraged other staff members to make life difficult for the new deputy manager. Eventually, the situation became so uncomfortable that the staff became divided into two factions, those supporting Mrs Smith and those backing Mrs Barrington. This created a tense and unhappy atmosphere in the setting that the children picked up on – one child was heard to tell another that ‘Mrs Smith hates Mrs Barrington and my Mum says she doesn't know why’. Clearly the parents now knew what was going on in the setting.

Case Study 3.1: A Trainee's Dilemma

A nursery in a northern city had a high number of children experiencing behavioural difficulties. The nursery was in a deprived area of the city and many of the children came from troubled or difficult families, with drug abuse and crime a normal part of their daily lives.

The practitioner grouped together four children who, in her opinion, were experiencing the same type of behaviour difficulty, because they were all inclined to throw tantrums and become aggressive towards other children. This group of children stayed together for most of the day to do their activities and they were all following the same, computer-generated IEP, with identical targets to work towards.

A trainee childcare practitioner on placement in the setting was concerned about the situation. She asked the practitioner whether the IEP was effective for all the children and was told that it seemed to be, although there were still problems with the children. The practitioner also commented that it was much easier for her to print out one IEP and write the names of the four children at the top than to print out four copies of the same IEP and ‘waste time’ (her words) filling one in for each child.

The trainee told her tutor at college, who confirmed that IEPs should indeed be written for each child, hence the name Individual Education Plan. Unfortunately the situation was difficult because the nursery offered a valuable placement opportunity for the trainees which the college was reluctant to jeopardise, and also because the tutor, as an ‘outsider’, felt she had no right to question the practices of another professional in a setting that wasn't her own.

Case Study 3.2: Lucy, Aged 4 Years Old

Lucy is 4 years old. She has only just started nursery because her mother preferred to keep her at home until she thought Lucy was old enough to cope with all the other children. The childcare practitioner, Pearl, is already worried about Lucy because she plays on her own and often just watches the other children from the side lines. Indeed, she is so quiet that Pearl often forgets that she is there and this makes her feel very guilty. Lucy speaks very quietly and Pearl has noticed other nursery workers getting very impatient with the child. The other children and some of the adults are showing that they are irritated by Lucy when she refuses to join in group activities or to try new experiences. One of the nursery workers confides in Pearl that she resents all the one-to-one attention that Lucy is getting because it is taking the adults away from the other children. The other children are beginning to pick on Lucy and the staff are getting frustrated. Lucy's mother looks unhappy but has not said anything to the staff, leaving the nursery as quickly as she can after dropping off Lucy or picking her up.

Case Study 4.1: Philip, 4 Years Old

Philip was diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder at 3 years old and he attends mornings only at his local nursery school. When he is not allowed to do what he wants, which is usually doing jigsaws that he has an obsession about, he will have a severe temper tantrum. He screams and throws across the room anything small that's near to hand. His tantrum subsides if he is given his own way. Philip has very little verbal communication and he is unable to work to a routine. He never interacts with the other children or joins in with their play, preferring to do his jigsaws alone.

Case Study 4.2: Clara, 3 Years Old

Clara has limited language skills, both expressive and receptive, and she has severe behavioural difficulties. She was expelled from her playgroup because of her behaviour and now goes to her local day nursery four mornings a week. When she arrives for the start of a session, she tries to destroy any toys or games that are out. She runs wildly around the room and is difficult to control. She will kick or bite adults or children for no apparent reason.

Case Study 4.3: Theo, 5 Years Old

Theo was diagnosed as having ADHD when he was 4 years old. He attends his local mainstream school, in the Reception class with 22 other children, and he has a part-time Learning Support Assistant. At the moment, he is taking the drug Ritalin. When the class has sessions in the hall, Theo stands screaming. His maximum concentration span is about 50 seconds. He communicates effectively with his LSA during calm periods. He finds difficulty in remembering the classroom timetable and he runs around wildly when activities change.

Case Study 4.4: Ravi, 4 Years Old

Until recently, Ravi, who is an only child, attended his local nursery on a part-time basis (afternoons only), but he's now increasing to full time before his transfer to primary school. He's a bright child and seems to enjoy doing the activities on offer, usually completing them very quickly. He prefers to play with one or two children and always wants to direct the game. He will pinch or hit the other children if they won't do as he tells them, ordering them to go away from the game, saying, ‘I'm not allowing you to play my game’. Ravi is doing this more often now, and on occasion he pinches or hits another child for no apparent reason, sometimes just doing it as he passes them.

Suggested Response to Case Study 2.1: Mrs Jones and Robert

Here we see a practitioner failing a child in her care. Rather than trying to find out what may be at the root of Robert's difficulties, she labels him as ‘just a naughty boy’. She publicly criticises him and on an occasion when she should be supporting him, she not only doesn't do this but she actively launches into another reprimand that's unjustified. Mrs Jones may be feeling unsupported, stressed and exasperated, so she needs to take time out to review her situation. She and Robert may be causing each other's difficulties in the way they interact, so trying to find a new way of working together may ease the situation. Maria could help here by doing some activities with Robert when Mrs Jones feels she needs some time away from him. By limiting her discussions of Robert to a time and a place when both he and the other children aren't present, Mrs Jones will have less chance to exaggerate the problem. Maria can direct their discussions to a more positive level by helping Mrs Jones to look objectively at what Robert's difficulties are, what seems to trigger them and what strategies they can put in place to support him. The child's parents can be approached to become involved in a plan of action to help Robert to overcome his difficulties. If Mrs Jones needs support herself, she should approach the setting's manager for an opportunity to attend professional development training in the area of behavioural difficulties.

Suggested Response to Case Study 2.2: Mrs Barrington and Mrs Smith

Here we have a situation that should never have been allowed to get so out of hand. When Mrs Smith failed to get the job, the manager of the setting should have immediately supported her either by offering her alternative responsibilities within the setting or the opportunity for further professional training and development that would have helped future career moves. Mrs Smith may have felt threatened by Mrs Barrington and the only way she knew of coping with this was to try to undermine her with other members of staff. Mrs Barrington should have tried to involve Mrs Smith in the planning and development of some of the innovations she was putting in place. The other members of staff should have avoided becoming involved in the differences between the two women. The saddest part of the tale is that the feud trickled out to the children and their parents. How can they have confidence in what the practitioners are doing if they see the staff behaving no better than children themselves? It seems that a more mature attitude by everybody was needed in this setting.

Suggested Response to Case Study 3.1: A Trainee's Dilemma

In the end, the tutor spoke to the nursery's head, who was also the SENCO and who wasn't aware of the joint IEP. As the nursery was just beginning to plan its SEN policy, the head made arrangements for all the practitioners to attend special needs training and gave close support to the practitioner who was using the joint IEP. When the next batch of trainees was on placement in the setting, the tutor found that the practitioner was indeed using Individual Education Plans and was planning them appropriately, consulting with everybody involved.

Areas of strength: Lucy can concentrate well; Lucy can be determined

Areas of concern: Undeveloped social skills; poor communication skills; lack of confidence to try new experiences.

Targets and criteria for success:

• 1.
  Lucy will do a familiar activity with an adult and one other child, increasing to three more children, for five minutes, increasing to ten minutes, every morning.
• 2.
  Lucy will share a favourite book with an adult once per week, increasing to five times per week.
• 3.
  Lucy will choose and try a new activity with adult support once per week, increasing to five times per week.

Targets to be reached by: 16.05.08

Strategies used: A key worker will be allocated to Lucy, responsible for helping Lucy to achieve her targets. Lucy will get a sticker for each target achieved; 5 stickers will earn her a free choice of activity, alone if she wishes.

Adults involved: Mrs Ryan will work with Lucy in the nursery; Lucy's Mum will follow a Play Plan at home.

Resources/equipment: Activities as appropriate; stickers; Play Plan for home;

Date of next review: 16.05.08

Parent's/carer's comment: I want to help Lucy all I can and I will do the Play Plan at home.

Practitioner's signature: Mary Ryan

Lucy's ability to concentrate is shown when she spends time watching the other children; her resistance to joining in or to try new experiences shows she can be determined. These characteristics can be useful when working towards her targets. The targets are written in specific terms, so Lucy knows exactly what she's aiming for.

The practitioners realised that Lucy's intensive shyness means she finds difficulty in coping with too many different people. She will gain the confidence she needs to develop her social skills from the support of the allocated key worker.

Suggested Response to Case Study 4.1: Philip

• 1
  What may be triggering the child's inappropriate behaviour(s)?

  • –
    There is a reduction in the demands made of him by others and he is removed from the stressful situation – this makes him feel more comfortable.
  • –
    His ability to communicate his needs and desires is limited.
  • –
    He is confused about the routine and activities in the setting.
• 2
  Does the existing management strategy seem to be effective?

  • –
    Yes for the adults, who seem to want Philip out of the way for a quiet life.
  • –
    No for Philip – from his moaning, we know he is still distressed; his social and educational needs are not being supported; his personal development is not being encouraged.
• 3
  What targets would you choose for the child to work towards?

  • –
    Working with other children and adults to develop his social skills.
  • –
    Helping him to learn the daily routine of the setting.
  • –
    Reduction of undesired behaviours such as throwing equipment and screaming.
  • –
    Development of his communication skills.
• 4
  What are the child's positive points and strengths?

  • –
    He is good at doing jigsaws. The practitioners can use this skill as a starting point for his IEP targets.
  • –
    He will eventually calm down if he is allowed his own way. The practitioners can turn this into a ‘positive’ starting point.
• 5
  What effective strategies would you adopt to help the child achieve their target(s)?

  • –
    Decide on a positive approach by the practitioners, i.e. they should not ‘banish’ Philip until they are ready to bring him out. This positive approach should be used consistently by everybody.
  • –
    Agree to identify and reward any positive behaviour Philip displays.
  • –
    Put up a picture/symbol timetable so Philip can easily see what will be happening at each session of the day.
  • –
    Use Philip's love of jigsaws as a starting point to work one-to-one, then gradually introduce more children until he can work in pairs and then small groups.
  • –
    Discuss with Philip's parents and the other practitioners the possibility of involving specialist agencies for advice on behaviour management.

Suggested Response to Case Study 4.2: Clara

• 1
  What may be triggering the child's inappropriate behaviour(s)?

  • –
    Clara may be totally overwhelmed by the ‘busyness’ of the room.
  • –
    She may be very confused about the routine, not knowing what is supposed to be happening when.
  • –
    She may feel frustrated because of her limited communication skills which prevent her from expressing her needs and wants.
• 2
  Does the existing management strategy seem to be effective?

  • –
    Yes, if calming Clara down is the intention, but she may calm down even without the strategy.
  • –
    No, if the intention is to help Clara make sense of what's going on around her, since she clearly has no idea of exactly what's expected of her. Phrases such as ‘Be a good girl’ and ‘Behave properly’ mean very little to her because they are not specific enough.
• 3
  What targets would you choose for the child to work towards?

  • –
    Clara's language and communication skills.
  • –
    Helping her to understand the setting's daily routine.
  • –
    Helping her to develop positive behaviour skills, being specific about what she should be doing and what is not going to be tolerated.
  • –
    Helping her to develop her social skills.
• 4
  What are the child's positive points and strengths?

  • –
    Clara is interested in books and enjoys looking at them.
  • –
    She has well-developed gross motor skills – she can run and kick well. This could be used as a starting point for her programme.
• 5
  What effective strategies would you adopt to help the child achieve their target(s)?

  • –
    The staff could make a quiet and distraction-free area for Clara to work in.
  • –
    Put up a picture/symbol timetable showing the daily routine.
  • –
    Give Clara specific and positive guidelines for behaviour that is expected of her.
  • –
    Use her running and kicking skills to encourage activities and games with other children.

Suggested Response to Case Study 4.3: Theo

• 1
  What may be triggering the child's inappropriate behaviour(s)?

  • –
    Theo actually achieves something he finds pleasurable when he behaves inappropriately.
  • –
    He may have a sense of insecurity in large open areas such as the hall.
  • –
    He may feel insecure in group work or situations with other children close by.
  • –
    He has no ability to follow the daily routine and this may result in confusion about what's going on around him.
  • –
    The drug (Ritalin) may be having a detrimental affect.
• 2
  Does the existing management strategy seem to be effective?

  • –
    Yes, if the objective is a series of breaks away from Theo for the practitioner.
  • –
    No, if Theo's overall development is to make any headway.
• 3
  What targets would you choose for the child to work towards?

  • –
    Theo needs to work on social interactions and skills.
  • –
    He needs support in learning to control his inappropriate behaviour.
  • –
    Helping him to understand the daily routine of the classroom.
  • –
    Helping him to increase his concentration span.
• 4
  What are the child's positive points and strengths?

  • –
    Theo's communication skills are well developed.
  • –
    He eventually calms down after a bout of screaming or inappropriate behaviour.
  • –
    He enjoys looking at books.
• 5
  What effective strategies would you adopt to help the child achieve their target(s)?

  • –
    Put up the timetable in picture or symbol form and help him to refer to it regularly throughout the day.
  • –
    Use his interest in books as a starting point for working towards his chosen targets.
  • –
    When the class goes in for hall sessions, his LSA could take Theo into the hall after the other children have gone in and have settled down.

Suggested Response to Case Study 4.4: Ravi

• 1
  What may be triggering the child's inappropriate behaviour(s)?

  • –
    Ravi may find difficulty sharing with other children. As a singleton, he won't have had the experience of the ‘give and take’ of living with siblings.
  • –
    He may be finding full-time sessions tiring, being used to mornings only for quite some time.
  • –
    He may not be challenged enough. As a bright child who finishes his activities quickly, he could be finding the curriculum on offer a bit easy. He could be bored.
  • –
    He may be attention seeking.
• 2
  Does the existing management strategy seem to be effective?

  • –
    No. Ravi's inappropriate behaviour seems to be increasing, and the strategies don't help him to learn how to turn-take or to share.
• 3
  What targets would you choose for the child to work towards?

  • –
    Sharing and turn-taking.
  • –
    Playing and working in groups.
  • –
    More challenging targets in the areas where he seems to be ‘under-stretched’.
• 4
  What are the child's positive points and strengths?

  • –
    Ravi has a high achievement level.
  • –
    His concentration span is very good.
  • –
    He has some leadership skills that could be channelled in a positive direction.
• 5
  What effective strategies would you adopt to help the child achieve their target(s)?

  • –
    A reduction of activities for only one or two children and a gradual increase of involvement with group play and activities.
  • –
    Observe, assess and identify the specific areas of Ravi's achievement and plan more challenging activities to ‘stretch’ him appropriately and prevent him from becoming bored.
  • –
    A positive behaviour plan which aims to reduce Ravi's episodes of pinching or hitting other children. Ravi must be involved in both the planning and the record keeping of the programme. With specific criteria in terms of time spans and expected behaviour, the plan will help Ravi to increase his positive behaviour.
  • –
    Use more appropriate methods of sanction for Ravi's unacceptable behaviour. To make a marked distinction between ‘work’ and ‘play’ and then use ‘work’ as a sanction (i.e. the photocopiable worksheets) establishes in Ravi's mind a perception of a difference between the two, which goes against the philosophy of the Foundation Stage curriculum.
  • –
    Ask Ravi's parents for their input to the plan and support by continuing it at home by, for example rewarding him appropriately when he brings home a ‘Positive Behaviour Certificate’.

Areas of strength:

Areas of concern:

Targets and criteria for success:

Targets to be reached by:

Strategies to be used:

Adults involved:

Resources/equipment:

Date of next review:

Parent's/carer's comments:

Practitioner's signature:

Reports of child's progress/IEP:

Additional comments/reports from people not present:

• a)
• b)
• c)

Further action:

Continue with IEP? Yes/No

Modify IEP? Yes/No

Remain at present stage? Yes/No

Move to next stage? Yes/No

Discontinue SEN procedure? Yes/No

Other action? Yes/No

Next review due:

Dear

I am sorry that you were not able to come to see me about ______________ on ______________.

As you know, we have a few concerns about _____________ 's behaviour and we 're now going to plan some activities here to help him/her develop as well as possible.

I'm enclosing a copy of _____________ 's Differentiated Behaviour Plan, which shows what we hope to do with _____________ over the next few weeks.

I hope you'll be able to call in soon and talk about _____________ 's progress, and how you think we might be able to help him/her in other ways. Perhaps when you come to collect _____________, you could have a short chat with me about the Behaviour Plan.

Best wishes

Dear

I am sorry that you weren't able to come to the meeting about ______________'s progress on ____________

We are still concerned about his/her progress in developing positive behaviour and have decided to take Early Years Action. This means that we will plan his/her activities and work here, with targets for him/her to achieve over a few weeks.

If you'd like to talk to me about this, feel free to come and see me when you drop off or collect __________any day. Or, if you'd like to arrange a meeting, just let me know and we can fix a time to suit you.

Best wishes

Dear

I am sorry that we haven't been able to get together to talk about _____________'s progress.

As you know, we're still planning ____________'s work to help him/her to achieve his/her targets. We hope very much that you'll be able to help us with the planning and so I'd like to ask you to call in to see me on ______________at _____________. If this isn't convenient, let me know and we can agree a better time.

In the meantime I enclose a copy of ____________'s latest Individual Behaviour Plan. You can see how well ______________is doing and how pleased we are with him/her.

If you'd like to talk to us about the Plan, I'll be delighted to go through it with you when you come on _____________.

Best wishes

Dear

As you know, _____________has been following an Individual Behaviour Plan here for the last six weeks.

It's now time to have a look at ______________'s progress and make sure that we're still helping him/her properly.

We're going to talk about the Plan on ______________at ______________to decide whether it's working and whether we need to change anything on it.

We hope very much that you'll be able to join us and help us to make the next decision about the best ways of helping ______________.

If the time above isn't good for you, but you can manage to come to a meeting on another date, please let me know and we'll get together then.

Best wishes

Dear

I am sorry that you weren't able to join us when we met to discuss ______________'s Individual Behaviour Plan. We would very much have liked you to tell us how you feel about ______________s progress.

I enclose a copy of the Review Form, which shows you what we decided. If you'd like to talk about this with me, feel free to call in at any time to suit you.

______________seems to be doing very well and we're pleased with his/her progress. We hope you'll be pleased too.

Best wishes