BY P A T R I C I A Y U N K E R HESCH

It is no easy job to establish and maintain control of a group of pre- school-aged children in a day care cen- ter. Caregivers must contend not only with the chi ldren ' s diverse back- grounds and maturational levels but al- so with their past experiences, often under lax, inexperienced teachers and caregivers. There are so many obsta- cles to establishing order under these conditions that one often wonders where to start.

There are many articles written for elementary school educators on main- taining appropriate behavior in the classrooms, but most of these methods and suggestions are not applicable to preschoolers. Such respected educa- tors, as David Elkind tell us that young children need to be free to move about the center, interacting with their en- vironment and developing concepts, but we, as teachers and caregivers, know that free movement is not always conducive to appropriate behavior, and this is where the problem begins.

Unfortunately, many of us often use

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instinct rather than common sense in dealing with confrontations in a center. "Hey , stop that ," " I ' m not going to tell you again ," " D o n ' t , " - - h o w many times, how many ways, are these said every day? Demands are put on a child. When the child doesn't comply, a vicious cycle ensues: angry caregiver versus nonconforming child. The pow- er struggle is on. In A ChiM Goes Forth, Barbara J. Taylor tells us that in a power play there are no winners; both the teacher and the child lose. The child does learn, however, that the stronger the person, the better the chance of w i n n i n g - "might makes right." If this is the concept we wish to instill in children, there is no problem, but if we want the children to develop inner con- trol and strength, then, in a day care center, yelling and demanding is as inappropriate a behavior for a teacher as throwing sand is for a child.

C o n t r o l - - W h y Is I t Necessary? All children exhibit inappropriate

behavior from time to time, but most of the resulting problems can be handled by the teacher and the staff, particularly

0092-4199/79/1600-0012500.95 © 1979 by Human Sciences Press

Let Them Help Make Them

DAY CARE AND EARLY EDUCATION

if they have some experience. One can only sympathize with the children and teachers who must exist in an atmo- sphere where this control is lacking, because both learning and peace of mind are affected. In addition, one of the goals of teachers of young children is to promote self-respect and group cohesiveness, and everything a teacher does with scheduling, curriculum plan- ning, and discipline techniques con- tributes to the success or failure of this aim. And, although external control is important, discipline should also seek to internalize self-control and self- management in the child,

Although we may agree with all this in theory, as a person in charge of the mundane supervision and scheduling of activities in a preschool program, we need to have practical solutions to the p r o b l e m - how does one pull an as- semblage of rowdy children into line without stifling their creativity?

Where To Begin reSet Down Some Rules

The first major consideration for a center where there is a need for the establishment of discipline procedures is, do the children know the rules? This doesn't mean that preschool centers have to become regimented basic train- ing camps in order to prepare children for kindergarten. On the other hand, some centers are so flaccid that chaos

and disorder are the rule rather than the exception. There has to be a way to operate an early-childhood program that complements both learning and management.

I am going to suggest the use of rules designed by the children as a means to attain that happy medium. In The Whole Child, Joanne Henrick proposes that the teacher take the time out of a busy schedule to offer brief, truthful explanations to the children as to what the rules are and why they exist. She further emphasizes that the teacher use as few rules as possible, but "make the ones you do have stick." The next step is to consider the democratic process of rule making. In general, in preschool centers, children are given a mandate without explanation. American adults would not stand for the dictatorial form of control that children are faced with every day. It is important to remember that a preschool center is the children's home for most of their waking hours, yet in most cases, they have nothing to say about their environment. Even the younges t 3-year-old in the group should know that his or her feelings and ideas are important. The group leader must include these children in the deci- sion-making process for the center.

What Type of Rules? Ask the Children

Even the most competent, conscien- tious, and sympathetic teacher can be

totally frustrated by a group of day care veterans who have controlled their en- vironment and their teachers for as many as five and six years. These little experts have been the recipients of force, isolation, behavior manage- ment, nondirective counseling, love, and other miscellaneous game tactics of an ever-changing parade of caregivers over the years.

I wonder if anyone in this procession of educators ever thought to ask the children how they felt about this misbe- havior. In involving these young peo- ple in discussions on this subject you may be pleasantly surprised to note that, on the whole, they will admit that they dislike the same behavior that you do. Children are often more honest than adults and will admit their own faults as well as those of others. They are also able to assist the teacher in developing rules that apply to their own behavior.

Children 's Rules Are Teacher's Rules

Child involvement in setting up rules for a center is the final phase of the

Patricia Yunker Hesch is the former chairperson of Home and Family Services, and an instructor in Child-Care Services at the University of Min- nesota Technical College, Waseca in Minnesota. She is currently resuming her studies in Psy- chology/Special Education at the University of California, Riverside. Ms. Hesch may be con- tacted through the college at Waseca, Minnesota 56093.

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process of rule implementation; teacher organization comes first. Teachers must collectively agree that there is a problem with management in a center and they must be totally committed to do something about it. Once these two prerequisites are agreed upon, the first action step by the staff will be a brain- storming session. In this meeting the

staff should determine which of the children's behaviors are unacceptable. The staff should list every behavior in their group of children that bothers them. Have a recorder catagorize these into " ins ide" and "outside" behav- iors. (Throwing sand does not belong on the same list as running. Running is acceptable outside but not inside.) Once the behaviors are listed, the sec- ond step is to pick those target behav- iors that affect most children and bother most teachers. There is no need to list temper tantrums if only one child elicits this behavior. One day care center that used the rule-making process to estab- lish some guidelines of behavior listed "hitting, screaming, and misbehavior during the group t ime" as the most bothersome of all behaviors in their center. These are the types of behavior that can be controlled through rule development.

Phase three requires the establish- ment of a consequence for the child who violates the rules. An effective tool that was used by one center was the "time-out chair ," The concept is not new to educators but it was to this center. This form of isolation does work if the staff are willing to follow a few simple rules themselves, the most imperative being that the time period involved be short (See list of teacher rules.) Brief time-out periods are ex- tremely important because with chil- dren's short attention span, to a child minutes can seem like hours. To be an effective deterrent, however, the con- sequence must occur immediately after the undesirable behavior occurs and every time the rule is broken. Consis- tency is the key to success in this type of behavior management.

Child Involvement: No Easy Task

Once the initial preparation of situa- ting a "time-out chair" in an open area, gathering tag board and marking pens for group discussion, and furnishing a

timer with a bell for use by the chair is made, you are ready to begin. Monday mornings are best to begin a new pro- ject, but be sure all rooms in your center are ready and that all staff members and teachers understand the process.

During group time, initiate the dis- cussion of what rules are and why they are necessary. (Things such as dog li- censes, traffic laws, stop signs may be used as examples.) Then ask the chil- dren what things are happening in the center that bother others. As you en- courage responses from the children, be sure they also know what things bother you. Talk about these behaviors and point out that maybe the group needs some rules just as our parents do.

In one center that used this process the groups of children came up with the rules: " N o hitting," "No screaming," and "No pouting during group time." The class for 3-year-olds wanted "No biting" and this was added to their list. This reminds us that children are vic- tims of other children's misbehavior and reinforces the importance of in- cluding their ideas in the rule-making process. The teacher in that center had not even mentioned this behavior in the initial brainstorming session.

Consequences of broken rules need to be discussed at this same meeting with the children. Include a demonstra- tion of how long five minutes is (or your predetermined length of time for older or younger groups - - see Rule 8). This is an important part of the process; children must totally understand the rules and outcome of their violation. Teachers are again reminded that they will have to use the chair immediately and every time a rule is broken. Once a teacher becomes inconsistent, the game is over; the child wins. Parents must be informed of the transformation that is about to take place at the center and your newsletter is a good way to share this information (Rule 9).

Consistancy Is Exhausting But Rewarding

In the experimental center the staff discovered that consistancy can deplete your energy. At the end of one week they were totally discouraged and ex- hausted. The children's behavior ap- peared to worsen. Teachers found the children were employing all of their

past skills at nonconformity to test and retest the consistency and stamina of their regulators. Without encourage- ment and discussion of positive occur- rences that were hidden below the surface, the staff would have tossed their project aside. However, after dis- cussion, they decided to give it one more week.

When employing this technique of classroom management, it is essential that teachers meet often to reread the rules of the chair and discuss the good and bad effects on the people involved. Remind yourselves that this process does work and that the chair is a strong reinforcer if you can only make it through the second week. I do not wish to be discouraging, but the first week can tax even the most stoic teacher.

The children also feel the pressure and will ask every day, "Are you going to use the chair today?" Meet periodi- cally with the children to discuss their feelings and to reinforce the fact that the rules must be obeyed.

At the end of two weeks of rule enforcement, you will discover, as our center personnel did, that order out of chaos is possible. By the tenth day, the "time-out chair" had to be used only twice in eight hours in the 3-year-old's classroom. The older children were al- so complying with the rules with almost as good results. Three months after the study, the chair is still in the rooms, the rules are still posted on the wall, and the teachers are still in command. On one follow-up visit to the center, a teacher was observed pointing to the list of rules and talking to a child. The child walked off smiling. He knew the rule and he obeyed.

Summary

I do not wish to imply that a utopian method of control has been discovered or rediscovered. Quite the contrary. Although children will continue to have their days of ill temper, and will con- tinue to test the teacher and their peers with inappropriate behavior, teachers do not have to stand by, frustrated and discouraged. There are ways open to establish the orderly environment so crucial to everyone's sanity.

The advantages of working in, and attending, a well-organized center are numerous. Teachers who have control

14 DAY CARE AND EARLY EDUCATION

of the children have extra time to design

units for readiness skills. Children

learn that there are methods for getting

attention other than disruption, and that there are nonviolent opportunities for

excelling. Play periods become a time for coexistence and peaceful interac- tion. The key to this process, in my estimation, is to involve the children in their destiny. Let them make the rules; you enforce them. [ ]

Rules for Teachers Using the " T i m e - O u t Cha i r "

1. All children must know the rules. 2. The "time-out chair" is to be used only for

the breaking of the rules agreed upon by the children.

3. A timer with a bell must be placed out of all children's reach. It will be set by the teacher or assistant and not by the child, or it may serve as a reinforcer for negative behavior. (It might be worth sitting for l0 minutes if I can play with the timer!)

4. The "time-out chair" wilt be used for the first offense and every succeeding offense. (Be consistent--once you let up you lose the effectiveness of the process.)

5. A child will not be shamed or told he/she is bad. Rather say, "You broke the rule, you must sit in the "time-out chair" and think about the rule."

6. The teacher will not get angry. Once you lose your temper, you are more apt to act wihout thinking and will lose control of the situation.

7. The teacher will let the child know that acceptable behavior is great. "You didn't run at all this morning, you've really been good today."

8. A predetermined length of time is standard (three to five minutes for 3-year-olds, five to ten minutes for older children). Never use this type of discipline for longer than ten minutes, and never change the rules in the middle of the ballgame. (Turn the timer for 15 minutes instead of ten because it keeps a child out of the way for a few minutes longer. Once you change the rules, the child wins.)

9. Inform the parents of this method of disci- pline and of the new rules so that they won't be surprised when the child tells them about the"chair." A newsletter with this and other information is a good way to do this. Send it home the first day you use this type of "'time out" so the discussion at home comes after your first group meeting with the children.

10. If one particular child does not respond to the • ' t i m e - o u t chair" and is a repeater, the situa- tion needs further investigation and consulta- tion with the director, school counselor, or psychologist. Don't give up on the time-out chair because of one child. Seek outside help or change the consequences for that one child. Don't throw the whole idea out for one child.

For F u r t he r Read ing

Bryen, D.N. "Teacher Strategies in Managing Classroom Behavior." Teaching Children with Learning and Behavior Problems, edited by D.D. Hammil, and N.R. Bartell. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1975.

Durkin, D. Teaching Young Children to Read. St. Louis: C.V. Mosby 1976.

Elkin, D. "'Misunderstandings About How Chil- dren Learn." Today's Education 61 (March 1972): 18-21.

Hendrick, J. The Whole Child. St. Louis; C.V. Mosby, 1975.

Herman, T.M. Creating Learning Environments. The Behavioral Approach to Education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1977.

Leeper, S.H., R.J. Dales, D.S. Skipper, and R.L. Witherspoon. Good Schools for Young Children, New York: Macmillan 1974.

Rood, L.A. Parents and Teachers Together. Washington, D.C.: Day Care and Child De- velopment Council of America, 1970.

Schickendanz, J.A., M.E. York, I.S. Stewart, and D. White, Strategies for Teaching }:bung Children. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice- Hall, 1977.

Sharp, E. Thinking Is Child's Play, New York: E.P. Dutton, 1969.

Taylor, B.J. A Child Goes Forth. Provo: Brig- ham Young University Press, 1975.

Walton, J. Logical-Mathematical Thinking and the Preschool Classroom. College Park, Md: Head Start Regional Resource and Training Center, 1971.

CALENDAR--continued from p. 9

"Stone Soup"

Three soldiers come into a town after a war. The townspeo- ple have hidden their food in their

basements because they don ' t want to share it, and they tell the soldiers that they have no food.

The soldiers, not fooled, say that they wil l make soup out of stones. First they put water and three stones into a big pot. When the water begins to boil, the sol- diers mention casually that the soup would be even better if there were vegetables to add to it. The curious villagers bring out pota- toes, then carrots and other vege- tables, and, finally, meats. In the end, all laugh as they realize how they have been tricked, but enjoy the soup together.

Reading Readiness class: The chil- dren cut, paste, and color pictures of vegetables, talking about each vege- table as they do so. (Have children bring pictures from home, or have them

ready in school, as you prefer. This

lesson gives practice in using the scis- sors as well as in food concepts.)

Art class: The children shell peas. First they taste them raw and discuss how they taste that way. Then the class

cooks the peas, tastes them again, and talks about the difference in taste.

Music class: The children sing an

appropriate song about fruits or vege- tables.

Week 4: Gra in s a nd Cereal

Reading Readiness: The children color pictures of bread and other grains and also cut and paste pictures.

Art class: The children grind their own wheat, and then either cook it and eat it like cereal with cream and sugar, or help to make cookies out of it.

Music class: The children learn the song based on The Little Red Hen. (It talks about grinding wheat and baking bread.)

If "Nutr i t ion Month" happens to

coincide with Thanksgiving, here is a good one-day lesson.

Calendar Time: The teachers are dressed like Pilgrims and tell the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians and the first Thanksgiving.

Reading Readiness class: The chil- dren can draw, color, or cut and paste pictures of pumpkins or turkeys and then write or trace the words pumpkin

and turkey. The children talk about turkeys and the first Thanksgiving.

Art class: The children cut up a

pumpkin, prepare and eat the seeds, and then all help to make a pumpkin pie which is served to everyone at lunch.

Music class: The children learn the song, "Over the River and Through the W o o d s . "

For lunch, there is a regular Thanks- giving dinner, including turkey and stuffing and the pumpkin pie, [ ]

WINTER 1979 15