Running Head: Kristy Snell EDU20004.

ASS1: Essay Behaviour is a complex concept and can mean multiple things to various people. Behaviour includes everything that is said and done, that can influence and impact on another person. Human

behaviour has an impact on all aspects of ones life. Across the world, children are raised in many diverse ways and will gradually learn the behaviour that is considered appropriate to the society in which they belong. Core characteristics of behaviour are molded by the experiences of childhood and the influences of societal beliefs, understandings and practices (Riddall-Leech, 2003). Experiences in childhood in various social contexts play an important part in making us who we are and what we become; through enculturation, children acquire knowledge, skills and behaviours in order to enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve well-being (Doherty & Hughes, 2009). Therefore, Childrens capacity to choose appropriate behaviour is influenced by their developmental ability, temperament, interactions, life experiences and environmental factors (Government of South Australia, 2004). Behaviour is a response or reaction and also a form of communication. Educators who give priority to nurturing relationships and providing children with consistent support can assist the children to develop their skills and understanding that are needed to interact positively with others (Mathieson & Raban, 2012). Experiencing healthy self-esteem, and feeling worthwhile and being able to contribute positively to society, being able to communicate effectively and developing self-perception through how children feel about themselves and how they perceive others impacts significantly on behaviour (Underdown, 2007). Behaviours throughout childhood can sometimes be challenging. Bronfrenbrenners Ecological Model recognizes that environmental contexts are constantly changing and both influence and are influenced by the child. The environment, connections between social contexts and settings, cultural diversity and the time frame within behaviours occurring, all contribute and impact on childrens behaviour. What is regarded as appropriate or inappropriate behaviour is comprised of many factors. According to Bronfrenbrenner, the Microsystem reflects the immediate environment surrounding the child, involving religion, ethnicity, objects, neighborhood, educational settings and the childs family. All of these involve beliefs, parents, teachers, adults, siblings and peers who all contribute to the environment. Everyday activities and interactions impact directly on childrens development. The Mesosystem are connections between contexts that connect with the Microsystem, such as home, school, neighborhood, and early childhood education settings; the relation of family experiences to school experiences, for example, a child may display different behaviour at home and different behaviour at school when faced with a similar situation. The Exosystem is a collection of social settings that may not immediately involve the child but still impact on the child. Social settings involving the school boards, local government, parents workplace, mass media and local industries all contribute to having both a

Running Head: Kristy Snell EDU20004. ASS1: Essay positive and negative impact on a childs development, in turn leading to their behaviours. A childs

experiences at home may be strongly influenced by a parents experience at work; if the parent has a busy work load they may become frustrated or impatient with their child at the end of a busy day. The outer layer of Bronfrenbrenners model is the Macrosystem. This describes the culture in which individuals live, including broad social and cultural contexts through dominant beliefs and ideologies. Social values, attitudes, government commitments, beliefs, laws and regulations build the cultural contexts of which they belong. All of these systems are impacted by a Chronosystem, a time patterning of environmental events and transitions that are continuously changing and altering throughout individuals lives. Changes in interactions can produce changes in contexts; these contexts interact with children to affect developmental outcomes. Just as every family is unique, so too is each community; children exist in the context of community, depending on a multitude of adults who impact their lives directly through relationships and indirectly through the decisions that they make that affect children and their families (Gestwick, 2013). A childs developmental ability influences their behaviour as children are learning, the same way as adults are still learning, providing reason for adults to be considerate of childrens developmental competencies and abilities. Children require a supportive environment to foster their development. Young children begin to understand the feelings and the behaviour of others; key ideas in the development of their temperament and personality. When emotional development is distorted children tend to display elements of emotional and behavioural difficulties (Doherty & Hughes, 2009). All actions have consequences, both positive and negative, and impact directly on a child and the children around them. Encouraging positive interactions promotes positive behaviours. Children develop the skills to regulate their behaviour and emotions in socially appropriate ways through guidance provided by teachers, parents and society. Children deserve to spend their days in well-designed environments that support their needs and stimulate their learning, environments matter as they impact on childrens emotions and behaviours (Greenman, 2008). Strategies to support childrens behaviour require consistency, responsiveness and sensitivity. This can be achieved by promoting positive experiences in the classroom, creating clear and consistent limits and guidelines regarding expectations of appropriate behaviours. These guidelines and boundaries can be developed by meeting childrens emotional and social needs, individual learning styles, cultural contexts, the age and experience of the children involved, level of development and self-esteem and the individual child. Listening and communicating effectively from a teacher to student perspective and a student to student perspective involve constructive ways to resolve differences and frustrations through the promotion of co-operation. Employing a range of strategies, depending on the age of the

Running Head: Kristy Snell EDU20004. ASS1: Essay

child, characteristics of the child and circumstances influencing their behaviour (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2010). Encouraging children to develop social relationships within their environmental contexts supports social development. Social development is linked to other aspects of development; early sensory and cognitive development. An increasing ability to communicate with different people becomes vital for a child as they form a social nexus of peers and adults that they meet in their expanding social world (Doherty & Hughes, 2009). Social influences from family, peers and school strongly effect behaviour. If a child is living in a negative environment this can be a contributing factor resulting in negative behaviour in an educational setting. Behaviour becomes a concern when it is distracting and persistent and cannot be tolerated for a significant length of time. It is also a concern if it is harmful to others, individuals, anti-social and not socially acceptable within society (Centre for Community Health, 2006). Common everyday behavioural difficulties can arise in the form of whining, tantrums, biting, kicking and swearing (CCH, 2006). Methods from home may be able to be adopted within the educational setting to provide consistency, and an understanding of the causes and triggers or negative behaviour. Explaining to parents that negative behaviour can impact significantly on the child and the children around them. Observing a child before the behaviour occurs and being vigilant for possible signs of anger, aggression, frustration and distress. Ensuring that children displaying these tendencies are not left unsupervised around other children, and also educating all of the children, explaining why a child might be behaving in a negative way. Providing encouragement and support to children through learning experiences and activities that support their needs and interests. Providing calming experiences such as sand and water play; creating a safe area that offers time away from the class, without hurting themselves or other children, allowing time for reflection of their behaviour. Educating children to express their needs in appropriate forms of communication (words) and behaviour (not physical) through positive behaviour choices and acknowledging these choices creates an expectation regarding behaviour standards. A behaviour management plan can be an effective way to create a solution to a problem rather than ignoring it. There can be challenges when implementing a behaviour management plan. These consist of social and cultural beliefs and practices, environmental contexts, reaction and co-operation of a childs family. A childs parents may use inappropriate methods of behaviour management such as: screaming, kicking, hitting, removal of privileges or belittling the child. These methods would not be appropriate in an educational setting; providing the childs parents alternative strategies and explaining the benefits of using a consistent positive approach to managing the childs behaviour could result in a positive outcome. When children see consequences for their actions, and can propose alternative behaviours, balance their own needs with the needs of others, they become independent in decision making (Rodd, 1996). Behaviour management plans compliment the social and

Running Head: Kristy Snell EDU20004. ASS1: Essay physical environments. Providing environments that are lacking in aesthetically pleasing activities, creativity, and unsuitable experiences such as not age appropriate, poor role modeling of behaviour and tolerance is fostering negative behaviours and promoting failure to socially develop appropriately. The physical environment needs to encompass multiple activity choices, varying activities and experiences which encourage and promote positive interactions through positive behaviour modelling. These environments invite children to learn about what they can do, how they can do it and how they can work collaboratively with one another. It is important to recognize that environmental contexts are always

changing, as seen in Bronfrenbrenners Ecological Model, therefore the practices and experiences need to change with it. Challenging behaviours can be managed through appropriate practices and philosophies that are beneficial to children and teachers within the educational setting. Establishing positive behavioural practices provides the foundation for childrens education, learning and development. Understanding and accepting childrens and familys individual needs and interests are able to provide the teacher with the scaffolding to develop a relevant curriculum/framework to meet these needs and interests. Children learn and develop through experiences within their communities, through play, as teachers educate and guide children to learn about their world fostering the development of social and emotional skills. Through education and guidance children learn to relate to others, develop a sense of self, respect others despite their differences, share ideas and common interests, develop problem solving skills and self-regulation whilst expressing their ideas and building and assessing their capacity to choose appropriate behaviour.

Running Head: Kristy Snell EDU20004. ASS1: Essay Reference List Centre for Community Health. (2006). Practice resource: behaviour problems. Retrieved from: http://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/ccch/PR_BehProb_KM_Mger.pdf. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. (2010). Strategies to guide childrens behaviour. Retrieved Nov 18, 2013 from:

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/licensing/pracnotesstratbeh.pdf Doherty, J., & Hughes, M. (2009). Child development. England: Longman / Pearson. Gestwick, C. (2013). Developmentally appropriate practice: curriculum and development in early education. Australia: Cengage. Government of South Australia (2004). Supporting and managing Childrens Behaviour: An early childhood resource. D.o.E.a.C.s Services. South Australia, DECS Publishing: 1-87. Greenman, J.T., Stonehouse, A, & Schweikert, G. (2008). Prime times: a handbook for excellence in infant and toddler programs. 2nd edn, (pp. 274-286) Redleaf Press, St Paul, MN. Mathieson, K., & Raban, B. (2012). Understanding behaviour in the early years. A practical guide to supporting each childs behaviour in the early years setting. Albert Park: Teaching Solutions. Riddall-Leech (2003). Managing Childrens Behaviour. Professional Development. Heinemann.

Running Head: Kristy Snell EDU20004. ASS1: Essay Rodd, J. (1996). What works for you creating your own approach to behaviour management. St Leonards, NSW: Allen and Unwin. Underdown, A. (2011). Young childrens health and well-being. Berkshire. England: Open University Press.