One of the greatest things about starting a new school year for teachers is that they begin with a clean slate. They are able to redecorate their classrooms afresh and re-organize their schedule to get ready for the new daycare kids. Although this all is done, nobody can deny that teaching the kids appropriate behaviors right from the start is a sure-fire way to gain control of them so as to get them interested in what they are being taught. But how do you engage preschoolers as well as reinforce on positive behavior? Well, read on to find out.
One of the most basic behavior preschoolers need to be taught while in any daycare in Vaughan is to follow directions. This need to be spelt out early enough in life or in their learning process as it is one of the hardest behaviors to teach preschoolers. For many kids, it is the first time they are being told to follow a certain direction or that they have been in a structured schooling setting. As such, they simply do not understand why they have to follow certain directions and not others.
Use of cards
One of the best ways to teach preschoolers to follow directions is through the use of cards that have colored visual direction icons on them. As the teacher explains the activity they are about to carry out, the kids are able to see a good example of what is required of them through the visual directions on the cards. Most teachers use magnetic whiteboard that can be used with the directional cards. He then goes ahead and sticks the cards on the whiteboard explaining what they are all about. After all of the direction icon cards are up on the board, the teacher goes through all of the directions together with the kids, with them performing a choral response to his clues.
For example, he can say a number with the students responding with the action he wants them to take. Though this takes weeks of repeated practice, at the end of it all, it helps to cut down on the preschoolers forgetting to write their names on the availed papers. It also teaches them to follow simple instructions or directions as is given by their teachers.
Reinforcing behaviors that you want the kids to see more often
It is important to reinforce behaviors that you want the kids to see on a regular basis. There are two kinds of behavioral reinforcements you can opt for. These include individual reinforcements and whole-group reinforcements.
Individual reinforcements
To reinforce individuality, give each preschooler a small sticker book that he or she can use to stick different colored sticks on. When you see a kid displaying an appropriate behavior, reward him or her individually with a stick with his or her favorite cartoon character. Do this often with others that are following directions well so to get the rest interested.
For example, after giving the whole class a direction to put their books away and came down to the carpet, reward the kids that quickly did what they you asked by giving a sticker. You will be surprised how well behaved the kids will become at the end of it all as all of them want to be given stickers with their favorite cartoon characters. After the other preschoolers see that one or some of them have been rewarded, the others will rush to imitate the correct behavior.
The teacher can make the sticker-giving business even more exciting by giving prizes to kids that collect a certain number of them, let’s say 30 stickers. Prizes such as fun erasers, decorative pencils, hidden treasures in a treasure box, and the likes are some of the most thrilling to offer preschoolers. In order to keep track of the stickers that have been redeemed, the teacher may use a marker to crass them off as he counts them. In a majority of cases, preschoolers love to earn and collect stickers and work quite hard to show the best of behaviors.
Whole-group reinforcement
This kind of reinforcement is a perfect way to teach the preschoolers together as a group. The teacher should introduce a prize for kids in a group that are working quietly on a given task. One of the best items to use for this reinforcement option is the marble jar. It is perfect in that everything in it is visual, meaning that the kids can see exactly what they are working toward. When the group does exactly what it is asked, reward everyone in it with tangible rewards, classroom coupons that can be used to redeem hidden treasures, verbal praise, and etc.
All in all, though there are other ways to encourage good behavior in preschoolers, the above mentioned are some of the best in that they produce quicker and positive results. If however the teacher finds out that the kids are no longer responding to the rewards he or she started out with, then it is recommended that he or she simply try something different. Remember that management tools are only effective as long as the preschoolers are interested. Whichever the case, it is recommended to have fun, stay on your toes and always be ready to dream up newer creative ways to fully engage the preschoolers while in a daycare center.