Understanding Behaviour And Development In Early Childhood

In this accessible and thought-provoking text, the author examines the behaviour of babies and young children in a developmental context, and takes into account the shifts and changes over time as young children grow and mature. Understanding Behaviour and Development in Early Childhood reveals, for example, how behaviour perceived as ‘difficult’ in a young child may be the manifestation of a response to emotional, sensory and cognitive experiences. Throughout the book, readers will find a strong emphasis on emotional well-being and the need to place our understanding of behaviour within a developmental time frame. Based on wide ranging professional experience the topics examined and discussed in this insightful book include: what we understand by ‘behaviour’ how the brain and senses work and mature during early childhood behaviour as a reflection of the child’s internal state what emotions are and how we learn what feelings mean to us as individuals how emotions affect our ability to learn how we develop a sense of self. The book provides suggestions for how adults may think about and respond to changes in children’s behaviour, and how we may support children in learning how to manage their own behaviour as they grow older and encounter wider and more complex situations. Understanding the meaning of behaviour is a constant challenge for anyone working with children. This developmental approach promotes a helpful reflective stance for practitioners and students working in early childhood education and care.

Everything we learn, every way we influence others and every relationship we form hangs around a complex interplay of behaviours, feelings and thoughts. This practical book explores the factors that influence children’s behaviour in the early years, enabling practitioners, parents and carers to develop a better understanding and become more intuitive and confident in supporting their development and learning in the first five years. Full of insights and strategies for supporting children when their behaviour gets in the way of learning and wellbeing, or when it is simply ‘different’ in some way, Understanding Behaviour in Early Years Settings demonstrates how practitioners can help children to feel secure, learn and explore while gaining an understanding of how to behave socially and appropriately towards others. Areas covered include building firm foundations and developing attachments; personal, social and emotional development; the language of feelings and behaviour; observing ‘problem’ behaviours and planning interventions; and supporting disability and special educational needs. Including case studies and thinking points in each chapter, this invaluable guide will help early years practitioners, teachers and students to develop their own knowledge, confidence and understanding when working with challenging behaviours.

Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

Understanding Behaviour in the Early Years provides information, practical suggestions and ideas that enable practitioners to take a positive approach to young children's learning about behaviour. Linked directly to the revised EYFS, this title includes practical suggestions based on sound theory and effective practice. This guide highlights the importance of working in partnership with parents to understand and support children's behavioural learning and aims to increase practitioners' confidence in supporting children's learning about behaviour. Includes chapters on: early intervention in the context of supporting behavioural learning, theoretical perspectives on behavioural learning, thinking about social learning, thinking about emotional learning, thinking about behavioural learning and using observation and analysis to develop effective strategies.

Assists in developing a strong framework for successfully guiding and managing children's behaviour. Author Jeanette Harrison describes quality early childhood environments and identifies those aspects essential for the development of self-esteem and positive social behaviour.

This fully revised and updated edition of a fundamental New Zealand psychology text examines how and why children develop and how they are influenced by the people and events in their lives. Discussed are theories of development and learning, the importance of early experience, intelligence and assessment, and the family. The development of social behavior, gender roles, language, and thinking are also covered. The question of mainstreaming--the integration of children with special educational needs into regular preschools and classrooms--is also debated. There is a strong emphasis on local conditions and the New Zealand historical and social context. This new edition addresses the important issue of giving children themselves a voice, in order to better understand their development and to involve them in decisions about their lives.

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

Many Early Years settings are taking in children for longer periods and at a younger age. However, their day-to-day practice has not necessarily changed and instead leads to the 'management' of behaviour, rather than investigating why the behaviour is taking place. Through a combination of practice, theory and reflection, leading Early Years education consultant Penny Tassoni explores children's behaviour from a child-centred point of view. In doing so, she shows how, over time, children learn to be with others and the strategies that adults can use to positively support this development. Understanding Children's Behaviour is a practical handbook that is accessible and adaptable for Early Years practitioners looking to support children's behaviour by focusing on their personal and social skills. It includes a useful A-Z problem-solving section about dealing with unwanted behaviours for analysis and to guide practice.