22: Appendix E – Inventory of Practice for Promoting Children’s Social-Emotional Competence

1. Examines personal, family, and cultural views of child's challenging behavior

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YES

a. Considers personal beliefs regarding the acceptability and unacceptability of specific types of child behavior

b. Considers personal beliefs regarding the causes of specific types of unacceptable child behavior

c. Acknowledges contrasting or conflicting beliefs held by others regarding acceptable and unacceptable types of child behavior

2. Examines own attitudes toward challenging behavior

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YES

a. Understands the relationship between children's social-emotional development and challenging behaviors

b. Understands that children's challenging behaviors are conveying some type of message

c. Understands there are many things that can be done to prevent challenging behaviors

d. Identifies what behaviors "push my buttons"

e. Understands "flipping the lid" and how that impacts both children and teacher behavior

f. Practices reframing to help develop strategies for engaging with children when behaviors "push my buttons"

3. Develops meaningful relationships with families and staff

a. Establishes a warm and collaborative relationship with each child's family

b. Informal communication with families occurs on a regular basis (at drop off/pick up, during parent visits)

c. Uses a variety of strategies for building relationships with all families

d. Teacher has a system for regular communication with families that includes celebrations of the child's accomplishments

e. Creates a communication system with families that is bi-directional, offering families a way to share information about the family or child with the teacher

f. Offers periodic communication to the families from the school/program or teacher (newsletter, open house, parent conferences)

g. Provides formal opportunities for families to visit the classroom

h. Includes the culture of the family in the classroom (family photos on bulletin board, my family book, activities, language, materials)

i. Provides directions or instructions to other team members about how to work within the classroom

j. Staff have time to meet together for support and planning

k. All staff contribute ideas for classroom planning

1. Staff acknowledge one another's efforts throughout the day

4. Develops meaningful relationships with children

a. Greets children on arrival; calls them by name

b. Communicates with children at eye level

c. Verbally interacts with individual children during routines and activities

d. Participates in children's play when appropriate

e. Shows respect, consideration, warmth to all children

f. Speaks calmly to children

g. Uses a variety of strategies for building relationships with all children

h. Promotes child's understanding of self and relationship to others (likes/dislikes, characteristics, similarities/differences)

i. Attends to children in positive ways when they are engaging in appropriate behavior (not giving attention only when a child has challenging behavior)

j. Creates a classroom that is a place that children and families like to be (i.e., feel comfortable, welcome, and safe)

k. Considers a child's temperament when getting to know and understand the child

5. Establishes and teaches clear expectations for behavior

a. Identifies appropriate classroom expectations with children

b. Consistently makes connections between expectations and rules/examples for children

c. Classroom or program-wide expectations and rules/examples with visual cues are posted

d. Teaches children how to follow the expectations and rules/examples in developmentally appropriate ways

e. Reviews basic expectations at least once per day (during large group, small group, transition time)

f. Provides opportunities for children to reflect on classroom expectations, offering new examples

g. States expectations positively and specifically (avoids "no" and "don't")

h. Avoids directing children to follow the expectations (e.g., "You need to be safe.") and instead encourages them to think about their behavior (e.g., "What is a safe way to go down the slide?")

i. Frequently reinforces children for appropriate behavior using positive, descriptive acknowledgment (PDA/PDA Plus)

j. Encourages the child to review posted expectations when problem behavior occurs

k. Uses a variety of ways to teach the expectations of specific activities so that all children understand them

I. Encourages children to reflect upon the rules and expectations in connection to their ongoing behavior in the classroom

m. Ensures that families are informed about the link between rules and expectations and using PDA Plus to teach them

6. Develops schedules and routines

a. Maintains a consistent but flexible daily schedule

b. Creates a visual schedule (use drawings or photographs)

c. Reviews the schedule with children and refers to it throughout the day

d. Designs schedule to include a balance of large-group and small-group activities

e. Designs schedule to minimize the number of transitions children have to make during the day

f. Schedule minimizes the amount of time children spend making transitions between activities

g. Designs schedule to include a balance of child-directed and teacher-directed activities

h. Implements schedule consistently

i. Teaches children about the schedule

j. Provides advanced notice for children when changes in the schedule are necessary

k. Uses activity schedule or visual cues for children who need extra support

7. Ensures smooth transitions

a. Considers transitions as an activity, with a planned and structured beginning, middle, and end

b. Structures transitions so children do not have to spend excessive time waiting with nothing to do (e.g., has materials prepared to start circle or next activity as children arrive)

c. Uses transition strategies that ensure children are actively engaged in transitions

d. Provides signals prior to transitions with auditory and/or visual cues and ensures that all children have received the signals

e. Individualizes the signals prior to transitions so that all children understand them

f. Explicitly teaches children the steps and expectations of transitions

g. Effectively guides individual children who need extra support during transitions

h. Provides positive, descriptive acknowledgement (PDA/PDA Plus) to children during transitions

8. Designs activities to promote engagement

a. Plans and conducts large-group activities with specific goals in mind for the children

b. Varies the topics and activities in the large group from day to day

c. Provides opportunities for children to be actively involved in large-group activities

d. Varies speech and intonation to maintain the children's interests in the large-group activity

e. Monitors children's behavior and modifies plans when children lose interest in large-group activities

f. Plans and conducts small-group activities with specific goals in mind for each child

g. Plans and conducts fun small-group activities

h. Uses peers as models during small-group activities

i. Assists individual children in selecting activities and becoming actively engaged

j. Makes adaptations and modifications to ensure that all children can be involved in a meaningful way in any activity

k. Encourages children to reflect on play (what is their plan, what are they doing, what did they do)

I. Teacher-directed activities are shorter than twenty minutes

m. Gives frequent positive, descriptive acknowledgement (PDA/PDA Plus) to children as they are engaging in activities

9. Designs the physical environment

a. Creates an environment that is aesthetically pleasing to promote calm, focus, and attention and to avoid overstimulation (soothing colors, natural materials, soft textures, limited clutter)

b. Maintains acceptable noise level for all children in classroom

c. Considers hot and cool spots throughout the classroom on an ongoing basis

d. Arranges traffic patterns in classroom so there are no wide-open spaces

e. Classroom has at least one place for children to go to be by themselves

f. Removes obstacles that make it difficult for children with physical disabilities to move around the room

g. Clearly defines boundaries in learning centers

h. Arranges learning centers to allow room for multiple children

i. Designs learning centers so that children spend time evenly across centers

j. Considers children's interests and developmental stages when deciding what to put in learning centers

k. Provides a variety of materials in all learning centers and makes changes and additions to learning centers on a regular basis

I. Designs a system for children to monitor the number of children using each center

m . Materials/centers are prepared before children arrive at center or activity

n. Family photos are displayed or accessible to children

10. Gives clear directions

a. Minimizes the number of directions and corrections

b. Gains child's attention before giving directions

c. Individualizes the way directions are given

d. Gives clear directions stated in the positive

e. Gives children time to respond to directions

f. Checks in with children to make sure they understand directions

g. Gives children choices and options when appropriate

h. Gives positive, descriptive acknowledgement (PDA/PDA Plus) to children as they are following directions

11. Practices ongoing observation and engagement with all children

a. Gives children time and attention when engaging in appropriate behavior

b. Narrates children's actions, behaviors, and feelings for them during play

c. Joins in children's play to support their interactions and expand upon their ideas

d. Responds to children's comments and ideas by asking questions and giving positive, descriptive acknowledgement (PDA/PDA Plus)

e. Has extended conversations with children during routines and activities about their interests, ideas, feelings, or concerns

f. Reinforces children's choices and links their actions to positive outcomes through PDA Plus

g. Monitors adults' interactions with children throughout the day (i.e., directions and corrections versus pro-social interactions)

h. Uses alternative strategies when communicating with children who are nonverbal, language delayed, English language learners, or otherwise in need

12. Uses positive descriptive acknowledgement (PDA) and PDA Plus

a. Frequently engages with children using PDA (positive, descriptive acknowledgement - describing appropriate behavior as it happens) and PDA Plus (linking the description of positive behavior to expectations, characteristics, and outcomes)

b. Conveys enthusiasm while giving PDA and PDA Plus

c. Gives positive, descriptive acknowledgement (PDA/PDA Plus) contingent on child's efforts (i.e., when the child tries or has partial success)

d. Provides nonverbal forms of acknowledgement

e. Recognizes that there are individual variations how children respond to PDA and adjusts accordingly

f. Involves other adults and peers in acknowledging children (in giving PDA/PDA plus)

g. Individualizes amount of PDA and PDA Plus given to the child based on specific needs

h. Gives PDA designed to reinforce engagement in appropriate behaviors

i. Uses a 5 to 1 ratio of PDA/PDA Plus and neutral comments to directions or corrections

13. Promotes friendship skills among children using deliberate teaching strategies

a. Opportunities for peer interaction are embedded in daily routines and activities

b. Intentionally teaches friendship skills such as initiating social interaction, organizing play, sharing, taking turns, being helpful, acknowledging peers, and caring about others

c. Uses a variety of strategies to teach friendship skills (role playing, discussion, scaffolding, modeling, acknowledging/ encouraging)

d. Individualizes instruction based on children's developmental needs

e. Prepares the environment to encourage interactions

f. Structures activities to encourage interactions, including peer partners/buddies

g. Prompts children to initiate interaction or respond to peers

h. Refers children to each other, instead of an adult, for assistance

i. Gives positive, descriptive acknowledgement (PDA/PDA Plus) to children using friendship skills

j. Supports children in reflecting on interaction with peers

14. Characteristics of a classroom that fosters emotional literacy are visible

a. Books are available that portray various emotions

b. Uses photographs, pictures, and posters that portray people in various emotional states

c. Other materials are included to support emotional literacy (check-in chart, feelings wheel, songs, art materials)

d. The above items are used to promote emotional development through activities, games, and routines (book nook, check-in chart, feelings wheel, reading, songs)

15. Promotes emotional literacy through identification and labeling of emotions in self and others

a. Prompts children to identify their emotions throughout the day

b. Assists children in recognizing emotions in self by asking questions, offering possible feeling states, using the check-in-chart, or referring to classroom materials designed to help them identify their emotions

c. Assists children in recognizing and understanding how peers might be feeling by pointing out facial expressions, voice tone, body language, or words

d. Uses real-life situations to practice identification of emotions

e. Validates children when they identify their emotions (e.g., "You are really sad that there isn't space for you at the table right now.")

f. Avoids following validation of feelings with directions (e.g., "I know you are feeling sad, BUT you have to share.")

g. Models appropriate expressions and labeling of their own emotions and self-regulation throughout the day

h. Shows empathy and acceptance when children state their emotions

i. Individualizes instruction for children having difficulty identifying, understanding, expressing and/or managing emotions

16. Promotes children's individualized emotional regulation that will enhance positive social interactions

a. Helps children recognize cues of emotional escalation

b. Provides techniques and tools for regulating emotions (relaxation thermometer, Tucker Turtle or Sonia Snail scripted story, counting to three, deep breaths, feelings check-in-chart)

c. Offers opportunities for children to practice handling strong emotions (fear, anger, frustration, exuberance, disappointment)

d. Offers opportunities for children to practice emotional regulation skills at times when they are not having strong emotions

e. Recognizes signs of emotional escalation and cues children to express emotions appropriately using various strategies in classroom

f. Practices relaxation strategies with children (yoga, breathing, going to "be by myself" spaces)

g. Provides frequent positive, descriptive acknowledgement (PDA/PDA Plus) of children's expression of emotion and attempts at selfregulation

h. Gives positive, descriptive acknowledgement (PDA/PDA Plus) when children are engaged in appropriate behaviors to prevent emotional escalation

17. Creates a planned approach for problem solving and conflict resolution

a. Individualizes the planned approach for the developmental level of the child

b. Uses problem solving in interactions with children and models problem-solving steps

c. Systematically teaches the problem-solving steps: 1. What is my problem? How do I feel? 2. Think, think, think of some solutions. 3. Try out the solution. 4. Teacher, give them support/check back in.

d. Takes time to support children through the problem-solving process

e. Reinforces children's problem-solving efforts

f. Provides visual cues and tools for the children to use in learning to problem-solve (the Solution Kit, Tucker Turtle story, other scripted stories)

g. Teaches a systematic method of conflict resolution such as using the problem-solving steps for resolution (Stop, we have a problem. 1. What happened? How do you feel? 2. What solution can we try? 3. Give the solution a try. 4. Teacher, give them support/check back in.)

h. Gives children positive, descriptive acknowledgment (PDA or PDA Plus) for conflict resolution efforts

18. Teams with family to develop support plans

a. Invites family to participate in behavior support process from the beginning

b. Accommodates family schedule

c. Encourages family to assist in the development of plan

d. Ensures that the plan addresses family and other care setting issues

e. Treats information shared from the family perspective with respect

19. Teams use functional assessment

a. Observations are conducted by multiple team members

b. Observations are conducted in multiple settings at varying times

c. Observations are documented on Behavior Observation Reports

d. Observations supplemented with interviews and/or information from classroom staff, family members, and others who know the child

e. The above items are used to determine one (or more) behavior hypothesis: setting, trigger, behavior, consequences, and function

20. Develops and implements behavior support plan

a. Prevention skills are developed to address triggers to the challenging behavior

b. New skills are designed to replace the challenging behavior with appropriate behavior that will meet the function of the original behavior

c. Adult responses to challenging behavior are designed to encourage the use of new behaviors and/or extinguish challenging behaviors

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Yes