We have all probably experienced the frustration of having a child “act-out” and behave in a way we would prefer not to have to deal with. Children can be challenging.

Often a child’s behavior is like a window into the needs of that child. When we view behavior as a communication of the child’s needs, we are able to approach the child’s behavior from a problem-solving perspective instead of a behavior that needs to stop or be controlled.

While each child is unique and each situation is different, there are some basic trends that are seen frequently among young children.u
Children with special needs, trauma or truly challenging behaviors need more in depth interventions.

Let’s look at one situation and examine what might be behind the behavior.

Situation – A child is running around the classroom, seemingly lacking any direction and ability to make a decision as to where to play.

What is this child’s behavior trying to tell us?

Possibly there are too many choices for the child and they are having difficulty picking just one. Children can easily become overwhelmed by the number of choices available in a classroom, especially if they are new to the classroom or preschool in general. Try suggesting a 2 or 3 activities so their choices are fewer.

Maybe the child is bored. The activities may not be engaging for this child; either too easy or too difficult. Suggesting other activities or modifications to some of the available activities might help the child engage.

Sometimes a child just needs to be re-focused on what they were originally doing. Ask the child where they are playing. When they answer, point out where that area is located and ask if they need any help in that center. Or perhaps they’re ready to move to a new one.

Children can be easily distracted and unfocused. A planning time right before center time can help to focus the child’s energies. Have the child pick the center they would like to visit first. Maybe even ask if they have a plan for after that center. This helps the child to plan their activities and focus energies in a positive direction.

Your activity my not be open-ended, allowing a child to extend the learning on their own. Or it may be too easy for the child. Review the activity and center to determine what might be added or changed to make it more engaging for a wider range of abilities. This is one of the hardest parts of curricular planning. Open-ended activities provide the opportunities for children to experience the center at their best learning level.

Scaffolding frequently needs a little help from the teacher. Sit down with the child at an activity they seem to breeze through and provide provocations to extend the learning. The next time the child is at this center, you may see some extended learning initiated by the child.

Are there enough choices available for the child to choose their next activity? If there is not room at any of the centers that interest this child, wondering the room may be the only choice they see. Ideally, your classroom should provide 2-3 play spaces per child. A play space is defined as an activity that provides 10-20 minutes of engaged play. For instance, your dramatic play area may comfortably sustain 4 children playing. That would count as 4 play spaces.

Behaviors can be challenging. Many times, we can mitigate the behaviors by providing an rich, engaging environment for all children. Every group of children is different, so what might be a great environment for one group of children falls short for the next. When challenging behavior disrupts the flow of the classroom, perhaps a few tweaks in the environment can lessen those behaviors.