Do you sometimes struggle to identify behaviour triggers for some children? Are you finding inconsistencies in some behaviours that effect individual children as well as whole group experiences?From www.scancarewest.blogspot.com.au 6th April 2014.
A really useful idea for helping to pin-point what may be at the root of these behaviours, and in particular if the environment is a factor (including people, activities, routine, and physical layout), is the mud-map dot activity. The idea is that you draw a mud-map of your preschool. You can have indoors and outdoors represented, and stuck at strategic places around the room/outdoor area. Along with the map, include several colour coded dot stickers (or textas etc). Colour code morning, meal/snack, afternoon, transitioning. Include a section for notes. Over the course of a week (or whatever time frame provides you with information), use the dots to stick on the area where a child's behaviour has been challenging.
You can include a short-hand date on the dot, but essentially what you may find are particular areas or times of the day/program which may be impacting on the child's ability to regulate or participate at any one time. This is a helpful tool with self-reflection and can provide you with a useful 'visual' on what may be over-under stimulating a child, causing anxieties in a child, providing difficult social situations for a child and so on. The information provided may then assist you in considering ways in which to reduce a challenging environment for any particular child or group. For instance, consider room dividers, play spaces and presentation, space for large or small group activities, quiet and active spaces, transition strategies and routines, specific interest activities. Some specific questions to ask yourself*
-Are there adequate materials in this area to support the number of children who play there?
-Are the majority of materials in the area of high interest to the children?
-Are there too many children in this centre?
-Is the activity set up so that children know what to do and how to do it?
-Have children been introduced to the materials in the area and know the appropriate ways to interact with them?
-Is there on item in the area that causes arguments or challenges?
-Are the problems due to crowding or traffic flow?
-Do the activities in the area required adult supervision or guidance?
Give it a go, and please do send us a comment. We'd love to know how you get on.
* Pyramid Model Implementation Guide, 2nd Edition - High Quality Environments.
