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(Unit 3) Topic 3: Reinforcement and Redirection:
A Positive Approach

2 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

Managing Problem Behavior

Topic 3 Page 6

Providing children with positive reinforcement does not have to be a complicated process and often just involves assessment and action.

It is important to give children praise periodically for good behavior, but there are instances when a particular behavior is repeatedly presented. Examples of this includes a child that has a hard time sharing, throws tantrums, does not raise their hand to speak during circle time, or another form of problem behavior. These are the instances when it is important to assess the situation and act accordingly.

The following should act as guidance when working through problem behaviors:

1) Assess why the problem behavior may be happening. If the child did not get a good night of sleep, is hungry, or is feeling sick, then these outside factors can influence their behavior temporarily. Communicating at drop-off with parents about these factors can help you make more informed decisions throughout the day.

2) Consider the activity levels of children. A very active, high-energy child may need more activities that involve movement throughout their day in order to avoid problem behavior from boredom.

3) Once you have identified the problem behavior and ruled out any outside factors, start to strategize about what you want to reinforce. If a child yells a lot, reinforce when they are having a nice, indoor voice. Decide what behavior you would like to see and reinforce it when it’s observed.

4) Heavily reinforce the desired behavior at first by using as many different types of reinforcement as necessary. Variety can prevent certain reinforcers from becoming ineffective or meaningless to the child.

5) As the child learns the correct behavior and the problem behavior tapers off, you can begin to reinforce less and less often.

6) Make sure to maintain the good behavior by reinforcing occasionally.

Below is a resource table from the American Academy of Family Physicians that offers suggested reference for age appropriate child guidance. Note that according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, positive reinforcement and redirecting guidance techniques can be applied for infants, toddlers, preschool, and school-age children.