Difficult Behavior in Early Childhood

Ronald Mah, an educator and licensed marriage and family therapist, has worked in early childhood education for 16 years. A credentialed elementary and secondary teacher, he is the author of Difficult Behavior in Early Childhood and The One-Minute Temper Tantrum Solution (2006 and 2008, Corwin Press). He wrote the Asian Pacific Islander Parent Education Support curriculum (DHS-San Francisco, 1996). Mah has DVDs on child development and behavior (Fixed Earth Films), and has been involved in community and high school mental health clinics, severe emotional disturbance, at-risk youth, welfare-to-work, and Head Start programs. A graduate college instructor and Board of Directors member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and of the California Kindergarten Association, Mah combines concepts, principles, and philosophy with practical techniques and guidelines for effective and productive results. Mah has a psychotherapy practice in San Leandro, California where he works with children, teens, adults, couples, and families.

Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction Part I. The Role of Discipline 1. Discipline in Classrooms, Families, and Society Communities That Affect Children's Development Family Expectations and Classroom Expectations Discipline From the Inside Out Practice Makes Better Appropriate Discipline Develops Social Competence Chapter Highlights Part II. Time and Using Timeout 2. Before Timeout: Understanding Children's Sense of Time Children's Sense of Time Making Time Relevant to Children Or Else! When There Isn't One "Best" Choice Likability, Validation, Acceptance, and Connection Unconditional Love and Conditional Acceptance Chapter Highlights 3. Three Common Uses of Timeout and Why They Fail to Work Theory 1. The "Suffering" Theory of Timeout Theory 2. The "Think About It" Theory of Timeout Theory 3. The "How Would You Like It If..." Theory of Timeout Chapter Highlights 4.The Community Theory of Timeout That Works The Three Rules of Community The Gift of Timeout Chapter Highlights 5. Applying Timeout Effectively Begin With Basic Boundaries and Instructions Return to Timeout Timeout Again? Timeout in Perspective Moving From Timeout to a Plan: Doing Something Differently Chapter Highlights Part III. Setting and Following Through With Boundaries 6. Boundaries: The Foundation for Growth and Change Block Negative Behaviors First Clarify Boundaries and Consequences Ambiguity Won't Work Chapter Highlights 7. Follow-Through and Consistency Follow Through With Verbal and Nonverbal Messages Be More Stubborn Than Your Students Constantly and Consistently Reinforce Behavior Beyond Boundaries, Consequences, Follow-Through, and Consistency Chapter Highlights Part IV. Punishment, Praise, and Rewards 8. How and Why Punishment Works-and Doesn't Work Motivation to Misbehave Immunity to Punishment Intensification and Abusive Behavior Admitting It's Time for a Change Discipline Is More Than Punishment Alone Chapter Highlights 9. The Effective and Judicious Uses of Praise Praise the Person, Not the Behavior Self-Awareness of Achievement: The True Reward Attention, Appreciation, and Material Rewards Chapter Highlights 10. The Most Important Lesson of Choices A Multiple-Choice World Rewarding Children for Meeting Expectations Consequences for Poor Choices Are Necessary Reasonable and Unreasonable Behaviors Reflecting on Your Own Choices Chapter Highlights 11. Motivating Reward Systems: Key Issues and Effective Principles Rewards as a Part of the Process, Not the Total Process A Reward System Cannot Become a Punishment System Principles of an Effective Reward System Chapter Highlights 12. Rewards-Only Behavior Plans "Rewards-Only" Means Just That Basic Terms of the Plan Make the Plan Practical Success in One Area of Behavior Transfers to Other Areas Chapter Highlights 13. Connecting Goals to Motivating Rewards Defining Goals and Rewards Choosing Quantifiable Goals Defining and Quantifying Desirable Behaviors Short-Term, Midterm, and Long-Term Goals Goals That Involve Time Frames Remember, No Punishments Children Should Choose Their Rewards (Within Reason) Age-Appropriate and Individually Tailored Rewards Rewarding Consistency With Bonuses Examples of Rewards-Only Incentive Plans Always Follow Through Chapter Highlights Part V. Recognizing and Responding to Specific Behaviors and Emotions 14. When There Is More to It: Helping Children With Deeper Issues Happy Children Act Out Too Is This an Angry Child? Is This a Sad Child? Is This a Fearful or Anxious Child? Is This a Child Who Is Holding Unprocessed Pain or Loss? Is This a Child Who May Need a Referral to a Specialist? Chapter Highlights Conclusion: Now What? Asking Questions From Observations to Results Be a Teaching Artist References Index

"Covers the breadth of children's behaviors that teachers are likely to see, and describes the major motivators for them very well. The examples and scenarios are highly interesting, meaningful, and transferable to classroom practice." -- Gail Hardesty, Mentor "Teachers of young children will feel validated by this book that explains the issues underlying behaviors that challenge us on a daily basis and shows how to address them effectively." -- Xiomara Sanchez, NBCT, Dual Language Pre-K Teacher "Learning to manage children's behavior is one of the most challenging aspects of teaching. Children tend to act out at inopportune moments, and the rest of the class is always watching to see how the teacher responds to an individual child's behavior. This invaluable resource goes a long way toward helping teachers develop practical strategies for effective classroom management." -- Marilyn Karp, Editor-in-Chief "The flow of the book is smooth and easy to grasp. The vignettes, discussions, and practical suggestions are true-to-life and applicable." -- Dimensions of Early Childhood, Spring/Summer 2007 "I am thoroughly impressed. As an early childhood educator and administrator, I felt this book provided a realistic description of behavior in children of this age. This is an excellent resource to use as a staff development tool. There are useful tips, but most of all, it makes you think about each child and how your interactions are so crucial." -- Denise Humphries, Preschool Principal