Transforming Our Understanding of and Approaches to Children's Behaviors

Many years ago, as a new intern in a kindergarten classroom, I observed a child grabbing a toy from another with a push and the words “That’s mine!” There was nothing uncommon about the child’s behavior in that particular moment—or my response. “Don’t do that,” I instructed. “That’s not nice.” The look on my mentor teacher’s face was clear: I needed to understand and respond to children in a different way.

Guidance and behavior are two of the most popular and pressing topics on the minds of early childhood professionals. Even those well beyond their first years of teaching still seek perspectives and practical strategies on these topics. As I scan through the submissions we receive, the engagement with our content, the activity on NAEYC’s HELLO discussion forum, and the results from a large-scale field survey by NAEYC, guidance and behavior are frequently written about, presented on, and sought after.

In this issue of Young Children, authors present the meaning behind children’s behaviors and developmentally appropriate, equitable ways to respond to them. Some of these approaches may be new and require a change in thinking; some may be familiar but not fully integrated into everyday practice. All can be considered as educators engage in their journeys of professional growth.

In the he opening article, “From Patience to Understanding: Shifting Mindsets to Address Challenging Behaviors,” Ivonne E. Monje, Desirée Toldo, and Stefanie Horton demonstrate how a mindset of patience, or bearing with a child’s behavior, is actually a deficit-based approach. Instead, they describe specific strategies that early childhood educators—on their own or in collaboration with others—can implement for more child-focused approaches.

“Trauma-Informed Early Learning Settings: Approaches to Build Resilience in Young Children,” by Nicola Edge, Karen S. Hickman, Melissa J. Sutton, Leslie Dudley Corbell, Khiela J. Holmes, and Elissa D. Wilburn, describes trauma-informed strategies responsive to children’s social, emotional, and behavioral development, which can be applied in early learning settings serving children birth through kindergarten.

Along with principles and practices applicable across settings, early childhood educators and leaders also need information specific to the ages and contexts of the children they serve. In “Behavior Guidance with Infants and Toddlers: Strengthening Each Child’s Sense of Belonging,” Marie L. Masterson explains how educators can engage in behavior guidance to foster infants’ and toddlers’ sense of belonging.

Continuing the focus on ages and contexts, Sean Durham, Travis Morgan, and Ashton Bridges explore “Challenging Behavior or Age-Appropriate Play? Recognizing the Learning Possibilities of Toddlers’ Schema Play.” The authors explain what schema play entails, then illustrate through multiple scenarios how educators can better interpret and respond to toddlers’ behavior.

Amy Blessing offers insights from her journey as a kindergarten teacher in “Supporting Self-Regulation and Autonomy in Kindergarten,” which first appeared in Focus on Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Equitable and Joyful Learning in Kindergarten (published by NAEYC). Accompanying this is “Creating Joyful Learning Within State and Local Standards,” in which Blessing situates her intentional approach within the current context of teaching and learning.

Finally, Tarima Levine and Victoria Ozeir ask readers to consider a different lens through which to view and respond to behavior in “Understanding and Supporting Children’s Behavior Through a Sensory Processing Lens.” The authors provide an overview of the sensory patterns children may display, and they share how educators can implement supportive strategies informed by children’s individual sensitivities and preferences.

I had some work to do in my own professional learning to better understand and respond to children’s behaviors. I have no doubt that my younger self would have benefited from the insights and examples from the authors this issue. Whether you are just beginning your teaching career or well into it, I hope you find the articles in this issue useful as you reflect on and continue to sharpen your perspective and practices.

—Annie Moses