Meeting the Challenge: Effective Strategies for Challenging Behaviours in Early Childhood Environments

Canadian Child Care Federation, 1999; National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1999. 40 pages. ISBN 0-9685157-1-1.

Click here to read an excerpt.

This reader-friendly book offers easily understandable ideas and strategies proven to work for children with the most challenging behaviors and to benefit every child in your setting.

Written for front-line child care teachers, Meeting the Challenge became a runaway best seller for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) when the prestigious American organization selected it as a Comprehensive Membership Benefit in 1999. The Canadian Child Care Federation, the booklet�s original publisher, was so convinced of its worth that it distributed it free to every child care center in Canada.

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What readers say about Meeting the Challenge

�Meeting the Challenge is one of the best resources available to early childhood educators. It provides answers to exactly what goes on in child care centers.�
—Director, Child Care Center and Family Resource Program

�I found the booklet wonderful—what a great resource!�
—Licensed Family Daycare Home Provider

�This booklet has been my salvation. I immediately put some of the ideas into place, and I�ve noticed a difference already.�
—Child Care Educator

�I found Meeting the Challenge very well organized and informative for dealing with and guiding children�s behavior, from typical antisocial to the more severe challenges. Early childhood education students found it clear and easy to follow and apply in field practice.�
—Early Childhood Education Instructor

�I loved this book. I believe all parents would benefit from it.�
—Child Care Consultant

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Excerpts from Meeting the Challenge: Effective Strategies for Challenging Behaviours in Early Childhood Environments

Words hurt
According to Toronto psychologist Tom Hay, emotional punishment can cause even more developmental problems than minor physical punishment.

Emotional punishment damages the relationship between the punisher and the punished, creates a climate for confrontation, hurts a child’s sense of safety and interferes with learning. Children who’ve been controlled with punishment may learn to use aggression to control others. Punishment can destroy self-esteem by sending the message, �You’re bad and you deserve to be punished.�

People who work with children agree that physical punishment is never appropriate. But did you know that the following practices are also punitive and unacceptable:

• Threatening
• Scaring
• Humiliating
• Yelling
• Embarrassing
• Annoying
• Insulting or putting someone down
• Teasing
• Intimidating

Aren’t children with challenging behaviours better off in special settings?
Not usually, though of course it depends on the needs of the individual child. To learn to function in society you must be in society. Children with challenging behaviours desperately need to learn social skills to protect them in the future. Their socially competent peers, who can act as role models and reinforce their attempts at positive behaviour every day, are the best possible teachers (if there are enough properly trained adults around to support them, of course).

The other children are learning, too. They learn how to help a friend, how to stand up for themselves, how not to become victims. Above all, they learn that people are different and that everyone is a valuable individual.

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This material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any manner or medium without written permission. For information, contact jud...@challengingbehavior.com.

In the U.S., Meeting the Challenge is available from the NAEYC. In Canada, Meeting the Challenge is available from the Canadian Child Care Federation.

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