From Challenges to Solutions: New Program-wide Community Childcare Project Shows Improvement in Young Children with Challenging Behaviors

Since the introduction of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) for young children, teachers and staff from three early childhood programs in Hillsborough County spend less time responding to children with challenging behaviors. The childcare centers were selected to participate in the Program-Wide PBS program, funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, in response to increased requests from early childhood educators for more training and classroom assistance around behavioral concerns.

“ We have seen growing concern among families and professionals about the exclusion of young children with behavioral difficulties from early care and education programs,” said Rochelle Lentini, project coordinator. “Our training program creates an atmosphere where hopefully expulsions are rarely necessary. We help guide teachers to view a child’s problem behavior as serving a purpose for that child and teach them ways to help the child develop new social and communication skills, enhance relationships with peers and adults, and experience an improved quality of life.”

CFS staff were contracted by the Children’s Board to provide training and technical assistance for the implementation of the PBS program, which involves all staff working together to ensure that children understand behavior expectations and receive instruction in social and communication skills. PBS uses a pyramid framework, which includes four levels of practice to address the needs of all children, including children with persistent challenging behavior:

Level 1: Positive relationships with children, families, and colleagues
Level 2: Classroom preventive practices
Level 3: Social and emotional teaching strategies
Level 4: Intensive individualized interventions

Rochelle Lentini and Lise Fox conducted a three-day training with the Head Start Mango Center, Y’bor HCC Child Development Center, and Achieve Tampa Bay Child Development Center. Each center was asked to come up with a slogan or acronym that would describe program-wide goals in language that young children understand, such as “be safe,” “be a friend,” and “keep hands and feet to self,” as well as develop stories and lessons centered around those goals to be discussed and reinforced throughout the day.

“ Super Friend” was a lesson selected by Achieve Tampa Bay to meet their program-wide goal of being respectful. When kids exhibit “super friend” behaviors, they are recognized and their photo goes on a special acknowledgment wall for the day. Recently, a boy named Justin was selected, and when the teacher asked why, one of the little girls said, “He waited for his turn for the swing and stood near the pole nicely.” Another child said, “He asked if he could have a turn with the bike,” and a third child commented that “he kept his hands and feet to himself.” The teacher put up his photo and they all clapped for him as he smiled proudly.

Tucker Turtle is everyone's pal!

A successful tool to teach behavior expectations involves the story of “Tucker Turtle,” which teaches children that they can have control over their own emotions and reactions.

Children are given a small stuffed turtle puppet whose head can be tucked in his shell, and are told that when Tucker Turtle feels frustrated, angry or upset, he stops, tucks his head in his shell, and takes three deep breaths and thinks of a solution before reacting. During a recent story time at Achieve Tampa Bay, the teacher was reading a story about a character stopping and thinking, and one child said, “Hey, that’s just like Tucker Turtle.”

“ These techniques result in a definite change in climate in the classroom,” said Rochelle. “There was one story,” she added, “where a little boy didn’t bring his turtle to school one day, and when asked about it, he said ‘I didn’t need it anymore – my dad needed it more than me.’”

At a recent Behavior Coach Training with the staff from the Y’bor Center, PBS staff learned of a new student who had entered their facility and was benefiting from spending time with a “Top of the Pyramid” child named Alex. “Recently, Alex took a giant and unexpected leap when he took it upon himself to ‘teach’ PBS to a new student that needs some positive behavior intervention,” said PBS team member Anne Taccetta. “Now, both Alex and his friend are working together to maintain the techniques they have learned from PBS.”

" During a recent visit, one of the teachers couldn’t wait to show me the pictures she has taken of the children implementing the expectations that will be displayed in the class room," said PBS trainer Rachel Lee. "As a class they have created a chart defining specific examples of these expectations that will be shared with the families so that children will be encouraged to use the same behaviors at home."

Family involvement is a very important part of the PBS process.

Family involvement is very important to the success of the PBS program. With guidance from school personnel, parents are encouraged to use the PBS strategies outside of the classroom so that the same expectations are reinforced throughout the day.

“ Working in the field is the best way to see the success of your efforts and ideas,” added Taccetta. “It is always exciting to see something you have created used to help a child express how they feel. While making a visit to the HCC Y’bor campus, my colleague and I were able to witness an incredible moment such as this.”

Anne shared her excitement regarding a “Feeling Wheel” tool she recommended for the Center, which allows children a special way to express their feelings.

“ While in one of the classes, a little girl named Kesha was upset because she was told that is was time to put up her goodie-bag and go to join an activity,” said Anne. “Not only did she have to put her goodie-bag away, but she was also getting hungry as well. In her fury over the recent event she got up and moved the ‘Feeling Wheel’ over to the sad face and then walked back to her area and continued to play. Moments later, Kesha began to walk around the room, and after making only one lap around, she was able to accept the change of activity and take part. Making sure to get the teachers’ attention, she hopped back over to the ‘Feeling Wheel’ to correctly point out that now she was feeling ‘happy’. It is so important for children to understand that feelings can come and go and that it is ok to have more than one feeling for the day. As child guardians we must embrace the feelings our children will have and help them see that it is okay to feel certain ways and that feelings can change all day long.”

“ This is the first time a program-wide PBS project has been implemented for children this age,” said Lentini. “We are thrilled to hear such positive stories from each of the centers, and hope this is the beginning of a successful program that can be implemented district and state wide.”

For additional information, contact Rochelle Lentini at 814-974-1455.