The University of Toledo

Social-Emotional/Behavioral Interventions and Classroom Management

In order to support the development and well-being of all children, it is important that Early Childhood educators develop knowledge and skills to implement social-emotional/behavioral interventions and classroom management strategies. The following websites provide research based strategies related to social-emotional/behavioral interventions and classroom management.

Division for Exceptional Children (DEC) Position Statement (2009)
The 2009 DEC position statement provides guidance for early childhood professionals regarding the identification of and intervention of challenging behavior. This statement can be accessed here:
http://www.decsped.org/uploads/docs/about_dec/position_concept_papers/PositionStatement_Chal_Behav_updated_jan2009.pdf

Growing Ideas Tip Sheets and Resources for Guiding Early Childhood Practices
The University of Maine’s Center for Community Inclusion and Disabilities Studies has developed some resources for addressing challenging behavior: http://ccids.umaine.edu/resources/ec-growingideas/social-emotional-development/

Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior
The following fact sheet from the Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior provides information on Positive Behavior Support and effective behavior support strategies:
http://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/documents/rph_pers_chall_beh.pdf

The following brief from the Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior describes several intervention strategies to help prevent challenging behaviors: http://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/documents/rph_preventing_challenging_behavior.pdf

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL)
The CSEFEL website provides resources that focus on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5. It includes a variety of resources for both professionals including the What Works Briefs: Summaries of Effective Practices for Supporting Children's Social-Emotional Development and Preventing Challenging Behaviors and video clips that explore strategies related to social emotional development. The What Works Briefs can be accessed here: http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/what_works.html. The video clips can be accessed here:
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/videos.html.

Moving Right Along. . . Planning Transitions to Prevent Challenging Behavior
This journal article focuses on using strategies for planning and implementing more effective transitions:
http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200805/pdf/BTJ_Hemmeter_Transitions.pdf

Preventing and Addressing Challenging Behavior : Common Questions and Practical Strategies
This journal article addresses common questions teachers have about challenging behaviors and provides practical strategies for how to prevent and address these behaviors. PDF

Reducing Challenging Behavior by Clarifying Expectations, Rules, and Routines Workshop.
These Make and Take workshop materials include a presentation with embedded video, engaging activities, and colorful handouts. Participants will learn the importance of using visuals to teach, the difference between program-wide expectations and classroom rules, the importance of teaching expectations to children in a manner that is developmentally appropriate, and strategies and techniques to teach clear expectations.
http://www.challengingbehavior.org/communities/make_n_take/make_n_take_home.html

Friends Like You. Friends Like Me
Friends like you. Friends Like Me  is an educational community outreach initiative of Children's Specialized Hospital, designed to help educate children about autism spectrum disorder and provide the tools necessary to facilitate friendships among children. A free video is available that offers strategies and resources to encourage interactions and friendships in school environments as well as in the general community. In addition they have developed free, downloadable materials that can assist in helping children develop friendships. A free video is available that offers strategies and resources to encourage interactions and friendships in school environments as well as in the general community. In addition they have developed free, downloadable materials that can assist in helping children develop friendships.

Zero to Three Tips and Tools on Promoting Social and Emotional Development
The Zero to Three web site offers podcasts that provide strategies for addressing social and emotional development.

Promoting Social Behavior of Young Children in Group Settings: A Summary of Research
This research summary by Dunlap and Powell, provides a summary of evidence based practices that support the development adaptive social-emotional behavior of young children in group contexts.  PDF