Guidance and Challenging Behaviors

Spotlight on Young Children: Challenging Behavior

Authored by

playing with a truck toy." width="250" height="125" />

Functional Assessment and Positive Behavior Support: The Role of Early Learning Program Leaders and Teachers

Functional analysis is a tool that allows educators to figure out the purpose or function of challenging behavior as well as the events that trigger and maintain it.

Authored by

A Three-Step Approach: Promoting Young Children’s Self-Regulation and Language During Conflict

This article presents a three-step approach to address common behavioral challenges and social conflicts in early childhood settings.

Authored by

Tearing Down Silos: A Model for Interagency Collaboration

This article shares a collaborative approach that two counties in Pennsylvania have taken to tear down the silos and instead promptly and effectively support early learning programs and staff and the children and families they serve.

Authored by

Message in a Backpack™ Guiding Your Child’s Behavior

Challenging behaviors often happen when children feel they don’t have another way to express their feelings or another way to get what they need. Here's how to stay calm, patient, and consistent as you help your child understand your expectations.

Authored by

Instead of Discipline, Use Guidance

Using guidance instead of discipline means helping young children understand they can learn from their mistakes, and it starts with showing them how to do so.

Authored by

Summer 2021

Teaching Young Children is NAEYC's magazine for anyone who works with preschoolers. Colorful, informative, and easy-to-read, TYC is packed full of teaching ideas, strategies, and tips.

A Road Forward: Five Democratic Life Skills for a Civil Society

Five democratic life skills provide a model for the holistic education and development of children, guiding them along a continuum from showing resilience in the face of trauma to demonstrating intelligent decision-making as members of society.

Authored by

NAEYC Publishes New Book on Addressing Challenging Behavior in Young Children

Becoming a Better Behavior Detective: Applying a Developmental and Contextual Lens on Behavior to Promote Social and Emotional Development

Sharpening our “behavior detective” skills requires us to use reflective practices to apply our knowledge of development in service of understanding the individual infant or toddler.

Authored by

Rocking and Rolling—It Takes Two: The Role of Co-Regulation in Building Self-Regulation Skillsالتناغم والتآزر - يد واحدة لا تص فِّق: دور التنظيم المشترك في بناء مهارات التنظيم الذاتي عند الطفل

Authored by

Addressing Challenging Behavior in Young Children: The Leader's Role

Authored by

Message in a Backpack™ Helping Your Child through Change

We gathered insights from individuals with various perspectives and roles in early childhood. Here, you will read excerpts of what some of them would share with families about supporting children during this period of rapid change.

Supporting Anxious Children in the Preschool Classroom

The three de-escalation activities detailed here can be useful in targeting anxiety—two are used for de-escalating children’s anxious behaviors, and the third assists children in identifying the cause of their anxiety and in developing coping skills.

Authored by

Partnering with Families Supporting Social and Emotional Development through Picture Books

Here are three strategies you (as the teacher) can use to help families turn picture books into tools to prompt rich conversations about expressing feelings, gaining self-esteem, showing perseverance, and many other important skills.

Authored by

October/November 2020

التفاهم مع الأطفال الذين يمارسون سلوك العض وطريقة الاستجابة لهم Understanding and Responding to Children Who Bite

This article will help you to understand the reasons young children bite and give you some ideas and strategies for responding appropriately.

“How Can I Help You?”: Reconsidering Behavior Management

Given that many teachers feel they are not well prepared to manage behaviors in a classroom (Pavri 2004), we have intentionally pursued this topic in our professional endeavors as teacher educators, observing hundreds of preservice and in-service teachers

Authored by

انظر واسمع وتعلم: اللطف في المعاملة Look, Listen, Learn: The Kindness Movement

Read the following story and teacher reflections; use the Reflective Questions to deepen your thinking and shape your teaching practices.

Authored by

Ask Hello. How to Handle Hurtful Words

In a recent Hello discussion, a member asked for advice on how to react when children use words that are hurtful or unsuitable for early learning spaces.

Become a Member

Support NAEYC

Donate to help NAEYC advance a strong and dynamic early childhood profession and connect educators to cutting-edge resources.

Find Your Affiliate

Connect with professionals in your community at conferences, networking events, advocacy efforts, leadership opportunities and more!