Building the Foundation: Peace and Conflict Education in
Early Childhood Development Programs
Project Implemented in Partnership between
Child Institute of Al-Quds University &
Meridian International Center
Basic Training, Part 2
2008
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Know the importance of having a positive relationship
with each child and have specific ideas about how to
develop and maintain good relationships with children
Appreciate the special issues of separation of young
children from their caregivers and know how to help
them make it through the day
Understand the role of schedules and routines for
young children and how to use them to prevent
behavioral issues
Understand the unevenness of children’s development
and the reasons for responding to children in ways
that are consistent with their levels of emotional
development
THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
A rule for young children:
IF I DON’T LIKE YOU,
I WON’T MIND YOU.
DEVELOP A GOOD RELATIONSHIP
WITH EVERY CHILD
 Communicate the child’s
strengths
 Include the child in all
activities
 Learn about the child’s
situation
 Talk to each child for
at least three minutes
every day
 Find things you like
about each child
 Praise a child at least five
times for every negative
comment you make
 Avoid name-calling with
children
 Keep promises you make to
children– you may need to
make fewer promises in order
to be reliable in keeping them
 When you give a command to
any child, follow through in a
positive way to make sure the
child does what you said
 Be aware of each child’s limitations and try not to
provoke a child unnecessarily
 Remember that a child can’t do every day everything
he or she can do on a good day
 Know that children want to learn and to be able to do
things that older children can do. They are usually
positively motivated. If you think they are
misbehaving to provoke you, you and the child need
some outside help.
DEFINITION OF ATTACHMENT
• The development
of a very special
relationship
between and infant
or young child and
at least one
primary caregiver,
usually the parents.
FOR CHILDREN GOING TO PRESCHOOL,
SEPARATION FROM THEIR PARENTS CAN
BE VERY DIFFICULT
Teachers can help by:
1. Giving each child special
attention in greeting
them at the beginning of
the day
2. Reminding children how
much time is left before
they can return to their
parents
3. Keeping a schedule
of the preschool
routine on the wall
and showing children
at the end of each
activity how many
activities are left in
the day
4. Having drawings or 5. Allowing each child to
bring and keep with
photos of each
them one small object
child’s family on the
from home
wall
6.Talking to a child
who is upset because
of the absence of a
parent (or for any
other reason).
Don’t ignore the
issue. Remind the
child of what the
group will do in
preschool this day
and when the child
will see his parents
again.
KEEP AWARENESS OF THEIR
PARENTS ALIVE FOR CHILDREN
 Keep family photos or
pictures of family each child
has drawn in the classroom
 Allow each child to keep a
special “transition” object
from home
 Say things to help children
remember their families at
least once every 30 minutes
(more often for children who
need it)
THE IMPORTANCE OF
SCHEDULES & ROUTINES
 What are you like
when you don’t get
enough sleep?
Young children are
more bound to
schedule than adults
or older children.
SCHEDULES AND ROUTINES. . .
 Help children feel safe
and secure
Help them regulate their
emotions
Give them opportunities
to learn activities
essential for their health
Encourage them to
explore a wide range of
activities
HELPING CHILDREN FUNCTION
IN THE PRESCHOOL SETTING
The teacher can help
by:
 Keeping the same
general order of
activities every day
Posting a schedule
on the wall with
pictures to show the
order of activities
TRANSITIONS
BETWEEN ACTIVITIES
Young children are most likely to have
behavioral difficulties when they are changing
from one activity to another.
WHY?
HOW YOU CAN MINIMIZE
TRANSITION PROBLEMS
 Give fair warning that a transition is
coming
 Build excitement for what is coming
next
 Give a contingency (“when we’re done
picking up, we get to go outside!”)
 Help in a positive way any child who is
having difficulty
INDIVIDUALIZING
DEVELOPMENTAL EXPECTATIONS
 When you see a child’s
behavior, think what
age that behavior
reminds you of.
 Don’t be distracted by
the child’s real age.
(Almost all 4-year-olds
act like 2-year-olds
occasionally.)
MAJOR AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT
 Physical
Gross Motor
 Fine Motor
 Cognition
 Language
 Social
 Emotional
Remember that they all
don’t always (or even
usually) match.
HELP CHILDREN DO THEIR BEST
DEVELOPMENTALLY
2. Understand where
each child is with
respect to different
aspects of
development
1. Build on children’s
strengths: the goal of
preschool is to excite
them about learning
rather than teaching
specific skills
3. Give instructions
more than one way
(for example, tell
AND show)
4. Make expectations
for behavior clear.
Have four or five
simple, positively
stated class rules, put
them on the wall with
pictures to show their
meaning, and go over
them at the beginning
of each day.
5. Focus most of your
attention on the
children who are doing
the current activity
appropriately.
6. Support children’s
efforts by describing
what they are doing.
(“I see you’re coloring
your flower red.”)
7. When you praise a
child, be specific.
(“I like the way you’re
eating so neatly.”
You won’t get
popsicle on your
clothing!”)
8. Stay calm and keep
your voice low and
steady.
9. When children are
having difficulty,
match the way you
treat them with
their emotional age,
or the emotional age
they are showing at
the moment.
If a 4-year-old is
having a tantrum like
a 2-year old, treat
him like a 2-year-old.
MATCH DISCIPLINE TACTICS
TO STAGE OF EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Examples:
 Distraction (birth to 4)
 Substitution (1 to 5)
 Ignoring (all ages)
 Physical prompts (2-6)
 Immediate rewards (2+)
 Sticker charts (5+)