Posts Tagged preschool

Are young kids developmentally ready to operate on Level D?

On July 16, 2010 / Discipline Answers, The Raise Responsibilty System

QUESTION:

As a first grade teacher, I totally agree with DWS being the best way to go. However, I have some concerns about the developmental readiness of young children to operate on the level of Democracy on the Hierarchy. I seem to recall from my Ed. Psych. class that this level of behavior was ‘normally’ expected around the teenage years––if at all.

RESPONSE:

I’ve heard this concern raised before and although I haven’t taken psychology courses for many years now, I’m happy to give an opinion based purely on personal experience in the classroom. I teach Grade One too!

Firstly, I feel it’s important to review the definition of what it means to be operating on Level … >>>

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Using Discipline without Stress in Preschool with Students Who Have Special Needs

On October 7, 2008 / Discipline Answers, Procedures in the Classroom, Special Challenges

Posted by Teri Gibson, a member of the Discipline without Stress mailring.

I have just begun using DWS this year with my 4 yr. old special needs preschool classes. I absolutely love it. No, my class is not perfect. No, DWS does not solve all behavior problems. What it does is this: For the first time, I am able to “reward” my kids that are being good, while helping the kids that are not! It makes me view everything as a teachable moment, rather than a child’s attempt to undermine. I love the way it stresses the positive and actually encourages me to pay more attention to the children who are doing the right thing. I still have much … >>>

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The most effective procedures are those that are carefully planned and explicitly taught.

On August 11, 2008 / Discipline Answers, Procedures in the Classroom

Recently, the following post was shared on the Kinderkorner mailring by Marybeth Quig-Hartman, who generously allowed me to reprint her ideas here. Note the amount of “teacher thinking” that Marybeth puts into developing her routines and the amount of class time she devotes to the teaching of procedures in the beginning of the school year.

Such diligence pays off! Not only does Marybeth ensure that every child in the class has the opportunity to be successful in learning how to work independently with the various art materials and tools available in the classroom, but by being proactive, she avoids many unnecessary problems for herself, as teacher.

Marybeth explains:

“I find that many “problems” with kids are actually the result … >>>

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Can Discipline without Stress be used with young children?

On July 2, 2007 / Discipline Answers, General Questions, The Teaching Model

QUESTION:
Can this discipline system really be used with young children in Kindergarten and First Grade? It seems as if it would be above their heads.

RESPONSE:
I’ve met a number of people, both in person and on the Internet, who express concern that the concepts of Discipline without Stress are too sophisticated to be of value to young children. Today, on the second day of a new school year, I had an interesting discussion with a six-year-old that proves to me once again that even young children can benefit greatly from exposure to the thinking of this discipline approach. The basic understandings are accessible to students of all ages.

Most years, by the second day of school we’re … >>>

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