Positive Behavioral Supports

Helping children develop self-discipline and other positive social-emotional skills is one of the many important jobs you do every day.  Your positive behavioral support policy communicates specifically how you support and guide children’s behavior in proactive, developmentally appropriate ways.  It describes the positive steps you take to prevent negative behaviors and situations.

Offering children choices can be a proactive behavioral support strategy – a way to promote and support positive behaviors.  You are providing a safe environment for children to develop decision-making skills, responsibility and positive self-esteem.  The sense of control children develop when you give them choices helps them make their own positive choices later.  You can provide children with choices throughout the day as part of daily routines; where to play, where to sit, and what materials to use are just a few examples.

Redirection is a positive behavioral support technique where the adult changes the child’s focus or direction from a negative behavior or experience to a positive one.  It may involve one of four different types of redirection: verbal, verbal with a visual cue, redirection of attention to a positive model, or physical redirection such as moving closer to the child.  Consider how you can use redirection in response to children’s behaviors and reactions to avoid negative situations or behaviors from occurring.