Discipline And Behavior Management

Abracadabra is a place for growth and learning. Our philosophy of discipline is that it involves teaching, learning, and helping. The goal is to teach each child to manage his/her own behavior, to get to know each individual child to better understand their behavior and to help the children by making rules and expectations reasonable and clear. With the High/Scope curriculum, we believe that many management problems are prevented because the classroom environment is carefully planned. Many other problems, of course, must be dealt with on the spot. Our ultimate goal in handling management issues is to help children become aware of their own actions, of how those actions affect the people and things in their environment and of how the choices they make can help them resolve difficulties and conflicts.

In order to enlist some basic prevention strategies in child management, we:

• Have designed our environment with the development needs and limitations of the children in mind.
• Have established a consistent daily routine so children are able to predict and plan for things that are about to happen.
• Have established reasonable limits to be followed in the classrooms. The rationale for limits is explained to the children.
• Model ways of interacting with materials and people.
• Plan for transition times.
• Respect and plan for the different abilities and interests of each child.

We also use the following on-the-spot management techniques to handle problems as they arise:

• We intervene immediately to stop behavior that is unsafe or destructive.
• We use language to identify children’s feelings and concerns.
• We ask children to put their own feelings and desires into words.
• We ask children to think of their own solutions to problems.
• We redirect inappropriate behaviors and activities.
• We avoid language that passes judgment on a child.
• When we stop behavior that is unacceptable, we explain the reasons to children.
• We decide if children can settle things without our help before we step in.
• We provide a quiet area for children who need time and space to regain control of their actions or emotions.

Physical punishment is never an acceptable form of management for a child. Food is never withheld from a child as a form of discipline.

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT POLICY: Child abuse is mistreatment or neglect of a child by parents or other caretakers resulting in injury or harm to a child. Child abuse may be physical, verbal, emotional or sexual. Teachers, directors and school administrators are mandated by law to report any suspected abuse, including abuse of children in their care.